ChasNote

In the inaugural post at his eponymous blog, my colleague Bob Buch suggests Apple’s vertically-integrated approach to business and not-integrated-enough approach to mobile advertising may limit its initial success.

“After launching DiggAds, I’ve become convinced that the future of advertising will be to integrate ads into the user experience of the site. This doesn’t mean just sticking them in the middle of the page, it means including the functionality of the site within the ad itself — essentially, transforming ads into content. Examples of this include DiggAds, Facebook’s social ads, Twitter’s new Promoted Tweets product, and of course, Google AdWords. I was disappointed that Apple did not follow this model.”

Amen.

Check out the full post.

More thoughts on the battle between Apple and Google for mobile advertising dominance.

Toward the end of Ben Parr’s post at Mashable on the nascent mobile-advertising battle between Apple (who recently acquired Quattro) and Google (who recently acquired AdMob) he says “Google’s greatest advantage against Apple is that it has more relationships and experience with web-based advertising, and it already has the technology to back it up.” But, then again:

“If tomorrow Apple launched an ad platform for iPhone and Google launched a comparable one for Android, Apple would win simply because it has a larger base of iPhone and iPad users to advertise against, making it more enticing to developers and advertisers alike. That advantage cannot be understated.”

Maybe.

But it’s not just about ad-sales experience or smartphone market share. It’s also going to come down to corporate DNA, and who’s wiring is better suited to capturing the types of ad dollars being spent in mobile. If mobile advertising is driven by targeting for local advertisers and retailers offering coupons — the transactional, direct-response arena that it dominates — Google will win big. If national and global marketers put their wallets behind building brands and stimulating (rather than harvesting) demand on mobile devices, I’m putting my money on Apple.

Earlier this week Digg launched its iPhone app. Chris Howard shares more of the details (including a chance to win an iPad) at the Digg blog.

Look out, Simon and Spearfishing 3D, the Digg app has entered this week’s Top 10 downloaded apps!

Back in November, the NY Times reported that Apple filed a patent for un-skip-able ads for iPhones and iPods. Speculation at the time by ChasNote reader RolfSF:

“methinks this is geared more toward some of the ad-supported software models, perhaps giving some ‘free’ iphone apps a means to be free for a price.”

RolfSF was listening in on Apple’s earnings call earlier today and heard something that confirms his speculation: Peter Oppenheimer said the company had acquired Quattro to “offer developers a seamless way to make more money” in their apps, particularly free apps.

You have to wonder if Apple plans to staff an ad sales team.

The people behind the curtain at iTunes are out with their “Best of 2007″ lists. Two of my favorites (and FM partners) made the cut — Boing Boing TV in the “New This Year: Video” category, and Ask A Ninja in the “Classics: Video” category.

From TechCrunch:

“See the list of TV networks featured on iTunes at right? NBC used to be right after National Geographic. Its absence leaves a very noticeable hole, and is a marked reminder of how Apple is not able to dominate digital video to the same extent that it has digital music.”