Pop goes your reputation

[by Todd] Pop-up ads suck. Those annoying windows that come between you and the site you wanted to visit are not only annoying, they are the direct result of an advertiser saying your intentions are less important than their desire to push a message in front of you.

The insidious thing about pop-ups is that so many of them are served by adware companies. That is companies that install software on your machine to monitor what site you are visiting and then pull the competing ad. Sometimes the software is installed under the guise of a helpful utility, other times without your knowledge at all. 

For several years there's been a battle to slam the door on adware companies. But Center for Democracy and Technology has decided to take on the problem by "outting" those companies that benefit from the pop-ups, the advertisers. Yep, nothing like a little public humiliation to dry up the source of revenue. Here's the full report (PDF).

So who does the report single out for shaming? Companies who's ads use 180solutions.

- True.com
- PerfectMatch
- Club Med Americas
- LetsTalk.com
- uBid
- ProFlowers
- NetZero
- PeoplePC
- Altrec
- Waterfront Media

It also noted that eHarmony and Netflix also have appearing on pop-up networks. Although both sites apparently assured the organization that such ads were not authorized and contrary to their policies.

The CDT calls on companies to lay down strict rules with their agencies and any agents forbidding use of adware when placing ads. 

Dozens of well-known companies are in a position to make an immediate impact on the problem of nuisance or harmful adware by evaporating its funding source. A vital step toward that goal is the adoption and enforcement of advertising placement policies by companies that advertise online.

It is unfortunate that this call to action has to fall to the advertisers themselves. Advertising agencies should be able to understand the impact pop-ups have to the value of the brands they represent. They should, but all too often they don't. I know from first hand experience.

The sad fact is, agencies are driven to get results. And sooner or later the appeal of slapping up an ad over a competitor's ad, or even their site, will prove too tempting.

I still remember vividly a colleague at ClickHere arguing for pop-ups on the Claria Network (then called Gator), arguing that people either knew they downloaded spyware, "or should have known." Either way, he wanted to use the technology "while we still can."

If you are an advertiser, you owe to yourself to lay down the law. Demand transparency from all your partners when they are buying ads online, both agencies and affiliates. For advertising agencies the imperative is even stronger, slam the door on any network that isn't 100% transparent on how it partners with sites and the sites that it is on.

And if you're a consumer it is easy. Don't do business with any company who so disregards your intentions in search of a quick buck.