[Ads-l] chumbox

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

In October 2013 "The Globe and Mail" published an article discussing
native ads, i.e., ads that can easily be confused with editorial
content. Low quality native advertising was described as "advertising
chum", and a rationale for the phrase was presented. This appears to
be a precursor use of "chum" in the advertising domain.

Website: The Globe and Mail
Article: Publishers turn to Toronto firm to makes online ads more palatable
Author: Susan Krashinsky (Marketing Reporter)
Published October 3, 2013  (Updated May 11, 2018)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/publishers-go-native-with-advertising/article14692961/

[Begin excerpt]
Of course, when it is done wrong, this content is like advertising
chum: it may draw you in, but it gives off a stench.
[End excerpt]

The tweet and response below led me to discover the article in "The
Globe and Mail".

[Begin tweet description]
Susan K Robertson @susinsky
Old idea, new importance: why native advertising is growing, and the
Toronto firm helping big publishers manage it http://tgam.ca/DvOn
7:53 AM - 4 Oct 2013
[End tweet description]

[Begin tweet description]
Rebecca Stutley @RebeccaStutley
@susinsky Yes it is.  But "beware of advertising chum"
8:01 AM - 4 Oct 2013
[End tweet description]

Garson

On Fri, May 10, 2019 at 1:29 PM Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 1. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/5/8/18537279/chum-box-weird-sponsored-links-gut-doctor <https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/5/8/18537279/chum-box-weird-sponsored-links-gut-doctor>
> A mysterious gut doctor is begging Americans to throw out “this vegetable” now. But, like, which?
> Kaitlyn Tiffany
> 8 May 2019
>
> ——
> The gut doctor’s desperation pops up over and over, on websites like CNN and the Atlantic (and as I said, this one), in what are known colloquially as “chumboxes.” These are the boxes at the bottom of the page that have several pieces of clickbaity “sponsored content” or “suggested reading.”
> ——
>
> 2. Not in the OED or Merriam-Webster, chumbox has citations back to 2014 on Wiktionary:
> https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chumbox <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chumbox>
>
> ——
> A grid of clickbait advertisements on a webpage.
> ——
>
> 3. Wiktionary's 22 April 2014 citation by Alene Vincent (https://twitter.com/alenevince/status/458656349136900097 <https://twitter.com/alenevince/status/458656349136900097>) has no context, no likes and no retweets.
>
> ——
> ctrl+f "chumbox" http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/22/5639892/how-weaponized-clickbait-took-over-the-web … zero results :(
> ——
>
> 4. Word Spy (https://wordspy.com/index.php?word=chumbox <https://wordspy.com/index.php?word=chumbox>) has 11 July 2014 as the earliest unambiguous citation by Mig Greengard (@chessninja), but the citation indicates that the word was in use before then:
> https://twitter.com/chessninja/status/487719152765771776 <https://twitter.com/chessninja/status/487719152765771776>
>
> ——
> @tomgara I learned that area is called the "chumbox" the other day. Excellent.
> ——
>
> 5. Here is another 2014 citation
> Um, Is Your Facebook About To Get Less Dumb? Wow.
> John Herrman
> 25 August 2014
> https://www.theawl.com/2014/08/um-is-your-facebook-about-to-get-less-dumb-wow/ <https://www.theawl.com/2014/08/um-is-your-facebook-about-to-get-less-dumb-wow/>
>
> ——
> (Also, know that for every high-profile new viral site there are probably five spammier knockoffs with names you’ll never remember, and content created as much for chumbox advertising arbitrage as for actual humans.
> ——
>
> 6. Wikipedia
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chumbox <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chumbox>
> ——
> A chumbox (or chumbucket) is a form of online advertising that uses a grid of thumbnails and captions to drive traffic to other sites and webpages. This form of advertising is often associated with low quality 'clickbait' links and articles.
>
> The term derives from fishing terms such as chumming – referring to the use of (fish) meat as a lure for fish.
> ——
>
> 7. Wikipedia has two citations providing this etymology, but neither provide citations proving the relationship to the fish. The following provides chum porn:
>
> https://www.theawl.com/2015/06/a-complete-taxonomy-of-internet-chum/ <https://www.theawl.com/2015/06/a-complete-taxonomy-of-internet-chum/>
> A Complete Taxonomy of Internet Chum
> 4 June 2015
> John Mahoney
>
> ——
> This is a chumbox. It is a variation on the banner ad which takes the form of a grid of advertisements that sits at the bottom of a web page underneath the main content.
> ——
>
> 8. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/330-reality-isn-t-real-utopia-is-creepy-1.3792237/diving-into-internet-chum-yes-it-s-as-bad-as-you-d-expect-1.3794213 <https://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/330-reality-isn-t-real-utopia-is-creepy-1.3792237/diving-into-internet-chum-yes-it-s-as-bad-as-you-d-expect-1.3794213>
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org