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"Go F*ck Yourself" The Unraveling of Elon Musk and X
In a brightly lit room of power and privilege, the air is thick with tension. Elon Musk, the once-celebrated tech mogul and current owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, stands defiantly. It's a Wednesday at the New York Times DealBook event,
and the audience, a blend of the elite and the curious, leans in. Musk's words slice through the atmosphere, unapologetic and raw: “Go f*ck yourself.” This outburst isn't just a momentary lapse. It's the culmination of weeks of escalating conflict between Musk and a cohort of major advertisers who've withdrawn from X in response to what many perceive as an antisemitic endorsement by
Musk. Companies like Apple, Walt Disney, and IBM have pulled back, costing X an estimated $75 million. At the heart of this exodus lies a controversial post by Musk, responding affirmatively to a user's antisemitic rant. Musk's stance is unyielding. He accuses these corporations of
blackmail, of using their financial clout as a weapon against him. “Don’t advertise,” he challenges, his voice a mix of anger and disdain. This isn't just about advertising dollars; it's a battle for the soul of X and, by extension, Musk's vision of free speech. To understand this moment is to delve into Musk's psyche. Here is a man who's revolutionized industries, who's reached for the
stars with SpaceX, electrified the roads with Tesla, and now finds himself at the helm of a social media giant teetering on the brink. His response to the boycott is both a war cry and a warning: X could die, and if it does, he vows to document the death throes, to lay the blame squarely at the feet of those who withdrew their support. But beneath the bravado lies complexity. Musk's apology
for his post, albeit overshadowed by his rage, hints at self-awareness, at a recognition of the loaded gun he handed his detractors. It's a rare glimpse into the vulnerability of a man who's often seemed invincible. The scene at the DealBook Summit is telling. Musk, in his element yet isolated, rejects the notion of an apology tour to Israel. His confrontation with the audience, his direct
challenge to Disney CEO Bob Iger, underscores his belief in his own narrative. He's a man who refuses to "tap dance" to public opinion, yet his actions speak of a deeper turmoil. This turmoil isn't just corporate. It seeps into the personal, with reports of increased isolation and erratic behavior, possibly exacerbated by his use of ketamine. Former SEC Chair Jay Clayton's words resonate
here, acknowledging Musk's vision but not absolving him of his transgressions. In this Shakespearean drama, Musk's “go f-ck yourself” echoes not just in the halls of power but in the public consciousness. It's a moment of raw authenticity from a figure who's become as much an enigma as a visionary. This is Elon Musk at a crossroads, defiant yet vulnerable, powerful yet perilously close to
losing everything he's built. As X teeters on the edge, the world watches. Will this be Musk's ultimate downfall, or will he, like a modern-day Phoenix, rise from the ashes of controversy? Only time will tell. But for now, in that room of hushed whispers and unspoken judgments, Elon Musk stands alone, a man against the world.
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All the news you need today, in a format that isn't TL:DR summarized for the busy executive.
