Difference between revisions of "Timeline of online advertising"

This page is a '''timeline of [[online advertising]]'''. Major launches, milestones and other major events are included.{{E-commerce}}

|Much of online advertising during this time period is done through [[Email]], in the form of [[spamming]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.templetons.com/brad/spam/spam25.html|title=Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of Spam|website=www.templetons.com|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref> Such activities have continued to this day, but became much more common after the ban against the commercial use of the internet was lifted in 1991.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ii_nsfnet.htm|title=NSFNET - The Internet Launching Pad|website=www.livinginternet.com|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|With people now having their own websites, [[banner ads]] are used as a source of income to pay for these websites and as side money. Companies like [[Prodigy (online service)|Prodigy]], [[Global Network Navigator]] (GNN), and [[HotWired]] are pioneers in the business of online advertising.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.vantagelocal.com/history-of-online-display-advertising-2/|title=History of Online Display Advertising {{!}} Vantage Local|website=www.vantagelocal.com|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|As more companies capable of providing advertising services emerge, several major successful companies such as [[Google]], [[Facebook]], [[Yahoo!]], [[Microsoft]], and [[AOL]] begin to dominate the market.<ref name=":0" />

|[[Email marketing]]

|[[Usenet]], a popular discussion forum, launches, and is occasionally overwhelmed with advertising spam posts.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.adpushup.com/blog/the-history-of-online-advertising/|title=The History of Online Advertising|date=2013-07-03|newspaper=AdPushup Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|[[Banner advertising]]

|The ban on commercial use on the [[NSFNET]] is lifted by the [[National Science Foundation]] (NSF).<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/nsfoutreach/htm/n50_z2/pages_z3/28_pg.htm#answer2|title=Nifty 50: THE INTERNET|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|GNN, one of the first web publication and web advertising services, is launched by [[O'Reilly Media]].<ref name="computerhistory.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/the-web/20/392|title=Electronic Commerce - CHM Revolution|website=www.computerhistory.org|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|The first ever clickable advertisement is sold to a [[Silicon Valley]] law firm by GNN.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2013/sep/11/online-advertising-history-1993-present-day-infographic/|title=Online advertising: A history from 1993 to the present day [infographic]|newspaper=Marketing Tech News|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|The first ever banner is sold to [[AT&T]], and is visible on the first issue of HotWired.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2013/08/09/first-banner-ad/|title=This Is the World's First Banner Ad|last=Wasserman|first=Todd|website=Mashable|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":0" />

|[[Ad serving]]

|[[DoubleClick]], a prominent online advertising company, launches.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=27707|title=DoubleClick Inc.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2017-02-09}}</ref>

|[[Search advertising]]

|[[Pop-up ad]]s

|Pop-up ads are invented by [[Ethan Zuckerman]], and considered to be a more aggressive and disliked advertising strategy.<ref name=":5" />

|[[Ad exchange]]

|GoTo (now [[Yahoo! Search Marketing]]), a search engine which offers search advertising, launches.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/history-of-online-advertising|title=A Brief History of Online AdvertisingA Brief History of Online Advertising|last=Cook|first=Karla|date=12 September 2016|website=HubSpot|publisher=|access-date=6 January 2016}}</ref>

|HotWired is shutdown after its domain is re-purposed by [[Lycos]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/20-years-web-publishing-former-hotwired-pathfinder-execs-look-back-1994-1770232|title=20 Years Of Web Publishing: Former HotWired And Pathfinder Execs Look Back On 1994|date=2014-12-31|newspaper=International Business Times|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|Google launches the prominent [[AdWords]] service, which allows for advertising based on a user's browsing habits and their search keywords.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://searchengineland.com/google-adwords-turns-15-a-look-back-at-the-origins-of-a-60-billion-business-234579|title=Google AdWords Turns 15: A Look Back At The Origins Of A $60 Billion Business|date=2015-10-28|newspaper=Search Engine Land|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref><ref name=":4" />

|With the annoyance brought about by pop-up ads, many prominent web browsers such as [[Firefox]], [[Netscape (web browser)|Netscape]], and [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]] begin to roll out features to block these ads.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.geek.com/news/pop-up-ads-now-even-worse-548091/|title=Pop-up ads: now even worse - Geek.com|date=2002-12-24|newspaper=Geek.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|Facebook, the most popular [[Social Media Network|social media network]], launches.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2007/jul/25/media.newmedia|title=A brief history of Facebook|last=Phillips|first=Sarah|date=2007-07-25|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>  

|[[YouTube]], a popular video sharing website, launches.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newmediarockstars.com/2013/02/youtube-grows-up-a-visual-history-of-how-the-video-sharing-site-has-changed-over-the-past-8-years/|title=YouTube Grows Up: A Visual History of How the Video-Sharing Site Has Changed Over The Past 8 Years - New Media Rockstars|date=2013-02-14|newspaper=New Media Rockstars|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|[[Demand-side platform]]

|[[Criteo]], one of the first demand-side platforms, launches.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.criteo.com/about-us/|title=Performance Marketing That Drives More Sales {{!}} Criteo|website=www.criteo.com|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

|[[Ad blocking]]

|[[Adblock Plus|Adblock]], a very prominent ad-blocking add-on for [[web browser]]s, is released.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://adblockplus.org/en/about|title=About Adblock Plus|website=adblockplus.org|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

|[[Behavioral targeting|Content discovery platform]]

|[[Outbrain]], a notable advertising company that powers external recirculation widgets, launches.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://startupcamel.com/ep-43-ori-lahav-outbrain/|title=EP 43: Ori Lahav / OutBrain - Startup Camel Podcast|date=2014-10-05|newspaper=Startup Camel Podcast|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

|[[Native advertising]]

|[[Taboola]], a notable advertising company that powers external recirculation widgets, launches.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/taboola|title=Taboola {{!}} crunchbase|website=www.crunchbase.com|access-date=2017-02-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.taboola.com/our-story|title=Our Story {{!}} World's Largest Discovery Platform {{!}} Taboola|website=www.taboola.com|access-date=2017-02-09}}</ref>

|[[Behavioral targeting]], [[Social Media Advertising|Social media advertising]]  

|Facebook launches [[Facebook Beacon|Beacon]], an intricate advertising platform that tracks Facebook user's activities on websites outside of Facebook.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/140182/article.html|title=Facebook's Beacon More Intrusive Than Previously Thought|website=PCWorld|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|Google acquires [[DoubleClick]], an advertising platform, for $3.1 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/technology/14DoubleClick.html|title=Google Buys DoubleClick for $3.1 Billion|last=Story|first=Louise|date=2007-04-14|last2=Helft|first2=Miguel|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref>

|Microsoft acquires [[AQuantive]], an advertising platform, for $6.5 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.microsoft.com/2007/05/18/microsoft-to-acquire-aquantive-inc/|title=Microsoft to Acquire aQuantive, Inc. {{!}} News Center|website=news.microsoft.com|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/facebook-s-atlas-means-brands-agencies/295293/|title=What Facebook's Atlas Means for Brands and Agencies|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|[[Rocket Fuel Inc.]], a notable demand-side platform, launches.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://rocketfuel.com/about-us/|title=Programmatic Marketing Company {{!}} Rocket Fuel|newspaper=Rocket Fuel|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

|[[Rick Petnel]] creates [[Easylist]], one of the most popular filter lists available for ad-blocking web browser add-ons.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/24/AR2008062401287.html|title=One Man, One Long List, No More Web Ads|last=Whoriskey|first=Peter|date=2008-06-25|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2017-02-08|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The filter list Easylist Privacy is also available, and focuses on the blocking of web elements that may invade a user's privacy.  

|Google launches [[DoubleClick for Publishers]] (DFP), an advertising software as a service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/next-generation-of-ad-serving-for.html|title=The next generation of ad serving for online publishers|website=Official Google Blog|access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref>

|[[Twitter]] launches [[Promoted Tweets]], which allows advertisers to pay for tweets to be shown in a user's feed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/7586446/Twitter-launches-promoted-tweets-in-a-bid-to-make-money.html|title=Twitter launches 'promoted tweets'  in a bid to make money|newspaper=Telegraph.co.uk|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|Facebook acquires [[Atlas Solutions]] from Microsoft for $100 million, in order to enrich its already bustling advertising platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gigaom.com/2013/02/28/facebook-purchases-microsofts-atlas-solutions-for-reported-100-million/|title=Facebook purchases Microsoft’s Atlas Solutions for reported $100 million|last=Kern|first=Eliza|date=2013-02-28|website=gigaom.com|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://atlassolutions.com/about-atlas/|title=About Atlas {{!}} Atlas Solutions|website=atlassolutions.com|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2013/02/facebook-to-acquire-atlas-from-microsoft/|title=Facebook to Acquire Atlas from Microsoft {{!}} Facebook Newsroom|access-date=2017-02-09|language=en}}</ref>

|[[Instagram]], a popular image sharing platform, releases its feature of having sponsored posts appear on user's feeds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2013/10/24/first-look-at-instagram-ads/|title=This Is What Instagram Ads Look Like|last=Constine|first=Josh|last2=Crook|first2=Jordan|website=TechCrunch|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|[[Pinterest]], a creative image sharing platform, launches it [[Promoted Pins]] service which allows for additional advertising in a user's feed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://venturebeat.com/2014/03/24/pinterest-gets-serious-about-ad-revenue-with-new-promoted-pins/|title=Pinterest gets serious about ad revenue with new ‘promoted pins’|website=VentureBeat|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

|[[UBlock Origin]], a very prominent ad-blocking extension for web browsers, launches.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Change-log#0100|title=gorhill/uBlock|website=GitHub|language=en|access-date=2017-02-08}}</ref>

|[[Snapchat]], a popular [[messaging app]], begins to include advertisements between user's "stories".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/14/11930386/snapchat-ads-api-stories|title=Snapchat will start showing ads between your friends' stories|last=Vincent|first=James|date=2016-06-14|website=The Verge|access-date=2017-01-07}}</ref>

|Facebook states that they will start blocking the use of ad blocking extensions, specifically [[Adblock Plus]] and Adblock. In response to this, these ad-blockers began to block Facebook's blocking in a back-and-forth "war."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2016/08/12/facebook-ad-blocking-war/|title=Here's Why Facebook Is Always Going to Win the Ad-Blocking War|website=Fortune|access-date=2017-02-08}}</ref>

* [[Timeline of e-commerce]]

* [[Online advertising]]

[[Category:E-commerce]]

[[Category:Computing timelines|Online Advertising]]

[[Category:Online advertising]]