Michelle's E-Marketing Blog

The recent release of the iPad2, less than a year after the release of the original iPad, got me thinking about a couple things. 1) I still don’t understand the iPad. I mean, I get that it’s pretty but why would a person want a large version of an iPhone that can’t make phone calls or a smaller computer that is less functional and has a touch screen keyboard that takes up half the screen. (However, if I wasn’t a “starving student” where spending $500+ on an iPad meant I didn’t eat for months perhaps my view on the matter would change). 2) What does this mean in the world of marketing?
I’ll focus on the latter for now.

A Nielsen survey found that “iPad users were more likely than users of iPhones and other connected devices to click on ads of various types, including video, text, multimedia and interactive”.

Additionally, the iPad presents marketers with the opportunity to take advantage of its features —like video, 360-degree views, striking photos and interactivity— when creating ads. And apparently the flashier the ad, the better. Video makes use of the large, sharp screen and allows users to be more involved than with a regular “static” ad. Ultimately it’s the increased potential for  interactivity where advertising on iPads dominates.

Although iPads are admittedly not as widespread as iPhones and other smart phones, iPad apps may be the way of advertising future. Maybe one day iPads will be as commonplace as the iPod and with that in mind firms should consider whether developing an interactive app might be their next step.

As a side note, the cover Apple developed for the iPad2 is pretty sweet.