Marketing news site blocks non-Android mobile users in stunt

Marketingfacts.nl conducted a marketing stunt on Thursday in which users without Android devices only saw a grim message "you can not use this service because you do not have the right gear." The stunt was at first thought to be a new, legitimate policy of the company, before it was revealed as a marketing trick.

The company suggested an introduction of a new business model where "device manufacturer sponsored access" would lead users with the wrong device, like an Apple iPhone, to a paywall where they could buy Samsung tablets and smartphones. An affiliate ID was spotted in the purchase links to the mobile gear, but it is not clear if Marketingfacts.nl would profit from any actual purchases made.

It was revealed later that day that the whole idea was just a gag. "Some ideas are just too bad to be true even for marketers," Marketingfacts wrote today.