So I got a tip about how Zango, Metrics Direct, 180 Solutions...what ever you want to call them, are distributing one of their software applications... all in the name of free content...

Continue reading "SeekMo Search Assistant"

So CJ kick out Azoogle, and they're upset...heck I'd have sent them packing the day MPORT was launched... but CJ were far smarter than me there.

Continue reading "Bye Bye Azoogle"

So one of your top affiliate tells you he had no idea that all his traffic came from Adware.... "we're innocent, we didn't know".

Continue reading "Sorry We Didn't Know.... really"

... was one response we considered sending to a deceptive affiliate partner, using domain targeting software on one of our clients.... but instead I think we'll go for, "Commission? What Commission?"

Continue reading "Liar Liar Tongues on Fire"

It's October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink ribbons abound on everything from cars to Tic Tacs to running shoes. This is comforting to me as a consumer, but what about when I see behind the facade? How did this win-win proposition get so twisted?

Continue reading "Wolves in Pink Sheep's Clothing: Charity Marketing"

rumour has it that ShopAtHomeSelect will be leaving / being removed from CJ...

Continue reading "Shop At Home Select and CJ Parting Ways : Rumour or Fact"

New Media Report is on the case and covering it like nobody else can. Yes, that's right... "Shawn M. Collins and David J. Fish have filed a class-action complaint against 180Solutions in Illinois District Court on behalf of the state's residents and the US. The complaint charges that 180 downloaded spyware on computers illegally, causing a number of damages."

Ho hum. Another day, another dollar over at FastClick. Again, no EULA (end user license agreement) is given upon clicking of a remarkably well-done piece of Windows-like consumer trickery. This application entices and then jams Systweak's "solution" onto the user's PC.

And where can you see it? So far it's a very popular pop over at TheDrudgeReport. Rumor has it that Drudge doesn't care about the wham-bam-thankyou-m'am driveby installation as they won't return calls to Pace Media, a suddenly red-hot source for juicy news.

Details on their affiliate program can be found here and they have no "networked" provider. Who needs one when you've got Fastclick?

If Fastclick's Q/A team can't see this thing popping all over one of the hottest blogs on the face of the Earth then it leads one to ask "what CAN it detect?"

Are big brands showing increased reluctance to move forward with Adware? Last week, the AP has published a report suggesting that this very well may be true. Brands discussed include Capital One, Orbitz, Priceline.com, Expedia, Monster Worldwide, Vonage, Sprint PCS, Circuit City, Mercedes-Benz USA, J.C. Penney and others.

J.C. Penney reports they stopped using adware less than a year ago.

From the get-go, the report asks "Didn't they (brands) realize that trying to reach people through spyware and its ad-delivering subset, called adware, would only alienate them?"

As I was creating this entry, I was going to cite Jakob Nielsen's research indicating this to be false when I stumbled upon new research (December 2004) out of his company suggesting that this IS becoming more of a truth.

Continue reading "Big Brands Starting to Back Off Adware?"

I was chatting up Wayne Porter recently discussing how many well known brands / advertisers just can't get enough pop-ups and such via working with adware-based affiliates. The business and leads generated from these "bad actors" tastes great especially when the advertiser is distanced from the actual dirty work... and under constant pressure to meet revenue expectations.

Thanks to John Toskey of Blue Nile for recently pointing at a fantastic MSN article in response to my mentioning of Kraft Foods being sued over its Gevalia coffee spam spree. If you have a heartbeat and an in-box, you know what I'm talking about.

Liar Liar, Your Affiliates are on Fire
Via an e-mail interview, Kraft spokesperson Abbe Serphos said, "Gevalia has no tolerance policy regarding SPAM, and we have strict policies in place that govern our e-mail communications to consumers."

What's more, she even told MSN that some affiliates have been dropped for breaking those rules. When asked to elaborate on the subject, she declined.

Continue reading "Kraft Called Out for Gevalia Spam"

I guess Performics is just on my list today. First I couldn't help but notice this absolute garbage. How the account team could believe that this affiliate (the third sponsored ad) offers value is beyond me. Why would Jos A Bank - such a classy company - want to be associated with this Web site (let alone via a relationship that exists soley to leverage its brand equity)?

Also, I couldn't help but notice David Lewis giving me credit on a variety of boards/blogs for seemingly... in his opinion... inducing Performics to send the below note to their affiliates. I do not believe that any of my rants at Revenews had anything to do with it nor do I find Performics' rather churlish "now you behaive or else... or else... well, we'll get even more angry with you!" e-mail to be worthy of much.

Continue reading "Performics Warns Affiliates: Behaive or... or... or Else!"