Recently, we’ve encountered a few new business projects where we’ve had to consult the “unacceptable content” for advertising on Google, MSN, and Yahoo! advertising tools. Thought we’d share the list with you as it is rather entertaining, and if you’re ever curious or need a quick reference here is the list from the big 3 – all in one place. Amazingly enough, there are slight differences. As expected from MSN, there are a lot of “if this, then” and “you can’t, except when.” Always so complicated.

One has to believe that these lists were created because someone at one time or another actually was advertising these things.  Keep this in mind as you peruse these lists. If you don’t chuckle once or twice, there is something wrong with you.

Unacceptable Content – Things you CANNOT advertise on Google, MSN, and Yahoo!:

Google’s List of Unacceptable Content:

1. Academic Aids (aka cheating or test takers)
2. Aids to Pass Drug Tests
3. Alcohol
4. Anabolic Steroids
5. ‘Anti’ and Violence
6. Bulk Marketing
7. Copyright
8. Counterfeit Designer Goods
9. Data Entry Affiliates
10. Dialers
11. Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia
12. e-Gold
13. Endangered Species
14. Fake Documents
15. Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Devices
16. Gambling
17. Hacking and Cracking
18. Inflating Ad Clicks or Impressions
19. Miracle Cures
20. Mobile Content Services
21. Political Advertising
22. Prescription Drugs and Related Content
23. Prostitution (clever, very clever)
24. Scams/Phishing for Personal Information
25. Sexual & Adult Content
26. Solicitation of Funds
27. Template Sites for Ad Networks
28. Tobacco and Cigarettes
29. Traffic Devices
30. Weapons

MSN’s List of Unacceptable Content:

1. Adult/Sexual Content
2. Alcohol
3. Cable Descramblers
4. Defamatory, Libelous, or Slanderous Content
5. Drug Testing
6. Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia
7. Fake Documents
8. Firearms
9. Fireworks
10. Free Offers and Sweepstakes
11. Gambling Content
12. Hate Speech
13. Illegal Activity
14. Illegal Contests, Pyramid Schemes, and Chain Letters
15. Non-accredited Universities
16. Pharmacies and Medical/Pharmaceutical Products
17. Political Content
18. Privacy Statement
19. Profanity
20. Religious Content
21. Software
22. Spam
23. Suffering and Violence
24. Tobacco
25. Traffic Tickets
26. Trademarks
27. Webcams/Surveillance Equipment

Yahoo! Search Marketing List:

1. Alcohol
2. Beating Drug Tests
3. Bypassing Copyright Protection
4. Cable Descramblers
5. Counterfeit Products
6. Data Collection
7. Defamatory, Libelous, Threatening
8. Drugs
9. Fake IDs
10. Online Gambling
11. Pharmaceutical Products
12. Prostitution
13. Suffering and Violence
14. Tobacco
15. Traffic Tickets
16. Weapons
17. Areas of Questionable Legality

For details on all of these lists visit:
Google
MSN
Yahoo!

Consumers with over six figure incomes spend 22.1 hours a week online, up from 10.7 hours reported five years ago (2008 Mendelsohn Affluent Survey Results).  The survey also revealed that these affluent consumers read print publications just as much as they [used to] about 15 per week, reported from Ad Age.

They listen less to the radio and spends far less time in front of televisions (18.6 hours vs. 23.7 hours in ’03).  Affluent consumers tend to be more educated and allocate more discretionary spend to magazines than anyone else.

Other interesting facts:

• Across the population, television topped the Internet as a favored news source
• Daily online news use has increased by nearly a third since 2006
• Common users tend to be both young and affluent.
• Gen Y (born 1982-1994) maintain high levels of magazine consumption
• Favorite print publications among survey respondents included People, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and Southern Living.
• From 1997 to 2007, the number of magazines targeting affluent consumers grew from 90 to 456, a fivefold increase, Mediapost reported last year.

When you think about it, these results aren’t really that surprising. Folks have little time these days juggling family, career, schedules, etc.  They need things they can count on and are easily accessible, and when they’ve got a few moments they want to sit down and read something that appeals to their lifestyle preferences and needs.

Magazines provide those small indulgences and have highly targeted content that appeals to their readers.  The audience (much like email) has subscribed to receive “said” content.  I myself have over 4 magazine subscriptions and they are non-work related – they are lifestyle and interest related.  Not to mention, they are chalk full of advertising that is related to ME! Me, me, me.  I don’t have to rifle through a newspaper to locate an article of interest because I’ve got an entire magazine and when I want to find out the news, I can quickly access it online.

You can read the full article on the Affluent Survey Results at MarketingVOX.