Anyone who "does the Dew" or shops at JC Penney can now indicate that they are fans of these brands when their display ads crop up across the web - and marketers may like opportunities to integrate the social network into their display ads as well.

Anyone who "does the Dew" or shops at JC Penney can now indicate that they are fans of these brands when their display ads crop up across the web – and marketers may like opportunities to integrate the social network into their display ads as well. Reports indicate that the two businesses are testing a new ad format in which the like button is inserted into display units.

While the like button has been put on sites across the web and Brafton reported that marketers might be loving a like-based search feature within the site, this is the first time like buttons have been integrated into ad display units. Shiv Singh, head of digital at PepsiCo, explained to ClickZ that internet users will be able to "like" Mountain Dew on Facebook without navigating away from the websites they are visiting.

A JC Penney spokesperson told the source, "We think making online ads more personalized by including social context from friends makes them better." Indeed, like-enhanced display ads can show viewers which of their friends support products, and may easily expand a business' Facebook fan base.

This should be good news to marketers. ExactTarget says more than 20 percent of consumers are more likely to recommend brands after becoming fans on Facebook. Marrying Facebook likes with the blossoming display ad format could mean major word-of-web referrals for businesses that get on board.

Along with Facebook's recent partnership with Bing to deliver more social search options, this move indicates that Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg also wants to make the web – and online advertising – more social, beginning with the display format.

This feature may particularly interest the many internet marketers who are increasing their display budgets. As Brafton reported last week, the IAB's Advertising Revenue report indicates that display ads are driving growth in ad spend, with the format showing 16 percent year-over-year gains in the first half of 2010.
 

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.