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ROI or RIP: Are Media Buyers Getting It All Wrong? 🤑 Cut the waste, boost the taste—smarter media buying inside!
"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted," wailed John Wanamaker, “The trouble is I don’t know which half.” His voice echoing through the halls of commerce like a ghost ship's foghorn through a pea-soup fog. A century
past, John Wanamaker famously lamented the inefficacy of his advertising spend, a sentiment that continues to haunt the halls of modern marketing with undiminished resonance. In the presumed golden era of digital advertising, with its vaunted promise of pinpoint targeting and surgical precision, one would assume Wanamaker’s wistful woes would be rendered obsolete, a relic of a bygone era of marketing myopia. Yet, the more things change, the more they stay confoundingly the same. The digital landscape, for all its advancements, still harbors a perplexing inefficiency at its core. A staggering sum—let's consider an approximate 23% of an $88 billion annual investment in the programmatic advertising arena—evaporates into the ether, leaving marketers grappling with a conundrum that feels eerily reminiscent of Wanamaker’s dilemma. The digital realm often resembles a Wild West of web advertising, with lawless spending leading to dubious placements. Advertisers, seduced by the allure of cost-effective impressions, find themselves inadvertently sponsoring the digital equivalent of barren billboards on abandoned highways. They cast their budgets across the expanse of the internet, only to see a significant portion—let’s approximate 15%—squandered on sites that might
generously be termed "questionable" in value and visibility. The issue is compounded by a lack of transparency. Marketers frequently disperse their funds without a clear line of sight as to where their advertisements ultimately land. Their creatives, perhaps lovingly designed and imbued with brand messaging, end up nestled among less savory internet content, detracting from the intended
message and potentially eroding brand trust. This fog of war in digital advertising is not without consequence. The chaotic pursuit of efficiency at scale can obscure the finer points of strategic placement, leading to a scattershot approach that is as wasteful as it is widespread. Campaigns, rather than being meticulously tailored, are often off-the-rack in their execution, resulting in a
one-size-fits-all strategy that ignores the nuanced contours of effective targeting. In response, industry leaders are championing a renaissance of prudence over profligacy. They call for a return to a more principled approach that favors visibility, measurable impact, and brand safety over the mere accumulation of impressions. Advertisers are being urged to demand more from their
programmatic partners, scrutinizing the pathways of their ad dollars with the vigilance of sentinels guarding a fortress. On the business-to-business front, the long and winding road from prospect to customer is fraught with attribution pitfalls. Traditional models of attribution often prove inadequate, failing to capture the complexities of the buyer’s journey. The resulting data can be as
unreliable as a forecast in a hurricane, leading to misguided inferences and suboptimal resource allocation. Yet, there is hope in the numbers. Rigorous comparison of engaged audiences against control groups consistently reveals the value of advertising—those exposed to the brand message are statistically more likely to convert, demonstrating the potency of well-placed ads. This leads us to the crux of the matter: the pursuit of advertising excellence is not merely a game of chance or a quest for the lowest cost per thousand impressions. It is a disciplined strategy, a partnership between sales and marketing that nurtures leads into conversions with the finesse and coordination of a ballet ensemble. The charge for today's digital marketers is clear: convert the cacophony of wasted ad spend into a harmonious orchestra of effective placements and tangible results. As the industry evolves, the aim is to honor Wanamaker’s legacy by silencing the specter of wasted expenditure with the sound of soaring return on investment. In this mission, the remaining
vestiges of inefficiency—the proverbial other half of the marketing budget that continues to slip through the cracks—are squarely in the sights of data-driven, strategic decision-making. Armed with analytics, insight, and a modicum of common sense, today’s digital marketers are well-positioned to turn the tide on waste and herald an era of advertising accountability. The wasteful whirlwind is finally meeting a formidable opponent.
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All the news you need today, in a format that isn't TL:DR summarized for the busy executive.
