Revenue trumps goodwill! So is Facebook really at fault for looking at making an extra buck – or should we say an extra MILLION bucks per advertiser – on their soon-to-be-launched video-advertising option? After all, no brand stays ‘up there’ for ever if it doesn’t have something new to offer its users. Plus – for Facebook there was always the additional pressure of meeting ‘advertiser’ expectations (remember GM walked out an year back for lack of better advertising real estate on the platform?). But now GM is back and everything seems to be hunky dory between the 2. But what does this new ‘elitist’ price tag for video advertising say about FB’s fabled ‘social’ reach – especially amongst potential advertisers? A whole lot, if critics are to be believed. Some would say the mirage of a classless, global society that FB was credited with creating, seems to be developing a few chinks. While some others would opine it’s a case of sour grapes. But let’s face it – for the lucky few who can afford to spend a million dollars and gain access to the mammoth FB ‘customer’ base, this must be the best thing since the invention of megaphone.

Add-on note: August 05th, 2014 – FB has hit 1.2+ billion users (that’s the entire population of India) and is currently testing the consumer retailing waters with a ‘buy’ button on some selected ads. (btw Twitter is doing the same thing).