Nucleus - Marketing and Design Newsletter
Where does your brand fit in the new advertising puzzle?
With all the buzz generated by Apple's recent launch of the iPad2 – sellouts nationwide, expected unit sales of 1 million in its first weekend on the market – marketers across the country are wondering how the popular device can be used to reach more consumers in a meaningful way. You might be one of them.
We've all heard about the mega-successful AppStore, and more and more companies are creating their own branded Apps as a way to encourage consumer engagement or make business dealings faster and easier. What you may not have heard as much about is Apple's iAd advertising platform. App developers can opt-in to the service simply by clicking a checkbox allowing iAds to run in their apps. But what is an iAd? As Apple puts it, iAd allows marketers to "combine the storytelling power of TV with the interactivity of digital for something entirely new. You can now create ads that captivate your audience wherever they are, within their favorite apps." They're not kidding. Last month, in a study commissioned by Apple, Nielsen reported that a Campbell's iAd campaign was twice as effective as its television counterpart – quadrupling purchase intent and tripling message recall.
The iPad, with its large display and impressive speed, allows immersion and interactivity levels that weren't previously possible on the iPhone. Unilever's Dove is the first to tap iAd for iPad medium with the "Journey To Comfort" campaign for its men's portfolio, running during the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The ads are media-rich, integrating trivia and game schedules into video content that keeps the Dove Men + Care brand at top-of-mind.
We've mentioned that the ad game is changing. It's true. The massive success Apple has had with its new devices and its AppStore has unlocked new ways to reach consumers that hadn't yet been feasible. iAd and the iPad up the ante, providing marketers an outlet to engage consumers by keeping them entertained and eliminating some of the intrusion advertising can have in consumers' lives. Where does your brand fit in the new advertising puzzle?