From Danny Vena's "Why Apple Stock Popped Today" posted Wednesday on the Motley Fool:
The broader market indexes rallied, which no doubt contributed to the iPhone-maker's rise. However, news also broke that Apple was making a further push into the digital-advertising space, which could spell additional upside for the stock.
As a result of its push to protect consumer privacy, Apple has been widely credited with the growing disarray for other companies in digital advertising. That said, it isn't above generating a new revenue stream in the ad-tech space.
Specifically, Apple is looking to hire a senior manager to run a demand-side platform (DSP) in the company's advertising business, according to a report from Digiday. The job listing suggests that Apple is planning to design its own DSP.
The successful applicant will be responsible to "drive the design of the most privacy-forward, sophisticated demand side platform possible," according to the report. Additionally, Apple is looking for a candidate with experience building a mobile-focused DSP and the experience necessary to optimize "mobile campaigns using measurement and attribution."
Apple's entry into an adjacent field shouldn't be taken lightly, as it has the resources to establish a beachhead and a long history of building the necessary expertise from the ground up. It isn't yet clear if this step by Apple is intended to serve ads solely within the company's digital footprint, or if it has designs to expand beyond its own ecosystem. It could also signal the upcoming launch of an ad-supported version of its streaming-video platform, Apple TV+.
My take: Apple has been popping a lot lately, for a lot of reasons. Some of them quite sound.
FB was in decline before Apple’s ATT, especially among younger people. Digital advertising $$’s have moved to other platforms. Statista projects that digital ad revenue grows by 15% YoY in 2022.
Years ago when I met one of the FOB at the Apple shareholders’ meeting I was amused and bemused with his constant verbal refrain of a descriptive reference to the way Apple does business. He always denoted how Apple had its head bowed “doing its needle work.” Or, “Apple sticks to its knitting.” I connected his expression with the famous use of another expression always used by EP who stamped his expression on the tail of his jet, “TCB.” (For whatever that is worth) 🙂
Anyway, “Apple sticking to its knitting” is a spot-on descriptive expression of the company. Apple does not rush into a new endeavor. Apple does not seem to allow extraneous factors discombobulate the company or unsettle it in any way.
I cannot help but believe that this advance or seemingly measured tread on digital advertising has been in the works for many years when we all initially thought it only had to do relative to consumer security matters. Apple has been carving advertising in ways not only to protect the consumer who benefits from the practice, but to find new and innovative methods for use of the act for calling public attention to one’s product and/or service without an imposition on the targeted consumer in ways to invade one’s privacy.
Apple’s forward revenue move in utilization of digital advertising comes as little surprise to me, and I am sure to many others. When a company becomes the largest market cap on planet earth, it becomes ever more difficult to define how to grow the company’s business further. It wouldn’t surprise me there lies within the Apple organization an organizational unit of employees who full time is devoted to examining all facets of the conglomerate’s operations so as to find new appropriate methods for growing revenues for the company.
I totally agree with most you’ve said, but Apple, huge as it is, is the opposite of a “conglomerate”.
From Webster’s:
“In a conglomerate, one company owns a controlling stake in several smaller companies, conducting business separately and independently.”
Apple has bought many, many small businesses (and a few large ones), but they are completely integrated into Apple. A conglomerate literally grows by acquisition, where Apple grows by product development and integration. Even its films business supports its computer products.
Of course, these days there’s a potential computer connection to almost everything. Hence Apple’s ability to keep growing even as massive as it is.
Maybe we need a new word for what Apple is, but it’s definitely not a conglomerate in the classic meaning of the word.
Apple, unlike any company anywhere near its size, is well integrated and has a uniform culture. Even more amazing, they keep secrets, except for a few leaks.
Apple 3.0 is a classic example. If PED wanted to, he could design and publish a version that was ad-supported. It’s his right. But he also needs to provide the same product with the ability to opt out – for a price.
Of course, in creating such a means of monetizing his product, he would inevitably leave the door open to “visits” from folks far less interested in maintaining the decorum that’s been established here, which would require a lot more work on his part being the gatekeeper. Or he’d have to hire someone to be a full-time gatekeeper.
I personally would have no problem if PED wanted to monetize Apple 3.0, provided my present level of enjoyment is maintained. That is, if, from my POV as a paying customer, (1) there were no ads to be seen and (2) the quality of our discourse remained the same.
But PED’s product is many, many orders of magnitude less monetized than a similar product from Apple, and thus the potential ROI would be also many orders of magnitude different. Accordingly, Apple is within its rights to consider a similar approach.
Now, if THAT’S what Apple is planning, then I have no problem with it. A good place to start is with News+. For a price, Apple should have an ad-free version.