It’s pretty rare that I use YouTube on a television, typically only if in the mood for specific music. Even then it tends to be a handful of videos as my ‘go to’. Earlier this month I was in the mood for such a concert and loaded it. I am authenticated as my Google account, so YouTube knows exactly who I am. At the top of the screen are my recommendations:
You can probably see exactly where I am going with this blog! The first recommendation is sponsored, which is fine, but for a commercial. Does management and/or developers at YouTube really think that is what I want to see? Do they think that I want to see that, after having seen it no less than dozens of times over the last year or more as the injected commercials since I refuse to pay them? Do they think I want to see that over the actual concert I loaded it to watch?
So I select Eli & Fur and begin listening. A little ways in I get a commercial. Any guesses as to which commercial it selected? Yep, that same Liberty Mutual. Don’t get me wrong, I think LiMu Emu is pretty funny and some of those commercials are amusing. I am not switching insurance though, and I certainly won’t the more I see their commercials. And I certainly will continue to not pay YouTube for anything because of bad choices and a bad user experience like this.
Whoever is in charge of the YouTube product needs to get hit by a clue-by-four and experience a reality check. This is not what your users want to watch if given a choice. If you are going to make us watch that commercial the first chance you get, then don’t bother recommending it as a video. Idiots.
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