Only a few spots left to join us for the Digiday Publishing Summit

Join us Sept. 14-16 in Miami to connect with top publishing leaders

SECURE YOUR SEAT

Bad Ad Placement: Citibank and Groupon

The Internet has long faced a problem. Consumer attention continues to shift to it, yet ad dollars from brands have lagged. The big reason for this is the Web’s fragmentation. That causes high transaction costs and a feeling from advertisers their ads will appear in bad places. Unfortunately, bad placements still occur. Each week we’ll feature a particularly unfortunate placement. This week’s winner is Citibank and Groupon, both of which were fortunate enough to appear with (now former) Rep. Anthony Weiner’s lewd photos on TMZ.com. Probably not the placement a brand like Citibank wants.

See a bad placement? Email us.

More in Media

What’s in and out for creators heading into Q4

A look at the creator economy trends heading in to Q4 2026, from clipping to creators in the C-suite, diversification and regulation.

Google divestiture is dead — and publishers are fine with that

Publishers didn’t get a Google AdX breakup; they got behavioral remedies, promised transparency and a new reminder that Google’s real power lies in controlling demand, not pipes.

Marketers say usage rights are driving up the price to work with creators

Creator pricing’s biggest hurdle are usage rights, which can create confusion and frustration on every side of the negotiation table.