Messages

Do your advertisers want to market their products and services to men who visit a sports betting site or to puritancial churchgoers? If it's the former, Covers management need to learn how to negotiate. Seems like the Covers managment team folded in the face of a threat. Man up, boys.   Your are selling an audience to advertisers, not the other way around.

And how do your advertisers feel about the message from Covers blaming advertisers for this fiasco. That's not good public relations work, either. I for one am less inclined to use any business that advertises here because of how this has been handled. 

Ultimately, the church lady approach to avatars, links and sexual images -- all things that are legal -- is at direct odds with on-line gambling -- which is illegal. And face it--if it wasn't for illegal on-line gambling--this site likely wouldn't exist. Or at the very least, wouldn't have much of an American audience. This contradiction makes the new policy a real head scratcher.

But good luck. You unnecessarily created a rift with your audience and your advertisers because of a fear of getting tough in the board room. Let me know if you ever need help with negotiating these sorts of issues.  Don't let your advertisers dilute your brand. Rather, use the power of your audience to sell the brands of your advertisers.