Do advertisers have a responsibility to not be annoying?

A truism of advertising is that the worst types of ads are ineffective ones – and also that annoying, bothersome ads can be quite effective. Pop-up advertisements still exist despite universal hatred, print ads blight the landscape in most major population centers, technology now exists to record television shows without commercials (because no one wants to endure them,) and telemarketing has become such a problem a federal no-call list had to be created. Do advertisers have a responsibility to not be annoying? Given that it is more difficult - yet entirely possible - to create an effective ad that is not aggravating, is there any moral obligation for advertisers to take that high road? Or is the contract with the client the only important obligation to the advertiser? Here are the reactions from the staff here at Off Madison Ave and Mighty Interactive:

Chris Sietsema Associate Director of Online Marketing “I’d like to think that marketers and advertising agencies aren’t intentionally trying to be annoying, but then again, remember this freak?... “I think Seth Godin summed it up well in Permission Marketing. Traditionally the general practice by marketers has been to interrupt their audience with a message during the course of their daily lives (i.e. listening to the radio, walking down the street, eating din-din with the fam…until the phone rings). The goal should be to offer meaningful messages and enticements at the time your audience needs them most (e.g. SMS applications, behaviorally targeted online advertising, search). I don’t think it’s a marketer’s “obligation” not to annoy as much as a requirement that we always measure. As we’ve seen, even the ads that nearly force you to kill your television can still inspire you to run out for a Chicken Carbonara. Because even if the ad pisses a few people off, it’s ultimately successful if it drives sales. “In the end, I think product/service quality is really the determining factor. As someone here in the office said recently, “However you lead them to water, it better be good water.” Nelson Jim Interactive Designer “I don’t think they have any responsibility at all - in fact it may be a marketing technique. If the spot is so annoying and pushes all the right buttons for the majority of the population, and it’s water-cooler babble the next day, it served its purpose for the client - which I am not opposed to. Personally I am more annoyed with the spots that are just horribly written, acted and produced. The insurance commercials where the unsuspecting driver pulls up to a DWI checkpoint and the cop is really giving him the once over, until he presents his notebook paper-thin insurance card. The road is paved for those with sub-par insurance. Believable, I know. “In contrast, there are really funny spots that give a good chuckle and are brilliant. One such ad is the Frebreeze commercial where the lady just loves the smell of her freshly Frebreezed ski mask. She puts it on and starts cleaning and Frebreezing (I was going to ask if that is a word then I remembered I am talking about a product called, "Frebreeze,") the house. An unsuspecting neighbor sees her gallivanting around in this get-up and is frightened because she looks like a robber. There are several versions of this scenario in the new Frebreeze commercials, all funny and creative. Still, Frebreeze doesn’t ever appear in my cart , nor would it warrant being water-cooler babble.” Megan Phipps Online Media Manager There is a fine line between love and hate and advertisers need to be wary over crossing over to hate. Although they are attention getting, pop-ups, pop-unders, and over the page creative execution can be intrusive and annoying. Web properties need to adhere to universal standards on the position and size of the close button so users can get immediately back to the content they were viewing. Over the page creative executions (you know those minivans that drive from one side of the screen to the other or Super Mario being chased across the screen) appeal to different audiences; for instance, younger demographics (18 and under) generally respond better to top of page executions. The ads themselves may be more interesting than the content the user was visiting and there is no immediate need to get back to playing games online. On the other hand, a busy executive may not want to be distracted from reading the latest business news by that minivan running across the page. It is important for advertisers to know their audience when considering these types of “annoying” creative executions. Roger Hurni Partner/Creative Director “The problem in the reality of bad, annoying advertising is two fold: First, many clients refuse to invest in the quality level of creative necessary to capture someone’s attention and deliver a meaningful message that is relevant to them. The second is pure laziness on the part of agencies. There are many more agencies that do trash for cash rather than take the time to understand their clients' customers and develop meaningful communications that change behavior. It's no wonder clients change agencies so much - finding one that understands their business well enough to practically run it is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.” Michelle Zimmerman Public Relations Account Manager “I think a better question might be, “Is the annoying advertising working?” Since advertisers are ultimately beholden to their clients it is their responsibility to deliver results even if the methods are annoying to some. Also, isn’t annoying kind of subjective? While some things might be annoying to me they might be mildly entertaining to someone else. And if these ads are so “universally” offensive why hasn’t there been a revolt among the consumers? Since there is no pleasing everyone I think the only responsibility advertisers have is to ensure that the ads they are delivering are meeting the goals of their clients.” Julie Ott Associate Creative Director “I would argue with the truth of the truism. It’s not the truth until you convince someone that it is. That’s how advertising works for the most part. Some bad work is just that - bad, and some good work also sells. I'd argue that ALL advertising is annoying, until the annoyance becomes something else. After all, not many folks sit down for the purpose of experiencing ads - they are inherently interrupting what it was you set out to do - doesn't matter if its watching a TV show, reading your email or driving down the freeway. It's when the interruption becomes entertainment, informative, etc. that people accept the annoyance. “And so to the question: I don’t know that advertisers have a “responsibility” to not be annoying (They have the responsibility to sell their cog if they want to stay in business). But it’s how you sell the cog that DOES make a difference – to the cog-makers, to the ad-makers and to the public. For those of us pursuing a career in advertising – how many times have you found yourself having to explain or apologize for all the bad ads out there (and shake you head in dismay and embarrassment). It is all those bad annoying ads that give the industry a bad name. And it is all those cool ads that make the whole thing cool. I’d much rather take the "high road" and do funny, charming, beautiful and entertaining work that also gets my advertisers message to the audience they seek while retaining my dignity.” Ruben Munoz Creative Manager "Advertisers have a responsibility to convey a message that sells their service or product through whatever means they can, and clients can afford - morality aside. I disagree that the most annoying types of advertising are the most effective. While it is true that it is more memorable, but only by the sheer fact that it sticks in my craw and is hard to remove, it is more true for me that I make an effort to avoid the product or service it is intended to sell. But, just because a certain form of advertising is annoying to me doesn't mean that it won't be annoying to someone else and perhaps even entertaining. "What may be happening however is that intrusive advertising shuts people off and we just tend to ignore it. I now automatically close a pop-up window (if I haven't disabled the pop-up function) and tear up a direct mail piece - and throw in the garbage - without bothering to reading it. More than 3/4 of the mail I receive at home is junk mail and the terrible waste of resources saddens me. I also use the interminably long commercial breaks, on television, to take a stretch, get a drink from the refrigerator or play with my dog - whether the spot is entertaining or annoying. And, contrary to my nature I rudely hang-up on telemarketers (in spite of being on a no-call list) because they're invading my personal space."

About the Author: Eric Reid

I am the Social Media Services Manager for Off Madison Ave. I've been with the company since 2006, when I was hired to do SEO, and link building in particular. When social networking sites started cropping up, at first I started using them to create backlinks - but they weren't the best for that, given all of the "nofollow" attributes. However, I did see the potential for all of the direct referral traffic they represent. Since then I've been actively pursuing both tactics for clients: Links that can help them for search, and social postings that get them involved in the conversation. It's about the coolest job you could ever get. ;)

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