Fried Bids, Digital News - 30 Apr-5 May 2024

This is my personal selection of the most interesting articles published from 30th-April-5th May 2024. Let me know what you think in the comments. If you want to receive the 50+ news full newsletter, please reach me through Direct Message.

Performance Max for Marketplaces

Google has launched Performance Max for Marketplaces, a new advertising program that allows sellers on major e-commerce platforms to promote their products across Google's advertising channels without needing a website or a Google Merchant Center account. By connecting their Google Ads account to a participating marketplace platform, sellers can create Performance Max campaigns that direct shoppers to their products on the marketplace. The program aims to tap into the growing importance of online marketplaces like Amazon for product discovery and offers an opportunity for smaller retailers to gain traction through Google's ecosystem without the overhead of a standalone e-commerce presence. The success of Performance Max for Marketplaces depends on adoption by major players and its execution.

TikTok Enhances Pulse Ads

TikTok has expanded its premium ad placement options by adding more publisher content for brands using its "Pulse" ads. The Pulse offering allows big brands to maximize their ad placement by appearing alongside popular content from premium publishers and creators. TikTok has signed up Paramount Global and the National Hockey League (NHL) as new placements for Pulse promotions, in addition to existing partnerships with Conde Nast, Dotdash Meredith, Hearst, Vox, MLB, NFL, WWE, and others. The update also introduces more specific placement options, such as Pulse Custom Lineups, Pulse Premiere Tentpole Moments, and Pulse Premiere IP Lineups. These options enable advertisers to curate content tailored to specific marketing needs and cover tentpole events and cultural moments. Furthermore, TikTok has partnered with third-party ad measurement providers, including iSpot.tv and Nielsen ONE Ads, to offer cross-media reach measurement for campaign performance. These expanded features aim to help brands reach larger and more specific audiences on TikTok.

Google Losing Market Share

Recent data revisions from Statcounter indicate that Google's reported significant loss in search market share was not as drastic as initially stated. The revised data shows that Google's search market share in the United States fell to 86.58% in April, down from 86.94% in March. While the decline is not as severe as previously reported, it suggests that Google has been consistently losing market share since August 2023. Microsoft Bing and Yahoo, on the other hand, experienced gains in their market share during the same period. The revised data also indicates that globally, Google's search market share stands at 90.91%. It is worth noting that the data is still under review, and further changes may occur before it is finalized.

OpenAI To Launch its Search Engine?

OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch its own search engine, as suggested by recent signals. The domain search.chatgpt.com has appeared in server log files, indicating that OpenAI is developing search functionality. An SSL certificate log revealed this information and sparked speculation about OpenAI's upcoming announcement. It is rumored that the company may host an event on May 9, 2024, to introduce the search engine. While it is expected that OpenAI's search engine will offer an alternative to Google, specific details about its features remain unknown. The emergence of more search engine alternatives, such as Bing and Perplexity AI, is seen as a positive development in the search community.

TikTok Resumes Hosting UMG Music

TikTok has reached a new licensing agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG) after a previous dispute resulted in UMG pulling its music from the platform. The agreement signifies a strategic collaboration designed to support UMG's artists and songwriters. TikTok will utilize its technology, marketing capabilities, and promotional tools to enhance revenue opportunities and offer better remuneration for UMG's creators. The agreement also includes provisions for generative artificial intelligence (A.I.) protections. The return of UMG tracks to TikTok fills a significant gap in the platform's music library and strengthens TikTok's position as a platform for music promotion.

Instagram Update Favors Original Creators

Instagram has announced a major algorithm update aimed at prioritizing original content creators and offering more opportunities to emerging creators. The update consists of four key elements. First, aggregator accounts that repeatedly post content from other users without material enhancement will be removed from content recommendations. Second, Instagram will add labels to reposted content to redirect users to the original creators. Third, the platform will replace reposted content with the original in recommendations. Finally, smaller creators will receive more distribution to give them a better chance of reaching new audiences. The update reflects Meta's focus on enhancing its connection with creators and may impact posting strategies.

Google's Unified Approach to CTV Buying

Google has introduced updates to its ad buying platform, Display and Video 360 (DV360), aimed at making it easier for marketers to manage campaigns across Google and other connected TV (CTV) publishers. The updates include more options for customized deals, a budget allocation tool, and plans to publish open web standards for its Publisher Advertiser Identity Reconciliation (PAIR) framework. Marketers can now set up customized deals with top CTV publishers directly within DV360, buy and manage guaranteed and biddable deals across publishers, and measure cross-platform campaigns. Google aims to provide a comprehensive view of ad performance and maximize streaming investment for marketers. The company also announced a product that optimizes reach across guaranteed and non-guaranteed deals using AI and introduced its PAIR framework for CTV, which allows publishers and advertisers to match first-party data. Google plans to make the framework open source in collaboration with the IAB Tech Lab.

Roblox Welcomes Programmatic Video Ads

Roblox, the popular online gaming platform with over 71 million daily users, has announced that its video ad platform is now open to programmatic demand. Advertisers can place programmatic video ads on virtual billboards within Roblox's immersive environments without any significant commitments. Roblox has partnered with Integral Ad Science for viewability and invalid traffic measurement and with Kantar Context Lab for brand lift measurement. These developments are a result of feedback from agencies and advertisers. Roblox initially focused on building immersive environments to test advertising demand and establish partnerships with brands and agencies. The company also hints at its commerce ambitions and discusses the challenges of navigating the regulatory landscape for digital advertising.

DOJ Seeks Google Sanctions

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking sanctions against Google as the antitrust trial regarding Google Search concludes. The trial focused on Google's alleged anticompetitive conduct in the general search and search advertising markets. The DOJ argues that Google locked up key distribution channels for the search engine market, hindering potential rivals. Additionally, Google faced criticism for failing to retain chat messages that the DOJ believes could have been relevant to the case. The fate of Google's search business now rests with Judge Amit Mehta, who will determine if Google engaged in anticompetitive behavior.

Get ready for EU Accessibility Act

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), adopted in 2019, aims to enhance access to products and services for individuals with disabilities in the European Union (EU). The EAA covers various products and services, including ecommerce websites, and requires compliance from businesses with EU-based customers. All companies, regardless of their location, must adhere to the EAA if they have customers in any of the 27 EU member countries. Noncompliance can result in penalties, such as fines and even imprisonment in some cases. To comply with the EAA, businesses need to implement Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA, addressing issues like color contrast, alt text for images, and proper heading structure. It is emphasized that automated tools alone are insufficient for ensuring full compliance, and manual testing is necessary. Businesses should prioritize accessibility compliance as enforcement of the EAA begins on June 28, 2025.

Key Takeaways from IAB NewFronts

IAB NewFronts, a digital advertising showcase, took place in New York and highlighted the future of advertising and viewing experiences for connected consumers. The event showcased new ways consumers are watching video and how marketers can reach them through connected screens. With digital video set to surpass linear ad spend, the presentations emphasized improving video experiences for consumers through enhanced browsing and programming, as well as the growing role of AI technology in reaching and engaging consumers at scale. Notable developments included T-Mobile's in-store retail media network, Google's partnership with IAB Tech Lab for identity reconciliation, Google's AI technology for unifying campaigns, CTV's relevance for navigating major events like the Olympics, and advancements in home screen experiences for CTV viewers. The article also discussed AI-powered brand placement and its effectiveness in incorporating brands into video content.