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Apple pulls iAds from apps for kids
Mike Zonrek reports that Apple has suddenly removed iAds from kid-focused applications in the App Store. Zonrek is the developer behind Dex, a Pokémon-browser that has been downloaded over 500,000 times and is a favorite among kids who are into Pokemon. Zonrek uses a combination of iAds, AdMob and in-app purchases to generate revenue from his app. Late last week, Zonrek noticed his iAd fill rate had fallen from 16.5 percent to zero. Concerned by the drop, he fired off an email to Apple to find out what happened. Apple responded with the following statement: We periodically review the apps in the iAd Network to ensure that all apps receiving ads are aligned with the needs of our advertisers. Currently, our advertisers prefer that their advertising not appear in applications that are targeted for users that are young children, since their products are not targeted at that audience. Zonrek was surprised by this response as this policy change is not mentioned in Apple's iAd or developer documentation. Such a modification would not be surprising as Apple has taken some heat for accidental in-app purchases by children. Advertisers and Apple alike may be treading carefully when the interests of children are involved. [Via MacStories]
Amazon releases ad-supported Kindle
The e-book wars are heating up, and Amazon is doing everything it can to make sure it takes the top spot. Today the internet giant announced that it will sell an ad-supported version of the Kindle for a price of US$114.00. Thankfully, Amazon is being rather tactful with the ads. They will not appear within the e-books themselves but will be relegated to the Kindle home screen and screensavers. Still, the $114 price point seems a little silly; $99 would be a much better psychological buy-in point. While an ad-supported iPad is unlikely, it would be interesting to see Apple offer ad-supported e-books in the iBookstore. Apple does hold quite a few patents on advertising options related to video advertising and hardware subsidization through ads, as well as its iAd platform. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to think that Apple could offer publishers iAds support for their books, which would allow them to sell e-books more cheaply, yet still bring in sufficient (and recurring) revenues.
Apple releases iAd Gallery app: all ads, all the time
Tired of apps always getting in the way of your ads? There's an app for that. Update: Well, it looks like there's a bit more to this story. It turns out a developer of a similar ad-only app informed us a while back that her Ads Tube app (demoed after the break) was rejected by Apple because there was "not enough user functionality." Guess it finally worked out that problem itself.
Toyota puts up theme, ads on ModMyi jailbreak repository
This is kind of a weird story, but definitely an interesting one. Word is going around that Toyota, of all brands, might be advertising on the ModMyi repository. Supposedly there's an official Scion interface theme on sale in the jailbreak store, and there are ads for the car manufacturer running throughout. That's fascinating -- traditionally, the jailbreak scene has been extremely independent, sitting as it does in a relatively gray legal area, but Toyota is a serious client to have when it comes to advertising. In fact, it's exactly the kind of client that Apple would like for its iAd program, which has been suffering a bit lately. Of course, it's probably way cheaper to put up some ads on ModMyi and even create a free theme than it would be to buy into iAds, but that's still ad revenue on an Apple device that the company isn't getting, so we can't see why it would be happy about that one. If this is a trend that continues to grow, it could have a serious effect on jailbreak or unofficial app marketplaces. Note that the original reporting on this story said that it was the Cydia store that was getting the sponsorship, which Cydia founder Jay Freeman pointed out was incorrect.
Apple iAd minimum buy halved to $500,000
Apple is reportedly lowering the entrance fee for its iAd platform to US$500,000, a 50 percent reduction from its launch price of $1 million. This potential reduction would benefit smaller advertisers who can now afford to get their foot in the door of this mobile advertising platform. Mark Read, CEO of marketing agency WPP Digital, echoes this sentiment when he says, "This new minimum buy is a great step forward and a necessary one, I think. Lowering the minimum buy to $500,000 from $1 million will certainly make the platform more appealing." This rumored reduction may be tied to an earlier report that suggests Apple's iAd service is not performing up to Apple's expectations. The report claims Apple's iAd fill rate has fallen from 18 percent to a paltry 6 percent, primarily because advertisers are not willing to risk a minimum of $1 million on the nascent mobile advertising platform. A drop in the minimum buy rate would attract new advertisers, especially since the ads are reportedly performing well for those companies that have signed onto the platform.
