Native ads on Mumsnet Talk topics

Just because Facebook has been doing it doesn't mean it's a good idea

Tbh I don't agree that it's unclear that these are ads in the topic list - they have a pic

Fair enough that they look a little different different to normal thread titles but they still have enough in common with normal posts to cause confusion and surely they are deliberately designed and positioned so that they are going to be accidentally on-purpose clicked.

If you genuinely wanted them not to be confused with normal threads why are there so many similarities. They are in the same position, with the same type face, the same coloured text, the same size type, the same posted by and some have a typical thread style title where it's not obvious that it's an ad. For example Are you ready for fright night? sounds like it might be a genuine thread title. Yes they have a photo and yes they have a 'promoted by' but if you really wanted to make it clear they are not normal posts I think you need to make a few more changes. Your sponsored discussions are clearly titled and far easier to avoid identify.

Perhaps some background to my question might help. Here's some content for you to look at. I have a memory that ad blocker use is up 41% this year? (Happy to be corrected on that figure of course.)

Native ads are certainly the hot topic in the industry for many reasons - financial ones mainly, I fear. This might be a time to ......define MN's position more clearly? 🙂

I'm not having a go by the way, MNHQ. I know Mumsnet needs to bring in money. And most sites wouldn't even ask our opinion on the matter.

It is just that I genuinely thought that the advert sponsored message in question was a Mumsnet thing, or at the very least a Mumsnet collaboration, rather than a stand-alone third party advertisement.

There's a reason why you don't put tag these ads as Ebay Advert which is fewer characters than Sponsored By Ebay or Promoted By Ebay.

The word advert would tell us exactly what it is.

The words Sponsored By and Promoted By are deliberately chosen in order to try to obfuscate the fact that it is an advert from that company with no Mumsnet involvement whatsoever.

Sponsored By and Promoted By certainly gives a suggestion that the content is actually Mumsnet content and ebay are merely paying to, well, sponsor or promote it.

It is an advert for that company; nothing more.

I've never been redirected to a porn site in any other forum.

I don't think it's ok to run these ads unless you can be certain that posters won't get redirected. It's an unaccectable risk and I'm surprised it's one that's allowed to happen time after time.

I mentioned earlier in this thread that the reason I really dislike these types of ads is that they are designed to be clicked by mistake or to be mistaken for genuine threads. I find this misleading and sneaky. If you have an ad in a side bar a user can choose whether they want to engage or not but with this type of stealth ad you are, to some extent, removing that choice. I accidently clicked on one of the ads when I didn't want to.

If you want to force posters to engage with advertisers at least be honest about it. Some free online games that I play require me to watch a 5 second video before I can play. It's irritating as hell but at least it's clear and honest. What Mumsnet is doing with these ads isn't.

it's awful awful, I thought that mn had been hijacked again. With so many issues with other ads, porn popping up unexpectedly for people, so many issues with tio, basically being ignored when reporting serious concerns and you now think it's a good idea to do this?

I'm seriously wondering whether mn is still for me.

Is mn in serious financial difficulties? that's the only thing I can think of.

If you're going to stick with them then hoe about limiting them to chat? Avoids the situations highlighted above where they're inappropriate for the specialist board's subject matter. Chat/ active must have highest footfall of users/ visitors so high visibility still for the ads.

I completely understand the need for MN to generate revenue via selling advertising, but, I've been using this site for 4 years and it's getting ridiculous now. The porn thing has been going on for months. It's fucking discusting. Granted I'm not techie at all. But. You've identified that it's directly linked to an advert. Yet it's stil going on and you haven't said to your advertisers - look one of you is dodgy. We're pulling your ads until you sort it. I don't need that type of shit popping up on my phone / god forbid my monitor during my lunch break at work. I also massively dislike your partnership with Cadbury's. Every 'tell Cadbury's what you think of x' sponsored thread descends into posters stating they no longer buy Cadbury's since the Kraft takeover and asking them to revert back to the original recipie without palm oil yet there's never a rep coming on for a q&a. You take their money but you don't seem to take on board the comments by a majority of posters on the threads.

Sorry for the rant but the Cadbury's partnership and the porn issue really fucking irritate me.