Reno Airport vs. Las Vegas Airport "Free" WiFi

So this is a post that came from a "Tweet".  Originally I posted these to TwitPic, but today, in an effort to get organized I was cleaning my desktop and came across these 2 photos that contrast the "free WiFi" in Nevada's 2 major airports.  It got me thinking that I haven't ranted enough on the topic.

Here at the Reno Tahoe International Airport (RNO), the local fishwrap (RGJ) has made it their charter to "monetize" free WiFi access at the airport...turning access into a profit center through the "magic" of abundant banner advertising. See ad's circled below:

In comparison, our friends to the South, Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) have a version of "free WiFi" that is not littered with banner advertising. See below (notice no pink circles):

One must wonder how in the world Las Vegas survives and puts shoes on their kids without "monetizing" their free WiFi. Must EVERYTHING be a streaming ad? 

Speaking of RGJ...on the RGJ's redesigned site (which I think is a vast improvement over the previous rev) you are still served irrelevant ads non-stop - constant pop-outs, video ads, display ads, and random links disturb the user experience on the site. Other newspapers seem to manage without it (ex. TheGuardian).  So, if one must have ad's to keep ones publication alive, then cant one serve the ad's contextually and relevant?

The ad's on RGJ are rarely (if ever) served contextually.  Example: I am reading a story about Artown, so OF COURSE I am REALLY thinking about Carpet Cleaning (a video ad for Evergreen carpet care was served in the article).  An example of a good contextual ad here would be something for downtown bars/restaurants, art galleries, or something that GOES WITH ARTOWN.  My theory for the reason ads on RGJ.com are most often OUT of context and irrelevant is that they don't have enough advertisers to be contextual and relevant.  They just need to fill inventory.  To their advertisers, they call this Johnny Appleseed disbursement of advertising "value-add" but I call it "wasted-cash".

Anyway, I don't [necessarily] want to rant on our local news rag because they publish many (1) articles about Fuze and Me. I just think the free WiFi should be free.  Simple, no?

BL

Comments

[WBVega says...]

Amen Robert - thanks for bringin' the Payne to my blog you rascal.

BL

[Robert Payne says...]

God knows that when I am at the airport trying to get online the first thing I want to do is click on an ad. Oh, and think of all the impressions as well! I'm so impressed, I'm depressed. Word on context and relevancy.

[WBVega says...]

They have so much in flux over at the paper that they barely know what end is up. They have rotated their entire online division and are (again, in my opinion) rethinking how they do business. The current strategy is as it has been: sell as much display advertising as you can, get a commission, and if you dont sell, youre fired. And, if someone asks: "what will this do for my business?", you tell them: "We get a lot of traffic on our site."

Not a very "trendy" approach to modern display advertising.

Peace.

[Sterling says...]

Sac Bee is serving up BT for our real estate client via Yahoo!. And they are just learning the value of what they're offering as we keep prodding them to see how far we can take it.
The RGJ, for a paper that places so much emphasis on advertising, really doesn't grasp how we, as an agency for example, need it to work for our clients.
I put it to the RGJ.com sales people. I challenge them to challenge their managers to make the changes needed. These people are just being asked to sell more ads when what needs to be sold is the product. Meanwhile, my clients are paying the price of the RGJ.com marketing myopia.