Ugly Square Ads (split)

[vtothec]

I suggested that they revert back to what they used to do...you sign up for a sponser you get a paintbrush/prize

[Sterl]

Exactly, I remember when they had the rainbow foutain where a user had to sign up with sponsers in order to get a pass to paint their pet. I'm sure something along those lines now would be terribly successful, maybe not the exact same thing, but something like it. Given an incentive, I'm sure many neopians would be happy to sign up with sponsers. In my opinion, I believe the way they're going about doing this is totally wrong. It's like they spent absolutely no time thinking of the consequences it would bring. Obviously they're looking at it from the "we're going to rake in ever more money!" aspect, however, it's easily seen that perhaps a different approach would bring just the same revenues?

I just think they should spend more time thinking about how to keep their users happy, afterall, what's the site without any users? Obviously they need money to run the site, but if we can send a man into space, you'd think they could think of a better way to advertise! I don't think the happiness of Neopets' users should be compromised because of greed, especially when it can be prevented. And I'm not even going to go into the innapropriateness of many of the advertisements *cough*.

[Fishblade_Bluestream]

Not only that, but you should get actual, useful prizes for everything you buy in RL. So everything will come with a Rare Item Code, not just TCG and notebooks. And you should actually get RARE items, not just limited edition plushies.

That would trigger so many sales, and so many happy users. It's a win-win, whereas this current marketing plan is a win-lose. =P

[WIS]

Exactly, I remember when they had the rainbow foutain where a user had to sign up with sponsers in order to get a pass to paint their pet. I'm sure something along those lines now would be terribly successful, maybe not the exact same thing, but something like it. Given an incentive, I'm sure many neopians would be happy to sign up with sponsers. In my opinion, I believe the way they're going about doing this is totally wrong. It's like they spent absolutely no time thinking of the consequences it would bring. Obviously they're looking at it from the "we're going to rake in ever more money!" aspect, however, it's easily seen that perhaps a different approach would bring just the same revenues?

I just think they should spend more time thinking about how to keep their users happy, afterall, what's the site without any users? Obviously they need money to run the site, but if we can send a man into space, you'd think they could think of a better way to advertise! I don't think the happiness of Neopets' users should be compromised because of greed, especially when it can be prevented. And I'm not even going to go into the innapropriateness of many of the advertisements *cough*.

Yeah, they should open something like that up again. They should hold up a place where if you sign up, you get a cruddy BD item! Unless you're really lucky.

[Chao]

Exactly, I remember when they had the rainbow foutain where a user had to sign up with sponsers in order to get a pass to paint their pet. I'm sure something along those lines now would be terribly successful, maybe not the exact same thing, but something like it. Given an incentive, I'm sure many neopians would be happy to sign up with sponsers. In my opinion, I believe the way they're going about doing this is totally wrong. It's like they spent absolutely no time thinking of the consequences it would bring. Obviously they're looking at it from the "we're going to rake in ever more money!" aspect, however, it's easily seen that perhaps a different approach would bring just the same revenues?

I just think they should spend more time thinking about how to keep their users happy, afterall, what's the site without any users? Obviously they need money to run the site, but if we can send a man into space, you'd think they could think of a better way to advertise! I don't think the happiness of Neopets' users should be compromised because of greed, especially when it can be prevented. And I'm not even going to go into the innapropriateness of many of the advertisements *cough*.

Yeah, they should open something like that up again. They should hold up a place where if you sign up, you get a cruddy BD item! Unless you're really lucky.

If they brought back the sponsor abilities, like improved defend, (very useful in some situations) I would be the first one signing up with sponsors.

[vtothec]

Exactly, I remember when they had the rainbow foutain where a user had to sign up with sponsers in order to get a pass to paint their pet. I'm sure something along those lines now would be terribly successful, maybe not the exact same thing, but something like it. Given an incentive, I'm sure many neopians would be happy to sign up with sponsers. In my opinion, I believe the way they're going about doing this is totally wrong. It's like they spent absolutely no time thinking of the consequences it would bring. Obviously they're looking at it from the "we're going to rake in ever more money!" aspect, however, it's easily seen that perhaps a different approach would bring just the same revenues?

