Corrections:1.
I don't know if Rathschild's last name is Rathschild. 2.
As I wrote earlier, Google has three ad categories, not two. 3.
In earlier versions of this article, I misspelled Suki As Sooki.
Last year, on Jimmyjane's Facebook page, a post without a picture and a simple quote from Betty White received 1,449 likes, 83 comments and 475 shares.
Facebook removed Jimmyjane's ad from the post.
The social network cited a ban on adult toy advertising.
Jimmyjane has run several times before.
Facebook's ins
Their ads were banned by Facebook between 2009 and 2010.
The company received a brief probation last year (
July-October)
After modifying the advertising image to a simple company logo.
However, Facebook again rejected their ads in last October.
These events illustrate the complex relationship between large Internet companies and adult toy startups.
The complexity of this relationship is defined by acceptable explanatory guidelines and technical changes that minimize the risk of advertising adult content.
To understand the reasons behind the Facebook guidelines, Jim myjane's sales and marketing director, Molly Murphy, exchanged multiple emails with Facebook reps.
According to her boss, Ethan Imboden, the reaction of social networks has gone from "dismissive to just absent. ” The 28-year-
Old Murphy added that if Jimmy Jane didn't stop advertising, the Facebook rep threatened to delete the company page.
Ohmibot, another adult toy startup, faces similar problems.
"We're still not sure what their bad position is (Facebook)
Brian Denham, founder of the company, said.
Facebook closed ohmibot's page in 2006 as page images and content violated its guidelines.
According to Suki Dunham, a former Apple designer and co-designer
The founder of the company, who had to rebuild their Facebook community from "zero start" by removing photos and content.
The problem with the Facebook guidelines is that they are open to interpretation and revision.
Consider this guideline: allow safe sex with our brand of condoms without allowing them to increase your happiness.
So for a company, it's relatively easy to promote its products on Facebook by happily eliminating the association.
For example, Sir Richard's condom, which retails Whole Foods, promotes its sexual health and health products on Facebook.
Facebook has apparently banned advertising for adult toys.
However, the adult toy company renamed their product "personal massager" and flew under Facebook's advertising radar.
I spoke to a company like this that told me that there was no problem with their ads on social networks.
Although it sells other products in addition to adult toys, Jimmyjane's brand seems to be bad for the company.
Imboden claims Facebook is "happy to inform our company.
In the case of e-commerce, this connotation has been ignored, he said.
There are more than 60 different vibrator brands on the business giant Amazon website.
The failures in the implementation process further blur the guidelines for social networks.
According to the picture guide of the website: The picture may not be too sexy.
Of course, excesses are a relative word, and online dating services often ignore these guidelines, including suggestive images that are not allowed on social networks.
Another Internet advertising giantGoogle -
It was also criticized by adult startups.
Search Giants classify their product ads into three categories: Home Security (
Ads displayed when the secure search function is turned off), Non-Family Safe (
Ads displayed when not displayed
Enable Secure Search)and Adult (
The ads displayed for the query are in essence considered as "adults" when not
Enable Secure Search).
This method is derived from the inferred philosophy of interest.
When you search for something on Google, the search giant infers that your search is related to an interest in the product.
However, adult toys are an exception.
They landed in Africa.
The family security category and is banned from shopping on several well-known sites in Google's display network, such as Youtube and Google. “Non-
"Home security ads can't run on Google's display network and can only run on search when security search is turned off," said Google spokeswoman Aaron Stein . ".
Dunham of Ohmibods does not agree with this view.
He said he saw ads for erectile dysfunction products immediately after the game, when he was watching TV with a 15-year-oldyear-old daughter.
"You can find really unpleasant content on Youtube," he said . ".
"But I still can't be elegant.
Advertise my product there.
"Similarly, Murphy believes the search giant is allowing handguns and other objectionable materials to be sold on their website, while Jimmyjane is not allowed to advertise its products.
To Facebook and Google, to be fair, their decision on adult content advertising is not so much a moral issue as a business issue.
In the interests of user appeal, these services must be considered free and inclusive.
Advertising revenue, however, breaks this inclusion as home audiences still drive advertising sales for most Internet ads.
For example, although it is very popular, advertisers are reluctant to advertise on 4 chan because of its objectionable content.
Similarly, Yahoo's recent acquisition of Tumblr and subsequent ban on pornographic sites also illustrates a textbook way to add advertising to the latter's website.
No wonder most Internet media organizations (
Including Google and Facebook)
Adopted a conservative attitude towards advertising.
Changes in social trends may force them to reconsider their approach.
As I wrote before, mainstream society is becoming more tolerant and casual about adult products.
While the guidelines for Facebook and Google seem arbitrary, they seem to be partly inspired by recent ads related to adult products.
These ads are called information ads, avoiding sexual references and reconfiguring products in the adult industry as health products.
More importantly, they allow taboo products and services to enter the mainstream society.
Changes in advertising technology complement these social developments.
Unlike TV, where ads cover a wide range of users, social media and search engines provide advertisers with the opportunity to make personal ads.
On social media platforms, audiences can be subdivided in many ways according to their age range and likes and dislikes.
Because each ad message is made separately, the chances of adult content reaching minors are greatly reduced, or, say, a person with a strong religious belief who may find the content objectionable.
Facebook has more than one billion users who have classified their preferences and tastes on its platform and are the main supporters and beneficiaries of changing the advertising model.
Mobile advertising revenue on social networks has grown 333% this year, and Google has an overwhelming advantage in this area.
Facebook is a particularly attractive media for adult toy startups.
"The goal is very precise and we can easily follow the age guidelines and reach people who are consistent with similar brands and interests," Murphy said . ".
Dunham of Ohmibot says Facebook will be the super media for advertising.
For example, he said the site could be used to promote products such as their iPod vibrators (
Increase the strength of the vibrator with music)
Target users who are interested in adult products and specific music tastes.
Jimmyjane's Murphy is also willing to make concessions in line with Facebook's existing guidelines.
"I can tell you that we would like the opportunity to revise our ads and talk to sexual health and health --
"She said.
According to Facebook spokesman Tim Rathschmidt, there may be hope for adult toy startups.
He told me that while Facebook currently bans adult products, the company may choose to revisit the policy in the future.