Just for example - whilst out this morning and trying to keep up via my mobile phone with England's pathetic attempt at reaching a piffling 4th innings total in the cricket against Pakistan, I kept switching between the BBC cricket website and the commercially minded but equally informative ESPNCricinfo website - rather sadly hoping that news of the doomed run chase might be better on one side than the other!! Anyway, on the main page of the ESPN website amongst all the info of latest scores etc were two "rolling" advert boxes, which both at times had adverts encouraging viewers to join the RSPB. Other advertisers on these continually changing ad-boxes were - Mastercard, British Gas, Domino's Pizza and Microsoft amongst others. Household names/brands, amongst which I guess the RSPB thinks it should rightly belong.
Bill, I think this depends on the kind of things you search in google. for example manchester birding (it knows your'e from manchester and enjoy birds) so the RSPB is the obvious advert for your rolling 'adsense' bars!
additionally The RSPB would not be able to fund a lot (or at least as much as it would like to do) of of its conservation work with just serious birders membership money. a lot of serious birders seem to consider them selves above charities like the RSPB thus don't join! Where as families, kids, people with an interest in what lives in their gardens are a gold mine & it covers nearly all of us. Otters- cute & appealing. I'd rather see a Nightjar or some cryptic warbler but that won't sell memberships!
-- Edited by JamieDunning on Thursday 2nd of February 2012 06:19:06 PM
Hi Jamie,
I'll bow to your knowledge about the targeted advertising - although if it is "intelligent" advertising as you suggest, then it might not be that smart, as I certainly hadn't visited websites on my phone that morning (or have at any time!) looking for any of credit cards, household energy, pizzas or computer software!
As for the RSPB casting its net far and wide for its membership - maybe I hadn't expressed my points of view clearly enough but I hope my post dated 28/1 suggested that we're in agreement on that subject.
Best wishes,
Bill.
JamieDunning said
Thu Feb 2 6:17 PM, 2012
Just for example - whilst out this morning and trying to keep up via my mobile phone with England's pathetic attempt at reaching a piffling 4th innings total in the cricket against Pakistan, I kept switching between the BBC cricket website and the commercially minded but equally informative ESPNCricinfo website - rather sadly hoping that news of the doomed run chase might be better on one side than the other!! Anyway, on the main page of the ESPN website amongst all the info of latest scores etc were two "rolling" advert boxes, which both at times had adverts encouraging viewers to join the RSPB. Other advertisers on these continually changing ad-boxes were - Mastercard, British Gas, Domino's Pizza and Microsoft amongst others. Household names/brands, amongst which I guess the RSPB thinks it should rightly belong.
Bill, I think this depends on the kind of things you search in google. for example manchester birding (it knows your'e from manchester and enjoy birds) so the RSPB is the obvious advert for your rolling 'adsense' bars!
additionally The RSPB would not be able to fund a lot (or at least as much as it would like to do) of of its conservation work with just serious birders membership money. a lot of serious birders seem to consider them selves above charities like the RSPB thus don't join! Where as families, kids, people with an interest in what lives in their gardens are a gold mine & it covers nearly all of us. Otters- cute & appealing. I'd rather see a Nightjar or some cryptic warbler but that won't sell memberships!
-- Edited by JamieDunning on Thursday 2nd of February 2012 06:19:06 PM
Neil McCall said
Sun Jan 29 7:07 AM, 2012
They could put a picture of my neighbour's cat on the front for all I care, as long as it gets me into the reserves. Just been to Burton Wetlands for the first time and it's very well planned, with volunteer staff who act towards visitors in a professional manner as is always the case with the RSPB at least. Any birder who travels beyond a local patch will have benefited enormously from an outstanding national network of reserves, which nobody else comes even close to matching, for a very reasonable annual fee.
Tony Coatsworth said
Sun Jan 29 4:08 AM, 2012
If the profit from the lavender talc helps to buy places like Burton Wetlands then that's fine by me.
I went to Walney Island the other week and whilst Cumbria Wildlife Trust are no doubt doing their bit, the visitor facilities were non-existent - obviously funding related. Places like Leighton Moss and Burton will hopefully sow the seeds for the next generation of birders, all paid for by hundreds of thousands of "little old ladies".
Bill Myerscough said
Sun Jan 29 3:12 AM, 2012
Phil Panton wrote:
Have been slightly disillusioned with the RSPB for quite a while, even though i have remained a member & realise that they do an awful lots of good work, i do feel that in some areas they've lost touch. The Birds magazine frequently seems to be geared more to gardening, than birds, & the xmas catalogue rarely contains anything of real interest to the serious birder. unless lavender talcum powder is your thing.
Is it just me ? Would love to know what the RSPB regard as its target audience.
Hi Phil,
I'm in agreement with Nick's comments.
