Facebook is going to launch its mobile-ad network in the F8 Developer Conference to be held in San Francisco next week, according to a report in Re/code. The testing had started earlier this year in January as announced by Facebook through their blog post:
The mobile ad network will let the marketers use Facebook’s vast user database to target users outside of Facebook. The ads would help the marketers, brands and others place ads on apps and games, targeting those users who have revealed their true identities to Facebook.
Facebook chose to remain silent on the whole issue. That, however, didn’t stop the speculations. James Borow, CEO of Facebook Strategic Preferred Marketing Developer SHIFT, comments on the news via email to Inside Facebook: “A Facebook mobile ad network has the potential to change the landscape of digital advertising. Facebook’s ad targeting is precise and can be used cross device, meaning you can reach the exact people you want regardless if they are on their phone or on their laptop.”
Facebook lets a sneak peek into the user’s mind
According to a WSJ report, many ad-agencies are of the opinion that a Facebook network can be an advertiser-magnet due to its tracking capabilities even on mobile devices. "Everyone is desperate to shift budget to mobile because that's where users are, but most marketers can't because they have no way to measure it," points out Megan Pagliuca, General Manager of Display Media at marketing agency, Merkle. "If Facebook can figure that out, marketers will move more dollars." thinks Pagliuca.
Mobile-ad network: the new battle-field
Facebook’s competitors were long out with their own mobile-ad networks, namely the Google Admob Ads and Apple’s iAd. Even archrival Twitter had acquired mobile-ad network MoPub last year.
"They realize mobile is where the whole next generation is," observed Jeffrey Revoy, Chief Executive of ViralHeat and the former Vice President of search at Yahoo Inc; hence the ongoing war among the technology bigwigs. However, it’s a different story with Facebook. WSJ reporters, Reed Albergotti and Jack Marshall consider the social media giant to be better-positioned since “its more than one billion users tell Facebook so much about themselves.”
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