Apple is moving into programmatic advertising for the first time, partnering with Rubicon Project to help brands automate the buying of its mobile ad unit iAds.
The move suggests that Apple is finally looking to shake up its ad business, four years after its launch, to compete with Google and Facebook in the mobile advertising space.
The partnership means advertising across Apple’s mobile apps will now be accessible to brands via Rubicon’s direct order automation platform, forming a global open marketplace for the buying and selling of iAd inventory.
Apple selected the Rubicon Project along with several other advertising technology companies to help power iAd’s adoption of automated advertising for Apple iAd’s 250,000+ mobile developers.
This automated marketplace lets advertisers to buy audiences across Apple’s mobile app inventory via Rubicon Project’s global exchange.
“We’re thrilled to have been chosen by Apple to help bring automation to iAd’s direct order business and to provide access to premium mobile buyers from around the world,” said Gregory R. Raifman, President, Rubicon Project. “We look forward to providing buyers with access to iAd’s unprecedented audience targeting capabilities and our full-stack direct order automation solution.”
Apple’s iAd provides 400+ targeting options to advertisers, based on hundreds of millions of validated iTunes accounts worldwide.