The price you pay for having a system where TV content is subject to regulation via viewer complaints is that sometimes people make really dumb complaints. Media blog Mumbrella has rounded up 25 of the most ludicrous complaints about Australian advertising sent to the Advertising Standards Bureau. More »
One of the perennial questions surrounding YouTube is “how will it ever make any money?” A partial answer to that question emerged this week with its Promoted Videos scheme, which lets individuals or companies buy keyword-style placement to promote video content. More »
Turns out those rules requiring advertisers to disclose every component of a price really have some teeth. Last week, the ACCC busted three travel agents for not fully publicising the total price of various deals. More »
There’s few things more annoying than seeing what looks like a good deal advertised, only to find the total cost is much higher. From the end of May, that should be less common as new changes to Australian law make it illegal to promote “component prices” without also making the total cost clear. More »
Been contemplating placing some Google AdWords ads? The search giant is offering a carrot to attract Australian businesses: $75 of free advertising. More »
Even Google is finding it harder to make money in the current crisis, so it’s no surprise that the big G is pushing a new program that lets customers specify the kinds of advertisements they want to see served up by Google. You can specify which categories interest you (or opt out of the program altogether) using the Google Ads Preferences Manager. Touring through the whole list will take some time, but if you really do want to see more ads for “Nails Screws & Fasteners” or “MySpace Codes & Graphics”, that’s the way to go. Interestingly, while most of the categories are fairly geographically neutral, Australia is one of just seven specific destinations you can specify as a preference under the Travel category. The settings are based on browser cookies rather than any existing Google logins.
Google Ads Preferences ManagerIf you’ve often had the impression that phone advertising is only just up the moral scale from the bloke flogging you a cheap TV set in the local pub, you’re not wrong. The Australian Competition And Consumer Commission (ACCC), normally a highly restrained and legally minded body, has received so many complaints about dodgy phone advertising that it felt compelled to issue a press release denouncing the “lack of clarity in phone service advertising”. ACCC chair Graeme Samuel didn’t mince his words:
“Complaints to the ACCC indicate consumers are fed up with getting charged more than they bargained for when the bill arrives, and getting less value than they were promised in the case of phone cards.”
What’s the worst example of deceptive phone advertising you’ve encountered? Share your shockers in the comments. More »
The Advertising Standards Bureau has released its list of the most-complained about ads of 2008, covering TV, print and billboards. To be frank, I haven’t seen most of them (which reflects my media consumption habits, I guess), but it’s interesting to note that even the most-complained about ad — the Kotex ‘beaver’ campaign — only attracted 185 complaints, and wasn’t ultimately banned. Motorola’s Razr ad held up the tech flag at #10.
Advertising Standards Bureau [DOC format]Huge numbers of individuals and companies rely on Google’s AdWords program to place advertising on their site, and many more use them to promote their businesses, but that doesn’t stop the Big G from occasionally tweaking its approach. Google Australia has revamped its Content partner page, claiming this will make it easier for advertisers to select relevant sites from their network using its placement tools. More ads equals higher costs, of course, but in a relevant environment that should also translate into more sales. Do Google AdWords work for you? Share your experience in the comments. [Google Content Network Partner Sites via Official Google Australia blog]
