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MSN, Marketing's Super Network
Jan. 24th, 2002 09:44 pmOkay, so I was able to ignore the persistent not too subtle ads for MSN connectivity on their main page. I figured, what can you expect from a Microsoft named entity but cross promotion of products. Then there were the "news items" about how many people had switched to MSN and the links comparing dialup to MSN DSL.
Today I happened upon their web site and was greeted by the Volvo campaign. The main page has the top ad with no less than four links to Volvo related sites. There's also another bolded link to "Autos 2002", which I count in on the hype factor alone.
Down a little further on the main page is a story, "How a penny can save your car". Okay, so it's a catchy line, so I'll see what it's about.
Marketing, that's what it's about. They take me to another page with two Volvo pitches along the top and a big one with 8 links and a sideways Volvo in the middle of the page. But then they have an article "5 tips for fun winter road trips". Number 2 on the list is "Icy winter roads? Try the new Volvo S60 All Wheel Drive" Then over in the lower right is another Volvo ad with 3 more links, just in case you missed all the others.
Haven't they realized that if they don't disguise their shameless marketing at least a little people will catch on and stop reading their articles? Well, maybe they know the consumers too well.
You may ask why I ever go to this site, I know I do. It's so I can keep some kind of pulse on what American society is up to. Face it, if you don't have TV and don't go to the mall, you are out of touch with the vast majority of America. So I use MSN as a barometer of sorts. Looks like the must sell frenzy just moved a few millibars further down into the hurricane zone.
I will go off now, back to my life without cable TV (or any TV for that matter), removed from the marketing madness of malls and SUVs. Oh, today's word for the day is ascetic. I'm mildly surprised that anyone still knows it exists.
Today I happened upon their web site and was greeted by the Volvo campaign. The main page has the top ad with no less than four links to Volvo related sites. There's also another bolded link to "Autos 2002", which I count in on the hype factor alone.
Down a little further on the main page is a story, "How a penny can save your car". Okay, so it's a catchy line, so I'll see what it's about.
Marketing, that's what it's about. They take me to another page with two Volvo pitches along the top and a big one with 8 links and a sideways Volvo in the middle of the page. But then they have an article "5 tips for fun winter road trips". Number 2 on the list is "Icy winter roads? Try the new Volvo S60 All Wheel Drive" Then over in the lower right is another Volvo ad with 3 more links, just in case you missed all the others.
Haven't they realized that if they don't disguise their shameless marketing at least a little people will catch on and stop reading their articles? Well, maybe they know the consumers too well.
You may ask why I ever go to this site, I know I do. It's so I can keep some kind of pulse on what American society is up to. Face it, if you don't have TV and don't go to the mall, you are out of touch with the vast majority of America. So I use MSN as a barometer of sorts. Looks like the must sell frenzy just moved a few millibars further down into the hurricane zone.
I will go off now, back to my life without cable TV (or any TV for that matter), removed from the marketing madness of malls and SUVs. Oh, today's word for the day is ascetic. I'm mildly surprised that anyone still knows it exists.