🍪🎉 It's a cookie extravaganza at Insomnia Cookies for National Cookie Day on Dec. 4! From Dec. 1-4, cookie fans can grab a free Classic cookie and a $1 Deluxe cookie with the Insomniac app, plus some sweet buy-one-get-one deals in-store and online. 🛍️📱 But wait, there's more! The Ultimate Cookie Lover Contest is back, giving
creative cookie connoisseurs a chance to whip up their dream cookie flavor. 🏆🍪 Last year's winner, Abby Haluska, dazzled with The Cinnamon Bun Filled Deluxe Cookie, making its debut from Dec. 1-10. 🤤🎄 And to keep the festive spirit going, Insomnia introduces its Jinglebread and Holiday Spirit collections starting Dec. 5, featuring tempting treats like Vegan Sweet Potato Pie and Solstice Confetti Classics. 🌟🎅 #CookieCraze #InsomniaCookies
🍔👕 McDonald's is throwing it back with a splash of street style in its latest collaboration with Kerwin Frost. They're revamping the iconic Happy Meal with a customized box and the return of the McNugget Buddies, last seen over 25 years ago! 🎨🍟 The Kerwin Frost Box, launching Dec. 11, features one of six artist-designed Buddies, along with a side
of trendy merch like Fry Guy shoes. 🤩👟 This nostalgic nod, complete with a TV spot, social buzz, AR fun, and gaming content, follows the footsteps of last year's hit Cactus Plant Flea Market collab. 🎮🌵 McDonald's is dialing up the digital cool factor too, with Instagram (@mcnuggetbudds), Snapchat AR, and a gaming site feature. 💻🕹️ They're mixing childhood joy with streetwear swagger, proving Happy Meals aren't just for kids anymore. This mashup of fashion, nostalgia, and fast food is
McDonald's playful way to keep us all lovin' it. 🎈🔥 #McNuggetBuddies #McDonaldsXKerwinFrost 🥤✨ Coca-Cola's "Create Real Magic" platform is the new digital elf on the shelf this holiday season! Teaming up with OpenAI and Bane & Company, they're letting us play Santa's helper by crafting personalized AI-powered holiday cards, using vintage Coca-Cola art. 🎨🎄
Earlier this year, fans whipped up over 120,000 images for a chance to see their art on big city billboards. 🏙️🖼️ It's not just about sipping Coke anymore; it's about blending tech, creativity, and a dash of nostalgia to keep the brand fizzing with excitement. 🎅💻 #CocaColaChristmas #AIArtwork 🎁🤖
📉📰 Publishers' programmatic ad dreams didn't quite light up like a Christmas
tree this year, according to Digiday+ Research. While almost half were gung-ho about boosting programmatic ad revenues in early 2023, the reality was more 'meh' than 'yay'. 🎢💸 By Q3, those raking in big bucks from programmatic ads dipped to 28% from 38%, though a moderate revenue uptick was seen. Good news? More publishers are making at least some dough from programmatic ads, up from 85% to 87%. 📈💰 The programmatic pie is growing, just not as fast as hoped. And in the programmatic
playground, it's the open market swings that are seeing more action than the direct-sold slides. 🎪🎟️ #ProgrammaticPuzzle #AdRevenueRollercoaster 🎲🚀
The Wall Street Journal's investigation into Instagram's Reels algorithm raised eyebrows 🤯: it recommended racy content, including videos of children, to accounts following young influencers. 🚸📹 Meta, Instagram's
parent company, set up test accounts mimicking young users and found explicit content alongside ads from big names like Walmart and Disney. 🛍️📱 This issue also caught the attention of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. In response, brands like Bumble and Disney paused their Instagram ads, demanding action. 💬🛑 Meta's rep, Samantha Stetson, defended their efforts in safety and security, claiming the Journal's findings were not reflective of the typical user experience. Despite this,
Meta agreed to fund brand-safety audits but kept the specifics under wraps. 🛠️🔍
Digital advertising shines as the hero in the latest ad spend saga! 🦸♂️💻 U.S. media ad sales jumped 4.4% in Q2, beating expectations and setting a positive trend for 2023. Magna forecasts a 5.2% increase for the year and even higher in 2024, especially with big events like the Olympics.
