More Google Fun!

[insert_namehere]

As you folks may recall from my previous post in here, I've been having an interesting dialogue with Google AdWords regarding what is acceptable and what is unacceptable advertising/website content in regards to their "tobacco" policy.

After the last go round, everything was hunky dory until the BIG Slamdown on e-cig advertisers (I know of at least 8 other suppliers that got the long knife the same night I did). Well, fortunately, the AdWords specialist at Google has been very nice and helpful. I was informed that I needed to remove all references to tobacco from my site in order to be compliant with their policies.

Well and good. I scrubbed the term tobacco from ad content, meta tags and even where it was legible in product shots (We no longer sell juice that tastes like tobacco - it's now "traditional" flavor). Ads up... then down they go again.

What's the problem this time? Quote:

"Thank you for your email. Upon invstigation, I found that your ads in the ad group 'Ad group #1' under the campaign 'USA' have been disapproved because they violate our policy on the promotion of tobacco products in the ad and/or the landing page. Please note that for your ads to run on Google, you'll need to remove the content promoting alternatives to smoking from your ad text and your site. Once you've done this, an AdWords Specialist can review your ad again."

Iee Caramba!!! Just so you know, I'm thinking of looking at these things (from an advertising/marketing point of view) as electronic novelties. I want to point out that we don't tout e-cigs as a HEALTHY alternative to smoking, but as a socially acceptable and cheaper alternative to smoking.

Good thing I never sold tiddly winks or Chinese checkers as an alternative to having a cigarette. Or mattresses. "Don't have a smoke, take a nap on our BeautyRest Queensize!"

Your befuddled pal at Vapour Warehouse - Tom

 

[Janetda]

I don't understand...are they saying you can't say that your product is an alternative to smoking because the word "smoking" is in the ad? I'm confused, but that's not unusual.

 

[SharonLM]

That makes no sense at all. I just googled cigarettes and got oodles and oodles of sites.

Then I googled smoking alternatives and got oodles of sites for e-cigs. So if they can come up on google, why can't you advertise? Just isn't making sense.

Maybe I too am confused.

 

[Afteraffex]

Thats why we don't smoke we vape imo

 

[zero7starz]

Yea just change it all to vaping. I don't understand what the problem is, either. Why does it seem that google can advertise for "illigal" substances, p0rn, and other such things but tobacco is a big no no?

What if you were running a quit smoking site? Or a quit smoking support site? Would they deny you still? Specific word banning I don't understand

 

[seminolewind]

STUPID STUPID STUPID Well Google isn't the only one out there. I never liked it to begin with, I've always thought it sabotaged my computer by slowly taking over my IE, like squeezing them out . Months ago, my IE slowed down to the point that I could wash my floor while waiting for a website. So I used Google toolbar, and things sped up. But I noticed more and more that google had loaded more and more into my computer. When I got rid of it all, Yahoo was fast again. So I do not touch google.

 

[DaBrat]

Ok so FDA has banned imports of ecigs or at least seizing them at the port when they happen upon them. Now Google wants to jump in and play big Brother? This is ridiculous. They have not been deemed 'illegal'/ I can buy cigarettes all day on Google. WTH?


Point this out to them
cigarette - Google Product Search

 

[seminolewind]

Smokers are at the bottom of society's totem pole. The pecking order of life. You know what happens when the last chicken in the pecking order of it's society decides not to be last? They ALL put her back in her place. You think people are any different? So don't ask non smokers to do anything for you. They say they will help but they won't. If smokers quit and rise up, it leaves everyone closer to the bottom.

 

[seminolewind]

The last time any smoker got asked a normal respectable question instead of being dictated to was when someone asked "smoking or non smoking?" At least we had a choice then

 

[CoderGuy]

Smokers are at the bottom of society's totem pole. The pecking order of life. You know what happens when the last chicken in the pecking order of it's society decides not to be last? They ALL put her back in her place. You think people are any different? So don't ask non smokers to do anything for you. They say they will help but they won't. If smokers quit and rise up, it leaves everyone closer to the bottom.

So true. We can't win. Even if we found a 100% guaranteed safe alternative they would come up with new rules and restrictions because it still "looks" like smoking and "they" don't like it.

<beginRANT>
I am getting so tired of these ************* anti-smoking ********** dictating their agenda on us because they decide we need to abide by their ******* rules or they will ******* make our lives miserable. Worse are the people that have become so ******* afraid to say or do anything that may be viewed as "offensive" to someone so they just do things like this so they don't ******* have to worry about getting letters or emails or threats of boycotts. There are several other ******** groups that are doing the same thing as the ******* anti-smoking groups to cover all other ************ areas of our lives. We are increasingly letting small groups of *********** decide how we ***** "should" be living. We are becoming a ****** society of wimps and ******* afraid to stand up for ourselves for fear of being viewed as "offensive", which is ************* ******** and ******* *************.
<endRANT>



Now, just to further make my point, not one offensive word was used in this post, however, there will be several viewers that will probably feel uncomfortable with the "language" used, even though it is completely in their own imagination.

