Wall Street Journal:
Early this month, mobile ad exchange TapSense announced a product it said will allow marketers to place ads in applications created for the Apple Watch by third-party developers. The technology is still being tested, the company said, but it plans to develop new ad formats specific to the wearable device, and to target those ads based on detailed location information.
“We are working in beta with both app developers and brands but have nothing to publicly announce right now,” said TapSense CEO Ash Kumar, in reference to which companies it’s currently working with. “Reception for this has been incredible and we can’t wait to see how location-based services add value to consumers’ in-app experiences.”
From the TapSense press release:
The TapSense SDK leverages new interactive interfaces supported by Apple WatchKit such as watch faces, glances & full-screen experiences while getting rid of banner ads.
And:
Being worn on the wrist, an Apple Watch is more accessible and can leverage the GPS on an iPhone. This makes it an ideal device to deliver contextual and hyper-local offers such as a retail store coupon.
And:
As Apple Watch has full integration with Apple Pay, the hyper-local coupons delivered through the TapSense platform can be redeemed by the consumer right from the convenience of their wrist. As this reduces friction for the consumer, we believe this will have huge impact on brand lift and engagement. Also, marketers would be able to link their marketing spend accurately with offline purchases, which has been a difficult problem to solve until now.
First things first, this whole concept makes me shudder.
That aside, this all seems incredibly speculative to me. If Apple were to allow advertising on the Apple Watch, why would they give up control to an outside agency?
The first time I’m annoyed by an ad on an app, it’ll be deleted instantly, AND I’ll take the time to write a 1 star review. I don’t think this is the experience Apple wants for its customers.
This is worse than speculative … it’s pure “shot in the dark” bullshit. IF (and that is a big if) ads ever appear on the Watch, it will be under the control of Apple’s own iAd framework, and IF that ever happens it will be opt-in, period.
More laughable here is the bill of goods these idiots are selling to potential customers via this supposed ability “to link their marketing spend accurately with offline purchases”. Since the Apple Pay component of the device is segregated from all other functions, and the retailer gets zero personal information on the purchase – the whole reason that Apple Pay is awesome and why the MCX cabal hates it – that is obvious hot air to anyone who knows enough to put 2 and 2 together and make a number that somewhat approximates 4.
Lame. Just lame. The only think that will be lamer is when these idiots launch a court action against Apple for “restriction of trade” when their goofball moneygrab scheme gets nipped in the bud.
Seriously. Looking forward to hearing them recite the Rob Glaser Lament.
These companies didn’t waste much time (ugh -barely a thought to the other ‘smart-watch’ makers). The watches have been out for 2 years and NOW they’re thinking of showing adverts in the faces -of attracting Apple wearers.
Chance I would use such an app knowingly? Zero.
Unknowingly? Exactly what trex67 said.
Delete and 1-star review.
(Now, if they said it did watch ads up front? I’d just never install it in the first place, but fair game for saying so.)
Un-god-damn-acceptable.
Opt-in is fine with me. I already use several apps on my iPhone that bring up store cards or deals when I am in the proximity of the store (Apple Store, Walgreen’s,and Office Depot, are the main ones). It’s very handy, and if I happen to be going into the store it makes it easy to know what’s on sale (or at least what the store is pushing 🙂 ).
The key here is that I knew the apps could do that, I installed them, and I turned on the feature in the app.Anything that comes as opt-out or doesn’t make it clear up front what it is doing will be viewed suspiciously by me, and likely deleted and a complaint registered. Just be up front, and I’m probably going to allow it I judge it to enhance my shopping (mainly make it faster so I can get the hell out — I hate all you people milling around in my way. 😉 )
If I was running e.g., a “Safeway Shopping” app into which I’d put my shopping list, I might find it VERY helpful to know “yogurt: down this aisle on the left.” I might like to know they’re carrying a new brand at a promo price, too.
Anyway, it’d be my choice to run the damn app, possible ads or not. Presumably, they’d offer a middle choice of “use the list w/o promos.”
Curt Clifton’s discussion on Watch software architecture that was linked today puts an extra nail in this idiotic coffin, I hope.
http://www.loopinsight.com/2015/01/16/the-architecture-of-an-apple-watch-extension/
Too bad financial-press writers don’t pay much attention to developers.
The financial press is interested in only two things: One, click-bait. Two, doing favours for their analyst friends who get them to publish things that they wish would happen or will somehow manipulate stock they own. See this week’s “story” on the Blackberry-Samsung purchase for more details.