tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21166579.post2117288238539578301..comments2024-02-19T08:12:53.815-05:00Comments on The Right Thing: SOUND OFF: FAKE ADSJeffrey L. Seglinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648051034425906705noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21166579.post-63184212121004128722008-06-25T18:11:00.000-04:002008-06-25T18:11:00.000-04:001. Most newspapers (at least in the Los Angeles a...1. Most newspapers (at least in the Los Angeles area) haven't had any real credibility for years, so no damage can be done to it.<BR/><BR/>2. Fake ads actually sound like a clever way to determine the level of reader interest. If no money changes hands, I can't see the harm.<BR/><BR/>3. Anyone who believes everything they read in an ad probably needs a good, hard reality slap anyway. <BR/><BR/>Jo <BR/>Los AngelesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21166579.post-80176906169782486782008-06-23T12:51:00.000-04:002008-06-23T12:51:00.000-04:00I think there was a breach of trust and that the p...I think there was a breach of trust and that the papers are less credible as a result of their deception. Because time is such an increasingly precious commodity – especially in a big city environment, it is unethical for an organization to seek to benefit from an action that totally wastes the time of a responding party.<BR/><BR/>Phil Clutts<BR/>Harrisburg, NCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21166579.post-49765239836861445012008-06-23T09:07:00.000-04:002008-06-23T09:07:00.000-04:00Newspapers running fake ads to gauge how effective...Newspapers running fake ads to gauge how effective ads are? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard!<BR/> <BR/> Suppose American Airlines is legitimately offering round-trip flights to London for $599, advertises them in the newspaper and sees a certain percentage increase in their business. That's an accurate way to gauge how cost effective those particular ads were.<BR/> <BR/> But if the newspaper runs an ad for mythical Kamkazi Airlines offering round-trip fares to London for $350 and gets a number of calls, what does that prove? Only that false lower prices, like Ponzi schemes, will attract lots of callers trying to save money.<BR/> <BR/> The real test of the effectiveness of an ad would be American Airlines offering $599 fares accompanied by photos of Playboy Playmates in lingere who are supposedly the flight attendants one week and then the same ads with the same price and an average looking flight attendant the next week. And then comparing the results.<BR/> <BR/> The test isn't whether ads sell. Of course they do which is why companies spend billions on them. The test is which type of ad sells the same product most effectively. Not whether ads can attract buyers for mythical products.<BR/> <BR/> Of course those latter ads are effective for Ponzi schemes and flim-flam men. As George Scott said in character in the movie "The Flim Flam Man, " "You can sell a man anything on God's own earth if you can convince him it's stolen."<BR/> <BR/>Burl Estes<BR/>Mission Viejo, CAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com