📈🎉 While digital ads are booming (8.7% up YOY), traditional media like TV and print are in a slump, dropping 4.1%. 📉📺 The only old-school format doing well? Out-of-home ads, thanks to digital billboards. 🌆🚏 Linear TV's struggles continue, with falling ratings and rising costs. Meanwhile, digital's stars - search, social, and retail media - are thriving, with search spend hitting $94.6 billion in 2023! 🚀💲 Retail media is the dark horse, growing a whopping 22%. In the mix, consumer goods
companies bounce back from inflation woes, splurging on ads for personal care, food, beverages, and even pharma. 🛍️💊 Despite economic jitters, people aren't skimping on cars or vacations, hinting at a resilient market for advertisers. 🚗✈️ All in all, it's a digital dazzle with a traditional media fizzle in the ad world. 🌟📉
At Disney's Town Hall in NYC, CEO Bob Iger put a
twist on his previous hint about selling Disney's linear TV networks. 🔄📺 He emphasized evolving, not selling, these networks, focusing on a more efficient, new-age business model. 🚀🌐 This reframe happened during his chat with ABC's David Muir, a shift from his July CNBC interview. On stage at the New Amsterdam Theater, Iger was joined by Disney's top brass, including Josh D’Amaro and ESPN's Jimmy Pitaro. 🌟🎤 Dana Walden suggested a synergy between linear TV and streaming,
integrating live shows and sports into streaming schedules. 🏈🎭 Pitaro highlighted ESPN's 2025 streaming debut, teasing features like advanced stats and fantasy sports to lure in the youngsters. 🕹️📊 It's a tale of modernizing traditional TV, blending it with the streaming world to keep the Disney magic alive in the digital era. 🧙♂️💫
Microsoft Retail Media and Vibenomics,
under Mood Media, are revolutionizing in-store retail through a simple yet effective collaboration. 🌐🛍️ They're running tests in grocery spaces, merging audio ads in physical stores with digital advertising on retail websites. 📢💻 Their strategy is showing impressive results, like a 40% increase in spend for a yogurt brand test case. Microsoft initially struggled to link in-store sales data with online ads, but Vibenomics' engaging audio content and AI-supported creative strategies
are changing the game. 🤖🎵 This partnership, leveraging Mood Media's vast retail network, is creating a seamless, multi-channel shopping experience, blending the digital and physical realms of consumer engagement. 🛒💫
🍪🖥️🔍 Google is tiptoeing into a cookie-less future, announcing baby steps to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome. Johann Hofmann, Google's senior software
engineer, laid out a roadmap for this cookie crumble, starting with a modest 1% block in early January 2024, known as M120. This journey, marked by a "holiday freeze" hiccup, will be a slow and steady one. To smoothen the path, Google has whipped up some workarounds for site owners, users, and browsers, ensuring minimal chaos in the digital cookie jar. Additionally, they've cooked up user interface controls in Chrome for temporary exceptions per top-level site. This cookie diet plan,
aligned with UK's Competition and Markets Authority commitments from February 2022, is part of Google's bigger plan: the Privacy Sandbox initiative. It's a grand scheme to balance privacy protection with the free flow of online content and services, including ad support, while minimizing cross-site tracking. The tech world is buzzing, with IAB Tech Lab's CEO calling it a “radical” shift in ad targeting. This cookie phase-out is not just a change in flavor but a whole new recipe for the web's
future. 🌐🛡️🚦
📊🔥🤔 Purpose-driven marketing found itself in hot water in 2023, sparking controversies that hit brands where it hurts: sales and revenue. Amid economic strains, the backlash sent shivers through the industry, challenging the once-celebrated approach of aligning with noble causes. While research sings praises of purpose's potential profits, its execution faced criticism, hinting at a deeper issue of faltering
brand-building. The rise of generative AI adds to the tumult, questioning the relevance of human touch in an increasingly automated landscape. Experts like Margot Acton from Kantar emphasize the criticality of purpose-led marketing in an era where brand distinctiveness is key. But the road ahead is thorny, with political tensions and "anti-woke" sentiments complicating matters. Brands like Bud Light faced boycotts, and others, like Unilever, are reevaluating their purpose-centric strategies. The
marketing world now stands at a crossroads, weighing the merits of purpose against the backdrop of heightened political divisions and a generation weary of corporate advocacy. As 2023 closes, the industry ponders the sustainability of purpose-driven marketing amidst these challenges. 🌐🧭🚧
🧁📱🍽️ Melissa Ben-Ishay, CEO of Baked by Melissa, whipped up a social media storm by
pivoting from cupcake content to a broader menu on TikTok, including a viral salad video. This shift not only spiced up her brand's audience but also led to new partnerships and a fresh product: content. She's not alone in this culinary content craze; influencers and celebs alike are joining the banquet. The trend reflects a larger movement in the influencer marketing industry, where food content is now a hot dish. Agencies like CookIt and The Influencer Marketing Factory note a
