While checking out a surf video one of my friends posted to my Facebook the other day, I suddenly became the target of three simultaneous intrusive video banner ads that I couldn’t silence or turn off. The sound of three ads playing over the content I actually wanted to see drove me so nuts I wanted to toss my computer out of my window and pull my teeth out. Luckily, I took a few deep breaths and decided the surf video was not worth temporarily losing my sanity over. I think the number one problem with banner ads is that they’re just plain obnoxious. Due to the recent research on the phenomenon of “banner blindness,” marketers and advertisers are realizing they need to take drastic measures to overcome the fact that no one looks at banners.
Solve Media is providing a strategic solution to the problem of banner blindness. By integrating digital advertising with CAPTCHA’s used to increase site security, they are able to significantly increase brand and message recall for their clients. The idea is simple; the fact that users are forced to type in a quote about a brand to prove they are human automatically engages the user much more than if they just looked (or didn’t look) at a static banner ad.
The results are astounding:
By combining a strategic approach with powerful analytics, Solve Media makes clients an offer that’s hard to refuse. And business is booming: the company raked in close to $12 million in revenue last year, and is turning the heads of some big name investors. The success of a company like Solve Media just goes to show you how today’s strategic thinkers are creating jobs that many of us getting into the idea industry will likely fill.