In a digital world where personal data often feels as exposed as a fish in a transparent tank 🐠, the IAB Tech Lab is playing the privacy hero by launching a new "forget-me-please" signal 🚦for ad land. Anthony Katsur, their head honcho, announced a nifty plan that'll ensure your digital footprint can be wiped cleaner than a
whiteboard after a brainstorming session 🧽. This isn't just a one-and-done deal with the publisher; this signal is like a hot potato, getting passed all the way down the ad supply chain 🔗. But don't get too comfy—the tech's as tricky as assembling IKEA furniture with a toothpick. While Consumer Reports has a data-deletion gizmo, it's got the reach of a T-Rex's arms. Katsur's betting big that this will do better than the '03 Do Not Call list, which now just rings hollow (much like our phones
with those relentless spam calls 📵). With privacy more in vogue than ever, they're counting on everyone from tech geeks to suits to make digital amnesia a reality. 🕵️♂️💾✨
Elon Musk's rebranded Twitter, now known as X, is stirring up the digital pot by playing favorites with a timeline takeover that would make even the boldest advertisers blush 🤯. Doubling down as
the Wild West of social media, X holstered its algorithms to give a VIP pass 🎟️ to Prager University Foundation's controversial anti-trans film, sparking a hashtag hurricane #detrans. By painting the "What's happening?" sidebar with a political hue, X is proving that when it comes to free speech, they're all about that "anything goes" life—unless it's, you know, against their policies 📜. With PragerU at the steering wheel, driving a $1 million campaign for a narrative that's about as welcome
as a skunk at a garden party, X has turned the timeline into a battleground for what "free speech" means in the social mediascape. YouTube might've shown PragerU the door 🚪, but X? They're rolling out the red carpet, setting the stage for a showdown between clicks, kicks, and ethics. 🎥👀🔥
Arthur
Leopold and Jonathan Meyers are flipping the script on how YouTubers monetize their fame with their brainchild, Agentio—a digital cupid 🏹 that matches content creators with ad dollars using the smarts of large language models (LLMs). Imagine a cybernetic auctioneer that not only hollers bids but also digs into the data mines of content and campaign briefs to strike gold. It's like having a backstage pass 🎟️ to the YouTube ad bonanza, but without the chaos. Picture DoubleClick and The
Trade Desk's brainchild, all grown up and mingling at the cool kids’ table in the social media cafeteria. With a juicy $4.25 million seed money sandwich, Agentio is prepping to serve up a feast where creators cash in without selling out, and advertisers shop for screen time without the blindfold. They're not about to let the .com domain dull their sparkle, as they charge a 20% cut of the ad spend treasure chest. As the social sphere buzzes with TikTok and Instagram playing matchmaker too,
Agentio's betting its algorithmic arrows can make the perfect love match between YouTuber stars and brand wallets.💘💻💰 FuboTV is kicking goals left and right, finishing the third quarter with a roster of 1.47 million subscribers—a solid 26% boost from last quarter's stats 🌟. It's not just the numbers; they're dialing up the user experience to "super aggregator"
status, aiming to be the one-stop-shop for sports fans with a personalized app touch down 🏈🎯. With a treasure chest of $313 million in revenue, they're not just playing in the big leagues; they're setting up to dominate with tech-savvy features like AI-curated sports playlists 🤖🏀. While YouTube TV was blitzing with NFL Sunday Ticket deals, FuboTV held its ground without breaking a sweat 💪. Tackling the ad game strong, they're pulling in $30 million, all while keeping an eye on the 2025
prize: positive cash flow 🏆. With strategic moves on and off the field, FuboTV's playing a long game that could see them as the MVP of sports streaming. 📺🌐
In a showdown that seemed more bush league 🌳 than big league ⚾, the World Series whiffed with a record low of 8.13 million viewers 📉, while
the NFL effortlessly tackled big with 15.2 million fans 🏈📈. The MLB is now in a scramble, trying to crack why their postseason batted below average, especially against a regular season that hit a 26% viewership home run 📊. As the sports streaming league races towards the digital future 🖥️🚀, and live showdowns become the MVP for reaching ad-dodging fans 🛡️💻, the MLB needs to slide into a strategic game plan 🤔⚡ before the next season's opening pitch in 2024. Amazon's ad sales might be booming 💰, but an FTC antitrust complaint has thrown shade ☁️ on the tech titan's practices, alleging it embraced "defect" ads—irrelevant and potentially misleading results for users' searches—to inflate its advertising revenue. This move, reportedly encouraged by Bezos himself, may have prioritized profit over shopper experience, possibly directing customers towards
pricier products 🛒💸. Despite Amazon claiming that its advertising is mostly seen as relevant and helpful, the FTC's findings suggest a greedy glitch in the retail media's shiny armor 🛡️🐛, questioning the integrity of a sector that's becoming ever more pivotal in a post-pandemic world.
