Apple testing Google DoubleClick ad serving in News app, report says
A report this week claims Apple is allowing select publishers to insert ads from Google's DoubleClick For Publishers into News app pages, an unexpected strategy shift that could lead to better monetization options for the iOS content aggregator.
Citing sources within the advertising industry, AdAge reports the trial program is limited to a handful of publishers. The names of those publishers went unmentioned, but a number of big-name media companies like Cond Nast, Gannett, Time Inc. and CNN have been talking to Apple about potential changes regarding how the News app serves up ads, the publication says.
While not a definitive shift away from Apple's established ad selling apparatus, inviting Google onto the News platform is an unexpected move. Apple has long touted its efforts to protect customers from potentially invasive services like DoubleClick, which harvests user information to deliver highly targeted ads. That said, many publishers already integrate Google's service into their campaigns.
"Apple is just starting to do more for monetization," said one publishing partner. "We're starting to get excited about it, but can only design and develop ad inventory for Apple News once we have the right pipes in place."
As it stands, News is a growing platform that attracts nearly 50 million monthly visitors in the U.S. every month, according to ComScore. The issue, however, is that Apple's ad setup prohibits publishers from taking full advantage of increased traffic.
Currently, Apple implements a hybrid ad inventory system in which publishers can sell their own ad space within News pages or rely on a deal with NBC Universal to fill those spots for them. According to AdAge, many publishers say the setup is not lucrative.
Further complicating matters, for publishers at least, is Apple's strict user data safeguards. Without broad access to technologies like cookies, publishers and ad services lack the information they need to deliver targeted content, which fetch higher prices than general ads. Citing one publishing partner, the report says Apple's data constraints cuts the price of ad inventory by at least half.
Apple's staunch belief in consumer protection caused a kerfuffle last month when ad industry organizations penned an open letter in complaint of a new Safari web browser feature called Intelligent Tracking Prevention. The intelligent cookie blocking technology, which rolled out to end users in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, uses machine learning algorithms to reduce invasive cross-site ad vendor tracking, thus preventing users from being tracked without their knowledge.
The inclusion of DoubleClick is not expected to fundamentally change Apple's approach to user data, as the service will be pursuant to the company's Advertising Platforms technology. Sources also said future integration with DoubleClick will not encroach on NBCU's agreement with Apple, which currently accounts for about half of all ad inventory sold in the News app.
Whether Apple plans to expand the program is unknown, but publishers told AdAge there was hope DoubleClick would be offered to everyone by the end of the year.
Citing sources within the advertising industry, AdAge reports the trial program is limited to a handful of publishers. The names of those publishers went unmentioned, but a number of big-name media companies like Cond Nast, Gannett, Time Inc. and CNN have been talking to Apple about potential changes regarding how the News app serves up ads, the publication says.
While not a definitive shift away from Apple's established ad selling apparatus, inviting Google onto the News platform is an unexpected move. Apple has long touted its efforts to protect customers from potentially invasive services like DoubleClick, which harvests user information to deliver highly targeted ads. That said, many publishers already integrate Google's service into their campaigns.
"Apple is just starting to do more for monetization," said one publishing partner. "We're starting to get excited about it, but can only design and develop ad inventory for Apple News once we have the right pipes in place."
As it stands, News is a growing platform that attracts nearly 50 million monthly visitors in the U.S. every month, according to ComScore. The issue, however, is that Apple's ad setup prohibits publishers from taking full advantage of increased traffic.
Currently, Apple implements a hybrid ad inventory system in which publishers can sell their own ad space within News pages or rely on a deal with NBC Universal to fill those spots for them. According to AdAge, many publishers say the setup is not lucrative.
Further complicating matters, for publishers at least, is Apple's strict user data safeguards. Without broad access to technologies like cookies, publishers and ad services lack the information they need to deliver targeted content, which fetch higher prices than general ads. Citing one publishing partner, the report says Apple's data constraints cuts the price of ad inventory by at least half.
Apple's staunch belief in consumer protection caused a kerfuffle last month when ad industry organizations penned an open letter in complaint of a new Safari web browser feature called Intelligent Tracking Prevention. The intelligent cookie blocking technology, which rolled out to end users in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, uses machine learning algorithms to reduce invasive cross-site ad vendor tracking, thus preventing users from being tracked without their knowledge.
