Online Marketing: Nowhere to Hide

Today the web forces a potpourri of pesty pop-ups, banner ads and other bits of marketing mayhem on web surfers. Sure, we are occasionally extended the courtesy to opt-out and ignore these marketing gimics; however, we must contend with the fact that the banner ad has become an online marketing mainstay. Indeed, online marketing has reached a whole new level; one which is not going to slow down anytime soon....FULL SPEED AHEAD! I even remember the mobile marketing which political parties introduced during the recent presidential election. No mattter where we go, we can't hide....we cannot escape the relentless nature of online marketing....

While I too am dismayed with all and every form of online marketing, I do recognize that we consumers use of a host of online applications---and are able to use them "free of charge"--- because of these online marketing efforts. I am excited to create and listen to my Pandora playlist***for free***, however, I often forget that without the Dove commercials, none of this would be possible. This same concept applies to facebook, and a laundry list of other online applications....of which we undoubtedly take for granted.

Although we cannot hide from the online marketing madness, we should put things in perspective and recognize what these marketing efforts actually mean for Internet users everywhere --- it means access to many applications which without vigilant online marketing efforts might no longer be possible....