Ultimately, the fact that online ads get viewed more when they match surrounding content is a strike against the tendency to build advertising networks. If advertising spots are simply auctioned off, then you can’t design an optimized ad for each placement.
When you advertise through an advertising network, your ads will get fewer fixations than if you contract directly with the publisher for a specific placement and design your creative to fit that spot. As a result, you should bid less for network ads than for customized ads that you place yourself.
Banner Blindness: Old and New Findings (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox)
I would actually reframe the first part of this statement as an opportunity for innovation…BUT…
Creating an automated way to break the “church and state” seperation of editorial and commerce is pretty evil.
Um, “not it!”
