4 ms·

You would never expect to find Mercedes ads on BMW's website. Also everybody knows that u don't need to look for Windows advertisments on apple.com. So I think

by erikb 15y ago

You would never expect to find Mercedes ads on BMW's website. Also everybody knows that u don't need to look for Windows advertisments on apple.com. So I think it is also quite normal, that Facebook doesn't want to advertise G+ on their website.

pyre 15y ago
Those comparisons aren't quite the same. BMW and Apple don't sell generic ad space on their sites.
- Xlythe 15y ago
  No, but even sites that do sell generic ad space have ads they don't want shown (Porn, competitors, things that would reduce the brand name).
  - pyre 15y ago
    Things that you don't want and things that you'll allow are separate sets, not guaranteed to have full intersection.
    - Xlythe 15y ago
      Perhaps not, but after working for an advertising company the two overlap greatly.
scrrr 15y ago
Indeed. But on the other hand I don't think Google would disallow or block ads for Facebook. Their strategies differ. Google thrives with an open web, Facebook is a walled garden. But yeah, no scandal here.
- j79 15y ago
  Considering their primary source of revenue[1] is from advertising, I wouldn't think Google would disallow or block ads from Facebook (or anyone with a competing product, to be honest...) [1] AdWords - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdWords http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdWords
  - amitagrawal 15y ago
    I think Facebook's primary source of revenue is advertising too. Facebook is taking the stance what Microsoft took a few years ago - getting in the way of it's users and making choices on behalf of them. On the other hand by being open, Google has made a ton of money from it's competitors like Groupon which spends a big chunk advertising on Google. I don't know if Facebook has made an official comment on this but from here on I think things might get interesting.
  - muuh-gnu 15y ago
    Facebooks primary revenue source also is advertizing. And they generally do not seem opposed to other sites (competing with them for users) linking to them (they've littered half the net with their like buttons), only vice versa.
- rbarooah 15y ago
  What exactly is more 'open web' about Google+ than Facebook? It seems to be focussed on keeping you on Google properties - not linking different sites together. It seems to me that twitter are the ones supporting the open web now.
ignifero 15y ago
Amusingly, if you visit mercedes benz usa http://www.mbusa.com http://www.mbusa.com they have vic gundotra in the frontpage. Your hypothesis would be valid if facebook wasnt running an open ads platform. Would it be OK to ban the political ads they don't like either?
sek 15y ago
Microsoft does a lot of advertising on Google sites.
- tluyben2 15y ago
  Indeed; was coming here to say that. If you have the strong belief you are the best (and you should) then you don't care; it's income and the competitor is not as good as you anyway.
ugh 15y ago
I know quite a few newspapers that have no problem selling ad space to their competitors and have done just that. Your comparison to companies that don’t even sell ad space doesn’t make any sense. This is an astonishing display of cowardice on Facebook’s part (if it is indeed true).
- Helianthus 15y ago
  I think that hits the nail on the head. If Facebook were brazenly advertising Google+ as if they had no fear, I'd think that a proper bit of cheek. Of course, they're probably looking at actual click-through rates and realizing that's not worth it...
- nhebb 15y ago
  If I google "facebook games" I see a few AdWords listed. If a Google user clicks those ads, it's not like that will drive the user away from Google search. But if someone on Facebook has an ad that reads "Julio Fernandez moved to Google+ ...", then that is driving users away from Facebook. I don't see why a company should facilitate a mass exodus toward a competing service. I don't use Facebook and think they're kind of creepy, but I can't fault them for this.
  - perlpimp 15y ago
    Google+ is not Facebook. Nor it will ever be. The only hope google has is not to make a better facebook, but to change rules of the game. There will be no exodus from facebook. Evolution moves at its own pace, regardless of facebook or google. Only those that go in step with evolution will flourish. As such exodus from facebook will never happen. Though young and bright - most lucrative section of advertising market might just go and do something else. Restriction seems to always backfire as in this case, it may well play out. just 2c
    - Daniel_Newby 15y ago
      Downvotes should be reserved for off-topic or badly-expressed comments. If you disagree, click "reply" and educate me. There will be no exodus from facebook. It is likely that this ad ban was instigated by watching Facebook pageviews plummet, and by watching contagious defection spread through their userbase.
albertzeyer 15y ago
Well, you have these: http://www.facebook.com/Microsoft http://www.facebook.com/Microsoft http://www.facebook.com/Google http://www.facebook.com/Google http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apple-Inc/105596369475033 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apple-Inc/105596369475033 Etc. This is quite common for many companies to have some sort of representation on FaceBook. And they try to advertise themselves there. And people can FB-like them etc.
philjackson 15y ago
BMW don't have an advertising network, nor any third-party adverts on their site. Not sure your comparison is a good one...
chopsueyar 15y ago
You can advertise on BMW's website using CPC or CPM? Where is the signup form?
peacemaker 15y ago
I completely agree. It's crazy to think that Facebook would willingly advertise a major competitor during its launch period! It's minor ad revenue vs users and I think users win here.
spacemanaki 15y ago
Those comparisons aren't quite appropriate because as far as I can tell, these are individuals advertising their G+ profiles on FB, not Google advertising the entire G+ product.
Daniel_Newby 15y ago
Also everybody knows that u don't need to look for Windows advertisments on apple.com. VMware Fusion: http://store.apple.com/us/product/TX501LL/A http://store.apple.com/us/product/TX501LL/A VMware View for iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vmware-view-for-ipad/id417993697?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vmware-view-for-ipad/id417993...

by erikb 15y ago

pyre 15y ago

Those comparisons aren't quite the same. BMW and Apple don't sell generic ad space on their sites.

