[enjoytheride]

Is anyone else getting a REALLY annoying Pure Michigan ad at the bottom of their window?

[amm2cd]

I'm more annoyed by the 4" of snow forecast here in Pure Michigan.....

I need to get those training rides in before the regionals!

[alibi_18]

I get a REALLY annoying John Deere add at the bottom of my window... and there is no way to remove it...

[2DogsFarm]

Yup - got them both
Truly annoying popups with no way to remove or close them.

Death to pushy advertisers!

[SMNG]

If you look very carefully at the top right hand corner of the ad, there is a way to close it (says 'CLOSE' with a little 'X' by it). It was very hard to see because it blended in with the text on the right side of the page.

[Thoroughbred1201]

I can't find it on the John Deere. It's really irritating. I get John Deere and something else I can't figure out. It isn't Michigan, that's for sure!

[Kestrel]

I get John Deere and some brand of truck. The close box for the J.D. ad is kind of floating up above the right hand border of the ad, so that it blends in with the text for "Most Popular". When I try to click the box, sometimes I get an article instead.

[fjordmom]

Yes and I went to the comment section of the Pure Michigan ad and let them know how annoying I thought it was. Does not make me think kindly of them, so very counter productive ad. Maybe if we all reply about the annoyance they will rethink this very intrusive strategy.

[findeight]

When you get that bottom pop up ad? Just scroll down to below where the ads on the right side stop. There is a "CLOSE (x)" on the right. Point and click. Problem solved.

Stays closed too, until you change forums.

[Derby Lyn Farms]

Kind of annoyed that Michigan is wasting money on ads for Pure Michigan, whatever that is suppose to mean. Is that even benefiting Michigan in any way?

[slp]

Kind of annoyed that Michigan is wasting money on ads for Pure Michigan, whatever that is suppose to mean. Is that even benefiting Michigan in any way?

For sake of the thread content, I don't have any ads on the bottom of my screen...only on the right side.

To answer your question, in 2010 alone the Pure Michigan ad campaign generated a 21% increase in state tourism to the tune of an increase of over $2 BILLION dollars from previous years to the industry. It has won more awards than any other state tourism ads. The summer 2011 campaign brought in over 3 million out of state visitors that paid more than $70 million in taxes while visiting. Based on the numbers of tourists up here in Northern Michigan alone this year I would guess that 2012 is going to be an even higher number. Since tourism is one of the leading industries in our state, I would say yes, the ad campaign benefits many. Horse Shows by the Bay, a national top 25 H/J show, brings in over $15 million to the Traverse City areas economy, and they have benefitted from the Pure Michigan ads that feature the Grand Traverse area. It's all good.

[dags]

As a chicagoan we get tons of Pure Michigan ads. They're beautiful pieces, even the nonvisual radio spots are soothing and noninvasive. Advertising has to exist, I wish it was all as respectful as the pure michigan campaign.

Yes, yes, yes, COTH is experimenting with additional revenue avenues. Trust me, they don't make much off those ads. Probably not enough to cover real-world salaries for a dedicated IT & Moderation department.

ALL popup ads are required to have a "CLOSE" box by the accepted internet advertising guidelines. Just a tip as you will see more and more of these across the web, there will always be a close box somewhere. Same for any ads with sound, there is always a way to turn it off. In fact, I think they've regulated that sound ads start in mute and you have to turn it on if you want to hear it.

Facebook has a billion users and still can't turn a profit. The internet still hasn't figured out how to pay for itself and it's about to get desperate. Expect many more adverts in your online future.

[RiderWriter]

Hmm, I guess this explains why I'm suddenly being inundated with "So-and-So Likes Such-and-Such" boxes on Facebook! And yes, I've been getting the annoying pop-up ads while here, too. They are making it extremely hard to locate the little X for removal lately!

[RiderWriter]

Ok - I opened another thread and there was this big ad at the bottom for some kind of deer-hunting gear, and THERE IS NO "X." I swear! I have closely scrutinized the thing and boy, I sure don't see one. Ad is also not in a box, it's kind of "free form" and semi-transparent. It also doesn't move, ie go to the bottom of the page and stay there - it "hovers." And covers stuff up!

What's the deal???

Next one was for Ram Trucks and was RIGHT in the middle of my iPad screen!

[SarahandSam]

Haven't seen a Michigan one but so far I've gotten two different pop-ups at the bottom since I logged onto COTH three minutes ago. Closing the first, I accidentally clicked on a different ad underneath it and ended up opening another bloody page. I hate the scrolling pop-up ads with a passion and hope COTH rethinks that...

[wanderlust]

Keep getting one for Dodge trucks, and it pops up about every 4 page views, whether or not I change forums.

Don't be mad at the advertisers... they probably don't even know they are advertising here. COTH is likely offering the ad space to an ad network or agency, who is rotating in the ads for their clients.

COTH, I understand you have to make money, but this is a terrible frustrating user experience.

[Only By Night]

Ok - I opened another thread and there was this big ad at the bottom for some kind of deer-hunting gear, and THERE IS NO "X." I swear! I have closely scrutinized the thing and boy, I sure don't see one. Ad is also not in a box, it's kind of "free form" and semi-transparent. It also doesn't move, ie go to the bottom of the page and stay there - it "hovers." And covers stuff up!

What's the deal???

Next one was for Ram Trucks and was RIGHT in the middle of my iPad screen!

There was no x on mine either. I stared at it for several minutes, scrolled up and down to see if the background affected it, etc. Thankfully I hit refresh and it went away, though I'm sure it will be back.

Very annoying.

[Derby Lyn Farms]

For sake of the thread content, I don't have any ads on the bottom of my screen...only on the right side.

To answer your question, in 2010 alone the Pure Michigan ad campaign generated a 21% increase in state tourism to the tune of an increase of over $2 BILLION dollars from previous years to the industry. It has won more awards than any other state tourism ads. The summer 2011 campaign brought in over 3 million out of state visitors that paid more than $70 million in taxes while visiting. Based on the numbers of tourists up here in Northern Michigan alone this year I would guess that 2012 is going to be an even higher number. Since tourism is one of the leading industries in our state, I would say yes, the ad campaign benefits many. Horse Shows by the Bay, a national top 25 H/J show, brings in over $15 million to the Traverse City areas economy, and they have benefitted from the Pure Michigan ads that feature the Grand Traverse area. It's all good.

Ok so I didn't realize they helped that much. Guess I never see the ads since I am already in Michigan and I don't need to visit here, right? However, I do vacation up north every year. I just see the Pure Michigan sign on the freeway that is there for all the Canadians coming in. As long as it is attracting outside tourists, because northern MI especially can use some visitors.

[VirginiaBred]

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