Pricing is one problem currently being faced. Many advertisers have been arguing for a cheaper price than it is to advertise in print, the article says, and should be so as it is cheaper for ads to be electronic than it is to print them (states Steve Sturm, now former VP of Toyota Motors North America). At the moment though, prices are higher than print. No one knows how well the iPad will actually sell, despite all the hype towards it. Nothing is certain, so for now advertisers are being charged flat rates until buying and viewing patterns emerge. Advertisers are, of course, show concerns toward these high prices as no one knows how much their ads will really benefit; certainly not as much as they do when advertised during Dancing With the Stars, Clifford asserts.
Technology has been pointed out as another concern. Because the iPad doesn't handle Flash, a program used by many for moving ads, both Apple (creator of the iPad) and the ad-designers are having to work harder to get around that. It is also uncertain of how an ad will look, format-wise, on the iPad, and whether or not it will even appeal to the iPad users.
With so many uncertainties and issues, I ask you, is it worth it for advertisers to venture into the world of the iPad at all? It seems to me that television, both broadcast and cable, are at least more stable than that. With the costs of really everything fluctuating as it is, I believe companies wanting to advertise should stick with the medium most consumed by potential buyers at once (so maybe they should take another look at Dancing With the Stars, for instance). Use the money they would be paying for the iPad advertising for more ads on TV, and not only would they get more for their money but also have the continued assurance of enough viewers to make it worthwhile. It would also support television programming, as advertising is their main source of revenue. In this uncertain economic time, should advertisers really be focusing so much on new, potentially risky adventures? There seem to be so many questions and concerns regarding advertising on the iPad- is it worth it?
-sheila.
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