The last big addition to Facebook’s ad lineup came last year, with the launch of Canvas, a fast-loading, rich media ad. Like Canvas, a collection is created specifically for mobile, and seems designed to win users over in the Facebook app — before directing them to the advertiser’s mobile website.
Facebook monetization director Maz Sharafi told me the goal with the collection format is “to really build a great new shopping experience for people and to help marketers really drive discovery and sales in mobile.” Collections are also designed to be easy for merchants to set up, with Facebook doing the heavy lifting of choosing the right products to showcase from the merchants’ broader catalog.
