Report: IM Underused as Ad Medium

On further news, Clickz has informed people that ad campaigns are not utilizing the Instant Messaging interface as much as they should be. IM has been around for quite some time and is by no means decreasing in usage. Especially as my generation of users enters the business world it will become even more prevalent. IM plays a HUGE role in the lives of college kids, whether you are an "away message hunter" or want to pirate as many music and video files as possible via AIM's (AOL's Instant Messenger) "send-file / get-file" system; a joint-venture of convenience and free music.

As for advertisements on IMs, why not? They have advertisements everywhere else now, so why not put it right in your face everytime you so desperately need to send that ever so popular instant message of: "What's up?"

I tend to get alot of these: "Are you there?" Simply because I seldom spend time IM-ing and usually have an away message on. Speaking of which, and I am by no means being chauvinistic when I say this, I feel that the females need to tone down the away messages a little bit. I really don't need to know your agenda for the entire day. A simple "not here, call the cell" will suffice if you have stepped out of the house for a good portion of the day.

Here is an example of what I am talking about:

"Breakfast with Katie, Test, Class, gym, back home for pilates, lunch with my lovers, library for a bit, phone call with my BFF, tanning, Big Little revelation (LOL LOL), Airband practice, nap, shower, getting readyyy, cocktails with the roomies, OUT...this will be the BEST DAY EVERRR"

There it is ladies and gents, a typical away mesage (completely fabricated but still typical) of a college female. Now all that away message needs is a little advertisement for alcohol and a tanning salon and we are good as gold.

My work is done here, check out the ClickZ article though, it's short but sweet.