PPCDo you think Adwords content ads need an update?

Do you think Adwords content ads need an update?

Marketers have started a petition on Facebook requesting Google AdWords to accept AS3 flash banners.

This week i was contacted by a member of a Facebook fan page called “Petition for Google Adwords to accept AS3 SWF files” asking us if we would give voice to their cause. Knowing that passion for your work comes with it’s fair share of frustrations, I felt sympathetic and invited the organizers to submit a guest post.

Their page was created last week and since then around 1,350 people have become fans to support the petition. In their own words, fans are drawn “mostly from people that confronted Google’s refusal to let AS3 in AdWords image ads”. The guest post from Darius Tulbure follows below:

As you all know, Google AdWords is a great way of doing Search Engine Marketing and conducting content-based advertising campaigns. It offers you reliable and measurable results, cost effectiveness and, when we refer to content-based ads, great scalability.

But there’s still room for improvement, and I’m talking here about their content-based advertising service. One thing they can improve is the implementation of the display advertising system. Google AdWords requires the flash banners that users submit to be written in ActionScript 2, even though ActionScript 3 replaced the old programming language back in 2006.

There are indisputable advantages of ActionScript 3 over ActionScript 2, not only for flash animators, but also for advertisers and end-users:

1. Flash animations made in ActionScript 3 use less CPU power.
2. AS3 has better syntax, less hacks, more robust libraries, etc.
3. AS3 allows for smoother graphics.
4. More spectacular and realistic effects like complex text animations and 3D effects.

In other words, the introduction of ActionScript 3 has improved users’ experience and changed the way people think about flash media. Besides, advertisers now have the opportunity to create more interesting and engaging ads, improving their advertising campaigns results.

Now, since ActionScript 3 standard was introduced in 2006 and Flash Player 9 & 10 has over 99% market penetration, it’s a real mystery why Google still refuses to accept this standard.

Noticing this issue, we started a petition on Facebook, requesting Google AdWords to accept AS3 flash banners. Until now, more than 1300 flash developers, advertisers and marketers have become fans and expressed their opinions, requests and, sometimes, frustrations. View the fan page here: http://www.facebook.com/as3petitionadwords

If you’re facing the same problem as they do, feel free to share your thoughts or to support this petition by becoming a fan.

The issue must be affecting various roles in the online creative production chain, from programmers and designers to marketing executives and media planners, so it gave me cause to wonder, how many SEW readers have been affected by Google’s requirement for the “old programming language”?

So, i invite you to give vent to your frustrations in the comments or tell us to quit rattling our sabres.

  • Are AS2 content ads holding you back? Are you maintaining redundant skills just to use adwords?
  • Are your clients demanding flashier ads? Is it good for the market? Would it be good for Google?
  • Or does no one care about Flash anymore and should we all be focussed on HTML 5?

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