ChasNote

"While Salon has only about 85,000 paid subscribers [$35 per year], between 175,000 and 200,000 users visit each day using the Site Pass"–an option that grants visitors free access to Salon’s content if they view an ad before entering (Wired News). As much as I want to believe Salon’s SVP of sales when she claims that these ads experience click-through rates between 5% and 20%, those percentages sound exaggerated. But even if those numbers are half right, it’s a wonderful phenomenon: When consumers are reminded of the role advertising plays in supporting quality content, they respond more favorably–and more often. I hope Salon has started a trend.