Hasta La Creative!

Virginia Alber-Glanstaetten, group director of planning at Huge, has returned with her monthly column for this here site, now discussing a rather hot topic that would be ads on Instagram? Will it be good or bad for the Facebook-owned service? Well, without further ado, let’s see what the author thinks. Take it away.

Last week, Instagram teased its plan to introduce advertisements into users’ feeds with a few tasteful shots: a gauzy, Americana-inspired photo from Levi’s and a quirky and colorful bird’s eye view from Instagram itself. Commentators are justifiably focused on what the ads look like on a platform that gained popularity in large part because of its emphasis on great images. Instagram has pledged that ads will conform to the high visual standards expected by the community and reassured users that the privacy and ownership of their photos will continue to be protected.

We’ll see. As an Instagram user, I’m irritated that my feed will now involve brands pushing their agenda in my face amongst the folks that I have selected to follow. Of course, it’s no surprise that Instagram decided to monetize its platform, or that yet another social media network is touting the advantages of data at its fingertips, especially the ability to target ads more effectively. And media planners will seize on a new opportunity for ad placement—while InstaAds might not drive a lot of revenue, they will boost brand reach and exposure.

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