Are Apple's iAds in trouble?
I probably could have told you this one based on the anecdotal data I've heard from developers lately, but "insiders" have told MobileCrunch that Apple's iAd service isn't doing quite as well as Apple had hoped. The fill rate -- which refers to actual ad space that's filled with a paid ad -- has dropped from 18 percent to 6 percent according to the rumors, which means that even though Apple has developers ready to show ads, it's having trouble actually finding advertisers to pay for them. As MobileCrunch notes, even if this is true, there could be a few reasons for this, from a bad economy to just a bad seasonal trend (that could pick back up as soon as a few months from now). But more likely, it seems, is that Apple just hasn't sold iAds well to advertisers. iAds, as Steve Jobs told us when they were first announced, are a premium product -- they are interactive, well-designed, and of course, the cost is premium as well. But advertisers may not be entirely sold on the power of mobile advertising quite yet, so Apple is likely having trouble finding advertisers both willing to take the risk and big enough to afford it. The silver lining on this so far is that despite having trouble selling the ads, everything we've heard so far is that the ads do pay off. Not only do they increase brand engagement, but they reach solid customers in exactly the right ways. Still, if Apple can't get advertisers to sign on the dotted line in the first place, it won't have any of those success stories to talk about.
Apple iAds Producer helps you produce iAds for iOS devices
We know how it is, you want to be a hotshot developer, but all that coding sounds like daunting work. Never mind, Apple's got your back with its new iAds producer, which automates all the HTML5 and CSS3 stuff into the background and leaves you to focus on the crucial task of picking out templates and components for your perfect iAd. To be fair to this new dev tool, it does more than merely dumb down the design process. It also includes "sophisticated" JavaScript editing and debugging, a built-in simulator for testing your creation, and a project validator that checks your code for common errors. Hit the source link to give it a try.
Apple's iAd Producer released: In-app ad development kit
Apple has made another tool available for developers who are considering using iAd as a way of making revenue from their iOS apps. iAd Producer is a free ad creation toolkit that became available today on the Apple Developer website, and it is designed to streamline the creation of compelling animated interactive ads for iOS apps. The Mac OS X-based tools, which are available to any members of the iOS Developer Program, include a visual designer, page templates, a library of pre-built components that can be used to add common user interface elements without writing code, pre-built animation and effects and an asset manager that holds images, movies and SVG fonts in one library. For advanced developers, iAd Producer adds JavaScript editing, debugging and optimization tools. If your company is an iAd customer, you can even test your code over the carrier network using Apple's test servers. iAds are starting to appear in a number of apps, primarily in the iPhone / iPod touch world. The first iPad iAd, for Tron Legacy, just appeared -- more iPad-specific ads are expected to arrive in 2011, and the new ad development kit can only speed up the rate of adoption of iAd. [via 9to5 Mac]
First iAd for iPad features Tron Legacy
The first iPad iAd has been released today, and it's for Disney's upcoming film Tron Legacy. The iAd features video from the Tron movie, which leads to an interactive menu. The menu itself is designed to look like a light disc and allows the viewer to navigate to a photo gallery, movie trailer, theater finder, email notifier, story synopsis and a preview of the movie soundtrack. An Apple spokesperson told AdAge that the Tron Legacy iAd will be the only iAd to appear on the iPad this year. "The format, designed to maximize the ad potential of Apple's tablet computer, will be launched widely in early 2011 when other ads start flowing onto the platform," the spokesperson said. "Like its iPhone and iPod touch predecessors, the first iPad iAd is chock-full of the rich graphics, touch navigation and video native to apps." No word yet on which ad-supported apps are featuring the ad yet, but you can check out a demo of the ad in the video after the break. Tron Legacy opens on December 17th and is produced by Disney, which Steve Jobs just happens to serve as the largest shareholder. [via MacStories]
Renault to launch first European iAd for new Twizy EV
When Apple's mobile iAds launch in Europe this week, one of the companies with a campaign will be French automaker Renault. It's fitting that Renault will be promoting its new two-seat electric city car, the Twizy, with its iAd since its alliance partner Nissan was the first to use iAds earlier this year to plug the Leaf EV. Electric vehicles are certainly in the early adopter stage right now, and iPhone and iPad users are generally seen as more willing to try something new. Many of the coming wave of electric vehicles will also be relying on smartphone apps to help drivers find available charging stations and monitor the charging status of their cars. The new iAd will include content to try and counter some of the perceived myths about electric vehicles, including a calculator that allows users to determine how much they can charge their car while doing various tasks like grocery shopping. Check out a video preview of the iAd in the second part of the story.
