01 JunApple Create iProblems for Mobile Marketers

As one of the most sought after gadgets in the world, Apple’s iPad is undeniably a hit, but the tablet has also caused a certain amount of controversy and problems for various agents in digital media.

Apple announced this week that it had sold 2 million iPad units in less than two months. Only 28 days after the initial release in America, Apple had already sold their first million iPads. By the time the product was released in Europe, Australia and Japan the sales figures quickly broke the 2 million milestone.

Sales of iPads were seemingly only limited by how quickly Apple could get them made, and according to Wired, the iPad is already outselling the MacBook line. “The iPad, then, is a success, and the tablet mass-market is officially here,” wrote Charlie Sorrel for the Gadget Lab.

However, despite the iPad’s commercial success, Apple have caused problems for advertisers trying to make the most of the device for mobile marketing purposes. Online adverts already redesigned and optimised for smartphone screens will have to be reworked a second time to make the most of the iPad’s larger screen.

Sky have created a specially designed iPad app to watch live English Premier League football on the tablet. For £35 a month, subscribers will be able to watch the stars of the Premier League on their iPad, but Sky were forced to redesign their iPhone app in order to optimise the football viewings for the larger iPad screen.

The absence of Flash from the iPad has also caused a headache for web developers and those who use Flash based online advertising. Not only that, but Apple’s strict policies on censoring content have led some news providers to boycott the system.

The question remains whether Apple’s success is strong enough to force the online advertising market to adapt to it, or whether the advertisers will adopt a new champion leaving Apple behind.

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