The iAd: Another "i" from Apple

As chatter builds around the iPad as April 3rd quickly approached, another "i" has been announced by Steve Jobs -- The iAd.  The iAd, to be unleashed upon advertisers on April 7th, will be a personalized, mobile advertising system and his been described as "extraordinary"and "our next big thing" by head of Apple's Jobs.

No really details have been released, but it is speculated to utilize Apple's new acquired mobile ad unit, Quattro.  It will be another battlefield for Google and Apple to wage war, since Google recently agreed to buy AdMob.  They are taking the war to Madison Advertisers, and who ever makes the most ad dollars wins.

Mobile advertising is seen as the new vehicle through which advertisers can create innovative and engaging advertisements to recapture an audience that is constantly on the go.  Apple has captivated advertisers with the App Store and ability to build branded apps that consumers actively seek out, and is presenting them with a new opportunity for limitless interactive and immersive ad spaces within e-publications, such as those to be released by The Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated, to be offered on the new "tablet" device.  

It is believed advertisers will be able to "hypertarget" consumers "based on their geographic proximity", which will open up new opportunities to location-based advertising.  The media world will be sitting by eagerly waiting to witness the unveiling of Apple's mobile ad platform.  It has a great deal of potential, but will advertisers, as well as consumers, take the bait.  As of last week, only 200,000 iPad's were pre-ordered, higher than initial iPhone purchases, but is this audience size worth the high price of ad space?