iAd will launch in Europe this December
Earlier today, Apple formally announced its plans to launch iAd in Europe (The UK and France specifically). The initial advertisers will be L'Oréal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier, Unilever, Citi, Evian, LG Display, AB InBev, Turkish Airlines and Absolute Radio. The Financial Times correctly guessed that Apple would announce its intentions this week. Apple's VP of iAd, Andy Miller, boasted about the program's success in a press release. "In just four months, we've doubled the number of advertisers on the network and thousands of developers now have a valuable new source of revenue." It was only recently that iAds began to roll out globally. Meanwhile, Apple has begun building a new office space for iAd team members in New York City and reached an agreement with the Dentsu Group to bring iAd to Japan. [Via AppleInsider]
Apple bringing iAds to Europe in December, nobody rejoices
If there's one benefit to living in the technological backwater that is Europe, it's that "innovations" like iAds take a little longer to filter though -- but filter through they eventually do, as evidenced by Apple's announcement that its mobile advertising platform is hitting the Old World this December. French and British iOS users will get to enjoy being pestered by L'Oreal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier, and Unilever next month, while their German counterparts will have their lives enriched in January. This follows on the heels of news that iAds is headed to Japan in early 2011 as well, covering the biggest developed markets with glorious promotional material. Advertisers don't seem to be shying away from the platform, either, as Apple boasts it has signed up half of the top 25 US ad buyers (as judged by Ad Age). Full press release follows after the break.
iAd will launch in Europe this week
Shortly after the Japan iAd deal was sealed, Apple is rumored to be ready to launch iAd in Europe this week. The Financial Times reports that a number of very big brands are already on board, and that Apple will make the announcement later this week. L'Oréal, Renault and Nestlé are reportedly among the early adopters. Apple has twice delayed the European roll out of iAd, the Financial Times suggests, because agencies are balking at the US$1 million minimum meant to attract top names. One anonymous advertiser said that many still see iAd as "experimental," and are hesitant as a result. "Clients don't really take [iAd] that seriously yet," he said. "It goes in the experimental category, along with most of the rest of mobile advertising." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal suggests the opposite; Apple's efforts have given an across-the-board boost to mobile advertising. Good luck to Apple and its partners in Europe.
iAds helping all mobile advertising take off?
The Wall Street Journal is reporting on an interesting effect of Apple's iAd platform -- it seems to be helping the competition. Just a few months after being announced, iAds began appearing in the U.S., and a global launch began earlier this month. Meanwhile, Apple and the Denstu Group signed a deal to bring iAds to Japan. All of this activity has garnered a lot of attention for the mobile advertising space in general, and several providers are seeing greater sales. "...ad executives say Apple's entry into the market is giving them a boost," the Journal reports. "That's because iAds has gotten big marketers to pay attention to mobile advertising in the first place." Of course, the only evidence of a correlation is anecdotal. It's quite likely that Apple's high-profile entry into the space has generated interest, but we haven't seen empirical data to support that theory. Still, Apple does bring a bit of cachet and sexy to mobile marketing. The true test will be to see who's still standing in 5 years. [Via AppleInsider]
Dentsu Group and Apple bring iAd to Japan
Apple has inked a deal with the Dentsu Group that will bring iAd to Japan. Dentsu subsidiary cyber communications, inc. (cci) will take over the selling and "creative execution" of iAds in Japan, with a premiere date set for "early 2011." Under this arrangement, Apple will be limited to hosting and delivery. That's a huge change, as Apple has maintained tight control on U.S. iAd spots, occasionally to the peril of some huge deals. It was only recently that iAds began to roll out globally. Meahwhile, Apple has begun building a new office space for iAd team members in New York City. Congratulations and good luck to both Apple and Dentsu Group.
