The Success of Pixel Marketing Proves that Small is Beautiful

The Success of Pixel Marketing Proves that Small is Beautiful

Advertising space on the web has typically been sold by the banner and by the click. Now, thanks to a hot new concept called pixel marketing, its being sold by the pixel. Thats right. Just when you thought there was nothing left to sell, the web has profitably parceled into blocks of pixels that advertisers are snapping up to promote their brands.

Heres how pixel marketing works. Pages are made up of pixel grids, typically of one million pixels which generally sell from 50 cents to $1 each. An advertiser who buys blocks of these pixels can design an image which will be displayed on them, and will link visitors to a corresponding website.

The idea for pixel marketing is credited to Alex Tew, a 21-year-old student from Wiltshire, England, who developed The MillionDollarHomepage.com to raise funds for his university education. Tew launched the site on August 26, 2005. Within three days of the launch, with no marketing budget, Tew sold his first 20 x 20 pixel block. Motivated, he put out a press release. Two weeks later, he had made enough money to pay for his first year at university. He has now...