Airplane Advertising Creates a Stronger Bang For the Buck
In today’s competitive, yet difficult business world there are many options for advertising. Unfortunately, banner advertising might not even enter the picture for business owners looking for advertising options. But it should.When done well, airplane advertising can be more effective than other forms of advertising, turning a simple ad into dollars and customers for the advertiser. While advertisers often think about radio, newspaper, television and even billboard advertising, they often don’t even consider banner advertising.And that’s a mistake. Let’s look at why airplane banners create advertising that’s effective in several ways.CostAirplane advertising creates a stronger bang for the buck than other forms of advertising. While you might pay for a radio ad each time it’s on the radio, or a premium for a good billboard in a freeway location, with banner advertising, you pay for the banner once and then only pay a small charge each time that banner is flown.Today, more and more advertisers are giving up on advertising altogether, but that’s a mistake. Businesses can’t make money and bring in new (and returning) customers without getting the word out. But in today’s economy, it’s essential to get the word out with the most affordable method. Aerial advertising provides that.NoveltyWe are bombarded with advertising each day. We hear it on the radio on the way to work, see it on the television as we watch each evening and read it in magazines, newspapers and on signs. It seems that everywhere we turn someone is trying to sell us something.Of course, aerial banners are also selling or promoting something, but the method of delivering that message is so novel people pay attention. While you might barely hear most of the ads that are played on the radio and might flip past ads in magazines, when a flying banner is seen overhead, you look to the sky and make note of what you see.MemoryThat’s right, memory. People remember banner ads in a way they just don’t remember most other forms of advertising. This is likely due to two things – the novelty of the advertising and the attention we pay to the ads themselves.As we discussed above, the novelty of aerial advertising gets attention. It’s not as common to see a banner airplane in the sky as it is to see and hear other forms of advertising, so we naturally pay attention. Aside from the novelty, however, people remember airplane advertising much better than other forms of it. Some studies have shown that most people keep an aerial ad in their minds much longer than they do other forms of advertising, which means people are more likely to act in some fashion that benefits the advertiser.Although advertisers have many options for their advertising dollar, and most experts suggest that advertisers diversify their methods, it’s a common sense decision to include aerial advertising in the mix.
Problem Gambling and Gambling Problems Come in Varying Degrees of Intensity and May Worsen
Problem Gambling and Gambling Problems Come in Varying Degrees of Intensity and May WorsenProblem gambling, also known as compulsive gambling, is recognized as a disease or sickness. But not all people who have a that problem would be diagnosed as being compulsive gamblers. As with any behavior, the degree or severity of the behavior determines the clinical classification.Therapists use different scales to assess a gambling behavior and base the therapy according to the assessment. Most therapists use DSM-IV or the South Oaks Gambling Screen for diagnosis.Just having compulsive or pathological gambling recognized as a treatable disease was a major accomplishment for the therapists who treat those problems. For many years gambling was looked upon as a character flaw or weakness, but not a true disease. Now that it has been accepted that out of control gambling is a disease that may be treated effective methods are emerging.One point that almost all clinicians agree on is that the best way to effectively treat the problem is to stop the gambling immediately. Some clinical studies have indicated that neuro transmitter deficiencies may be a cause of the problem and drug therapies are being tested while other forms of behavioral therapy, such as support groups and guided mediation or hypnosis are also showing some success.If you are wondering if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, here is a checklistthat is used by clinicians to assess for pathological gambling …”As defined by the American Psychiatric Association, pathological gambling is an impulse control disorder that is a chronic and progressive mental illness.Pathological gambling is now defined as persistent and recurrent maladaptive behavior meeting at least five of the following criteria, as long as these behaviors are not better explained by a manic episode:1.Preoccupation. The subject has frequent thoughts about gambling experiences, whether past, future, or fantasy.2. Tolerance. As with drug tolerance, the subject requires larger or more frequent wagers to experience the same “rush”.3. Withdrawal. Restlessness or irritability associated with attempts to cease or reduce gambling.
4. Escape. The subject gambles to improve mood or escape problems.5. Chasing. The subject tries to win back gambling losses with more gambling.6. Lying. The subject tries to hide the extent of his or her gambling by lying to family, friends, or therapists.7. Stealing in order to feed their gambling addiction.8. Loss of control. The person has unsuccessfully attempted to reduce gambling.9. Illegal acts. The person has broken the law in order to obtain gambling money or recover gambling losses. This may include acts of theft, embezzlement, fraud, forgery, or bad checks.10. Risked significant relationship. The person gambles despite risking or losing a relationship, job, or other significant opportunity.11. Bailout. The person turns to family, friends, or another third party for financial assistance as a result of gambling. “(from wikipedia at Compulsive Gambling Pathological Gambling)My own experience as a therapist has led me to believe that number 4. on the list hardly
qualifies as a gambling problem or an indication of a gambling problem since most people who
gamble recreationally do gamble to escape and have fun. On the other hand, the list is a good
place to start if you have concerns. Another suggestion is that you sit in on a meeting of
Gambler’s Anonymous and seek professional counseling. The sooner you address a
suspected gambling problem the sooner you can get it under control and stop the progression
of the illness.
