Apple Reportedly Looking to Revolutionize Mobile Advertising

[MacRumors]

As part of its cover story this week on the Apple-Google rivalry, BusinessWeek reports that Apple is seriously looking at ways to revolutionize mobile advertising, leveraging its recent acquisition of Quattro Wireless to go head-to-head to with the Google/AdMob conglomeration.

According to a source familiar with his thinking, Jobs has recognized that "mobile ads suck" and that improving that situation will make Apple even harder to beat.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, particularly when it offends his aesthetic sensibilities, Jobs and his lieutenants have discussed ways to overhaul mobile advertising in the same way they had revolutionized music players and phones, say two sources close to the company. The sources did not reveal specific plans at Apple but say there are several possible ad approaches.

As examples, the report points to the possibility of Apple using geo-location and user data to enhance the relevancy of mobile ads, as well as the creative use of features built into the iPhone to engage users, concepts the company has explored in several patent applications.

Also noted is Apple's vast quantities of user data generated by its closed ecosystem, which could offer Apple a distinct leg up on other competitors as it looks to take on Google.

Apple has a vault of valuable data that can help drive an ad business. It knows precisely which apps, podcasts, videos, and songs people download from iTunes; in many cases it has detailed customer information such as credit-card numbers and home addresses. That gives Apple a chance to blend advertising and e-commerce in new ways, particularly after the acquisition of Quattro. The startup already works with advertisers, including Ford (F), Netflix (NFLX), and Procter & Gamble (PG), to help them figure out when and where to place ads on the sites of publishers, such as Sports Illustrated and CBS News. By tying Quattro's ad-serving technology into its own, Apple would be able to tell advertisers how often and under what circumstances a person clicked on particular ads. "Apple is one of the few brands that could actually go head to head with Google," says Kevin Lee, chief executive of search marketing firm Didit.

One other item of interest included in the cover story is speculation may look to dump Google as the default search engine provider for the iPhone in the future, perhaps striking a deal with historical competitor Microsoft for Bing or developing its own search engine. The move would serve to cut Google off from a significant chunk of Apple's iPhone user data as the rivalry between the two companies continues to grow, limiting Google's ability to use Apple's data to improve its own offerings.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Looking to Revolutionize Mobile Advertising

 

[jav6454]

Obviously mobile data of users is becoming valuable with so many web surfing phones now a days. This would certainly put Apple in an advantageous position. Specially now with the iPhone.

 

[jo0]

Also noted is Apple's vast quantities of user data generated by its closed ecosystem, which could offer Apple a distinct leg up on other competitors as it looks to take on Google.

I've never really considered the fact that Apple has been datamining our iPhone warped brains since the beginning...

 

[ShiftyPig]

And so it begins: all that data that Apple collects via iTunes is about to be used against us. You bought the last Black Eyed Peas album, you can be damn sure you'll be seeing ads for the next one.

 

[striatedglutes]

One other item of interest included in the cover story is speculation may look to dump Google as the default search engine provider for the iPhone in the future, perhaps striking a deal with historical competitor Microsoft for Bing or developing its own search engine.

Please God no.

 

[Stella]

Hmm.. advertising on your iphone ( or any phone ).

No thanks! Never.

"One other item of interest included in the cover story is speculation may look to dump Google as the default search engine provider for the iPhone in the future, "

Why not give the user a choice of any search engine? Why only Google or Yahoo at the moment?

 

[nikhsub1]

I think it will be a very cold day in hell before Apple uses Bing as the default search on one of their products. Bing is awful for the most part.

 

[Surely]

And so it begins: all that data that Apple collects via iTunes is about to be used against us. You bought the last Black Eyed Peas album, you can be damn sure you'll be seeing ads for the next one.

Serves you right if you bought a Black Eyed Peas album.


If Apple can find a way to makes ads less annoying, then I'm all for it.

If the ads become more visible and annoying, I won't be very happy.

 

[cmaier]

Bing. Right.

 

[martint84]

I'm actually all for this. We have to face the reality that services like google and bing operate off of their ad revenue. If I'm going to see adds anyway, might as well make them something I'm actually interested in. How many times have you seen an ad on one of your iPhone apps that is totally worthless? I think it's a win win as long as we don't start seeing ads in places that used to be ad-free.

 

[gibbz]

Well, I suppose it make sense based on this patent application.

While the application mainly focuses on Mac OS X, it does say that the ads could be viewed on cell phones, PDA, etc. It would seem this story further illustrates Apple's look into advertising.

