By: Staff Reports PowerAdz.com Touts Marketplace Program
As newspapers struggle to attract online advertisers, one company
is suggesting that print display ads should be posted on Web
sites. PowerAdz.com of Troy, N.Y., is offering a new service that
allows newspapers to publish display ads on their Web sites --
exactly as they appeared in print.
The feature is part of the company's Marketplace service, which
allows papers to put their print special sections on their Web
sites, including editorial content, coupons, and display and
classified advertising. Newspapers can run thumbnails of the
display ads or tile ads alongside the editorial content. When
users click on those buttons, they get a new screen with a full-
size version of the print display ad. The program had previously
been available to newspapers in PowerAdz.com's Zwire! network,
but is now being offered in a stand-alone version to any
newspaper.
A similar service is offered by CityXpress.com Corp. of
Vancouver, British Columbia. The Rapid City (Wis.)
Journal is one of that company's newest customers,
launching CityXpress online health and entertainment sections
last week.
Like CityXpress, PowerAdz.com offers a variety of topics for the
online special sections, from health to home and garden. The
company will also customize sections for newspapers that want
something different, said Bruce McEwing, a PowerAdz.com
spokesman.
"Newspaper readers don't intuitively know how to use Web sites,
but they understand special sections in the newspaper," said Miki
Bucher, Marketplace product manager. "This program replicates
that experience online by putting the display ads beside the same
content that they ran with in print."
PowerAdz.com hasn't done any empirical research on click-
throughs, but McEwing said click-through rates at two newspapers
using the program have been seven times higher on the online
display ads than on banners.
Not everyone is a fan of putting print display ads online. Peter
Krasilovsky, a new-media consultant based in Oakton, Va., fears
that the feature is a "substitute for advertiser education." He
agrees that ads must be served in context with the content. But
he thinks newspapers would be better served by developing
interactive advertising, such as the new ad sizes and formats
endorsed by the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Papers also need to spend more time truly educating advertisers
about online campaigns. "Newspapers are working on many things to
reinforce their relationship with display advertisers on the
Web," said Krasilovsky, who pointed to e-commerce sections and
online promotions such as coupons -- which are part of the
PowerAdz solution. "Simply throwing in a display ad doesn't do
much to enhance the package, or leverage the very real power of
the Web," he said.
Links:
PowerAdz.com special section example
CityXpress special section example
Related story:
SPECIAL SECTIONS FUEL LEE'S ONLINE EFFORTS (01/30/01)
Copyright 2001, Editor & Publisher.
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