1.It’s no secret that Twitter’s been going through some changes.
The company recently laid off thousands of employees, and then CEO Elon Musk requested that many more people leave the company in order to “stay hardcore.” But now it looks like things are going to be different! Musk has appointed longtime Twitter
executive Chris Riedy to lead the social platform’s advertising sales team after firing the former marketing and sales lead, Robin Wheeler, who refused his request to lay off more members of her team. Riedy steps into the role at a volatile time for Twitter, after Musk laid off thousands of employees and then asked those remaining to commit to a “hardcore” version of Twitter—or leave. After that second purge, Musk wanted to fire more people working in ad sales, according to a person
familiar with the matter. Wheeler, who Musk had earlier convinced to stay at the company, along with partnerships lead Maggie Suniewick, refused and both were let go. Bloomberg reported earlier on Musk’s request to Wheeler.
2.Google has released a guide containing descriptions and updates of all ranking systems in a centralized hub for users to “better understand how these systems work.” The guide lists all current and
retired systems, as well as providing descriptions that outline their purpose. It also provides information about the AI systems that are responsible for different aspects of content. New, old, retired: The centralized page will reflect real-time tweaks to existing systems. It will also publish future updates and sunset the outdated ones. This is
incredibly helpful for anyone looking to better understand how Google works and why some sites rank higher than others.
3. It's the most wonderful time of the year! That's right, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are upon us. Marketers and agency execs say they are seeing between 70-85% of BFCM ad budgets going to Facebook and roughly 5-10% of budgets going to TikTok this year with the rest of the budget dedicated to Google and
YouTube. That being said, spending on TikTok is still focused on brand awareness over performance marketing for many as TikTok hasn’t proven performance marketing dollars to work as well on the platform just yet, according to agency execs. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales have been ongoing for some brands, the true BFCM madness commences this week and marketers and agency execs say that ad spending continues to focus on Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram. However, they are also
testing out running BFCM ads on TikTok as well this year. (DD)
4. It's hard to believe that, even in this day and age, the island nation of Tuvalu is facing a very real threat from rising sea levels.
But it's true: The Pacific island nation is one of the most vulnerable places on earth to the effects of climate change, and it's already started to plan for a digital future.Tuvalu enlisted
Accenture Song-owned agency The Monkeys and Collider to co-create its presence in the metaverse, starting with its smallest island Teafualiku Islet. The project, which was announced by Tuvalu Minister of Justice, Communication & Foreign Affairs Simon Kofe at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), will catalogue, map, record and save historical documents, records of cultural practice, family albums and traditional songs. The aim is to capture as much of Tuvaluan island life as
possible. "As our land disappears," said Kofe at COP27, "we have no choice but to become the world’s first digital nation." (TheDrum)
5. If you've got a 3D or immersive experience, you know that traditional analytics don't cut it anymore. The exponential rise in immersive experiences on the web has created a need for creators, developers and agencies to achieve a higher level of insight than traditional 2D analytics platforms are able to
provide. Metalitix is a suite of data collection and visualization tools for XR and 3D experiences, packaged up into one of the most advanced Spatial Analytics tools ever built. It provides a detailed understanding of user behaviour & engagement within 3D and immersive environments—in other words, truly understanding how users are exploring your Metaverse. The platform will be compatible across a wide range of platforms, including Three.js, AFrame, Decentraland, 8th Wall, Unity,
Unreal Engine & more. Metalitix™ integration is simple: just drop in some code! Advanced users may integrate the Metalitix API to collect custom data fields throughout their 3D experience.
6.It's the most wonderful time of the year — but it's also one of the most stressful times of the year. If you're an email marketer, you know that holiday shopping is incredibly competitive and that consumers are looking for deals and discounts
everywhere they look. That's why it's important to make sure your emails stand out. And if you have Gen Zers on your list, it's even more important! Gen Zers are planning to spend more money than ever this year — an average of $1,418 compared with $1,240 for millennials and $1,053 for parents. And they're planning to spend more on themselves: 39% of their budget compared with 31% for millennials and 37% for parents. But it's not just about how much they're willing to spend — it's about
how they'll spend it. While most people will be looking at social media or TV while shopping, Gen Zers are more likely to go mobile: 89% have made mobile purchases compared with 76% of millennials and 88% of parents.
So if you want to reach these customers in their prime gift-buying years, now is the time! (MP)
7.In an interview with Freakonomics that ran last week, Marissa Mayer said that one of the reasons search has taken a hit is
because there are so many more ads on a search page and less relevant content, which makes it harder for marketers to analyze data to determine who gets served which ad. She pointed out that when she started at Google, there were about 30 million web pages, but now there are likely around a trillion URLs. Google Search might have concerns that the value of its platform continues to decline in value, but another former employer -- Yahoo -- made an announcement today to advance identity
resolution, which could fix that problem.