 

[XxEjGxX]

good for apple

bad for apple users

 

[nickXedge]

I seriously doubt Apple would team up with Microsoft and use Bing in order to get back at Google. They would sooner create their own search engine. The article makes it sound like the old rivalry between Apple and Microsoft is over and done with and Google is the new Microsoft... which is as ridiculous as it sounds.

I'm actually all for this. We have to face the reality that services like google and bing operate off of their ad revenue. If I'm going to see adds anyway, might as well make them something I'm actually interested in. How many times have you seen an ad on one of your iPhone apps that is totally worthless? I think it's a win win as long as we don't start seeing ads in places that used to be ad-free.

Very interesting point of view. I didn't think of this at all. I agree. There will always be ads, might as well use what you already know about me to make them relevant. However, as far as ads being where they once weren't; you can count on it. How many apps put ads up after however long of being ad-free? I understand the position of the people who profit off of these ads, but it will always be annoying to find new ads in spots they didn't used to be in.

 

[nagromme]

“Revolutionizing” advertising may be profitable, smart, even something we users end up appreciating, but it’s never going to be comparable at all to what Apple did with music. People LIKE and WANT music. At best, they tolerate ads. Occasionally even need them—if it pays for content they would not otherwise get—but never want them. So whatever Apple does with advertising, the best we can hope for is that it bothers us less than other advertising. We’re never going to like it.

And nothing about this suggests we’ll be getting more ads for

(But I AM a fan of ad-supported content. Sometimes I want to buy, other times I’m happy to consume for free. I like having ad-supported content be among my many options. You can’t make quality content for free. I don’t even mind ads targeted to me—they may even be LESS annoying. And my privacy concerns about that information are the same no matter whether the ad is there or not.)

good for apple

bad for apple users

How so? We can’t be sure that Apple’s ad-delivery methods will be worse than the ones we have now. And looking at Apple’s user-experience strength, I’d be surprised if this turned out to be bad for Apple users. It may not affect us much at all—it may affect advertisers more.

 

[ELScorcho9]

Serves you right if you bought a Black Eyed Peas album.


If Apple can find a way to makes ads less annoying, then I'm all for it.

If the ads become more visible and annoying, I won't be very happy.

Haha, I was thinking the same thing.


Well if Apple is able to make ads more interactive or fancy WITHOUT being intrusive or just plain annoying, then I don't see a problem with it. It's just hard for me to imagine having ads on a phone not be annoying . . .

 

[50548]

Please God no.

Same here, buster...Bing, that craptastic search engine? NOT A ****ING CHANCE.

APPLE IS DEAD. OR IS IT?

 

[macduke]

Haha, if any of this complete and total BS somehow managed to materialize, you can bet that I'd jump ship.

I still think that Apple and Google are playing it up. They really love each other, but since the Feds don't like it, it's a forbidden love!

And what in the bloody what is up with the Bing remark? That site is still online?

 

[blackbookboard]

.....or developing its own search engine.

I imagine this will be the next big leap for Apple.

As an 'information is King' society, there is no doubt they will go down the path to be the 'King of information'.

I think we'll probably see them develop their own proprietary SE within the next 5 years. I bet they're already working on it.

Hmmm, I wonder if they have any datacenters available???????

 

[Sky Blue]

So no Google tun by turn for the iPhone

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

How long before Ads are integrated into OSX?

 

[spillproof]

I'm actually all for this. We have to face the reality that services like google and bing operate off of their ad revenue. If I'm going to see adds anyway, might as well make them something I'm actually interested in. How many times have you seen an ad on one of your iPhone apps that is totally worthless? I think it's a win win as long as we don't start seeing ads in places that used to be ad-free.

Thats a bit on how I was thinking.

But i would be highly disappointed if Apple removed Google from the mobile Safari's search engine choice.

 

[TheSlush]

I suppose I trust Apple to approach any problem in an innovative way... but this is starting to get pretty far away from their "core competencies".

 

[oldwatery]

I wish Apple would get back to just making great computers.

 

[Teddman]

That almost sounds like Jobs is trying to make mobile ads cool.

Sounds impossible to me, but there is not much he layed hands on in the last ten years that didn´t turn out well for him.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Wow. The implcations if this, if true, is just.. Wow.

Apple taking on Google in GoogleLand... Wow. But given Apples history of making everything half-perfect, they will loose badly.