Last week, we noted that Apple and Campbell's had commissioned a study that demonstrated that Apple's iAd mobile advertising platform offers advertisers more bang for their buck and greater brand recognition than traditional advertising channels such as television.
Apple may have felt it needed that data in order to entice advertisers to join the program, as a new report from TechCrunch suggests that fill rates for ad requests are dropping and the company's staffers are struggling to get advertisers to sign on following the initial high-publicity push that accompanied the service's launch last July.
The report isn't the first to note a significant drop in fill rates with the new year, and it is unclear whether the result is due to a decline in advertiser participation because of dissatisfaction with the program, expected seasonal variations in advertising spending, or simply Apple struggling to fill an increasing number of available slots buoyed by a burst of sales of iOS devices over the holidays.
But TechCrunch's report delves further into the situation, noting that the initial wave of advertisers were brought on board with Steve Jobs and other key executives personally meeting with CEOs of other companies to seal the deal, and now that that initial splash is over, the iAd program is becoming a harder sell.
Other issues such as a lack of cross-platform compatibility and pricing structures have also been cited as reasons for advertisers being wary of coming on board, but together it appears that Apple may be having problems expanding the program rapidly enough to satisfy the growing number of apps and devices looking to tap into iAds.
Article Link: Apple's iAd Program Struggling to Fill Slots and Renew Advertisers?