significant appetite for food creators, seeing client demand and company growth rise. This surge in foodie fame is partly attributed to the pandemic, as more people turned to cooking at home. Food content's universal appeal and ease of entry make it a scrumptious strategy for influencers to diversify their portfolio and stay relevant in the ever-changing social media algorithms. The recipe for success in this genre seems straightforward: mix authenticity with relatability, add a dash of
creativity, and serve hot on platforms like TikTok. Despite saturation concerns, the industry's hunger for food content remains insatiable, creating endless opportunities for influencers to cook up success in the digital kitchen. 🌟👩🍳📈 (DIGIDAY)
Secret Island Salmon, riding the wave of soaring demand for fresh salmon, launched a gutsy "F-word" campaign to make a splash in the
market. 🌊🐟 This edgy strategy, part of their expansion into retail, uses playful yet provocative slogans like “F*** it” to promote sustainable salmon farming. 🎣💥 Daniel Del Coro, the head honcho of U.S. business development, masterminded this bold move to engage Gen Z and millennials, clearing up misconceptions about farmed salmon. 🎯🤔 Their marketing mix? A blend of digital ads and TikTok videos where Del Coro stars as the quirky “salmon man,” doubling their social media
engagement. 📱🕺 With consumer and retail response overwhelmingly positive, Secret Island Salmon's daring approach is a fresh catch in the world of advertising, proving that a little controversy can go a long way. 🚀👍
In a digital drama fit for the modern age 🌟, X Corp. (Twitter's rebranded version under Elon Musk) is embroiled in a legal battle ⚖️ against a nonprofit dedicated to exposing hate speech. The plot thickens as the ACLU
🗽, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Knight First Amendment Center join the fray, supporting the nonprofit in a federal court 🏛️. Their collective warning? An X Corp. victory could set a chilling precedent ❄️, stifling others' efforts to keep tech giants in check 🚫🤖. The crux of the dispute revolves around the nonprofit's use of scraping 🖥️🔍, a method of extracting data, which X Corp. claims violated its terms and a federal anti-hacking law 🚨. The case spirals further as X Corp., facing
a drop in ad revenue 💸, accuses the nonprofit of running a scare campaign 👻 to repel advertisers. This saga, blending issues of digital rights 📱, corporate power 💪, and public interest journalism 📰, raises crucial questions about the role and responsibility of social media platforms in moderating content and the delicate balance between enforcing company policies and supporting transparency in the digital age 🌍🔐👀.
👠⚖️ Meta and Christian Louboutin's tag-team lawsuit is turning the heat up on counterfeit sellers! Using Instagram and Facebook to peddle fake Louboutins? Think again! The duo's legal move in California is not just about breaking platform rules; it's a full-on intellectual property rights showdown 🛡️. Meta's not messing around either – they've been axing accounts and removing over 1.7 million posts linked to fakes 🚫📲. And with their
new Brand Rights Protection tool, they're spotting and stopping replicas faster than ever 🕵️♂️💨. This lawsuit isn't just a one-off; it's a loud message to copycats everywhere: Counterfeit is out, and consequences are real! 🚨💼 #NoFakesAllowed #BrandProtection🔒🛍️
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OOH LA LA: THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUTDOOR ADS FROM SIMPLE TO SMART In the labyrinth of advertising history, Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising stands like an ancient monolith, etching its
story into the very walls that house our everyday lives. From the first lease of a billboard in 1867, a time when the world was draped in the smoke of the industrial revolution, to the neon-drenched present, OOH advertising has not just survived; it has thrived, morphing with the ages, mirroring human ingenuity. READ MORE
THE ADTECH FORECAST FOR 2024: TRENDS YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS As we approach 2024, the global advertising market is on the brink of surpassing the $1 trillion mark, marking a new era in
the world of advertising technology (AdTech). This burgeoning field, a confluence of retail, fintech, and programmatic advertising, is set to redefine the landscape of how businesses connect with their audiences. READ MORE NOW
NO MORE CREEPY ADS: THE RISE OF CONTEXTUAL TARGETING In the ever-shifting, often bewildering universe of digital advertising, marketers are forever on the prowl for the latest tricks to
mesmerize their audience while preserving their privacy. We’ve talked about this numerous times here. In recent times, one tactic has risen steadily through the ranks – Contextual Targeting. It’s a peculiar beast, distinct from its shadowy cousin, Behavioral Targeting, in that it doesn’t stalk individual user habits but rather takes root in the contextual soil of web page content. In this expedition, we embark on a deep dive
into the realm of Contextual Video Advertising, probing its innards, technological sinews, and the capricious industry currents that shape its destiny. READ MORE NOW
Gram Glam: Unpacking Instagram's Shopping Bag of Tricks In the vast, variegated vista of the modern internet, Instagram has slyly sidestepped into a role it was once only flirting with: the
cyber Shangri-La for shoppers, a dream woven into the fabric of the digital marketplace. As 2023 unfurls its tapestry, we find Instagram has embroidered itself into the very center, eclipsing its origin story as a humble photo-sharing app to become a titan of e-commerce hustle and bustle. READ MORE NOW!!!
