Amazon and Video Advertising
March 22, 2019
DarkCyber monitors Amazon for policeware, not advertising. But the article “Amazon to Launch Mobile Ads, in a Threat to Google and Facebook” adds a bit of color to the otherwise drab Bezos bulldozer. Google and Facebook sell ads, but each is facing pushback from governments and users. Both firms may be dulling the edge of their targeting scalpels in order to appease antagonistic factions.
What does Amazon do? If the information in the Bloomberg (we don’t need sources for some articles about fiddled hardware) write up is accurate, Amazon:
has hit on a new way to grab a chunk of the $129 billion digital advertising market now dominated by Google and Facebook Inc.: sell video spots on the e-commerce giant’s smartphone shopping app.
Yep, video ads. The ground zero for demographics with short attention spans and a desire to squint at tiny screens.
The write up asserts:
For years, Amazon refrained from selling advertising space on its site for fear of disrupting the shopping experience. Instead it used price, product descriptions and consumer reviews to determine which products were most prominent on the page. The site is increasingly a pay-to-play platform, with the top of the page dedicated to the highest bidder, a shift that has helped boost Amazon’s profits.
How will the search and social media giants respond?
If recent actions are any indication, not in an effective manner. The Bezos bulldozer chugs forward in a measured, now predictable manner.
Stephen E Arnold, March 22, 2019
Comments
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