I just think they should spend more time thinking about how to keep their users happy, afterall, what's the site without any users? Obviously they need money to run the site, but if we can send a man into space, you'd think they could think of a better way to advertise! I don't think the happiness of Neopets' users should be compromised because of greed, especially when it can be prevented. And I'm not even going to go into the innapropriateness of many of the advertisements *cough*.

Yeah, they should open something like that up again. They should hold up a place where if you sign up, you get a cruddy BD item! Unless you're really lucky.

If they brought back the sponsor abilities, like improved defend, (very useful in some situations) I would be the first one signing up with sponsors.

Yep me too...well at least some sort of useful prize...it worked so well when it was around I signed up with all the sponsers so I could paint my pets

[-Ducky-]

they are gonna keep adding more and more ads so that we all get annoyed to the point that we all just buy premium

[Sapphire Faerie]

Ugh. I will never use Firefox. Partially because it's so annoying that people keep trying to shove it down my throat. If I so much as say something along the lines of "Oops, my IE froze" out loud, fifty people will scream "Oh Em Gee! GET FIREFOX!1!11!!ELEVEN!11"

I take care of my computer.
I take care of my IE.
I've never had a virus.
I don't get much spyware, and when I do, I take care of it.
I use the Yahoo Companion toobar, which has a built in popup blocker (and I was using it and loving it long before it had a popup blocker).
I know how to block the ads that I do get in IE.
IE has never given me any big problems, and if any arrive, I nip them in the bud right away.
I've been using IE for almost eight years, I'm used to it, and I like it.
I have no reason to switch.

Firefox will not solve all of life's problems, stop expecting it to.

[ProfessorRemusMoonyLupin]

Well that's just going to backfire on them then. I'm not getting premium and I'm boycotting their merchandise.

[valerielundberg]

Idle banter about browsers aside (let's face it folks, not everyone uses the same browser, and nobody should have to change their browser because of how under-handedly Neopets is bombarding people with advertisements)

I think it's time something was done.

Petitions, letters and whatnot do not work, we know this. Begging TNT to consider how the players feel does not work. Threatening Neopets not to buy their merchandise does not work.

But let's put all this into perspective...

The new lower ad, (and the big bannerzilla at the top) can't be bringing too much revenue into Doug's pockets. Most of those sponsors are just two-bit, small town, spyware-dealing losers. Sure, it's extra cash, but probably just enough to pay for him to detail his SUV every week.

We know where the money comes from, it's the big sponsors. Free ipods are good for spare change, but McDonalds, Kraft, Disney, General Mills...those legit sponsors are the ones buttering Doug's bread.

Writing a company like McDonalds saying "I will no longer eat at your resturant" does nothing. They get a million letters/email like that a day from irate customers who got a wrong order, or poor service.

THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE however, is something they take much more seriously however....

Imagine how someone over at Disney will react seeing a screenshot of their Disney Theatre, coupled with a big fat "Who's going to get pregnant next?" ad right below it. Disney prides itself in "family entertainment" and imagine how their execs would feel knowing their name and logo is being associated with low-ball trash.

Or general mills...seeing their big sponsor dollars going to waste as their cereal adventure is being smothered by some birth control top banner ad...

Take the pics, send them to the companies, and threaten to alert the media (hmm...maybe those dorks over in Australia whom we jeered so much could provide useful for a change?).

Doug won't listen, but his wallet will if his "big sponsors" put the pressure on him.

[Chao]

Idle banter about browsers aside (let's face it folks, not everyone uses the same browser, and nobody should have to change their browser because of how under-handedly Neopets is bombarding people with advertisements)

I think it's time something was done.

Petitions, letters and whatnot do not work, we know this. Begging TNT to consider how the players feel does not work. Threatening Neopets not to buy their merchandise does not work.

But let's put all this into perspective...

