Apple Continues to Shave iAd Buy-In Fees Amid Increasing Competition

[baryon]

Still haven't seen an iAd anywhere. Where the hell can we see them?

 

[a.gomez]

it would have been hard for Apple to convince any decent ad/design agency that they needed iAd to make a compelling campaign for mobile - fact that it is not cross-platform is just another nail.

 

[paul4339]

It seems to me that Apple's downfall here is that horrible price.

Apple's entire idea here is that iAds are like mini-applications. They treat the ads the way they do apps, by only allowing them to run on Apple devices and only after Apple has approved of them.

Why not make it $99, the same cost as developing full applications.

Here's what would happen if they did:
1.) Everyone who has something worth advertising could do advertise it.
2.) Developers using iAds would see near 100% fill rates.
3.) All users would get ads relevant to them.
4.) Apple wouldn't make as much money from people signing up, probably, but that 40% that Apple takes on clicks would become much higher, because there would be a lot more clicks.

The price, as it is, is ludicrous. Only the biggest of big name brands could possibly be able to pay it, and honestly, I think their name and reputation does more for them than an iAd does in leading to sales.

Start ups you've never heard of who don't have much cash are the ones who need the extra marketing help of a compelling interactive ad, not the big names we all already know about.

The price may be ludicrous, but I think Apple is intentionally keeping it high because they only want quality ads. To do so, they are probably restricting it to customers with lots of money to spend or big advertising budgets.

The problems they are having is the pricing is too high, their restrictive policies limit the creative freedom of the ad agencies and professional (at least when iAd first came out, I'm not sure if it has changed)... and to boot, Google is competitive and probably (?) has a superior platform.

 

[marksman]

I have seen a lot of apps I use regularly stop using iAds. In many cases they are using AdMob. Regardless, I suspect low inventory has been a problem for apps looking for ad revenue.

 

[Lone Deranger]

why? they're certainly nicer than ads that take you out of the app.

It's still an advertisement. It's information I didn't ask for, I don't want, and yet it is still forced upon you. I dislike virtually all forms of advertisements, save the odd one here and there that can be considered more art than ad.

 

[Skoal]

I can honestly say I have never seen or heard an ad that has made me want to go out and buy something I didn't already want or have. I have never nor can I imagine ever clicking on an ad on my phone, facebook, wherever, you name it!

 

[kas23]

The price may be ludicrous, but I think Apple is intentionally keeping it high because they only want quality ads. To do so, they are probably restricting it to customers with lots of money to spend or big advertising budgets.

The problems they are having is the pricing is too high, their restrictive policies limit the creative freedom of the ad agencies and professional (at least when iAd first came out, I'm not sure if it has changed)... and to boot, Google is competitive and probably (?) has a superior platform.

These points would have be accurate if it wasn't for Apple's strict policy of having them (Apple), and only them, be the company who design the ads. There are no expensive professional ad agencies designing these ads, thus the high premium Apple charges is not a tool to keep quality above a certain threshold.

 

[Doctor Q]

I guess they have to find the sweet spot to make the most money, but they're doing it in an awfully public way.

The price changes almost as often as some iPhone apps!

 

[Imhotep397]

Regardless of what people think of Ads on your iPhones, it's pretty dang profitable. Unfortunately for Apple, I suspect their lack of presence in the server rooms before launching this and the fact that Android is outselling them is what's the problem. If Apple had built a better Server software strategy a couple of years ago, companies would have given Apple more time. I mean rip a page out of the Microsoft book, but actually with good software and see what happens. Lots of companies have and still do deal with actual ****** software from Microsoft only because Windows has that 80% market share in the server rooms and on desks.

 

[jonnysods]

This thing has taken a while to get off the ground. How long has this been out for now?