Many a business plan has been written based on the concept of trying to insert ads into some popular consumer activity. But there is always the question – “Won’t customers object to seeing ads while they are engaged in some other activity?”
That question seems to have been answered, now that Amazon has reported that the ad-supported version of the Kindle Reader is the best selling device on the site!
The ad-supported Kindle is called “Kindle with Special Offers”, and is priced $25 lower than the standard version. If a customer purchases this version, they will receive “special offers” and “sponsored screensavers”. According to Amazon, these display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don’t interrupt reading.
The Special Offers might be, for example, a $20 Amazon gift certificate for $10, or any Kindle book for just $1.
The sponsored homescreens and screensavers are from brand sponsors. When a user clicks on an ad, they receive an email from the advertising brand. Olay and Visa are already running ads on the Kindle.
In order to make the sponsored screen savers more acceptable to readers, Amazon has released a Kindle App called Amazon AdMash. This app lets users vote on the various sponsored screensavers, and according to Amazon, “It’s up to you and the rest of the community to pick your favorites.”
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