1. Google's new ad policies will have a profound effect on the mobile gaming industry, and in particular, the hypercasual gaming category. Under the new rules, ads will no longer be allowed to appear at the beginning of a game level, and they will also be required to be more clearly labelled. This is likely to result in a significant decrease in revenue for hypercasual game developers, who rely heavily on advertising to generate income. The new
policy is also likely to lead to a decrease in the number of people playing hypercasual games, as many users are likely to be put off by the increased number of intrusive ads. Ultimately, these changes are likely to have a negative impact on the entire mobile gaming ecosystem.
2. Recently, Google seems to be testing a new search box and feature titled “perspectives.” The feature shows multiple results in a Featured Snippet answer for a query, giving the searcher multiple perspectives. This could potentially be a very useful feature, as it would provide different points of view on a topic and allow the user to make a more informed decision. However, it is not clear how Google
would decide which perspectives to include, or whether or not this feature would be biased. At this time, it is still in testing and has not been officially rolled out. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how this develops and whether or not it becomes a permanent fixture on the Google search engine.
3. It looks like TikTok is now paying users to invite their friends to use the app. According to recent reports, TikTok is offering users cash rewards for every new user they bring to the platform. The cash can be withdrawn from the app or redeemed for coupons. This is a significant development, as it shows that TikTok is willing to invest in its user base in order to grow its business. It also indicates that TikTok is confident in its
ability to attract new users. This is good news for anyone who is looking for a way to make money by using TikTok.
4. According to the latest figures from SensorTower, around of third (34%) of Snapchat users in the US open the app every day. Although Snapchat trails TikTok for engagement globally, in the US the app is as popular as Instagram when it comes to power users. The figures show that Snapchat is still a strong force in the social media landscape, despite recent challenges. The app has a highly engaged user base, which is regularly using the app to
communicate with friends and family. Snapchat’s popularity among younger users also means that it has a bright future ahead. As more people come of age and begin using social media, Snapchat is likely to continue growing in popularity. With a strong user base and a bright future, Snapchat is poised to remain a key player in the social media landscape.
5. Instagram head Adam Mosseri says the social network will walk back some recent changes to the app that have led to intense criticism from users. Instagram will phase out a test that turned users’ home feed into a single, scrolling stream of posts from people they follow, and it is also undoing a change to how many “likes” a post could receive. The app is also ditching a plan to include marketing content in users’ profiles. These changes
come after Instagram was heavily criticized for a major redesign thatRolling Stone called a “clunky, intrusive update.” The new design was meant to make the app more user-friendly, but it instead led to an outpouring of negative feedback. In response to the criticisms, Instagram is now walking back some of the changes and reverting to its previous design. This shows that the company is listening to its users and is willing to make changes based on their feedback.
6. Danny Sullivan recently tweeted that sites that require age verification would not surface in Google Discover. While this may be true for the time being, there is no guarantee that it will always be the case. It's important to remember that Google is constantly changing and evolving, and what may be true today may not be true tomorrow. Age verification is a complex issue, and it's possible that Google will eventually find a way to
surface these types of sites in Discover. For now, though, it's best to assume that Sullivan's tweet is accurate and plan accordingly.
7. Twitter announced today that it is increasing the price of its subscription service Twitter Blue from $2.99 per month to $4.99 per month. Current U.S.-based Twitter Blue subscribers will stay at $2.99 a month until October, TechCrunch reports. The price hike comes as Twitter looks to monetize its platform more effectively and compete with other social media networks like Facebook and Instagram. While the company has not yet released
detailed information on what new features will be included in Twitter Blue, it is likely that the higher price point will be justified by expanded functionality and greater customer support. For many users, Twitter Blue could provide a much-needed boost to their social media experience. For others, however, the increased cost may simply not be worth it. Only time will tell how successful Twitter's new subscription model will be.
8. The publishing industry is under immense pressure to monetize their content and sustain their revenue streams. This is where 'funnels' come in - they provide a way for publishers to not only capture but also retain eyeballs on their content. Advertisers are also in a race to create sustainable 'funnels', and those who embrace this sooner rather than later will have the last laugh as they will be capturing a greater share of voice, penetrate
the market further and record YoY affil. Meanwhile, affiliates are also brand builders when you think about the way they have had to evolve. Those who adopt this mindset sooner rather than later will be able to capture a greater share of the market and drive more sustainable growth for their business.
9. Digital performance marketing agency, Tug, has announced the appointment of Daniel Capon as Head of Biddable Media in the UK. Capon, who joins from Starcom, will oversee Tug’s paid media team in London to deliver data-led, highly trackable campaigns. Capon will draw on his wealth of agency experience to drive continued growth for Tug across paid search and paid social.
10. Zefr announced the acquisition of Adverif.ai, an Israeli-based AI company focused on identifying and defunding misinformation. Adverif.ai’s AI-driven approach to debunking misinformation is based on a fact-checking engine, which applies custom integrations with over 50 fact-checking organisations around the world to train dynamic machine learning algorithms to identify, label, and measure misinformation at rapid speed. AdVerif.ai’s
Israel-based team of data scientists and engineers, led by founder/CEO Or Levi, will join Zefr’s technology organisation and be based out of Tel Aviv. Check out my conversation with Adam Singolda to hear more about the fusion of humans and AI to aid success.
11.Cavai, the leading conversational advertising cloud, has announced a global partnership with MediaMath, as the ad tech company continues to introduce pioneering products and integrations to the market. This partnership will bring Cavai's conversational advertising solutions to programmatic advertisers on MediaMath's TerminalOne platform, enabling them to deliver more engaging and personalised advertising experiences at scale. MediaMath is one of
the world's largest independent ad tech companies, serving over 6,000 brands and agencies in more than 70 countries. Cavai is a fast-growing start-up that has developed a unique Artificial Intelligence-powered platform that enables brands to have natural, two-way conversations with their customers across digital channels. The partnership between these two companies will allow programmatic advertisers to deliver more personalised and engaging advertising experiences at scale by harnessing the
power of AI-powered conversational marketing. This is a significant development for both Cavai and MediaMath, and underscores our commitment to providing industry-leading solutions that help brands better connect with their customers.