Comments on: The Bastardization of the Customer Experience http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/ Great customer experiences and what it takes to pull them off Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:28:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Derek Phillips http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-5426 Derek Phillips Wed, 06 May 2009 05:13:56 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-5426 I don't think increasing ad space (at the expense of the user experience) is the answer. There are content syndication schemes that have, and do, work well. Leverage the brand recognition of ESPN to syndicate content, at a premium, to third parties. All Music Guide does this well. Better known media companies need to understand that the value is in their content, not the space surrounding it. But this isn't the end of display ads so instead of increasing the space, how about serve up paid messaging as relevant content? Contextual advergaming is an option. I could go on and on but I don't work at CM anymore so this is no longer in my job description! I don’t think increasing ad space (at the expense of the user experience) is the answer.

There are content syndication schemes that have, and do, work well. Leverage the brand recognition of ESPN to syndicate content, at a premium, to third parties. All Music Guide does this well. Better known media companies need to understand that the value is in their content, not the space surrounding it.

But this isn’t the end of display ads so instead of increasing the space, how about serve up paid messaging as relevant content? Contextual advergaming is an option.

I could go on and on but I don’t work at CM anymore so this is no longer in my job description!

]]> By: Larry http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-5242 Larry Tue, 05 May 2009 13:25:47 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-5242 Ok, lots of decent points but zero specifics on what you'd do better. How would you run and P&L (make money) and provide fans with what they want? Everyone is a critic but nobody has ideas that will solve 100% of how people want to consume media. Let em rip. Ok, lots of decent points but zero specifics on what you’d do better. How would you run and P&L (make money) and provide fans with what they want?

Everyone is a critic but nobody has ideas that will solve 100% of how people want to consume media.

Let em rip.

]]> By: Derek Phillips http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4913 Derek Phillips Mon, 04 May 2009 05:07:38 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4913 While I sympathize with the desire to increase revenues by increasing ad space, what happens if Shamberg (and the millions like him) get so tired of the awful UE that they simply find a better place to get their sports news? It's not like ESPN is the only game in town (hey-o!) and there are comers getting in every day. Media companies better be very careful how they balance their priorities right now. People WILL find the right content with the right user experience. ESPN might want to think twice about giving an otherwise loyal readership reason to look elsewhere. A short-term stop gap on revenue could turn into a flood of users leaving your site--for good. Nice post, Scott. While I sympathize with the desire to increase revenues by increasing ad space, what happens if Shamberg (and the millions like him) get so tired of the awful UE that they simply find a better place to get their sports news? It’s not like ESPN is the only game in town (hey-o!) and there are comers getting in every day. Media companies better be very careful how they balance their priorities right now.

People WILL find the right content with the right user experience. ESPN might want to think twice about giving an otherwise loyal readership reason to look elsewhere.

A short-term stop gap on revenue could turn into a flood of users leaving your site–for good.

Nice post, Scott.

]]> By: jmac http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4848 jmac Sat, 02 May 2009 02:02:59 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4848 I wonder if google has already figured out how this will impact their adsense application and how to correct the issues in relation to this... I wonder if google has already figured out how this will impact their adsense application and how to correct the issues in relation to this…

]]> By: jmac http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4847 jmac Sat, 02 May 2009 01:58:44 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4847 I could not agree more Scott. Incredible experiences are usually lost when these so called "money makers" are placed on brilliantly designed pages. There really should be some kind of measurement for opportunity cost of this ad space in relation to the projected customer impact related to a given campaign by previous traffic driven to similar sites without these kinds of ads. Its absolutely maddening! I could not agree more Scott. Incredible experiences are usually lost when these so called “money makers” are placed on brilliantly designed pages. There really should be some kind of measurement for opportunity cost of this ad space in relation to the projected customer impact related to a given campaign by previous traffic driven to similar sites without these kinds of ads.

Its absolutely maddening!

