Zeldman Delivers Mixed Message on HTML Email
The cool kids have solved the problem of “monetizing their content” with an ad network called The Deck. Deck ads are small, don’t insult your intelligence, and are very relevant to the host site’s content—so relevant that I’ve actually clicked on some of them.
Since there is only one ad on a page, there’s no chance of the embarrassing situation of showing competitors’ ads side by side. Last week, however, I was reading Zeldman’s rant against HTML email, and the Deck ad showing at the time was for “HTML Email Design & Coding tips from MailChimp.” The rant undermined the ad’s message a little (ya think?), but it sure got a chuckle out of me. I have to admit, though, that if I had to serve up some HTML email, MailChimp is the first place I would turn for help. Now that’s effective advertising.