Internet Gambling Laws – US, UK and the World
Legal minds turned to Internet gambling laws as a specialty when the industry went beyond growth and exploded into the public mind. “The law surrounding Internet gambling in the United States has been murky, to say the least,” according to Lawrence G. Walters, one of the attorneys working with gameattorneys.com.In contrast, Internet gambling laws in the U.K. have made the lives of providers and players a bit easier. The passage of the Gambling Act of 2005 has basically legalized and regulated online play in the U.K.With the objectives of keeping gambling from promoting “crime or disorder” the U.K. act attempts to keep gambling fair, in addition to protecting younger citizens and others who may be victimized by gambling operation. Unlike the United States, which still clings to the 1961 Wire Wager Act, the U.K. significantly relaxed regulations that are decades old. A gambling commission was established to enforce the code and license operators.A Whole Other CountryAccording to Walters and many other observers of the Internet gambling laws scene, the United States Department of Justice continues to view all gambling on the Internet as illegal under the Wire Act. But there are details in the federal law that defy attempts to throw a blanket over all online gambling.The Wire Wager Act forms the basis for federal action on Internet gambling laws in the United States. The law was meant to complement and support laws in the various states, focusing primarily on “being engaged in the business of betting or wagering” using wire communication to place bets or wagers on sporting events or similar contests. The law also comments on receiving money or credit that results from such a wager. The keys are “business,” “money or credit” and “wire communication facility.”But as many attorneys and proponents of fair Internet gambling laws emphasize, the federal law does not specifically address other forms of gambling. This has left the law open to interpretation when it comes to online casinos specifically and using the World Wide Web to play online games.October 13, 2006 is a crucial date in the controversy surrounding the legalization of gambling. For anyone wishing to understand Internet gambling laws, the federal law passed on that day is essential knowledge. President George W. Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which is intended to limit some “financial transactions” used for online gambling.But even if current federal gambling laws can clearly define something as simple as a legal gambling age, the newer UIGEA has not settled all the dust raised around the issue of online gambling. Attorneys such as Walters (and many others) have pointed out that the UIGEA seems to refer only to financial transactions and wagers that are illegal where the wager or transaction is made. Some wagers may be legal while others may not be legal. It’s as simple as that.The UIGEA had some effect on Internet gambling, in that many successful companies got out of the business, at least in the United States. In fact, with the passage of the law in 2006, most U.S. online players found they could not play at an online casino or poker room, for a short time. Many of the gambling providers found ways to establish offices and servers outside of the U.S. so that could invite United States players back in.Break TimeIt’s now time to stop, take a deep breath and turn to Internet gambling laws in the various states. Some have passed their own rules and regulations (before and after UIGEA). In a few states, companies cannot operate an online gambling business. In other states it is illegal for an individual to place a bet using the Web. Some legal experts argue that these individual-state rules are unconstitutional since commerce across state lines should only be regulated by federal law, not state law. Commercial online gambling businesses don’t operate in the United States, however. If you want to visit their “home offices” you may have to travel to Malta, Gibraltar or Curacoa.The 2005 U.K. law generally allows remote sites such as these. The rules are not so relaxed in the U.S. However, a recent appellate court ruling in the U.S. states that, in at least one case, an Web-based gambling site did not violate states laws. Most legal minds urge gamblers and others interested in the issue to stay tuned.Some have given their attention to finding benefits of legalized gambling, noting that this huge industry might be a key to economic recovery in the United States. At the heart of their argument are examples such as established lotteries run by various states, in addition to the government revenues that flow in to state coffers from riverboats and land-based casinos.Part of this effort rests on the shoulders of more than 100 legal representatives working for common sense in Internet gambling laws. This hoard of attorneys has the task of trying to keep the World Wide Web/Internet free from government intervention.Bob Ciaffone is considered one of the experts on the subject of gambling and poker in general, and on the transition to online gambling. He suggests that any regulation of Web-based gambling should reduce competition from outside the U.S., so that the citizens of the U.S. would benefit in legal gambling states. His detailed plan would parallel the U.K. situation since that country passed its 2005 rules. Ciaffone also strongly urges U.S. lawmakers to keep Internet gambling laws separate from the 40-year-old Wire Act, which was passed to control illegal gambling over the telephone.In essence, Ciaffone writes that the UIGEA attempted to do the right thing, but does it in all the wrong ways. The restrictions have severely handicapped what could be a great revenue source with proper regulation, according to Ciaffone.Consider a statement on the UIGEA from the most-recognizable poker player in the world, Doyle Brunson. Though is comments apply to his favorite game of poker, they can easily relate to all Internet gambling laws. He said, in essence, that his company received good legal advice that indicates Internet poker is not “expressly” illegal. He encourages U.S. players to learn the laws of their own state.While this brief summary touches only the high points of a huge and complex subject, there are sources that have already compiled details for the various states. Check these sites:www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Law-Summarywww.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/ [http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk]