Can Tumblr embrace ads without selling out?
As much as I love them, Tumblr has really been sleeping on opportunities to evolve their business model and approach to brand integration. It’s great that they’ve finally introduced more “ad” units, and I think the way theyre approaching it is certainly close to the ethos of their community.To answer the article’s headline - I’d say yes, it’s possible to embrace a pay-for-eyeballs model without “selling out,” but it’s frustrating how long it’s taken for them to get to this point. Just like there’s danger in being too cavalier with monetization, it feels like there’s also danger with being too cautious and that’s what I worry about for Tumblr. If the content bar is set high enough, it doesnt matter if it’s brand-seeded or organic in origin.
