The main pro of an advertising revenue model for the product Quinn would be being able to generate a lot of revenue in a convenient way. Because Quinn is a fashion and clothing inspiration app, it provides a very easy space for retailers to be able to advertise their products on our platform. Since Quinn already has a feature where it provides clothing suggestions to the user, it would be very easy for us to provide sponsored clothing suggestions–this would have a relatively high click-through rate and allow us to generate a good amount of revenue.
However, the main con of an advertising revenue model is that it affects the integrity of our app–users want to go on Quinn to find styles that actually inspire them. If the feed and suggestions are tainted with items and fits that are only from advertisers, this would skew the content of our platform and probably affect the quality of results users are getting. In other words, it would affect the user experience.
In the context of the broader Internet, the main pro of an advertising revenue model is its ease of generating revenue, similar to how it is with Quinn. As mentioned in The Internet’s Original Sin, an advertising model is “the easiest model for a web startup to implement, and the easiest to market to investors.” In other words, it is the easiest sure-fire way for a business to generate income. There are a few cons in regards to the advertising revenue model. First, similar to that of Quinn, advertising revenue models disrupt the user experience. If ads keep popping up or take up real estate on a page where you’re trying to view your content, your user experience will drop. There is also a risk associated with personalized ads. The smarter ads get, the more they are tailored to a user’s specific interest. As mentioned in the article, ads have gotten to the point where “two readers of The New York Times may see a very different picture of the world”. While for the most part, personalized ads are okay, it can also lead to “echo chambers, filter bubbles, or other forms of ideological isolation”. This is where dangers may start, such as political disinformation and online trolling.
