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Apples to Oranges- Adware is not like Television
SeekMo, from 180 Solutions, popped up on my radar (as well as some other firms) today and I found it interesting given light to a recent, private e-mail exchange with some ad industry thought shapers. One of the cruxes of debate centered around merchants going crazy over bidding on their trademarks in search, yet many seem unphased with adware popping up on and/or intercepting their search or paid media traffic. A good question.
Since both conundrums are fueled by brand awareness and brand equity it is timely. One person on the list made the interesting supposition that when the CEO, President, CMO, General Counsel, etc are out surfing the Web, they go to Google, Yahoo or pick your portal and type in “vanity keywords”. These vanity keywords probably include their own name and the name of their company.
Thus we can guess the pressure comes come down strong from the top to the trenches (I call this Trickle Down Brand Defense which is much like the promise of Reaganomics for those that remember.) to guard certain keywords. However, you probably won’t see pressure like that from most executives when it comes to adware, spyware and their ilk because most simply do not understand how it operates or impacts their brand, short or long-term. Throw in a botnet, dicey drive-by or good old fashioned social engineering and the clueless couldn’t find a clue if you modeled it into a 100 meter high statue outside their office window and attached a wrecking ball.
Let’s take a look at the SeekMo’s FAQ to get an idea why they might not “get it”, I am making a supposition this is the kind of rhetoric they might hear.
How does Seekmo and the Search Assistant benefit me?
Seekmo can be compared to free TV. For example, when you turn on your favorite sitcom on a regular TV network like ABC, NBC or CBS, you expect to see commercials during the show. Most TV shows are sponsored by paid advertisements which enable the networks to provide quality programs at no cost to you. Premium services like HBO, on the other hand, do not show any ads. Instead, they charge the viewer a subscription fee to access the premium content. Seekmo works essentially the same as regular TV: in exchange for giving you unlimited access to free programs and web content, the Seekmo Search Assistant displays advertisements from paid sponsors while you are online. And just as free TV presents ads that are aimed at a show’s specific audience group, the Seekmo Search Assistant ensures that you will only see advertisements that are directly related to the kinds of websites you visit.
I want to debunk this right now. In my opinion, SeekMo, from 180 Solutions, or adware in general, is really not like Television and comparisons drawn in this fashion are erroneous. The analogy is misleading and really comparing apples to oranges. I believe it probably sounds good to the uninformed media buyer and it will probably never make it on the radar of the executive. A case in point, Bill Gates didn’t get fired up about spyware until his daughter’s machine got fouled up beyond recognition . (Small events…big reaction.)
If I am watching television, I usually sit through the commercials. I admit it- I am not a big channel surfer or “flipper” like, for instance, my father who seems to compulsively surf around. Perhaps he enjoys his downtime and doesn’t want to squander it. On the rare times I choose to enjoy Television I simpy do not move and that usually includes a remote.
However, when I switch channels I don’t expect the ads from BattleStar Galactica to follow me to the History Channel. Furthermore, when I turn my Television set off I certainly don’t want the advertisements following me around the house. (A poor analogy too because the mediums are different but I am discussing poor analogies.) Even more so when I flip to HBO which is paid content. I am still watching Television, but I have chosen to pay for premium access and I see no reason for a show I watched two months ago to drain my resources now.
The tradeoff is simply a bad value and anyone trying to tell me it is a good value needs to have their value’o'meter calibrated.
On the same token if I am not browsing, but using IM as an example, I don’t want intrusive pop-ups because of a video or piece of software I watched two months ago. This is especially so if I am on a site for which I have paid access. How is this an adequate comparison to television? That is assuming I am naive enough to keep it around for two months…
On that note let’s take a quick look at more of the FAQ:
What can I do if I think Seekmo Search Assistant was installed without my permission?
It is our policy that Seekmo Search Assistant should only be installed with your consent. Clear consumer opt-in is a consistent hallmark of Seekmo offerings. If you do not know how Seekmo Search Assistant got installed, please let us know by completing our Contact Us form. Completing this form will help us to enforce our strict distribution policies and codes of conduct.
My first thought is why would you even need to ask someone this? Surely they have some control over their affiliates and distribution partners? Much to my chagrin they actually ask their customers to police it for them. Perhaps I am reacting too strongly as some said I did with my “Affiliate Narc” entry a couple years ago. (Time does fly.)
But shouldn’t this raise flags to a media buyer or has everyone become desensitized?Maybe not because “it’s like television.”
On to the clencher…
What is Seekmo’s installation/notification policy?
Our policy is to be totally upfront about how the Seekmo Search Assistant works to provide free games and programs. We will always ask for your permission before you install a Seekmo-sponsored program or product. We also require all our partners to notify users about their affiliation with Seekmo. All Seekmo products, downloads and advertisements are clearly identified.
A first blush this sounds great. They want to be upfront and ALWAYS ask for permission before installing a SeekMo sponsored program or product. Note they say a sponsored product or download, not necessarily SeekMo itself. I am rather unclear as to that but let’s extend the benefit of the doubt.
I must revisit the previous paragraph we deconstructed earlier where they ask people to let them know if it has been installed without their consent. Why bother to ask this if they always ask permission? Their words, not mine I add. Does a Send Keys attack count as adequate consent? I don’t think so and that is one reason the whole model is broken and continues to drop little pieces of itself all over the Net.
Apples and Orangles…Television and Adware.
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