how come we get a cigalike ad banner

[Bluefish]

AS they say each to their own Jane

[djs]

May 24, 2014 23:07:50 GMT Chrissie said:

We recently made changes to our system to allow us to display only "in house" ads that promote our own services, so that no third party ads display. When that change went into place, we switched your forum to our in-house ads. This is why you are now seeing ads.

I might drop off this thread at some point Chrissie

What is an in-house ad? I have no idea... because unless Apollo ARE Proboards, then they are a 3rd party. (??)

My personal opinion is that AAEC should be a safe ground for decent e-cig vendors. Vendors should feel confident about advertising through Proboards... the problem with us not attracting vendors is made clear in the first paragraph of the comment made by Proboards.

The internet should be a powerful tool for advertising. It (a forum) should also be considered somewhat as a privilege by members who want to discuss their chosen hobbies and interests. Advertising is quite acceptable, but if a forum wishes to remain independent and unbiased then the vendors themselves have to show some integrity through the way they market, so as not to attract negative comment.

This is a big company trying to get their message out. Proboards want to raise revenue, it should be a fair deal. Whether they get welcomed by our community comes down to integrity.

[tomj777]

djs, I think you said that very well indeed.
Thank you.

Perhaps, just perhaps, we should encourage advertising on the forum, rather than voice our instinctive reactions - maybe the awkwardness is down to the lack of variety in advertisements.
I think I'd prefer to see adverts from companies I'm keen on, based on my experience with those companies and others will have different companies that they are keen on. After all, we have an innate curiosity around new products, even the ones we can't afford or would never dream of owning ourselves - consider the evangelical nature of our hobby:

I have absolutely no interest in cig-a-likes and my personal view is "why on earth, if I'm moving away from / giving up smoking, would I want something that looks like a cigarette" and it's best not get me started on the designer chic stuff. However, I, when talking to people, have come to realise that some will want designer chic, some will want the convenience and familiarity of the shape, and some will even want the tarnished orange of the filter with the white tobacco paper look. And I have no idea what to recommend because I am so far removed - in this instance, the Apollo adverts are useful and I might even mention them in conversation to those who I think would like to take that path. After all, we are all about diversity and choice... And mechanical mods, RBA/RDA's, replacing cotton every couple of tanks... it's not for everybody.

So, djs, I think you're spot on.

This thread has been useful to me: I've learnt quite a lot both here and through spinning off out of curiosity to look at some of the business models in play.

Learning is always good.

[Chrissie]

May 25, 2014 9:33:37 GMT djs said:

May 24, 2014 23:07:50 GMT Chrissie said:

We recently made changes to our system to allow us to display only "in house" ads that promote our own services, so that no third party ads display. When that change went into place, we switched your forum to our in-house ads. This is why you are now seeing ads.

I might drop off this thread at some point Chrissie

What is an in-house ad? I have no idea... because unless Apollo ARE Proboards, then they are a 3rd party. (??)

djs An in house ad is what we have been seeing for quite a few months -i.e. just Proboard banners advertising how to create a Proboard forum, promoting tjheir paiod for badges & proboards +

[Chrissie]

Apologies for the banner ads appearing again. I've added several more batches of 50,000 page view credits over the last few few days. I don't want to add another batch tonight as they will run out at midnight & there is no roll over.

[Super-Shiny]

Ain't read the whole post but i started on a cig alike and look where it got me, cig free and 100% more healthy

[djs]

May 31, 2014 21:02:04 GMT Super-Shiny said:

Ain't read the whole post but i started on a cig alike and look where it got me, cig free and 100% more healthy

After E-Lites robbed me blind and my marriage and job almost became past history (trying to quit smoking), I can also say that without cig-a-likes I wouldn't have got started.

Somebody rather *important* also played a role in getting me off the smokes.

I've checked out Apollo. It's overpriced through and through. Nothing to recommend at all.... not with that approach to selling products.

They should be aware just how embarrassing their adverts are on an e-cig forum. But they don't "get it".... or they wouldn't be on here.

Their advertising budget would be better utilised elsewhere.

[Chrissie]

Only 25,249 ad free page views left out of the 1 million purchased - & that's with carefully eeking them out

I've been looking into ways of funding the forum so we can remain ad free but it's impossible to do if we want to remain unaffiliated.

At our current monthly page views of over 1 & a half million, it would cost us $320 a month - I could get a discount if I set up a monthly subscription via my own debit card, but sadly I can't afford to do so

Therefore, I can see no alternative than to put up with the banner ads

[djs]

Jun 10, 2014 20:33:15 GMT Chrissie said:

Therefore, I can see no alternative than to put up with the banner ads

It's a shame. There is something unnerving about a "system" that holds forums to ransom. $320 a month is some big-time money (for a small outfit/forum) and/but Proboards need to make money, we all understand that.

I guess we will never know how much business is created from forum ads. I guess the consolation for AAEC (trying to be independent) is that a new visitor might be tempted by advertisements, but ultimately the comments on the forum will decide the fate of a brand.

Somebody who arrives on here, and jumps straight to X,Y,Z brand without asking is also probably the same person who won't want to necessarily engage in the community.

It could be worse. There are some downright rip-off brands selling e-cigs. Thankfully, they have not come our way yet.

[Chrissie]

djs I'll be adding announcements to all the boards in the forum explaining that any banner ads that appear are not placed by us.

[djs]

Jun 10, 2014 20:49:35 GMT Chrissie said:

djs I'll be adding announcements to all the boards in the forum explaining that any banner ads that appear are not placed by us.

Excellent. That's a plan. Good for you.

[djs]

Have they gone? ???

[Perpetua]

Jun 16, 2014 18:37:42 GMT djs said:

Have they gone? ???

Happily for the present it seems so djs, the ' in house ' ads don't bother me personally.

I may even buy you a Potato Badge one day.

[Chrissie]

Jun 16, 2014 18:37:42 GMT djs said:

Have they gone? ???

[djs]

Jun 16, 2014 20:06:13 GMT Perpetua said:

Jun 16, 2014 18:37:42 GMT djs said:

Have they gone? ???

Happily for the present it seems so djs, the ' in house ' ads don't bother me personally.

I may even buy you a Potato Badge one day.

You say the sweetest things. I might buy you some Potatoes for Vapefest. I know how to impress the ladies.

In house ads are fine.