Although smartphones have become a necessity in today’s digital world, we all know that cell phones are not the only tool that people are using to make calls these days. Skype has become one of the most popular ways for people to speak to each other face to face, while not actually being face to face. Because of the company’s popularity in the field, they have become one of the most popular places for marketers to advertise to digital callers. Now, the company is announcing a complete overhaul of their advertising offerings, upon the release of Windows 8. These changes are supposed to begin being available by the first quarter of next year.
According to a recent ClickZ article, written by Susan Kuchinskas, there are three major components to Skype’s big alteration.
The three Components to the rebuild include:
- Skype users will potentially be able to collaborate on content upon the release of rebuilt offerings. This will be a way to build on the company’s current Conversation Ads that are currently running.
- Sponsored content that would allow marketers to encourage sharing. The example given by Sandhya Venkatachalam, the general manager of advertising and monetization at Skype was, “An airline, instead of doing traditional display advertising, could share info with the Skype audience about vacation spots for the holiday season. The airline could develop within Skype a branded trip planning tool.”
- The third component, which was explained a bit unclearly, is a way for brands to stay present on Skype, with Skype users. Marketers and brands will be able to create a “persistent, branded presence.”
All of these changes are being made with a focus on Skype becoming a more prominent name in the mobile community. Venkatachalam stated, “We’re making a huge bet on mobile. That’s definitely the future of Skype.” Upon the early days of the releasing of these new improvements, they will only be seen on devices that function under the Windows 8 operating system. However, later on down the line they will be made available on Android and iOS devices as well.
Skype is still a relatively new company when it comes to advertising, but they have not seen much complaint regarding their advertising offerings. With these big changes that are soon to be made, as well as their forecasted switch to being a primarily mobile service may give Skype a bit more of the prominence that they are searching for. Their Conversation Ads from earlier this year were welcomed by most marketers, because they were one of the first ways for brands and businesses to advertise to people while they were physically speaking with their friends face to face. The changes that Skype is planning on making seem as though they will most certainly improve upon what they already offer as well as the results they bring in. Essentially, Skype will be becoming a more valuable and functional tool for marketers looking to advertise with the company.
