henry copeland:
The only loser: the person clicking the CafeMom link who gets a junkyard of direct-response ads camoed as content: pllqt.it/b2Pcov
There’s the buttoned-up, user-friendly CafeMom you’ll get by going directly to the site or arriving through search and social links, and then there’s the down-and-dirty version specifically built for distribution through Outbrain, a top provider of paid content distribution links. CafeMom creates Outbrain-specific pages for each piece of content it produces, the company said. Those pages have dozens more ad placements than the normal CafeMom pages.
The Outbrain link to the “Glee” story appeared on sites like TMZ.com at the bottom of articles. (Yieldbot CEO Jonathan Mendez, who first spotted it, believes he saw it on SI.com.) In this instance, CafeMom is engaged in a basic arbitrage play. CafeMom pays Outbrain to get clicks on the “Glee” content, then CafeMom makes more money from paid distribution players like Taboola. Everyone makes money here. (There’s an irony in CafeMom paying Outbrain in order to make more money from Outbrain competitor Taboola.) The only loser: the poor soul clicking the link who is then subjected to a junkyard of direct-response pitches masquerading as content like “Little Known Facts About Low Testosterone” and “5 Tips to Melt Away Mushy Cellulite Forever.”
- digiday.com