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HP reboots as media player; launches global ad network
HP is offering advertisers access to over 100 million devices, reaching 830 million global users monthly, a scale typically reserved for social media or streaming platforms.
HP joins a new wave of tech firms redefining “media ownership” not by content, but by access to screens and user habits. (Image source: Facebook)
Hewlett Packard (HP) is entering the advertising arena, turning its massive hardware footprint into a media empire. The tech giant has launched HP Media Network, a global advertising platform that reimagines its laptops and services not just as tools, but as prime digital real estate.
According to a report by Adweek, HP is offering advertisers access to over 100 million devices, reaching 830 million global users monthly, a scale typically reserved for social media or streaming platforms. The company adds 2 million new devices every month, feeding into this ever-growing attention economy.
The move mirrors a broader shift where hardware manufacturers, be it smart TVs, mobile OEMs, or now PC makers—are capitalizing on their screen time by building in-house ad networks. In HP’s case, the plan spans across on-device placements, apps, email, and social integrations, with targeting powered by first-party device data.
One key product is the “Toast” ad unit, a subtle placement in the bottom right corner of a laptop screen, carrying a logo or message. This native format reportedly yielded over 5 million impressions and a 2.6% CTR during a holiday campaign.
But HP’s ambitions don’t end at laptops. The company is also gearing up to launch a free ad-supported streaming TV service (FAST), bringing traditional OTT ad formats like 6–30 second video ads, pause ads, and carousels into its fold. This could position HP as a new player in the connected TV wars.
Critically, the company is leveraging its vast trove of device-level intelligence to power more precise ad targeting—like showing finance-related ads to users with accounting software installed, or gaming promos to those running GPU-heavy apps.
SPOTLIGHT
The leaders highlighted how AI is emerging as a critical enabler in this shift from marketing’s traditional focus on new customers to a more sustainable model of driving growth from existing accounts.
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