Beyond the spat with Apple over changes in how iOS will share data, the most interesting comments in Facebook's earnings guidance were in relation to forecasts for ad-spend.
The irony is that both Apple and Facebook's fortunes are so deeply entwined, despite the animosity between the firms. Just as Apple posted the most phenomal Q4 results - due to consumers stuck at home upgrading their hardware - so too Facebook enjoyed the knock-on effect in advertising revenue.
Peeling back the layers, however, it is facinating to read that Facebook expects some drop off in ad-revenue growth - as consumers switch their spending from products (such as Apple's) to services (such as travel). Take a close look at the following:
“We believe these shifts provided a tailwind to our advertising business in the second half of 2020 given our strength in product verticals sold via online commerce and our lower exposure to service verticals like travel. Looking forward, a moderation or reversal in one or both of these trends could serve as a headwind to our advertising revenue growth"
Whilst nobody will be standing in a field in Glastonbury this year - apart from the cows - the shackles are going to slowly lift on our ability to socialise. So expect a bunch of hungry consumers - tooled up with the latest 5G smartphones - to start mobilising.
This can only be good for the travel-tech sector, and for all of us... it can't come soon enough!
Facebook predicts ‘significant’ obstacles to ad targeting and revenue in 2021
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