Apple?s Reader View threatens marketers by hiding ads
Apple is taking smartphone content consumption into its own hands with a new tool, explained in the Tips app, that hides Web page ads and removes all other clutter for easier reading.
The iOS 8 feature mirrors mobile optimization by zooming in on body text on Web pages and eliminating headers, ads and any other objects that may cause distraction. While only certain pages support the feature, it is a game changer for marketers aiming to reach their customers with native ad content.
?Marketers could potentially be hurt by this, the same as when Netflix, Hulu, and other movie or show channels all but eliminated the commercials from viewers,? said Marci Troutman, CEO of SiteMinis, Atlanta. ?The advertising on TV, mobile, Internet, etc., will need to become more targeted to loyal customers with venues of delivery being emails, text, in-app promotions and specific targeted ads in the mobile Web in order to ensure eyeballs on a page."
Ms. Troutman is not affiliated with Apple but agreed to comment as an expert in mobile advertising.
Disappearing acts
Apple is promoting the new tool on its self-made Tips app.
It is currently the last tip available, listed as tip number 17, and explains how the tool can be accessed.
A text icon will now appear at the top left hand corner of Web pages, for those pages that support it. Once the icon is tapped, the Web page changes format completely. Ads, headers and sidebars are automatically hidden, and text is sized larger for mobile-friendly viewing.
When iPhone users visit a Web page that supports the tool, the text ?Reader View Available? appears momentarily in the URL box. The tool icon can be seen at the left hand side of the URL box.
On the New York Times mobile Web site, an article titled ?Israel Blocks Access to Contested Holy Site in Jerusalem? displays a Tommy Hilfiger ad when users click into the article. When Reader View is selected, the ad disappears.
The reasons why
The tool was put in place to make articles easier to read. Apple says ?tap [the icon] to see just the text and photos ? without ads or distractions.? Ever since the creation of the iPhone, Apple has ruled the tech space.
"The key to Apple's success is that it has always put the user experience first,? said Jen Gray, vice president of marketing and creative services at HelloWorld, Detroit. ?The opportunity for marketers is to look at how to engage on mobile with rich content and relevant experiences."
While ads play a huge role for news and other content providers, Apple?s new tool may be a game changer, eliminating marketers? spend on ads that can be virtually erased with the tap of an icon.
However, if consumers are venturing away from Web and towards apps, there may be less of a loss for marketers.
"Mobile Web is a small and shrinking share of digital use, so any effect on advertisers will be small and shrinking,? said Matt Rosenberg, senior vice president of marketing at 140 Proof, New York. ?Over 80 percent of mobile time is spent in apps, which is unaffected by changes to Safari."
Perhaps the implementation of this tool is a show of bitterness due to the lack of success from Apple?s iAds. However, content consumers that are trying to obtain content quickly are likely to habitually use this tool.
?This could be a game changer for advertising companies such as Admob, Groupon, and others since their use of banner ads is a key revenue driver,? Ms. Troutman said. ?Also marketers need to be careful of perceived forced advertising that could turn consumers off to a brand.
?Consumers don't appreciate anything forced on them and the initial reaction is to be irritated at a brand for doing so,? she said.
Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York