SYDNEY: Instagram has launched video advertising in Australia and announced “carousel ads” will soon appear on feeds in the United States.
Matt Jacobson said it was an important consideration when signing commercial arrangements.
Mr Jacobson, an early Facebook employee, who is in Australia on a flying visit to meet potential Australian clients, said advertisers were aware they risked alienating customers if their ads spoiled their online experience.
“We’re sensitive to that, but it is a risk for brands to do something that isn’t in sync with the platform,” Mr Jacobson said.
Despite the company announcing its “open for business”, Mr Jacobson said Instagram was being very careful about which brands it selects to partner with. If ads are too incongruous with a user’s personalised feed, it is feared that they will simply abandon the platform.
Qantas is Instagram’s flagship Australian partner, and it will roll out two 15 second video ads this week; an extension of its “feels like home” campaign.
Qantas spokeswoman Olivia Wirth said clients were viewing Instagram as a good platform for boosting brand awareness.
Clients are not allowed to repurpose images they have used in other advertisements nor can they put their logo on the ad, unless it is done subtly.
Head of social media strategy agency Ntegrity, Richenda Vermeulen said the nature of Instagram as a photography driven network, meant the ads had to be more carefully introduced than those on other social networks.
“Instagram isn’t like Facebook where the ads can sit by the side. The ads are the interface, so it will be obtrusive if they have a carte blanche approach to advertising in the way Facebook does,” she said.
