Skype advertising available locally

The move will give local brands access to a platform that has broad global reach and engagement, while also supporting large-format, rich and interactive ads, says Nazeer Suliman, advertising and online lead at Microsoft SA.

"The international launch last month saw adverts appearing on Skype for the first time. This advertising gives brands an opportunity to be part of the Skype experience, which has enabled people to do things together when they're apart through voice and video calling, instant messaging and conferencing. We anticipate the move will affect South African advertisers in a major way."

"Natural next step"

The move to mobile advertising is said to be a "natural next step" that gives advertisers direct contact with a captive and influential audience. Only one ad is shown per conversation, giving brands 100% share of voice and ensuring advertisers don't have to compete in a busy ad environment.

"It's also highly social. Closer connections mean more purchasing influence as people are more likely to discuss products and make recommendations with close relatives and friends than random acquaintances."

User experience is paramount

He adds that the service reaches billions of users every day, but emphasises that user experience is paramount. As such, monetisation will be a by-product of engaging consumers and brands. He says Microsoft Advertising will work directly with Skype to maximise the value of the advertising offerings and to expand the business to take advantage of their growth and reach.

Going forward, Microsoft Advertising will be introducing audio call-in advertising to South African advertisers. These ads will appear during one-to-one Skype-to-Skype audio call ins, allowing advertisers to become more involved in the utility of Skype while taking full advantage of the opportunity to target a captive audience in a new way.