As banner ads and pop-ups proliferate, the reaction of Internet users varies from annoyed to bored. Since those aren't exactly the emotions that advertisers want, a new way to sell is definitely welcome. Enter ICglobal, a firm that's determined to change the way that advertising is done on the Web by producing dot-spots, personalized banner ads that certainly get attention. President and CEO Wayne Richard chats about surfing, user friendliness, and being prepared for an emergency.
Why did you decide to allocate R&D resources to this project?
It wasn't difficult to recognize everyone was complaining about banners and pop-ups. We looked for a more effective solution for Web-based advertising but there just wasn't any alternative technology available. Over time, it got to the point where surfing became an annoying experience for me. I was determined to create a more entertaining medium for online advertising and content presentment, and www.eBOARDads.com is the result of our development efforts.
These are very powerful video presentations. How do you address the dial-up users?
We took that issue into consideration. When an individual visits a site running eBOARDads, we immediately determine their connection speed at the workstation level. We then deliver dot-spots accordingly; smaller files to dial-up clients and larger presentations to broadband users. It's important to note however, we allow the dial-up user to override the system and access the broadband presentations at any time.
What do you like best about eBOARDads?
Personally, I like the fact that eBOARDads gives me the power to choose when and how often I want to see an ad. Unlike banner ads and pop-ups, the fact I'm not sent off to another Web site is a plus.
What do your clients like about the technology?
It really depends, as they represent a diverse group of industries. Advertising agencies like the fact they now have a new and powerful medium to deliver their ads. Creating entertaining dot-spots for their clients will generate a new and profitable revenue stream. With the complete and immediate online reporting capabilities eBOARDads provides, quantifiable metrics are accessible and will substantially improved the way campaigns are analyzed.
Webmasters responsible for corporate content appreciate the ability to highlight specific information through a dot-spot without modifying their front page. eBOARDads will deep-link their customers to the appropriate page within their site all from the "fun extras" feature. Everyone appreciates the fact that dot-spots can be scheduled by time of day, giving them the ability to target specific demographics.
What do you have in store for the future?
We have two major releases schedule for the first quarter of 2004. The first is will be an enhancement to our online reporting. We will be offering a dynamic graphical presentation of all activity that's taking place. An example of an activity might be when a person completes a survey or prints a coupon or simply plays a dot-spot. The online report has an incredibly short 10-second delay from the point that a user performs an action to when the activity is displayed.
The second feature to be released will be our e-ALERT capability. This feature will allow an administrator to send a message to all individuals visiting their site directly through eBOARDads. Once an e-ALERT is generated, eBOARDads will immediately notify the viewer with an audible alarm and present the message automatically.
This feature was originally designed for the public sector as a way to notify citizens of Amber alerts, terrorist alerts, tornado warnings etc. However, it is apparent the private sector will benefit from the immediacy factor when announcing new products or corporate statements when a sense of urgency is desired.
do you know a Texas company we should cover? Let us know about it. Send your local profile candidates to emillard@computeruser.com.
