"We're pretty opposed to advertising. It really turns our stomachs."
This is a quote from Tumblr CEO, David Karp, made back in 2010 to The Los Angeles Times. Looks like he's had a change of a heart, or invested in some Pepto-Bismol, because starting May 2 Tumblr will start featuring advertisements in place of their "Radar" posts.
The "Radar" posts appear in Tumblr's dashboard and usually offer up a current selection of notable posts from bloggers. And while I find Karp's 2010 statement amusing and admirable, I get it - Tumblr's got to keep up with the times and they have to start making real money for their investors (they recently received $125 million in funding).
One thing Tumblr does plan to do differently is infuse their featured advertising with creativity. If you know Tumblr, you know it's image rich. Karp has chastised other tech giants like Facebook and Google for being "devoid of creativity" in designing ads that are too text heavy, and well, just plain boring. And who could argue?
As Tumblr's popularity continues to soar, brands and high profile individuals (hello, Beyonce) are already embracing the platform to reach fans. (Karp's personal favorite: Warby Parker's Warby Barker.) So, really, isn't this the logical next step?
With Tumblr's unique platform and emphasis on the creative the ads will probably be easier to stomach for both Karp and Tumblr's users. And, the advertisers will benefit from the potential 120 million impressions a day - score!
Source Ad Age.
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