CoderGuy

 

[SSRob]

I too have been fighting with Google about AdWords. They constantly run in circles with their answers.

I got another email last night from them saying my ads have not been reviewed yet.

Then two paragraphs down I'm told to remove any offending content and my ads will be reviewed again.

OK, so which one is it, are they denied or not?

I did talk to them on the phone yesterday. I asked if their policies allowed marijuana or marijuana related items to be advertised. He gave me the "case by case basis" BS run around. I told him I was looking at ads right now for marijuana vaporizers.

I then searched for some e-cig related keywords. Clicked on a few ads. One was someone selling DSE901's for $149.99 a pop. No "under 18 only" anywhere on the site and it was clearly advertised as a smoking cessation aid. I got the "case by case" basis crap again.

I was told that my ads were in the "manual review BIN" (does that mean trashcan?) and maybe I should wait a week or so and see if maybe policies are changed.

 

[insert_namehere]

I too have been fighting with Google about AdWords. They constantly run in circles with their answers.

I got another email last night from them saying my ads have not been reviewed yet.

Then two paragraphs down I'm told to remove any offending content and my ads will be reviewed again.

OK, so which one is it, are they denied or not?

I did talk to them on the phone yesterday. I asked if their policies allowed marijuana or marijuana related items to be advertised. He gave me the "case by case basis" BS run around. I told him I was looking at ads right now for marijuana vaporizers.

I then searched for some e-cig related keywords. Clicked on a few ads. One was someone selling DSE901's for $149.99 a pop. No "under 18 only" anywhere on the site and it was clearly advertised as a smoking cessation aid. I got the "case by case" basis crap again.

I was told that my ads were in the "manual review BIN" (does that mean trashcan?) and maybe I should wait a week or so and see if maybe policies are changed.

The "manual review bin" means they are not only reviewing your ads, they are reviewing your site page by page. It's frustrating in that a lot of personal judgment by the reviewer is exercised. I have gotten to the point where, aside from metatags, I have removed the words "smoking", "smoke", "cigarette" and "cig" in any form or combination from my site.

What it comes down to at the end of the day, in my opinion, is that people looking for "electronic cigarettes" will have to get hip to new lingo, such as "PVs", "personal vaporizers", etc. before they can even begin to get a clear picture of what our deal is all about.

As such, places like this become more and more important in that they are about the only sites where potential consumers can get a clear picture of the benefits and risks of e-cigs; since it's apparent that Google doesn't want advertisers to disseminate that sort of information.

 

[Mac]

So true. We can't win. Even if we found a 100% guaranteed safe alternative they would come up with new rules and restrictions because it still "looks" like smoking and "they" don't like it.

<beginRANT>
I am getting so tired of these ************* anti-smoking ********** dictating their agenda on us because they decide we need to abide by their ******* rules or they will ******* make our lives miserable. Worse are the people that have become so ******* afraid to say or do anything that may be viewed as "offensive" to someone so they just do things like this so they don't ******* have to worry about getting letters or emails or threats of boycotts. There are several other ******** groups that are doing the same thing as the ******* anti-smoking groups to cover all other ************ areas of our lives. We are increasingly letting small groups of *********** decide how we ***** "should" be living. We are becoming a ****** society of wimps and ******* afraid to stand up for ourselves for fear of being viewed as "offensive", which is ************* ******** and ******* *************.
<endRANT>



Now, just to further make my point, not one offensive word was used in this post, however, there will be several viewers that will probably feel uncomfortable with the "language" used, even though it is completely in their own imagination.

CoderGuy

You mother******* aye right! **** these pompous ***holes!

 

[seminolewind]

I've sorta come to the conclusion that anti-smokers that have heard of an e-cig do think it's a battery operated cigarette-another version of a cigarette .A cigarette that smokers can break laws with. Of course they don't want smokers to have another version of a cigarette.
Think about it. Most smokers I have encountered don't even know what it is. So you have to assume that millions of anti smokers think it's just another version.
We really should change the name because of the stigma attached to cigarettes. And work on more of the public understanding that this thing is NOT a way to continue smoking nasty cigarettes.
I think I'm going to hand out informational flyers to non-smokers and ask them to give it to a smoker. Anti smokers are really good at dictating to smokers, aren't they?

