Instagram advertising goes global with new TV-style formats

Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform rolls out ad service to 38 markets and adds new formats including landscape-shaped photo and video

Instagram is to hugely expand its advertising capability from eight to 38 markets, and has unveiled a new TV-style 30-second video ad format.

The Facebook-owned photo-sharing service has unveiled a major expansion of its ad operation, to countries including Italy, Spain, Mexico, India and South Korea, with the global rollout complete by the end of this month.

Instagram also launched new advertising formats including landscape-shaped photo and video to give ads a “more cinematic feel”.

Advertisers will now also be able to opt for a 30-second length video, the standard length used in TV broadcasting, an increase on the previous limit of 15-seconds.

It is also introducing a premium ad format, Marquee, which will allow brands to run campaigns with high-profile slots and large scale reach.

“Perfect for events like movie premieres and new product launches,” the company said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

Instagram has also opened up advertising across the site to all brands, having previously only worked with a select group of partners.

“People come to Instagram for visual inspiration, and advertising has the power to touch, inspire and move people,” said James Quarles, global head of business and brand development at Instagram.

Instagram started offering ads in the US in 2013 and expanded into the UK with companies including Waitrose and Channel 4 last September.

In June, the company said that it was planning a major expansion of its advertising products.

Instagram’s worldwide ad revenue is estimated to be $600m this year, according to eMarketer. …

… read on at theguardian.com

Originally posted by Mark Sweney at the Guardian
9th September 2015