An Advertisement You Cannot Ignore

Posted by eellsworth on 16th Aug 2014

A Marketing Dream: Advertisement Captchas

Everyone has come across the Captcha when signing up for a website.  They are designed to block automated programs from signing up for services and spamming users.

[caption id="attachment_102" align="alignright" width="311" caption="MySpace Captcha"]MySpace Captcha[/caption]

It's based on a theory that, if answered correctly, the respondent must be a real human being.

CAPTCHA actually is a acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computer and Humans Apart.  Used during a verification process, you must stop what you are doing, decipher the code and enter what you see into a box.  It requires your direct and undivided attention.

Microsoft Files CAPTCHA Patent

If you're a search engine marketer or in advertising, this is the concentration level you want for your ads. Now, Microsoft has submitted a patent to turn the CAPTCHA event into an advertising bonanza.

[caption id="attachment_103" align="alignright" width="265" caption="Proposed New CAPTCHA Method from Microsoft"]Proposed New CAPTCHA Method from Microsoft[/caption]

Instead of the standard CAPTCHA screen you would an advertisement.  To pass the human test, you would be required to answer a question about the ad.  In this example, you would need to recite "XBOX 360".  Talk about getting your message across!  As an advertiser you could ensure that not only your ad gets noticed but force the prospect to recant the exact message you are trying to convey.

How much do you think you could sell your CAPTCHA spots for?  To guarantee they see and type your key phrase from the ad.  I would imagine every web site would implement a CAPTCHA process overnight.  Branding is about repetition and as a Orange County SEM, we would definitely employ this technique to help build our customer's branding footprint.