 

[CoderGuy]

I've sorta come to the conclusion that non-smokers that have heard of an e-cig do think it's a battery operated cigarette-another version of a cigarette .A cigarette that smokers can break laws with. Of course they don't want smokers to have another version of a cigarette.
Think about it. Most smokers I have encountered don't even know what it is. So you have to assume that millions of non smokers think it's just another version.
We really should change the name because of the stigma attached to cigarettes. And work on more of the public understanding that this thing is NOT a way to continue smoking nasty cigarettes.
I think I'm going to hand out informational flyers to non-smokers and ask them to give it to a smoker. Non smokers are really good at dictating to smokers, aren't they?

It's not the non-smokers as much as the anti-smokers. Most of my non-smoking friends are all for it once they find out what it is (good idea on passing out flyers by the way, education is the key). Smokers want to vape once they learn for the obvious reasons, non-smokers want their smoking friends and family to vape once they learn about them, it's only the anti-smokers that don't want the facts. To them smoking is smoking, it's all evil and should be stopped at all costs. I'm surprised they haven't taken their agenda to the PETA level and started bombing smoke shops and tobacco plants yet (give them time if alternatives catch on).

By the way, not sure if it comes across in my posts, I am not a real fan of groups like the anti-smokers and others trying to rule our lives LOL Unfortunately many bow and scrape to them and are allowing them to gain more power daily. Once they stamp out any semblance of smoking, wonder what they will go after next (people with that much power unduly given to them rarely stop once their agenda is met).

CoderGuy

 

[CoderGuy]

There just isn't enough advertising about it, anti-smokers need to know what this device can do for us as well as them...

Anti-smokers don't care. They have an agenda, and that agenda does not include anyone using any form of tobacco products. No matter how "safe" or "unobtrusive" the nicotine or tobacco product is, they will try to get it stopped, and will not stop until they do. Look at all the stink about the new R.J. Reynolds products like the Camel SNUS, Camel ORBS, Camel Sticks, and Camel Strips. You would think they would be thrilled that there are so many new products with less harmful effects and no second-hand effects, but they are more against these than cigarettes and being very vocal about it. All R.J. Reynolds is doing is trying to secure the market for when they eventually make it illegal to smoke ANYWHERE (think I am kidding? There are already laws about smoking in your own yard, your own home, outside in any public area). It's not going to stop unless we stop it or they get their way.


CoderGuy

 

[surbitonPete]

I think all e-cig suppliers should get together and start thinking of doing something like mass door to door advertising literature....I think this is the only way to get the word out and I do believe it's critically important to get all smokers to know about e-cigs.....I feel sure it will literally save thousands if not millions of people from an early death.

 

[CoderGuy]

I think all e-cig suppliers should get together and start thinking of doing something like mass door to door advertising literature....I think this is the only way to get the word out and I do believe it's critically important to get all smokers to know about e-cigs.....I feel sure it will literally save thousands if not millions of people from an early death.

There just isn't enough advertising about it, anti-smokers need to know what this device can do for us as well as them...

I agree with both statements, the way we "stop it" is through education and getting the word out. Each word of mouth and positively spun media story saves more smokers and smoker's friends and relatives. The more we get ahead of the tidal wave of oppression, the harder it will be to kill e-cigs.

I know, I sound overly dramatic, but I am sure there were people like me before prohibition too and everyone said, "Na, they will never ban alcohol"

CoderGuy

 

[SSRob]

So I get an email from Google this morning saying "FINAL WARNING". I'm told if I submit another ad that is against their policy that my account will be suspended. Again, for the 20,000th time, I asked exactly what policy am I violating when my ads don't have anything to do with cigarettes or tobacco and neither does my website. But of course a search on Google for DSE901 ATOMIZER turns up 2-3 ads that are currently running which aren't worded much differently than my own. They won't tell me directly if it's my ad, my keywords or my site. I just don't get it. How am I supposed to submit an ad to see if it passes if they're gunna automatically suspend me if it doesn't? I mean JESUS come on!

So... I deleted all my keywords and ads and I'm gunna try one more time with limited keywords and see what happens. I don't care if they suspend me, hell I can't run my ads as it is so what difference does it make?

 

[insert_namehere]

So I get an email from Google this morning saying "FINAL WARNING". I'm told if I submit another ad that is against their policy that my account will be suspended. Again, for the 20,000th time, I asked exactly what policy am I violating when my ads don't have anything to do with cigarettes or tobacco and neither does my website. But of course a search on Google for DSE901 ATOMIZER turns up 2-3 ads that are currently running which aren't worded much differently than my own. They won't tell me directly if it's my ad, my keywords or my site. I just don't get it. How am I supposed to submit an ad to see if it passes if they're gunna automatically suspend me if it doesn't? I mean JESUS come on!

So... I deleted all my keywords and ads and I'm gunna try one more time with limited keywords and see what happens. I don't care if they suspend me, hell I can't run my ads as it is so what difference does it make?

Are you my evil twin? I have had exactly the same week with Google.