]]> By: Small Farm Design » Blog Archive » links for 2009-05-01 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4833 Small Farm Design » Blog Archive » links for 2009-05-01 Fri, 01 May 2009 18:01:31 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4833 [...] The Bastardization of the Customer Experience at Experience Matters I know ESPN wants to drive ad revenue and I understand and appreciate that. But if they continue to make decisions based on ad revenue and not the customer, eventually it won’t matter. (tags: marketing userexperience) [...] [...] The Bastardization of the Customer Experience at Experience Matters I know ESPN wants to drive ad revenue and I understand and appreciate that. But if they continue to make decisions based on ad revenue and not the customer, eventually it won’t matter. (tags: marketing userexperience) [...]

]]> By: pjaustin http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4827 pjaustin Fri, 01 May 2009 13:35:16 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4827 "It’s a viscous circle." Hmm, spell check let this one get away. I'm sure you meant "vicious cycle". Not sure what viscosity has to do with circles. ;-) “It’s a viscous circle.” Hmm, spell check let this one get away.
I’m sure you meant “vicious cycle”.
Not sure what viscosity has to do with circles. ;-)

]]> By: south loop http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4810 south loop Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:43 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4810 It appears that too often sites dismiss the powerful nature of their online properties. If I desired being forced to sit through commercial disruption in order to get to the content I initially sought (for example, sports information) in the first place...I would merely turn to ESPN's cable network and the push tactics that come with television viewing. I agree with you. Revenue is important. But ESPN, along with so many other brands, miss altogether the experiential nature of digital. Creativity and content can be leveraged in such a way as to provide the user exactly what they want while also harnessing the effectiveness of revenue generation...and allowing the user to mandate their experience. I bet there is a close correlation between the ratio (and size) of ads versus content and ultimately, user frustration. To your point...ad units versus content can create a vicious circle. With an acute understanding of the medium and the user, it doesn't have to though. It appears that too often sites dismiss the powerful nature of their online properties. If I desired being forced to sit through commercial disruption in order to get to the content I initially sought (for example, sports information) in the first place…I would merely turn to ESPN’s cable network and the push tactics that come with television viewing.

I agree with you. Revenue is important. But ESPN, along with so many other brands, miss altogether the experiential nature of digital. Creativity and content can be leveraged in such a way as to provide the user exactly what they want while also harnessing the effectiveness of revenue generation…and allowing the user to mandate their experience.

I bet there is a close correlation between the ratio (and size) of ads versus content and ultimately, user frustration.

To your point…ad units versus content can create a vicious circle. With an acute understanding of the medium and the user, it doesn’t have to though.

]]> By: Scott http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4809 Scott Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:09:29 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4809 I used to go to ESPN.com probably 5-10 times a day (this was at least two major design overhauls ago). Now, I just have their breaking news in my RSS reader, which stays open all day. It's slightly annoying that they don't allow the full story in their feed, but obviously that's due to ad revenue as well. I'll be happy to give them their inside page ad revenue to avoid going to their hideous front page. If a headline comes up that's interesting to me, the story is a click away. I would say I visit their homepage maybe once or twice a month at most, but I probably generate 20-40 pageviews a day for them. It would be interesting to see the analytics on their homepage from the past 10 years to see how much the % of total pageviews has dropped as RSS has gotten more prevalent. I used to go to ESPN.com probably 5-10 times a day (this was at least two major design overhauls ago). Now, I just have their breaking news in my RSS reader, which stays open all day. It’s slightly annoying that they don’t allow the full story in their feed, but obviously that’s due to ad revenue as well. I’ll be happy to give them their inside page ad revenue to avoid going to their hideous front page. If a headline comes up that’s interesting to me, the story is a click away. I would say I visit their homepage maybe once or twice a month at most, but I probably generate 20-40 pageviews a day for them.

It would be interesting to see the analytics on their homepage from the past 10 years to see how much the % of total pageviews has dropped as RSS has gotten more prevalent.

]]> By: AG http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/2009/04/28/the-bastardization-of-the-customer-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-4804 AG Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:50:02 +0000 http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/?p=492#comment-4804 One more thing... Going to ESPN is all about getting news fast and easy. The new format slows down that experience. One more thing… Going to ESPN is all about getting news fast and easy. The new format slows down that experience.

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