Apple Maps gets ads: Initially on iPhone and iPad
Apple's Maps app currently only shows organic and editorial content. This will change soon. The rollout will happen in stages.
Here clearly visible: You will hardly be able to escape Apple Maps advertising in the future.
(Image: Apple)
It had already been hinted at: Apple will in future equip its previously ad-free Apple Maps app with paid advertising. The company confirmed corresponding reports as part of the English-language press release announcing the new Apple Business service. The offering called "Ads on Apple Maps" is expected to be available from summer and will initially allow companies in the US and Canada to place "local ads in Maps" that will be visible during search and "discovery" processes. The latter likely refers to clicking on individual locations.
Advertising gets a lot of space
Apparently, the plan is to initially deliver ads only on iPhone and iPad, as Macrumors writes. Later, the Maps app for macOS and Apple's web-based Maps portal, which is still in beta, are likely to follow. On the screenshots presented by Apple so far (see above), the advertising is surprisingly prominent. During a search, there is an organic suggestion and an advertising result placed above it (however, the keyboard is displayed). During a "discovery" process, an advertisement with photos takes up the entire lower third of the Maps app.
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Apple's Maps app, which initially couldn't compete with Google Maps, has been improved more and more in recent years and is considered very reliable today. The use of public transport also works well with it – including real-time data in Germany and elsewhere. Apple Maps is also popular because of the lack of advertising, which can sometimes become excessive in Google Maps. It will be interesting to see how users react to the advertising initiative.
Best position will be auctioned
Apple's plans for Maps are reminiscent of advertising in the App Store. Here too, there were initially only organic search results and editorial tips. Meanwhile, advertising is more prominent than both unpaid result types. A similar trend is now emerging for Apple Maps. With advertising, Apple wants to further expand its services business, which already exceeds 100 billion US dollars per year, and is reportedly planning up to double-digit billions in revenue from advertising. The streaming service Apple TV is currently still ad-free.
As is increasingly common with advertising on the web and in apps, Apple will likely rely on an auction system for the best advertising spots. The company emphasizes on its new Maps advertising portal for advertisers that Apple Maps will continue to focus on privacy. For example, advertisers will not receive movement data.
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