Reddit forces personalized ads, starts X-like user payment program
arstechnica.com
Like it or not, Reddit wants to "improve ad performance."

I left a couple of months ago. Couldn’t be happier.

The writing is on the wall. The leader thinks the Genius-with-hair-transplants is a superstar, despite destroying a globally recognised brand. Inspired by this, Spez is trying to get Reddit ready for an IPO. This means, maximise profits by any means.

  • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.worldEnglish
    343·
    1 year ago

    Ads are meant to get brand recognition out there for most things. Then when you’re in a store you buy what you’ve heard of before. They wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t effective.

    • Gray@lemmy.caEnglish
      61·
      1 year ago

      The most effective ads I’ve seen in my lifetime have been podcast ads. I don’t remember shit I see in mobile apps or on most corners of the internet. I could personally sell Blue Apron or Harry’s Razors for all I’ve heard about them on podcasts though. The smartest companies allow the podcasters to joke around in their ads too. My Brother, My Brother, and Me will say some borderline offensive but hilarious stuff in their ads and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t keep me listening to their ads and hearing about the products being advertised.

    • Ann Archy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      1 year ago

      And by definition it’s still nothing but systematic brain washing. It’s actually very 1984, and I can’t understand how some people are ok with being manipulated into buying shit 24/7 and think that global perpetual invasive advertising is this perfectly normal thing that humanity has always had around…

      • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I think capping it 1984 is a bit extreme, but I do agree with the overall sentiment. We’ve gone wag overboard in trying to monetize evert aspect of modern life. It gets old.

    • theneverfox@pawb.socialEnglish
      34·
      1 year ago

      You’ve forgotten the second layer of advertising, convincing companies they need to buy ads

      • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.worldEnglish
        52·
        1 year ago

        Yeah, you go ahead and try to sell something to a mass market of people without ads or any brand recognition and let me know ow how that goes for you.

    • Scubus@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      13·
      1 year ago

      With very, very few exceptions, any time I see an ad I make a mental note to never buy that product. As such, most products I am familiar with(presumably because I saw an ad) I will not buy. The exception is pretty much just Hershey’s chocolate bars, I can’t live without them.

      • quicklime@lemm.eeEnglish
        22·
        1 year ago

        You had me on board until… Hershey’s chocolate? That’s not even chocolate anymore, it’s like putrid brown wax!