I remember the early days of the Internet when at Christmas time some whizz-bang scripting guru had worked out how to have snow falling down a web page. There was a similar effect with leaves drifting down the page in Autumn. It was cool for a few seconds and then it became the most annoying thing since [insert your most annoying thing here]. Sometimes these coding wizards get carried away with their algorithms if they don’t get to see the light of day too often. It seems to be the same today with those annoying pop-ups.
When I'm consulting on ideas for web design or digital business strategy, I often reflect on the traditional bricks'n'mortar shopping experience. You remember the sort of place when you walk into a retail emporium. There's a carefully engineered atmosphere that is conducive to extracting your credit card in exchange for the satisfaction of your heart's desires. You feel relaxed, comforted - right?
Well now ask yourself, have you ever been met with an enormous banner dropping from the ceiling right in front of your nose. So huge that it fills your gaze the very moment you stepped inside the door. A banner that tempts you to sell your soul to the email acquisition master. Thump the big cross . . . phew, it’s gone. That was a close shave.
Undeterred, you venture further into the shop . . . BAHM! the banner hits you again - celebrity or not, I’m out of here!
It wouldn’t work with people engaging in traditional retail situations, so why do you think it would be a good idea in a digital world. There are ways to ask people nicely, and, at the appropriate time/frequency, for their contact details. When you are nice to people, they tend to be nice to you - it’s really not that difficult.