Facebook to Target Retail with Shoppable Video Ads

The Information: Facebook next month is expected to start testing a type of video ad promoting products that users could tap and buy. The ad format is the next step in Facebook’s strategy to prove to marketers its ads can drive consumer purchases, not just raise brand awareness. “Shoppable video ads,” as the ad format is called, is an interactive take on brand-focused commercials. In these ads, information about products appears inside the clip when people tap on the video.