Xlythe 15y ago
No, but even sites that do sell generic ad space have ads they don't want shown (Porn, competitors, things that would reduce the brand name).
- pyre 15y ago
  Things that you don't want and things that you'll allow are separate sets, not guaranteed to have full intersection.
  - Xlythe 15y ago
    Perhaps not, but after working for an advertising company the two overlap greatly.

scrrr 15y ago

Indeed. But on the other hand I don't think Google would disallow or block ads for Facebook. Their strategies differ. Google thrives with an open web, Facebook is a walled garden. But yeah, no scandal here.

j79 15y ago
Considering their primary source of revenue[1] is from advertising, I wouldn't think Google would disallow or block ads from Facebook (or anyone with a competing product, to be honest...) [1] AdWords - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdWords http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdWords
- amitagrawal 15y ago
  I think Facebook's primary source of revenue is advertising too. Facebook is taking the stance what Microsoft took a few years ago - getting in the way of it's users and making choices on behalf of them. On the other hand by being open, Google has made a ton of money from it's competitors like Groupon which spends a big chunk advertising on Google. I don't know if Facebook has made an official comment on this but from here on I think things might get interesting.
- muuh-gnu 15y ago
  Facebooks primary revenue source also is advertizing. And they generally do not seem opposed to other sites (competing with them for users) linking to them (they've littered half the net with their like buttons), only vice versa.
rbarooah 15y ago
What exactly is more 'open web' about Google+ than Facebook? It seems to be focussed on keeping you on Google properties - not linking different sites together. It seems to me that twitter are the ones supporting the open web now.

ignifero 15y ago

Amusingly, if you visit mercedes benz usa http://www.mbusa.com http://www.mbusa.com they have vic gundotra in the frontpage. Your hypothesis would be valid if facebook wasnt running an open ads platform. Would it be OK to ban the political ads they don't like either?

sek 15y ago

Microsoft does a lot of advertising on Google sites.

tluyben2 15y ago
Indeed; was coming here to say that. If you have the strong belief you are the best (and you should) then you don't care; it's income and the competitor is not as good as you anyway.

ugh 15y ago

I know quite a few newspapers that have no problem selling ad space to their competitors and have done just that. Your comparison to companies that don’t even sell ad space doesn’t make any sense. This is an astonishing display of cowardice on Facebook’s part (if it is indeed true).

Helianthus 15y ago
I think that hits the nail on the head. If Facebook were brazenly advertising Google+ as if they had no fear, I'd think that a proper bit of cheek. Of course, they're probably looking at actual click-through rates and realizing that's not worth it...
nhebb 15y ago
If I google "facebook games" I see a few AdWords listed. If a Google user clicks those ads, it's not like that will drive the user away from Google search. But if someone on Facebook has an ad that reads "Julio Fernandez moved to Google+ ...", then that is driving users away from Facebook. I don't see why a company should facilitate a mass exodus toward a competing service. I don't use Facebook and think they're kind of creepy, but I can't fault them for this.
- perlpimp 15y ago
  Google+ is not Facebook. Nor it will ever be. The only hope google has is not to make a better facebook, but to change rules of the game. There will be no exodus from facebook. Evolution moves at its own pace, regardless of facebook or google. Only those that go in step with evolution will flourish. As such exodus from facebook will never happen. Though young and bright - most lucrative section of advertising market might just go and do something else. Restriction seems to always backfire as in this case, it may well play out. just 2c
  - Daniel_Newby 15y ago
    Downvotes should be reserved for off-topic or badly-expressed comments. If you disagree, click "reply" and educate me. There will be no exodus from facebook. It is likely that this ad ban was instigated by watching Facebook pageviews plummet, and by watching contagious defection spread through their userbase.

albertzeyer 15y ago

Well, you have these: http://www.facebook.com/Microsoft http://www.facebook.com/Microsoft http://www.facebook.com/Google http://www.facebook.com/Google http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apple-Inc/105596369475033 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apple-Inc/105596369475033 Etc. This is quite common for many companies to have some sort of representation on FaceBook. And they try to advertise themselves there. And people can FB-like them etc.

philjackson 15y ago

BMW don't have an advertising network, nor any third-party adverts on their site. Not sure your comparison is a good one...

chopsueyar 15y ago

You can advertise on BMW's website using CPC or CPM? Where is the signup form?

peacemaker 15y ago

I completely agree. It's crazy to think that Facebook would willingly advertise a major competitor during its launch period! It's minor ad revenue vs users and I think users win here.

spacemanaki 15y ago

Those comparisons aren't quite appropriate because as far as I can tell, these are individuals advertising their G+ profiles on FB, not Google advertising the entire G+ product.

Daniel_Newby 15y ago

Also everybody knows that u don't need to look for Windows advertisments on apple.com. VMware Fusion: http://store.apple.com/us/product/TX501LL/A http://store.apple.com/us/product/TX501LL/A VMware View for iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vmware-view-for-ipad/id417993697?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vmware-view-for-ipad/id417993...