The new lower ad, (and the big bannerzilla at the top) can't be bringing too much revenue into Doug's pockets. Most of those sponsors are just two-bit, small town, spyware-dealing losers. Sure, it's extra cash, but probably just enough to pay for him to detail his SUV every week.

We know where the money comes from, it's the big sponsors. Free ipods are good for spare change, but McDonalds, Kraft, Disney, General Mills...those legit sponsors are the ones buttering Doug's bread.

Writing a company like McDonalds saying "I will no longer eat at your resturant" does nothing. They get a million letters/email like that a day from irate customers who got a wrong order, or poor service.

THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE however, is something they take much more seriously however....

Imagine how someone over at Disney will react seeing a screenshot of their Disney Theatre, coupled with a big fat "Who's going to get pregnant next?" ad right below it. Disney prides itself in "family entertainment" and imagine how their execs would feel knowing their name and logo is being associated with low-ball trash.

Or general mills...seeing their big sponsor dollars going to waste as their cereal adventure is being smothered by some birth control top banner ad...

Take the pics, send them to the companies, and threaten to alert the media (hmm...maybe those dorks over in Australia whom we jeered so much could provide useful for a change?).

Doug won't listen, but his wallet will if his "big sponsors" put the pressure on him.

Are those general mills prize codes still available?
I'd try those as well.
We should send letters to them explaining how much more effective the old advertising was.

[valerielundberg]

Are those general mills prize codes still available?
I'd try those as well.
We should send letters to them explaining how much more effective the old advertising was.

Good idea....

I'm willing to bet my bottom dollar these "large sponsors" weren't told what is going on, nor have they had thier contracts with Neopets adjusted so they pay less for sponsorship since the newer ads arrived.

If these family-oriented companies aren't going to be upset that thier name and logos are being associated with non-child friendly advertising, I'll bet you they'll be steamed at least by knowing their big marketing dollars are being upstaged by the trashy ads that I'm sure aren't paying a tenth of what the big sponsors are paying.

There are enough smart, and savvy folks in here that care enough that could make a difference.....I really think we could pull this off.

[vtothec]

Idle banter about browsers aside (let's face it folks, not everyone uses the same browser, and nobody should have to change their browser because of how under-handedly Neopets is bombarding people with advertisements)

I think it's time something was done.

Petitions, letters and whatnot do not work, we know this. Begging TNT to consider how the players feel does not work. Threatening Neopets not to buy their merchandise does not work.

But let's put all this into perspective...

The new lower ad, (and the big bannerzilla at the top) can't be bringing too much revenue into Doug's pockets. Most of those sponsors are just two-bit, small town, spyware-dealing losers. Sure, it's extra cash, but probably just enough to pay for him to detail his SUV every week.

We know where the money comes from, it's the big sponsors. Free ipods are good for spare change, but McDonalds, Kraft, Disney, General Mills...those legit sponsors are the ones buttering Doug's bread.

Writing a company like McDonalds saying "I will no longer eat at your resturant" does nothing. They get a million letters/email like that a day from irate customers who got a wrong order, or poor service.

THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE however, is something they take much more seriously however....

Imagine how someone over at Disney will react seeing a screenshot of their Disney Theatre, coupled with a big fat "Who's going to get pregnant next?" ad right below it. Disney prides itself in "family entertainment" and imagine how their execs would feel knowing their name and logo is being associated with low-ball trash.

Or general mills...seeing their big sponsor dollars going to waste as their cereal adventure is being smothered by some birth control top banner ad...

Take the pics, send them to the companies, and threaten to alert the media (hmm...maybe those dorks over in Australia whom we jeered so much could provide useful for a change?).

Doug won't listen, but his wallet will if his "big sponsors" put the pressure on him.

HEY why are Australians dorks?

[mercurius]

Honestly. . . I really don't know where the money from their merchandise is going. People do buy it right?

Heh, I've never seen a site with revenue from banner ads AND merchandise and still do jack diddly.

[hyperflutterby]

HEY why are Australians dorks?

Not you, the Australian media who blew the chance games out of the water for you because they didn't want to encorage gambling in their youth.