Intrusive Noisy Bandwidth Clogging Adverts: Coming to Your Phone, Soon?

[Jonathon Watkins]

<i>"Television-style advertising is coming to a mobile phone near you. It is part of a broader push by marketers to create a new generation of "up close and personal" ads by delivering video, audio, banner displays and text clips over a device carried by most American adults. Marketers said they were particularly excited about the prospect of eventually using cellphones, many of which are equipped with global positioning systems, to send ads to consumers based on their location. With that information, marketers could, in theory, send pitches from retailers to cellphone users who might be in the vicinity of a store. . . This has to be approached delicately because there's a fine line between adding value to a customer and intruding, said Pragnesh Shah, vice president of product innovation at Sprint Nextel"</i><br /> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/16mobile.1841.jpg" /> <br /><br />A fine line??? Like the one that this plan massively steps over? The New York Times article mentions that Verizon and Sprint Nextel are the guilty parties thinking of inflicting this on us. There is mention of 'incentives' like reduced subscription rates if you agree to receive the adverts, but how long will it be before you have no choice but to accept them? A mobile phone is a device you almost always have on you, so there would be no escape from the incessant clamour of advertisers trying to make you feel unhappy and inadequate unless you purchase their products. I watched 'Minority Report' recently and it's a scary future when you really do get location targeted adverts jumping out at you. I've signed up to every anti-advertising scheme I can find for my snail-mail, email and landline and if this mobile plague is released I'll sign up to anyone who promises not to send these infernal mobile adverts to my phone. Bah. :evil:

[apeguero]

So let me get this straight, I pay $70.00 a month for 800 Sprint minutes plus $15.00 a month for unlimited data, plus tax and whatever other nickle and dime fees and now I'm going to have to put up with harrasing advertisements? This sounds almost as bad as being charged by tele-broadcasters to watch their stupid TV shows on iPods. Shows that have already been paid for by advertisers...I hope this never takes off.

[Jason Dunn]

Hmm. But what if you got free cellular service (minutes + data) in exchange for getting ads? I bet many people would opt for that...would anyone here? :-)

[CookieKid]

Hmm. But what if you got free cellular service (minutes + data) in exchange for getting ads? I bet many people would opt for that...would anyone here? :-)

I'd jump on that, especially with the cost of data rate in Canada. The rates for Fido's is expensive!
500 KB - $5
5 MB - $25
25 MB - $50
50 MB - $75
100 MB - $100

[capo]

Having to view them when I use my phone would be tolerable (unless, like some click-through web ads I'd have to dismiss the ad before continuing to make my call. That would be a Very Bad Idea for 911 calls particularly...)
Surely some marketing genius will arrange for Barbie's Hollywood Hair Salon and Facial Hair Removal Emporium to be able to ring me direct with their 2 for 1 special of the week as I pass by... no, that would also be a Very Bad Idea.
Telemarketing and phone spam is already a nuisance. I guess we're just waiting for the next wave in communication to arrive, eh?

[welovejesus]

Surely some marketing genius will arrange for Barbie's Hollywood Hair Salon and Facial Hair Removal Emporium to be able to ring me direct with their 2 for 1 special of the week as I pass by... no, that would also be a Very Bad Idea.
Are you suggesting that in this scenario marketers could send advertisements based on the proximity of one's cell phone GPS information (in relation to a given store)? 8O (Makes for a good conspiracy theory :lol:!)
Could you imagine someone in the car having some tacky McDonald's jingle blast through their cell phone as a ring tone as the car comes near a McDonald's? As if obnoxious ring tones didn't annoy general society enough :P

[PDANEWBIE]

Sigh this is like the friggin movies! I SO am over the fact that no matter what you do these days you can't avoid ADVERTISING!

