Blaring ads can scare off customers
It isn't only the "gotcha" scare that turns unsuspecting users off to audio ads; it is a combination of poor taste, bad timing and terrible tact. "Ads are generally off topic and often poorly made," says Jean-Pierre Khoueiri, CEO of Internet advertising and search engine optimization specialists Constant Click. "Cnet News is one example. It is famous for serving unrelated video/audio ads."
Automatic audio ads that co-opt the user's speakers to automatically play sounds and music are often intrusive and annoying and can even disrupt the workplace. The oft-cursed technique begs the question of whether advertisers can actually sell goods to a startled audience left leaping from their chairs and desperately seeking the mute button.
