Instagram is adding 30-second video ads and other features in a push to give businesses more ways to tap potential customers through the Facebook photo sharing app.
The company said in a blog post that large and small advertisers will be able to run campaigns on Instagram starting this month, and ads are now available in more than 30 new countries, including India, South Korea and Mexico.
Aside from video ads, businesses also will be able to use landscape-style photos and a product called Marquee that aims to quickly expand a company's reach in a short time frame for things like movie premieres and product launches.
It said businesses have been testing the app's new tools over the summer, and Instagram is seeing "significant" demand in areas like e-commerce, travel and entertainment.
Instagram is already an established marketing tool for small businesses like restaurants, bakeries and hair salons that sell items that photograph well.
The app was founded in 2010 and bought by Facebook two years later.
Its expansion comes as Instagram parent Facebook focuses more on drawing advertising revenue from where its users are, on smartphones and other hand-held devices. The world's largest online social network drew 76 percent of its total advertising revenue in the second quarter from mobile advertising, up from 62 percent a year earlier.
Shares of Menlo Park, California-based Facebook Inc. rose $1.12 to $90.65 about 30 minutes before markets opened Wednesday. The stock had advanced 15 percent so far this year, as of Tuesday's closing, setting several all-time high prices along the way. The latest came July 21, when the stock reached $99.24.
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More