Putting Up A Paywall Just To Have Advertisers Pay To Take It Down?
from the suckers-bet? dept
There's an interesting article at AdAge noting that while there are various paywalls going up, there are also a growing number of advertisers willing to pay to take down the paywall... and they're willing to pay more than it would have cost to just advertise. For example, Lincoln "paid" for a bunch of people to get the new NY Times' paywall for free, and Volvo is paying for a bunch of people to get free streaming video of Major League Baseball content. What strikes me as amusing about all of this is that the folks putting up these paywalls keep insisting that "advertising alone" can't pay enough... and yet here they are more or less admitting that advertisers are happy to pay "enough," if they're given a promotional package that brings benefits to them. Of course, the silly part of this is that part of that "benefit" to the advertisers is the perception that they're helping people take down the paywall. If that's really true, perhaps we should set up a paywall here at Techdirt just so some advertisers can "pay" to take it down. Any interest? Let us know...
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: advertisers, newspapers, paywall
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Why isn't this the norm?
Especially considering with online advertising, the advertiser can get a ridiculously clear and accurate picture of their return. 'Stead of the same ol' 50% wasted. Seems to me such targeted & known space is much, much more valuable.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Why isn't this the norm?
Therein lies the problem, news organizations never ever counted on accurate pictures to sell ads they relied on fantastic assumptions to increase the prices and get the money, now they can't do that anymore.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Great Wall Of China
This is no Great Wall Of China, just Great Wall of Whiner.
I think New York Times always complaining they can't make enough money, just a lot of FOO. Shame on you!
Everything in China free, and look .... we take over the world.
No worries, soon we buy New York Times just for laughs,
he he ho ho ;)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Great Wall Of China
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Great Wall Of China
he he ho ho ;)
You could probably get a good deal right now. I understand they just invested a considerable sum in a tech project that ultimately panned out.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Generous Offer
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Paywall
1) you come in through a link from somewhere else
2) you have visited TechDirt less than 20 times today
3) you have turned off JavaScript (careful though - this may be a DMCA violation)
4) your computer has a keyboard
5) or your computer is a tablet
6) it is sunny outside
7) you drive a hybrid car (tip out hats to eco-friendly people - Google knows who you are and share this information with us)
8) it is rainy outside but warm
9) you have NOT downloaded illegal music this week
Subscription costs are:
- $9.99 per month
- for the bargain hunter - $125 per year
- an extra $4.99 per month for the iPad app
- an extra $3.99 per month for access through an Android app
- an extra $10 per month for access from any device except a Boost Mobile phone
- the full digital package is free (except the iPad app) if you subscribe to the paper version of TechDirt delivered Tuesday and Thursday to your doorstep for $8.25 per month
- You can get the iPad app with the paper subscription for $9.99 per month
Just give us your credit card and tell us what you want to use - we will figure out the charges for you.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Paywall
Good summary, btw.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Paywall
Talk about a bargain!
Mike - call me. We'll talk.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
(mis)quoting Forest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does".
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Any interest? Let us know...
I'll build you a paywall, Mike. I'll only charge half as much as it cost the NY Times to put theirs in place, I'll do it in a month, and it will be of the same quality as a multi-billion dollar media company can do.
Now, off to Amazon to buy a JavaScript for Dummies book...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Maybe the NYT did this on purpose because they want more money and figure that advertisers would be willing to give them more money for removing the paywall if they put one up.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]