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30 years banner ads prompts:

30 years banner ads prompts:


The banner ad will celebrate its 30th anniversary on October 27th. Since its launch in 1994 on Wired magazine’s “HotWired” website, online advertising has completely changed the way we consume news content, interact with brands, and shop online. 


The early days of digital advertising was the Wild West, as we were all pioneers and explorers finding our way round. This period was so exciting as the level of innovation was second to none, with new advances on a regular basis. The excitement of reading the trade press each week to see who was doing what and how we might be able to use it was real. I remember seeing Search, Affiliate and Video bringing real shifts to the market and that was even before Social and Programmatic had made a full appearance.


Do banner ads still hold up in today’s digital landscape?  

Banner Ads divide opinions! If you were to ask readers their opinions of banner ads, I don’t think they would be favourable, but saying that I do believe many now understand that they power the content and services they receive for free. This value exchange is critical and there’s no better alternative for most digital real estate.


Where is digital advertising headed next? 

The Six million dollar question! Programmatic advertising has revolutionised our industry, the ability to target audiences, run campaigns and evaluate outcomes all from your screen could only have been a pipe dream a while ago. The efficiencies and effectiveness are here right now but I have to add a word of caution as there are many practices that don’t provide the safety and transparency that brand spend deserves, so we’ll continue to see a push for a healthier ecosystem that is even more accountable and one that delivers on all fronts. We can only achieve this with best practice being put in place and good old humans running and guiding this progress. The future is all about utilising what we have right now but in a much more ethical way that serves everyone in the supply chain and bringing tried and trusted creative best practice to digital. 


How have online ads transformed digital publishing, and how are they interconnected in safeguarding quality journalism? 

The Free Web is reliant on banner advertising of some form, whether that be standard Ad units or new formats and that will not change for the foreseeable future. Many of the World’s most respected editorially led titles rely on this method of monetisation and without it, would not be able to provide quality independent journalism. We need diversity of opinions and for the powers that be, to be held accountable and banner advertising plays its part in making that happen. Long live the Banner! 



How is the concept of privacy shifting as we move towards an increasingly digital-first environment? 

Online privacy is like shifting sands on a beach. Governments are trying to protect and educate their citizens, all the while new technologies challenge our beliefs of what should be a fair and equitable way to use data. This is work-in-progress and I do believe this tussle will be the norm as innovation continues at a breakneck pace. Just go back a while and think about how the Luddites were up in arms with the Industrial Revolution bringing seismic changes to everyday lives. A reasonable and sensible approach is the only way to navigate these waters with cooperation from all.


jason.warner@sbs-sourcing.com