It’s an extra-large world after all.
Unwelcome jockstrap ads on a Disney-related Web site might seem amusing – OK, it is amusing – unless you’re Al Lutz and run MiceAge.com, an independent online outlet for news, gossip, opinion and visitor tips regarding all things Disney.
Lutz doesn’t want to sell jockstraps, but he’s had no luck in getting Amazon to stop putting the ads and their otherwise buck-naked models in front of his readers. (We’ll get to the details of his pleas for help and Amazon’s replies in a moment.)
First, you should know that this is no Mickey Mouse vanity operation we’re talking about – Lutz claims 2 million to 5 million monthly visitors, the latter when MiceAge broke the story of Lindsay Lohan and friends ripping up a Disneyland party. And while the younger crowd might not blanch at a jockstrap ad, they are not the primary audience for MiceAge.
“We skew older in our readership,” Lutz tells me. “Baby Boomers love their Disneyland.”
Baby Boomers wear jockstraps, too, don’ t they? Yes, but …
“Our typical readers have come to trust the site when we suggest something to them (a ride, tour or book) – in the same way one might have a good friend who always knows what flowers work best for what occasion,” Lutz explains. “Imagine going to that friend for some advice on a floral arrangement and then having him extol the virtues of a jockstrap instead. To say you’d be creeped out would be an understatement.”
So how did MiceAge get into the jockstrap business? Here’s the explanation from Lutz’s most recent column, which was flagged for me by Buzzblog reader/Disney devotee Brett Borowski:
“Finally we must thank the one kind soul out there who purchased seven jock straps from Amazon.com, using the links on our pages to access their site. As a result, due to the absolutely primeval software Amazon uses (unlike Google, they offer no way to block items) many of you have seen ads touting jockstraps on these pages, which apparently is sparking quite a lot of rather mirthful e-mail.”
It has also sparked a back-and-forth between Lutz and Amazon’s customer service department, which seems strapped for an answer to solving MiceAge’s predicament.
Lutz to Amazon, Part 1:
I have a Disney website, and have used your html to build links with appropriate keywords… so why am I getting ads for McDavid jockstraps served up? Here is the link I get served:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006UH5J8?tag=miceagecom-20&camp=211493&creative=379989&linkCode=op1&creativeASIN=B0006UH5J8&adid=0TSWWJB3KZAET5B0CAYE&
The html on my end seems to be fine. Is this a keyword problem on your servers? To say this causes me embarrassment and problems with my readers is an understatement. I probably have also lost some sales.
Amazon’s reply to Lutz:
I am sorry to hear items are being displayed in your Omakase link that you would prefer not to show.
First, please allow me to explain how the Omakase Links work. When you use an Omakase Link, you are able to slightly customize it to prioritize certain items, however you can not select exactly what will be displayed in the link. The Omakase Links take keywords from your web page, items you have been successful with in the past as well as items the visitor to your site may have viewed in the past based on Amazon.com cookies stored in their system to display items that the individual visitor may be interested.
For this reason, everyone to your web site may see different items displayed in your link.
After I viewed the McDavid Jockstrap on Amazon.com and returned to your web site I was shown jockstrap ads, because the system recognized me and saw that I had recently viewed them. After I cleared my cookies and cache, the items displayed in the link were entirely different because the system could no longer read that I had recently viewed jockstraps and therefore, did not display those items to me.
I reviewed your account and see that so far this month, 7 jockstraps and supporters have been ordered through your links. Because you have been successful with these, the Omakase Link may be picking up on that and in turn displaying them on your web site. You also may be seeing them because of the cookies or cache stored within your computer. I would recommend clearing your cookies and cache and then refreshing your web page to see what type of items are displayed in your ad.
Please know, if you want to have more control over what type of items are displayed on your web page, you may want to consider using a Recommended Product link so that you can select the exact category and keyword the link uses.
I hope this information helps.
Not feeling sufficiently helped, Lutz tries again:
There HAS to be a way for me or you to exclude an item from appearing on my site! I selected keywords and categories to better pinpoint items displayed via Omakase links, so I should reasonably expect that should help weed items like jockstraps out of a Disney site.
Google allows me to exclude ads – so I know it can be done. I shouldn’t be helpless here, there needs to be a way to exclude items.
A higher-up from Amazon fields this one:
I have reviewed your correspondence and your site. After reviewing the coding that you have on your site, I was able to determine that you are not using any exclusion keywords for your Omakase links.
When you are building the links, in the “Advanced Settings” you will see a space for “Avoid selecting products that contain these keywords.” At this time, this is the only way, other than removing the category that the Jockstraps are in (Clothing & Accessories) from being provided via the Omakase Links.
Please note however, as mentioned in my colleague’s previous message. That these links draw upon details registered in the cache and cookies of the computer that is being used to view the site. Meaning, that some visitors may still see the jockstraps or other items displayed on your page, if they have viewed these types of items on the computer they are using to browse your page. There is nothing that can be done to alter this, as this is part of the design of the Omakase Links.
I hope this information helps.
The Amazon rep’s hopes were again for naught, as Lutz did not consider the additional information helpful either.
“In other words, I have to divine in advance what exclusions need to be made,” Lutz says. “And since I run the simplest of sites (Dreamweaver costs a fortune) – this means I have to rewrite all the Amazon HTML on all the pages I serve up – as opposed to them simply allowing me to exclude items somewhere on their account page. And even if I do all the new coding, the ads could still appear anyway. It seems that Amazon is in the dark ages when it comes to their software.
“Makes you wonder what other products may end up on the page should your readers decide to go a little out of the norm.”
Moral to the story: Make sure your visitors aren’t in the market for jockstraps.
(Friday update: So in the interest of fully reporting this story, I’m on this other Disney-related site this morning – The Disney Frontier Blog – and what should I see under the Amazon ads, tucked right between “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” and “Disneyland: The Secrets, Stories and Magic of the Happiest Place on Earth?” Yes, indeed, an ad for McDavid Jockstraps ($5.95) featuring the buff male model wearing nothing but the item in question. … Now, if I understand Amazon’s explanation correctly, the reason I’m seeing the jockstrap ad on this second Disney-related site is that I accessed an ad for that particular product on another Disney-related site, MiceAge.com. Guess we’d call this a twist of sorts on viral marketing.)
(Friday update No. 2: The situation is actually worse than I had imagined and this post had conveyed. This morning I returned to MiceAge.com and on a single page was served up no fewer than 10 jockstrap-wearing (only) male models. How special, especially since I’m not actually in the market for a new jockstrap.)
Welcome regulars and passersby. Here are a few more recent Buzzblog items. And, if you’d like to receive Buzzblog via e-mail newsletter, here’s where to sign up.
Vista DVD cover mystery solved.
Sun CEO’s 12:14 a.m. blog post? … “Because he was up.”
Casino bans author of Word for being lucky.
Why isn’t Singapore caning spammers?
Pornographers taking their lumps on the ‘Net.
FiOS TV: Maybe Verizon should stick to phones.
“Click-to-get-infected” Google ad was a test, all right … but of what?
BlackBerry owes this guy a girlfriend.
The Onion tees up Vista … hilarity fails to ensue.
