[icernet] Newspaper Web sites fail to attract big advertisers

[Arul Selvan]

Newspaper Web sites may be the top information source in many markets, but national advertising dollars aren't lining their pockets yet, Editor & Publisher columnist Carl Sullivan reports. The lack of standardized Internet advertising metrics is a big factor keeping major metropolitan newspaper sites from reeling in the big bucks, Sullivan says. So what's the problem? "Until now, the metrics and tools that everyone's been playing with haven't been understandable by the people that have the money," Dave Morgan, president of Tacoda Systems, told Sullivan. Another problem plaguing newspaper sites is the lack of resources for ad agencies to research local markets. That makes it much easier for the big players to buy a single ad on a national site like MSN or AOL. On a positive note, the industry is moving toward a standard set of metrics that everyone can use and understand, and newspaper Web sites could be pulling in the Coca-Cola online ads soon.

Source:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/editorandpublisher/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1760118