I suspect the target audience for the RSPB will be the widest ranging and also the largest numerically they can possibly reach and retain. Just for example - whilst out this morning and trying to keep up via my mobile phone with England's pathetic attempt at reaching a piffling 4th innings total in the cricket against Pakistan, I kept switching between the BBC cricket website and the commercially minded but equally informative ESPNCricinfo website - rather sadly hoping that news of the doomed run chase might be better on one side than the other!! Anyway, on the main page of the ESPN website amongst all the info of latest scores etc were two "rolling" advert boxes, which both at times had adverts encouraging viewers to join the RSPB. Other advertisers on these continually changing ad-boxes were - Mastercard, British Gas, Domino's Pizza and Microsoft amongst others. Household names/brands, amongst which I guess the RSPB thinks it should rightly belong. Who would have thought at one time that the RSPB would look to recruit new members via a cricketing website? And why not? I personally am all in favour of the RSPB casting its net and appeal as far and as wide as possible and drawing its membership and income from all walks of society. Sadly, if the RSPB just appealed to "serious" birders then the number of members and the amounts of money coming in would be just a fraction of what it currently is and I guess that birds in this country would be much worse off for that.
As for that lavender talcum powder....certainly keeps me smelling much nicer than I otherwise would!
Cheers,
Bill.
Charles Farrell said
Sun Jan 29 12:43 AM, 2012
Mine has a Robin ..... bluebells, a dragonfly and a ladybird on it - same as the year before.
Nick Isherwood said
Sat Jan 28 9:01 PM, 2012
Phil Panton wrote:
Is it just me ? Would love to know what the RSPB regard as its target audience.
I think their target audience are just the general public. Serious birders seem to be in a minority with them which is reflected in their magazine articles and catalogues.
If you think about it though, they're a fund raising organisation and so they need to appeal to the masses as much as possible.
Phil Panton said
Sat Jan 28 8:46 PM, 2012
Have been slightly disillusioned with the RSPB for quite a while, even though i have remained a member & realise that they do an awful lots of good work, i do feel that in some areas they've lost touch. The Birds magazine frequently seems to be geared more to gardening, than birds, & the xmas catalogue rarely contains anything of real interest to the serious birder. unless lavender talcum powder is your thing.
Is it just me ? Would love to know what the RSPB regard as its target audience.
Ian Campbell said
Sat Jan 28 2:10 PM, 2012
Rick Hall wrote:
I love otters, but why are they on my new RSPB membership card? Who made that decision? I understand that the RSPB does a huge amount of conservation work which benefits all sorts of wildlife and I'm really saying this tongue in cheek, but why a mammal?
I also got my new card this week and thought exactly the same thing
Rick Hall said
Sat Jan 28 3:07 AM, 2012
I love otters, but why are they on my new RSPB membership card? Who made that decision? I understand that the RSPB does a huge amount of conservation work which benefits all sorts of wildlife and I'm really saying this tongue in cheek, but why a mammal?
Hi Jamie,
I'll bow to your knowledge about the targeted advertising - although if it is "intelligent" advertising as you suggest, then it might not be that smart,
As for the RSPB casting its net far and wide for its membership - maybe I hadn't expressed my points of view clearly enough but I hope my post dated 28/1 suggested that we're in agreement on that subject.
Best wishes,
Bill.
Bill, I think this depends on the kind of things you search in google.
for example manchester birding (it knows your'e from manchester and enjoy birds)
so the RSPB is the obvious advert for your rolling 'adsense' bars!
additionally
The RSPB would not be able to fund a lot (or at least as much as it would like to do) of of its conservation work with just serious birders membership money.
a lot of serious birders seem to consider them selves above charities like the RSPB thus don't join!
Where as families, kids, people with an interest in what lives in their gardens are a gold mine & it covers nearly all of us.
Otters- cute & appealing. I'd rather see a Nightjar or some cryptic warbler but that won't sell memberships!
I went to Walney Island the other week and whilst Cumbria Wildlife Trust are no doubt doing their bit, the visitor facilities were non-existent - obviously funding related.
Places like Leighton Moss and Burton will hopefully sow the seeds for the next generation of birders, all paid for by hundreds of thousands of "little old ladies".
Hi Phil,
I'm in agreement with Nick's comments.
I suspect the target audience for the RSPB will be the widest ranging and also the largest numerically they can possibly reach and retain. Just for example - whilst out this morning and trying to keep up via my mobile phone
As for that lavender talcum powder....certainly keeps me smelling much nicer than I otherwise would!
Cheers,
Bill.
I think their target audience are just the general public. Serious birders seem to be in a minority with them which is reflected in their magazine articles and catalogues.
If you think about it though, they're a fund raising organisation and so they need to appeal to the masses as much as possible.
i do feel that in some areas they've lost touch.
The Birds magazine frequently seems to be geared more to gardening, than birds, & the xmas catalogue rarely contains anything of real interest to the serious birder.
unless lavender talcum powder is your thing.
Is it just me ?
Would love to know what the RSPB regard as its target audience.
I also got my new card this week and thought exactly the same thing