Digiday Sunday
—Digiday?It was an active week in the lead up to the Thanksgiving holiday. I greatly appreciate the support and hustle of the Digiday senior editors while I was out last week across various editing and admin fronts. I had, as it turns out, very limited connectivity (so much for Starlink). The week’s most-read story keyed on Google and its reported plans for an opt in model for cookies in its Chrome browser. Reporting on how the incoming Trump administration might impact the possible break up of Google post its antitrust trial also pulled in solid readership as did pieces that looked at the mixed reception the debut of advertising on Perplexity AI is receiving from agencies and their brand clients and how influencer agencies are building dedicated content studios to rev up the speed and volume of both production and revenue generation. – James Cooper
—Of note:?The Digiday Sunday LinkedIn newsletter blew past 60K subscribers this week
—Story highlights
Ronan Shields ?and Seb Joseph teamed up on the week’s most-read piece that reported that Google is on the verge of pulling back the curtain on its plans for an opt-in model for cookies on Chrome. As they reported, ‘Chrome will introduce features that allow users to make informed choices about cookie usage, which are adjustable at any time — just how this would look was/is TBD. Long story short, Google has absolved itself of the fate of third-party cookies; the decision to continue using cookies is now in the hands of Chrome users. However, Google will continue to develop Privacy Sandbox APIs to enhance privacy and utility.'
—Another team effort by?Seb Joseph, Ronan Shields ?and Marty Swant ?looked at how the pending Trump presidency could shape the potential breakup of Google in the coming new year. As they reported, ‘President-elect Donald Trump underscored that point last month when he seemed to suggest breaking up Google isn’t in the U.S. national interest. Sure, his stance could shift — predictability isn’t his forte —?but for now, don’t bet on it.?Under this incoming administration, antitrust regulation is bound to take on a very different shape. Until Trump’s Attorney General takes charge, how antitrust efforts against Google will play out is anyone’s guess.’
Krystal Scanlon , Sara Guaglione ?and Marty Swant reported on Perplexity AI and the mixed uptake the initial appearance of advertising is receiving from the marketing community. As they reported, ‘As one of eight ad execs Digiday interviewed put it: “Clients are 100% concerned about association with the platform and do not view that the opportunity is worth the association now. They are excited by another offering to connect with advertisers who are looking for in category information, but did not want to be first.” The other, and arguably more pressing issue, is the pitch for those ads, which will appear as sponsored follow-up questions alongside answers, and their expensive rates.’
Antoinette S. pulled together a smart analysis on how influencer marketing and advertising agencies are hustling together dedicated content studios to lift the speed of production and stoke revenue generation. As she reported, ‘Not only does this allow them to move more quickly on creative assets and meet client needs in real-time, but it can also be more economical to use their own space and hire in-house creators than outsourcing. The type of model, content and use of creators at these studios differs, depending on the company. For example, some shops want to tout cinematic production quality, whereas others want to stay true to a lo-fi, user-generated content (UGC) feel. To put it into perspective, about 5.17 billion social network?users worldwide?will spend some 143 minutes a day on social media in 2024, according to?Statista. That’s a lot of content consumed — and a massive need for more and more to be made to feed those appetites.’
Kimeko McCoy 's edition of the Digiday Podcast featured a discussion with Digiday editorial staffers,?Tim,?Kristina?and?Sara G?on Trump’s early – and in some cases controversial – cabinet selections and how they might impact the digital media and marketing landscape.?Give a?listen here
Tim Peterson latest video production, in the wake of our Fall U.S. and European Publishing Summits, broke down the contrasts between the two publishing regions and enlisted our own Seb Joseph to help underscore the nuances, challenges and opportunities across both media markets. Check out the?video here
?Here are the Digiday + Briefings for the week
—Marketing Briefing: With RFK Jr. headed to the HHS, what should pharma advertisers be thinking about
See you next Sunday!