Banner ads? Maybe. But take a brand like Nike as an example. I can imagine Nike paying to put (one!) swoosh on an article on a site like ESPN. But Nike, if th

Banner ads? Maybe. But take a brand like Nike as an example. I can imagine Nike paying to put (one!) swoosh on an article on a site like ESPN. But Nike, if they’re doing their job right, would not want a swoosh to interrupt the reader’s experience — that’s the opposite of good branding. Consider FM radio as another example. Ads on most music stations are obnoxious. Sponsorships on NPR are generally much more subdued, take less time, and don’t try to stand out. (Oddly, NPR is quite obnoxious about their own fundraising placements. I wonder whether they would be more effective if they backed off a bit.)