MySpace is experimenting with an ad unit that appears in a user's "stream" of updates. The new units debuted on Feb. 10, with a Coke ad that offered free downloads of pop star Selena Gomez's new single. Later that week, Procter & Gamble used the in-stream unit to give out free samples of mouthwash and toothpaste.
MySpace is using the units to harness the guerilla tactics of viral marketing, according to Adweek. The strategy reflects the social network's newly adopted image as a "discovery engine."
This shift in identity was discussed at the Interactive Advertising Bureau meeting this week, where MySpace co-president Jason Hirschhorn said that the site is now focusing on user interaction. Users will be encouraged to engage with new music, content, and, in the case of the in-stream ads, messages from advertisers.
Above all else, Hirschhorn said, the site would be like to be known as a groundswell for product innovation.