ADTECH’S BUZZWORD BAKE-OFF: CAN ‘SIGNAL LOSS’ TAKE THE COOKIE’S CROWN?Picture this: You’re a high-flying marketer, charting your course through the digital skies. Your flight
instruments? A plethora of data points that tell you who’s eyeballing your ads and when. But suddenly, you’re flying blind, all thanks to a phenomenon we’re calling “Signal Loss.” Signal Loss is akin to a pilot losing their instruments mid-flight. Only instead of altitude and speed, you’re losing sight of where your customers come from. It’s like Hansel and Gretel without the breadcrumbs—how do you find your way back home?
Well, updates in privacy policies have essentially eaten those breadcrumbs, leaving marketers feeling a bit peckish for data. READ MORE
FIND A WAY: THE TRUE BIG CREATIVE Get the creative narrative right, and you’re more than halfway there, regardless of the media strategy. Of course, in those days the targeting choices were very limited, as
broadcast reach was highly concentrated. With limited channels and the Internet in the realm of DARPA researchers, it was easy to reach just about everyone but far more difficult to persuade those to whom the ad was particularly relevant. Targeting in those days was best performed in special interest magazine publishing (we miss Soap Opera Weekly). Wrong Way Fast forward to the Internet era. The data hustlers had a new war
cry: creative/schmeative! READ MORE
PRIVACY MASQUERADE: ARE TECH GIANTS PLAYING US FOR FOOLS? Our personal details are the coin of the realm — and we find ourselves at an odd juncture—a privacy parade, bustling and vibrant,
with tech titans and data brokers waving the banners high for data protection and user privacy. Yet, if one dares to peek behind the elaborate floats and the glossy brochures, the truth is not so festive. It’s a parade, alright, but one that marches to a tune that’s far more complicated than it appears. READ MORE NOW
THE ALCHEMIST’S GUIDE TO STREAMING: TRANSMUTING PIXELS INTO GOLD In the dim-lit rooms of 90s family homes, the familiar drone of a cable box would hum in the background,
anchoring households to one shared reality: the televised world. There was a certain comfort, a certain predictability to the rhythmic switch between channels. But as time pressed on, that comfort faded, the predictability lost to the maddeningly vast digital universe of streaming. “Canceling cable was liberating,” said a friend recently, their voice wistful, “but now? Every night is a dissertation defense on what to watch next.” Megan Halscheid, a bespectacled woman in her mid-thirties with an analytical mind, once noted on Digiday that we, as humans, are insatiable in our thirst for content, always seeking more. READ MORE NOW
FROM GUT FEELINGS TO GIGABYTES: THE AI MARKETING METAMORPHOSIS Today AI stands like a monolith. Not just as a technological achievement, but as a beacon for what our future holds. No
longer is AI just a buzzword; it’s intertwined with our everyday existence, particularly in the world of business and marketing. The crescendo of the digital age is echoed by businesses and their marketing efforts. The bridge between businesses and the ever-evolving consumer is now maintained by Artificial Intelligence. Deep insights into consumer behavior, understanding minute preferences, and predicting future consumer trends
have turned marketing into a sophisticated game of chess. The king? AI Marketing. READ MORE NOW
Email Marketing Law Update: Google Announces New Requirements for Bulk Email Senders to Gmail On October 3, 2023, Google released an
announcement entitled “New Gmail protections for a safer, less spammy inbox.” By February 2024, Google will require bulk senders to authenticate their emails, allow for easy unsubscription and stay under a reported spam threshold.
“…[T]oday, we’re introducing new requirements for bulk senders — those who send more than 5,000 messages to Gmail addresses in one day — to keep your inbox even safer and more spam-free,”
according to the announcement. READ ARTICLE
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