In true blogger fashion, I'm walking into a Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) to drop some pseudo-science over the WiFi last night, when I'm drawn to a busy ad on the side of a phone booth. A mess of white folks (hey, some of us check for that sort of thing) are spread around a park, picnicking and sunbathing, playing Frisbee -- you know, doing park-y stuff.One gentleman, alone on his blanket, is framed by some cubic bubbles (or perhaps he's about to be jumped by a gang of marshmallows). The ad copy instructs, "MARKETING DOLLARS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO WASTE ON EVERYONE." No revelation that, but sure, it's a lesson that bears repeating.
So who's the advertiser? Experian Group (LSE: EXPN).
Experian is a Dublin-based "global information services company," a component of London's FTSE 100, even. In essence, Experian traffics in consumer data. Last week, it launched a new corporate identity, "A World of Insight," branding itself so as to convey its "dynamic growth, global reach and position as the global leader in providing information services."
But it's expecting a lot with this targeted-marketing jive. You see, Experian also owns LowerMyBills.com, making it responsible for possibly the internet's most notorious scorched-earth advertising campaign, lampooned last week on satire website The Onion -- Mortgage Market Collapse Threatens Nation's Banner Ad Industry.
Ho ho, classic stuff. Except that it's not quite a joke. As Doug McIntyre pointed out last month, big search engines like Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) are vulnerable to losing serious coin if these sacked subprime mortgage lenders and credit rating houses start tightening their ad budgets.
And it's hardly just the web's majors -- The Onion may be one of the few free-content sites that doesn't run these absurd ads. Take a quick look around BloggingStocks -- you won't have to hunt long to find the LowerMyBills.com perpetual dance team, or a LendingTree Flash animation or a jumpy Capital One (NYSE: COF) banner. Citing Nielsen/NetRatings, Doug points out that along with troubled lender Countrywide (NYSE: CFC), Experian, Capital One and Lending Tree are all among the internet's largest display and search advertisers.
Let's hope they never close the doors at the University of Phoenix -- we may all be out of work.
But it's expecting a lot with this targeted-marketing jive. You see, Experian also owns LowerMyBills.com, making it responsible for possibly the internet's most notorious scorched-earth advertising campaign, lampooned last week on satire website The Onion -- Mortgage Market Collapse Threatens Nation's Banner Ad Industry.Ho ho, classic stuff. Except that it's not quite a joke. As Doug McIntyre pointed out last month, big search engines like Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) are vulnerable to losing serious coin if these sacked subprime mortgage lenders and credit rating houses start tightening their ad budgets.
And it's hardly just the web's majors -- The Onion may be one of the few free-content sites that doesn't run these absurd ads. Take a quick look around BloggingStocks -- you won't have to hunt long to find the LowerMyBills.com perpetual dance team, or a LendingTree Flash animation or a jumpy Capital One (NYSE: COF) banner. Citing Nielsen/NetRatings, Doug points out that along with troubled lender Countrywide (NYSE: CFC), Experian, Capital One and Lending Tree are all among the internet's largest display and search advertisers.
Let's hope they never close the doors at the University of Phoenix -- we may all be out of work.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-27-2007 @ 1:06PM
Mike Sweeney said...
Barry-
Enjoyed this post on LowerMyBills. There are many sites just like it. It's refreshing to see the truth of how they mislead consumers finally being exposed.
It's mainly what inspired http://www.LionSaves.com , the complete opposite of sites like LowerMyBills.
We just launched in seven states. It's a free debt consolidation tool for homeowners. It gives personalized results with no contact info required.
-Mike
Mike Sweeney
President and Founder
LionSaves.com
article: http://www.realtown.com/articles/real-estate/web-site-launches-free-debt-consolidation-tool-for-homeowners