The inclusion of DoubleClick is not expected to fundamentally change Apple's approach to user data, as the service will be pursuant to the company's Advertising Platforms technology. Sources also said future integration with DoubleClick will not encroach on NBCU's agreement with Apple, which currently accounts for about half of all ad inventory sold in the News app.
Whether Apple plans to expand the program is unknown, but publishers told AdAge there was hope DoubleClick would be offered to everyone by the end of the year.
Comments
I hate all forms of advertising where money changes hands. I skip all TV ads.
This is IMHO, a dumb move.
if Apple was concerned with the well being of publishers trying to make a crust it would not have an aggregator news app in the first place and would expect users to directly use the publishers' websites. It created the news app to improve the user experience as it feels it should be. I don't think it does, but others may.
Nope, they are still evil for AI bloggers (not necessarily for Apple), like Samsung is Shamesung/Android is knockoff forever.
Nothing is going to fix the fetid mess that is mainstream news. Let it die a slow death.
Why can't you do so the same way you remove your data from Apple and confirm they did so?
I do know that Google offers ways to modify, delete, opt-out, pause or restart services that might be reliant in part on "your data".
http://www.androidauthority.com/delete-google-history-692726/
In the meantime do you have any idea how to see what data Apple has connected to you, and how to go about modifying or deleting any of it?
Apple does not have ad generated revenue, since they do not sell their customers to advertisers.
In other words, Apple have no business model that would require that.
Also, as you might remember, Google did not raised problems with FBI sending them request to hand out customer data. Apple did.
Google was just recently threatened with criminal charges (yeah not the typical civil ones) by government agencies for continuing not to cooperate with FBI and other investigative/law enforcement demands for user data, so that part of your post is bunk.
Second part is bunk too as Apple does use "your" data for ad purposes, minimally within the App Store. So while not up to Google levels they do collect user data and monetize it in some limited ways. Anyway, not pertinent to this article to begin with so discussion of this belongs in a different thread if you'd like to pursue it further.
You have often taken an opposing argument toward Apple fans and have tried to remain reasonable so your posts are usually fine despite the obvious delight you get in trying to correct others. However, you’ve really gone overboard trying to argue that Apple’s interest in user data is in any way remotely similar or comparable to Google’s. It is laughable to argue, and you know it. So it sounds like you’re contradicting just for the sake of contradicting.
Read this first and then try repeating Apple does not use any of "your" personal information or data for monetizing you as an Apple customer. I believe you would typically phrase it as selling you, or "you are the product"
https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT205223 and revised less than a month ago for detailed legal disclosure expanding on points made in the new reader-friendly, Apple-promoted and blog-reported "Privacy Page".
Apple’s advertising platform creates groups of people, called segments, who share similar characteristics and uses these groups for delivering targeted ads. Information about you is used to determine which segments you are assigned to, and thus, which ads you receive. To protect your privacy, your information is used to place you into segments of at least 5,000 people.
In Apple News, the topics and publications you follow, and the publications you enable to send you notifications, are used to assign you to segments. No segments are created from search terms in the App Store.
In both Apple News and the App Store, the following information may also be used to assign you to segments.
The OP claimed they did not do this, period, and therefor was reason that no one needs to know what Apple has for user data (ignoring that there are other reasons for transparency), and then you try to repeat the same falsehood that they don't do what they clearly admit they do. I can almost guarantee that not one single Apple user commenting here even bothered to look into it, you almost certainly, before diving into a diatribe over it.
So to repeat for the third time, No Apple is not nearly as interested or invested as Google in targeted ad revenue. not even close, but to say they have NO interest is bunk plain and simple. (They even do so in much the same way and with many of the same use restrictions on user data as Google does with their ad platform).
So it is exactly as I originally framed it and have continued to do so if you go back and look, not that I would expect you to since then you wouldn't have anything to argue with.
It doesn't make Apple bad or evil. But don't ascribe meaning to a phrase used in marketing efforts to then make assumptions of fact without doing a bit of background. It really is OK to peek behind the curtain once in awhile.
Several posts back I suggested this is creating a distraction from the topic and if you and others wish to continue the discussion of Apple and ads and Google and whatever then start a new thread and I'll join in if I have anything further to add. Heck for simplicity just take it to the very recent AI article discussion about Google DoubleClick and Apple news. At least that one is related and won't require any more time or effort than commenting in this one.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/10/03/apple-testing-google-doubleclick-ad-serving-in-news-app-report-says
I've given you enough information to make your own judgement and continuing, especially if the current small group of members commenting really have no interest in knowing facts in the first place, serves no further purpose.