Hold on lets start a list of places there are Ad's

Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, TV, Movies, Cars (in wrap), cars (on roof top signs), billboards, Internet, Mail, Front Door, Driveway in a bag with a little rock (OMG do I hate these little rock bags), Benches, Bus stops, Sides of large trucks, Buses, (I am sure theres a ton more but I have to actually work today)

Now they want to add it into cell phones? Anyone else want to scream at advertising and the fact that it is the most INTRUSIVE and UNWANTED things in my life?

I don't even think I buy many products due to anything I have seen in advertising.

[Jason Dunn]

Discussion on ads at Pocket PC Thoughts split off to here (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=45811).

[whydidnt]

Anyone remember how NetZero used to offer "Free" dial-up access if you agreed to get bombarded by their adds? What does NetZero cost today?- hint - it's not zero anymore. The same would happen with CellPhones. There is no way they can reasonably recover the $60-80 month most are paying for phone and data charges with advertising revenue.

One of the biggest problems with many marketing and advertising companies is they seem to think that they are such great salespeople that all they have to do is get in front of you and you'll buy whatever it is they are selling. We all know this isn't how things work, but most advertisers don't seem to understand that if they annoy a potential customer, they will lose that customer.

Google has proven that you can build an ad-supported empire by following two very basic rules -- make the ad unobtrusive - and make it relevant to the person who is using their service. I fail to how mobile phone delivered ads are going to meet either of these critiera, they will obviously be obtrusive - and just because I'm across the street from Starbucks, doesn't mean an ad will get me to walk in the door. I mean I can already see the HUGE sign advertising it's presence.

[bjornkeizers]

Hmm. But what if you got free cellular service (minutes + data) in exchange for getting ads? I bet many people would opt for that...would anyone here? :-)

Free, unlimited data? Hell yes! Besides, it would be only a matter of time before someone finds a way around these ads, so what's the harm in it?

[Damion Chaplin]

I think they should offer it.
Personally, I would never want ads on my cellphone, but that's why I pay money for it.
You know, kind of like this site: Don't want to see the advertizements? Subscribe! Don't want to spend the money? Put up with a few ads.
Free cellphone service can only be a good thing, but I agree that like NetZero it probably won't last past the first year.

[l_emmerdeur]

If VZW does this, and doesn't let me opt out, I will switch to a GSM provider,a nd use one of my many old&amp;busted GSM phones, that I can GUARANTEE you won't be receiving any newfangled broadband spam.

The best way to revolt against such developments is to become a bloody Luddite.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Hmm. But what if you got free cellular service (minutes + data) in exchange for getting ads?

It's not going to happen. The NY Times article talked about a discount, not a free service. It would not be long before the discount disappeared and you were *had* to receive the adds. The first one's always free......

If I pay for a service - I expect to receive no adverts. In fact, I won't keep a service if it pushes adverts on me. I won't get Sky TV, as why should I pay to receive adverts? The BBC in the UK has no adverts and I am happy to pay the licence fee to receive advert free TV.

I became a subscriber here at PPCT soon after the system was introduced. Partially because I wanted to switch off the adverts, but mainly because I wanted to support the site. Websites need the ad revenue to service, which is why I don't block most website adverts.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Are you suggesting that in this scenario marketers could send advertisements based on the proximity of one's cell phone GPS information (in relation to a given store)? 8O

Umm, yes. :? That's what my rant was about. :wink:

(Makes for a good conspiracy theory :lol:!)

But it *could* be coming to a phone near you soon.......

[Jonathon Watkins]

Free, unlimited data?

No. Not going to happen. A slight discount maybe, before it's withdrawn and you have adverts pushed down your throat with no way of stopping them.

Besides, it would be only a matter of time before someone finds a way around these ads, so what's the harm in it?

The harm, is that it would encourage the marketers that this an acceptable use of technology and soon the rest of us who don't want it foisted on us would be bombarded by these adverts - with no way out. Sure, you may be able to block a few at first, but the advertisers will always get through in the end. :|

[Steve Jordan]

The day that happens to my service is the day I LEAVE THE PHONE OFF until I need to make a call. Sorry, boys, no sale.