Apple And Google To Launch New Advertising Strategies In The UK

Apple and Google are battling it out with their new respective methods of advertising to be launched in the UK. Apple’s iAds, which will place advertisements directly in its iPhone and iPad apps will likely debut in the UK this September. Google will launch it’s “mobile first” approach alongside.

Steve Jobs revealed and demonstrated Apple’s iAds before a large group of Apple developers in San Francisco in June. In the eight weeks leading up to Jobs’ demonstration, Apple sold around $60 million worth of iAds. Companies such as Unilever and Disney were among the buyers.

Google continues to emphasize lead generation as opposed to branding.

Director of mobile ad sales for Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa divisions described a situation in which a user was reviewing a book review on a mobile device in a café. He said, “The accompanying ad will understand its context. It will know what book is being discussed in that review.” He also said, “You’ve also got GPS in most smartphones now, so your handset can tell you that this books is £5.99 in a shop 100 yards away, and £4.99 in a shop a mile away.”

Whichever giant leads in advertising, one thing is certain: they both need to produce free and inexpensive content that will engage users, and in turn, attract advertisers.