Fried Bids, Digital News - 9th-23rd Sep 2024
This is my personal selection of the most interesting stories published from 9th-23rd Sep 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.
At the DMEXCO digital marketing conference, Google announced significant updates to its Performance Max campaigns aimed at enhancing advertiser insights and controls. The updates include enhanced creative asset reporting, allowing advertisers to see conversion metrics at the asset level and identify underperforming elements through an upcoming “asset coverage” report. Google is also revamping insights reporting to consolidate analysis and recommendations into a single view, introducing new metrics to track campaign performance against goals. Additionally, advertisers will gain more control with features like campaign-level negative keywords and customization options for brand elements. These changes are designed to improve transparency and performance analysis for advertisers.
Google Ads has introduced "confidential matching", a feature designed to securely connect advertisers' first-party data with its measurement and audience solutions. Utilizing Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), this technology ensures that uploaded customer data—such as email addresses and phone numbers—is only processed if there is a match, keeping the data hidden from Google unless needed. This initiative aims to enhance data security and transparency for advertisers while allowing them to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Confidential matching is now the default for Google Ads' Customer Match and will soon roll out for enhanced conversions, available to all customers globally. Advertisers can also encrypt their data independently for added security.
Google has revamped its crawler documentation by reorganizing content into three focused pages to improve information density and topical clarity. This change addresses the previous overwhelming overview page, which had become too comprehensive to effectively serve users. The new structure includes sections on common crawlers, special-case crawlers, and user-triggered fetchers, allowing for more specific information to be presented. Key updates also include an updated user agent string, content encoding details, and a section on technical properties. This revamp aims to enhance usability, making it easier for users to find relevant information while setting the stage for future content expansion.
YouTube has introduced "Communities", a new interactive space designed for creators and their fans to engage more deeply, akin to a Discord server integrated into a channel. Announced at the Made On YouTube event, this feature allows subscribers to post and share content directly within a creator's space, fostering conversations and connections beyond standard video comments. The aim is to reduce reliance on external platforms like Discord or Reddit for fan interactions. Currently, Communities is being tested on mobile with a select group of creators, with plans for broader testing later this year and wider access in early 2025. This initiative emphasizes YouTube's commitment to enhancing creator-fan relationships.
Threads has continued to climb in app download rankings, reaching 6th overall and 2nd on iOS during August, with 28 million cumulative downloads. Despite Meta not updating its active user count since July, when it reported 200 million monthly active users, the app’s rising downloads indicate growing momentum in the micro-blogging space. In contrast, its main competitor, X, has seen a decline, ranking 43rd on iOS and 56th on Android for total downloads. This shift suggests that Threads is gradually capturing audience share from X, which has lost millions of users in Europe and faced a ban in Brazil. Projections indicate Threads could exceed 300 million active users by year-end.
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According to Tinuiti, the top retail media networks (RMNs) are led by Amazon, Walmart Connect, Target's Roundel, Instacart Ads, and Kroger Precision Marketing. Amazon dominates with unmatched first-party data, while Walmart Connect offers strong omnichannel targeting. Roundel delivers personalized ads based on deep customer insights, Instacart connects grocery brands with consumers at the point of purchase, and Kroger excels with its data-driven approach to in-store and online engagement. Together, these networks allow brands to reach consumers through highly targeted, data-backed ads across various channels.
IAB Europe and IAB have collaboratively released the first-ever definitions and measurement standards for in-store retail media, open for public comment until November 1, 2024. This initiative aims to address the growing opportunities in in-store retail media by providing unified guidelines on ad formats, store zones, and performance measurement. Developed through workshops with 14 retail media networks and industry stakeholders, the standards seek to enhance consistency and transparency across markets, enabling retailers and brands to tap into new revenue streams. This effort reflects the need for a structured approach as the in-store digital retail media landscape evolves, fostering better integration within digital advertising strategies across Europe.
Roku has launched a self-serve ad platform called Roku Ads Manager to meet the growing demand from connected TV (CTV) advertisers. This platform allows brands to buy and optimize ads across all streaming inventory on Roku, rather than just individual services. By enabling precise targeting based on geolocation and audience segments, Roku aims to attract performance-oriented advertisers looking for efficient campaign management. Brands like Ogee are utilizing the platform to transition from social media to streaming, seeking broader audience reach. The Ads Manager also supports shoppable video ads and integrates with Shopify, enhancing attribution and measurement capabilities for advertisers in the evolving CTV landscape.
In the second week of the USA v. Google antitrust trial, key testimonies revealed the company's dominant position in the ad tech industry. Notable witnesses included Brian O’Kelley, CEO of Scope3, and Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, who discussed Google's competitive advantages and practices. Testimony from experts like Rosa Abrantes-Metz highlighted exclusionary tactics that protect Google's products from competition, while Professor Robin Lee estimated that Google's DFP holds a 91% market share of open web display impressions. Matthew Wheatland from the Daily Mail indicated that publishers could lose over $350,000 monthly if they shifted away from Google’s services, underscoring the significant financial impact of Google's market control. The trial continues to explore these anti-competitive practices and their implications for the industry.
In the first week of the Google v. DOJ antitrust trial, the Department of Justice presented its case against Google, alleging monopolistic control over the ad market by leveraging its search dominance. Witnesses described the challenges publishers face in switching ad servers due to Google’s practices, which stifle competition. Testimonies revealed that Google’s Unified Pricing Rules limit publisher control and create conflicts of interest, as highlighted by industry experts and former Google executives. The trial also scrutinized Google’s auction practices and its strategy post-DoubleClick acquisition, illustrating how these tactics disadvantage competitors. As the trial progresses, the implications for the ad tech landscape remain significant.
OpenAI has introduced a new generative AI model named o1, designed to enhance its ability to fact-check responses. This model features two variants, o1-preview and o1-mini, which are available through ChatGPT and OpenAI’s API. Unlike its predecessor, o1 employs a self-reasoning mechanism that allows it to evaluate questions more holistically before responding, improving its accuracy in complex tasks such as legal analysis and coding. While o1 demonstrates superior performance in various assessments, including problem-solving and multilingual capabilities, it also presents challenges, including higher costs and potential latency in responses. OpenAI aims to refine o1 further and make it accessible to a broader audience in the future.
SEO Director @ Jellyfish
2 个月Performance Max ha riempito il vuoto morale lasciato da Internet Explorer. Prima o poi arriva, con i tempi suoi.