iAds begin to roll out globally
Hot on the heels of today news that Apple is building a New York City office for the iAd team, MacRumors is reporting that Apple has begun to deploy iAds on a global scale. Previously, iAds were limited to the North America and the United Kingdom, but now iAd impressions are appearing from other countries as well. MacRumors notes that of course this is only a good thing for developers who use iAds, as their ad revenue will grow from increased global impressions.
Apple is building a NYC office for the iAd team
Business Insider is reporting that Apple has begun construction on a New York City-based office for members of the iAd team. Referring to information attained from "multiple sources," Dan Frommer says that the building will be in Manhattan near Union Square. The new digs will be a step up from the team's current location in SoHo, where they're using a former Quattro Wireless building that was never meant to hold "more than 30 people." Since Apple is building this space, we can only assume it will be one darn good-looking office. [Via MacDailyNews]
Report: Apple may have paid over $1M in iAd trademark settlement
This is interesting -- a consultant for Apple on the recent "iAd" trademark settlement accidentally disclosed some information about how much the payout was, and apparently it wasn't cheap. Consor says that it helped Innovate Media (the firm which has used the iAd trademark since 2006) pick up "a 7-figure settlement from Apple Computer [sic] in a trademark infringement case." That's probably over a million dollars, which actually sounds low, considering how solid a grip Innovate Media actually had on the mark. But when Apple comes calling, so does the big Apple wallet. What's interesting about this is that we've seen Apple "ignore" trademarks a few times before, only to pay out with what we'd presume is a large settlement. But we've never actually heard any numbers on this, so Consor's little release shows that Apple has been writing some pretty substantial checks each time the name issue comes around. Then again, with $51 billion in the bank Apple can afford to not be so picky when it comes to the trademarks on names they don't own.
Apple taking mobile ad share from Google, Yahoo, should have 21% by year end
Apple's iAd service is a relative newcomer to the mobile ads industry, which is probably why it's completely falling apart. No, sorry Carol, we're kidding -- Apple's service is doing extremely well, and it's already threatening established mobile advertising services like Google and Yahoo!. IDC claims that Apple will end the year with 21 percent of the market, which means that in less than a year's time, the company will have picked up almost a quarter of a rapidly growing and expanding industry. Google's share is dropping, and that's in addition to the AdMob purchase it made a while back as well. That is a phenomenal start for the iAd platform. And in fact, IDC is convinced that Apple's gigantic entry into the ads market has actually buoyed all ships -- even smaller advertisers like JumpTap and Millenial Media are growing, and even they cite Apple's entry into the industry as a marker for their popularity. Other cellphone and mobile platform creators are looking into their own advertising as well now, when before they would have just depended on a third-party service to run things for them. And yet despite the incredible growth, Steve Jobs is probably disappointed -- he said earlier this year that he wanted Apple to oversee half of all mobile advertising by the time 2011 started. That's unlikely to happen, but still, a quarter of a market that Apple entered less than a year ago is nothing to sniff at.
iAd economics may not pay off for app sales
Apple is quick to advertise their new iAd platform for iOS devices as a way for App Store developers to get more exposure for their apps. In theory, it's a great way to set your app apart in a market saturated with more than 250,000 apps. In practice, the numbers tell a different story. David Smith, the founder and owner Cross Forward Consulting reported that the results of a recent ad campaign that they ran for their most popular app, Audiobooks Premium, were underwhelming and economically unsustainable. Cross Forward Consulting spent a total of $1251.75 ($0.25 cost per click) on iAds over the course of six days that displayed 2,052,929 ads, generated 5,007 clicks (a clickthrough rate of 0.24%) and a grand total of 84 in-ad sales. The cost per acquisition comes out to a staggering nearly $15; in other words, for a $0.99 app they paid around $14 for every sale.
