Over the past few years, Facebook has turned Messenger into a really popular app. Sure, it did that mostly by turning off Facebook messaging capabilities for mobile users and thereby forcing them to install Messenger, but the fact remains: Facebook Messenger is now home to more than 1 billion users. That's a massive userbase to be sure, but Facebook has had issues monetizing the platform.
It's not really a secret that Google built its massive wealth on advertising, but the measures it takes to deliver relevant ads to users haven't always gone over well. One particular data collection method that Google has used involves Gmail - up until now, Google has scanned user Gmail accounts to help it build profiles on those users. Those profiles, in turn, allow Google to deliver relevant ads that are more likely to draw in clicks.
It's not often that mentions of Burger King appear on websites dedicated to technology and gadgetry, but Burger King has forced its way in nonetheless. A new ad from Burger King is causing quite the stir and a lot of discussion today, which is pretty impressive considering it's only 15 seconds in length.
Trouble seems to be piling up at Google Home land. Although rising in popularity and usefulness, Google’s smart home hub and speaker is also rising in notoriety. First was the admittedly comical and fortunately harmless incident with its Super Bowl ad triggering speakers everywhere. Then there was the rather embarrassing fake news issue. This time, it’s ads. Users have reported, and recorded, Google Home blurting out an add for the opening of the live action Beauty and the Beast film. Google insists, however, that it was just an honest mistake and not the start of ads on Google Home.
Tesla's rise in popularity is an especially impressive one considering how the company doesn't rely on traditional advertising methods such as TV commercials. Instead, they manage to get by almost solely on things like PR announcements and word-of-mouth from dedicated fans. It's that dedication, however, that's led to an interesting contest from the company, where it is now accepting fan-made ads for "Project Loveday."
As the rumors foretold, Facebook is getting ready to launch mid-roll video ads. Though we heard last month that it was considering letting publishers play ads during on demand videos, this roll out includes Live videos as well. In other words, there's no escape from the Facebook ad invasion.
If those 30-second unskippable ads on YouTube have you down, then good news: they won't be around for much longer. In an announcement today, Google said that it will stop showing unskippable 30-second ads before YouTube videos beginning next year. That's a move which is likely to be welcomed by many YouTube users.
If you happen to live in a section of the US where Comcast has set up shop, you've likely heard commercials where the company says it offers the "fastest internet in America" or the "fastest in-home Wifi." As it turns out, those claims may not be entirely truthful, according the National Advertising Review Board, an advertising watchdog that's part of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
If you needed anymore proof that the marketing machine for the Nintendo Switch is primed and ready to go, look no further: Nintendo has announced that it will run a Switch ad during the Super Bowl. This is pretty big news, because not only does it put the Switch in front of the millions of viewers who will be watching the game, but this is the first time Nintendo has ever run a Super Bowl ad.
Nintendo's German arm has produced a second Switch commercial, barely a week after showing us the first. While the first Switch commercial centered around The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this new one features Mario Kart 8 Deluxe heavily. More specifically, it shows off all the different locations you'll be able to play Mario Kart 8, and one of them features a toilet.
You'll still be hard-pressed to find Apple's new AirPods in stores anywhere, ever after the holidays, but Cupertino has taken to rolling out a new series of television commercials for the wireless headphones, highlighting and promoting their key features. The ads, which began appearing on TV this weekend, feature the dancer Lil Buck using the AirPods as he walks down the street, making use of Siri and pairing them with an iPhone 7.
Instagram's Stories feature is still relatively new, but parent company Facebook is wasting no time in monetizing it. Today Instagram announced that full screen video ads will soon play within Stories, and it starts with partnerships with around 30 different businesses. From there, it seems safe to assume that Instagram will expand Stories ads quickly, letting more and more companies run ads.
