Apps, Mobile & SMS

Apple’s iAds VIP Shares Your iTunes Purchase Data With Other Marketers

When Apple announced its new iAds mobile advertising network for the iPhone and iPad ,Steve Jobs promised features that “cannot be duplicated" by any competitor. It turns out that  one of those unique features is your iTunes purchase data.  image from tctechcrunch.files.wordpress.com

An emailed sales pitch from a sales rep from Quattro (a mobile ad network recently purchased by Apple) obtained by TechCrunch refers to a "new program launching this month called ViP (Verification of iTunes Purchase)". The programs ties iPhone and iPad ads in apps directly to your purchasing data from iTunes where than can learn, among other things, the conversion rate of ad impressions to downloads via a “proprietary direct link from the ad to App Store”.

Using personal data to refine how ads are delivered is not new, and right now iAds VIP is designed to help developers sell more apps. But any ad program that offers "a proprietary direct link" direct to your iTune's purchase data has huge implications for both fans and music marketers.

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3 Comments

  1. I’ve no problem with the privacy aspect (you can see every song I listen to on last.fm/paulmwatson after all) but what I do have a problem with is the lack of value to the consumer. A personalised ad is not enough return for my personal data. I want a discount. I want lower costs. And I want to opt-in, choose which ad partners can use m personal data to improve their ads and products.
    Sadly I think I signed all rights to that away when I agreed to iTunes’ T&C.

  2. I think this mainly just has to do with app purchase conversion data, not mining iTunes purchase behavior or history.

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