Last week DIGIDAY’s Mike Shields wrote about how Facebook, with one of the most popular apps and mobile sites, doesn’t run mobile ads.
Ben Kunz, director of strategic planning at Mediassociates, thinks the reason has little to do with advertising. In his view, Kunz is after a far larger market than just the mobile ad business. It wants nothing less than to compete with Apple, Google, American Express and other giants to become the mobile wallet.
Facebook has a choice: It could clutter up its tiny mobile interface with ads, potentially turning off mobile users, or it could include a new beneficial service that helps users make payments with cell phones, while charging an invisible, small slice to merchants. Hmm. Which would you Like?
There’s no doubt Facebook faces many directions it can go with its massive and engaged user base. With its fledgling virtual currency, it might just be after a much larger prize than cracking the code on mobile ads.
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