8.Facebook's parent company, Meta, has been accused of violating user privacy with its surveillance advertising. Tanya O'Carroll, a technology and human rights activist, filed a suit at London’s High Court challenging the company's data gathering practices despite all the work parent company Meta Platforms alleges it has done in the past several months to ensure user privacy. The filing
alleges that Meta Platforms' Facebook continues to harvest personal data for ad targeting, and insists that the company should stop this practice. A combination of data and advertising create the foundation of Facebook’s business model. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, announced Monday it was updating its privacy defaults for teenagers age 16 and under, or 18 and under in certain countries, with automatic features for tightened privacy control. The company also tightened privacy
restrictions on Instagram."
9.Phil Schraeder, CEO of GumGum, knows that attention metrics are the future of digital video advertising. In December 2021, GumGum acquired Playground xyz, which focuses on measurement and optimization. It was a $75 million investment from Goldman Sachs, which is helping the company develop the most advanced attention metrics available for brands.
When asked about why he decided to make this
acquisition, Schraeder said: “We are all in on the application of attention measurement." He also added that "this second acquisition is light years ahead of any organic investment" he has made with his company before.
10. Amagi, the cloud video-infrastructure firm that has been busy making moves for its free ad-supported streaming TV services (FASTs), just made another one. The company announced Monday that it had acquired the
data-analytics startup Streamwise, in a bid to boost its appeal to FAST operators. New York-based Amagi said it would integrate Streamwise's data platform into its own offerings—helping content distributors make smart decisions and scale their business in the streaming economy. "What content brands need now more than ever is information at their fingertips," stated Amagi CEO and co-founder Baskar Subramanian. "The genius of Streamwise's data platform lies in its simplicity and
accessibility, making it an excellent value addition to Amagi's SSAI-based ad offerings." "Our combined offering will help content distributors make smart decisions and scale their business in the streaming economy by saving content, sales, marketing, and finance executives from repetitive, manual and error-prone processes," added Doug Shineman, set to lead business development for Amagi's new analytics operation. Amagi has been busy as of late—with just its last six months featuring
announcements of deals with such FAST operators as Crackle Plus
10. Now, the latest development in his quest is the decision to grant access to divisive figures who have historically violated Twitter’s content policies and stoked misinformation on the platform. Some believe it’s all a symptom that Musk is trying anything and everything to recoup the billions he poured into the acquisition. “We are seeing a real-time pilot of Elon Musk
in search of a business model that works,” says Joe Pulizzi, an entrepreneur, podcaster and author of various marketing books. “Accurate information, first amendment, free speech – all that is secondary. Elon has $27bn of his own money in this and he’s desperate to find a model that will significantly increase the value of Twitter over time. Adding Trump and Kanye back on the platform is good for monetizing eyeballs. That’s it.” Pulizzi predicts that Musk will try to keep both Trump and West on
the platform “for as long as possible” – regardless of whether or not they violate the platform. (theDrum)
11. The streaming-video-capable device market in the U.S. passed the 10-figure mark in 2021 and is expected to reach 1.1 billion by 2025, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The report credits a surge in connected-TV ownership as the main driver of those numbers—from 107.7 million sets in 2016, to 191.8 million in
2021, and a forecast 274.2 million in 2026.
12. The FTC recently voted unanimously to issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) considering modification to the FTC’s Business Opportunity Rule (BOR). The BOR as currently applies a “commercial arrangement” in which a “seller solicits a prospective purchaser to enter into a new business,” the “prospective purchaser makes a required payment, and the “seller, expressly or by
implication, orally or in writing, represents that the seller or one or more designated persons will’ either (i) provide locations for the purchaser’s equipment, (ii) provide outlets, accounts, or customers for the purchaser’s goods or services, or (iii) buy back any or all of the goods or services that the purchaser makes or provides. (READ FULL LEGAL ARTICLE)
13. Honda has unveiled a commercial for the new CR-V hybrid that was developed to tap into Asian Americans' spirit of family and adventure, with versions in English, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean. Media placements through Asian Media Group, IncrementX and A | Code and Tastemade will target
Asian American consumers via 60-, 30-, and 15-second versions. The spot will also run on Spotify and Vevo, and shorter cut-downs will be featured on TikTok. According to the company, Honda is the number two automotive brand among Asian Americans and the CR-V is the second most popular vehicle among this consumer group. (MD)