Targeting Matters – Why Those Annoying X10 Pop-Under Ads Flopped

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I want all of you who saw the pop-under ad for the X10 camera to raise your hands. Don’t be shy now. If you saw it, you’re not alone. In fact, a recent study by Jupiter gauges that the X10 pop-under campaign reached approximately one-third of everyone online. Let me repeat that. One-third of the online audience saw their ad. Even better, X10 didn’t have to break the bank to fund the campaign, due to rock bottom ad prices.

But did it work? Did it drive sales? Despite the fact that the campaign drove some 28 million viewers to the site, the answer is a resounding NO. Why? The X10 campaign ignored one of the best features of online advertising, the ability to precisely target your customer. Let’s talk a little about X-10, targeting, and lessons learned.

The Failure of the X10 Pop-Under

Pop-up ads have been around for years. Most of us find them intrusive and annoying (as covered in our tip, “Pop Ups Aren’t Always Pop-ular.) The pop-under, on the other hand, is designed to take advantage of the benefits of the pop-up (such as larger creative space) while remaining cleverly hidden beneath your browser window. The ad is only revealed when you close the window. The idea was to generate action through intrigue: “Oh! What’s this?” followed by a click-thru.

The X10 campaign was based upon the premise that the supposedly less-intrusive nature of the ad, coupled with the sheer size of the campaign, would provide a windfall of traffic. It did. According to Jupiter/Media Metrix, X10.com was the 4th most trafficked site on the Web in June 2001.

On the branding front this campaign was a smashing success, as a previously unknown site ascended to the rarified ranks of Yahoo!, MSN, and AOL, due to the enormous traffic generated by an online ad campaign. The general “buzz” surrounding the campaign due to the use of the pop-under ad didn’t hurt either! However, if the goal was to generate sales, the campaign failed miserably. According to Jupiter/Media Metrix, the conversion rate was so small it could not even be registered, suggesting that 1) the X10 site does a poor job of converting visitors into buyers, or 2) the traffic driven to the site was not really interested in buying. Which brings us back to targeting.

Targeting, Targeting, Targeting

If the mission of an ad campaign is to generate sales, a plaster- the-Web campaign, as the X10 campaign has shown, is not the way to go. To generate conversions, an ad campaign should strive to present the viewer with a targeted, relevant message at an appropriate time. While this proves somewhat difficult using other media like TV, outdoor, and some print, the Web, can offer excellent targeting opportunities. By carefully matching up product offerings with matching site demographics, you improve the likelihood of generating higher response rates and reduced out-of-pocket costs.

Let’s face it, the Web is already over-cluttered. Successful advertising hinges on relevance and timeliness.

Targeting Methods

One of the best ways to target customers is through integrating an ad with related content on a publisher’s site. This isn’t an easy way to buy media, though. It requires a high level of creativity and detail that is often best achieved by having a media planner contacting sites directly with specific ideas for placement. Smaller sites might be more flexible in providing this type of advertising arrangement than larger sites.

You can also try geo-targeting for a media buy. Some ad networks can help you in this regard. A few include:

Advertising.com
Engage
L90
ValueClick
Do-it-yourself folks may appreciate what Amazing Media has to offer. The downside of buying from any ad network is that you’re limited by the kind of creative buying you can do. You pretty much have to buy what they’re selling, and creating ideas in tandem with a specific site is often out of the question.

For more on how to plan an online media buy, see our tip titled “Successful Media Buying Strategies“.

Lessons Learned

Regardless of how the media buy is handled, there are lessons to be learned from the X10 campaign. First, be creative; even if the X10 failed from a conversion perspective, it was wildly successful from a PR perspective. Second, if you want conversion, lean towards advertising on sites with demographics that match-up well with your product offering (the more trafficked site is not necessarily the best choice). Finally, make your offer timely, relevant, and specific. Sounds like a mantra to me!

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