🔍🔵 A year into X platform's swanky premium subscription, turns out 60% of its users are in
the dark about the blue check's 'show me the money' reality, per a YouGov survey for NewsGuard. A check mark once equated with credibility is now seen more like a VIP pass bought at the door by 16% of users. Steven Brill from NewsGuard waves the red flag, calling out the 'pay to play' move as a free pass for mischief-makers to dress up as credible sources. 🤑✅ And, as if to prove a point, during an intense week of the Hamas-Israel conflict, the blue-checked brigade was caught waving the
flag for 186 out of 250 viral but dodgy war stories. 🚩💬
🎬🍿 A year into its ad-venture, Netflix is rolling out the red carpet for advertisers with a new ad-supported free tier, attracting 15 million viewers ready for some commercial breaks. The streaming giant, now helmed by ad-president Amy Reinhard, is eyeing sponsorships for 'Squid Game: The Challenge' and 'The
Crown,' turning binge-watchers into binge-buyers. 🦑👑 QR codes, 'binge ads,' and flexible spot lengths are the new kids on the ad block, aiming to keep viewers and their wallets open. With a global expansion of its ad measuring stick, Netflix is sweetening the pot for ad lovers, offering higher quality streams and download options to win the great streaming game. 📊🌍 Industry whisperers hint at a shift from pricey subscriptions to wallet-friendly, ad-laced streams, and Netflix's move may just
be the ace up the sleeve, betting on a blend of big-brand and performance ads to keep both viewers and advertisers glued. 💳📺 Despite being the newbie in the ad game, Netflix is leveling up to its AVOD cousins, aiming to be the cool kid at the streaming high with a mix of showy ads and sneaky QR codes—all while juggling the premium content cachet with a newfound ad hustle. 🎉🆕
In a city-shaking twist that's more dramatic than a soap opera cliffhanger, Tremor International is giving the London Stock Exchange the old 'it's not you, it's me' as it flirts with a swanky new listing across the pond 🌉💼. Shares have tumbled down the Big Ben like a double-decker bus with a flat tire, halving in value and sparking chit-chat of a transatlantic leap to Uncle Sam's shores 🇺🇸💸. The ad-tech troupe, boasting a former tabloid titan on its
board, might just swap tea for coffee as it seeks to woo those big-spending American investors with deeper pockets and sweet Wall Street dreams 🏙️💰. With City bigwigs like Paddy Power and Marsh McLennan already RSVPing 'yes' to the American listing party, Tremor could be next to ghost London's financial scene 👻📉, stirring up more drama than a royal scandal and leaving London's financial rep ready for a rebound. 🎩🔔
At London's MadTechMoney, where ad tech meets Shakespeare, the "to thine own self be true" backdrop serves as an ironic reminder for founders wheeling and dealing in a market as stable as a house of cards 🏰🃏. Investors are clutching their wallets tighter than Scrooge, with valuations getting more haircuts than a sheep in summer 🐑✂️. Term sheets once fluttered like confetti; now, they're as rare as hen's teeth 🐔🦷. The climate's shifted
from startup-friendly to "show me the money" 🤑, with profitability the new prince charming. While the global tech and marketing deal dance sees a timid 2% uptick, valuations are diving like it's an Olympic sport 🏊♂️. The silver lining? This financial frost might just breed leaner, meaner business machines — if they don't freeze first ❄️💪. With IPOs and M&As hiding like shy groundhogs, hope flickers for the second half of next year. Meanwhile, private equity looms as a potentially sweet
escape route, promising a future where cautious optimism is the new black 🎩💼. (Source: Digiday)
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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
HOW GIANTS LIKE NETFLIX ARE CIRCLING BACK TO CABLE’S SHADOW The age of streaming dawned with a promise, a vision of a horizon where content was king, and viewers were no longer shackled
by the constraints of traditional cable. But as the years have rolled on, those early promises seem to have evaporated, much like morning mist under the blazing sun. Today, we stand at a curious juncture where the once-revolutionary pioneers, like Netflix, echo the missteps of the very institutions they vowed to replace. READ MORE OF THIS STORY
The Ascendancy of Connected TV: A Dive into the Future of Advertising In the dim light of modern living rooms, a battle is being waged: the evolution of television consumption. From black-and-white family gatherers to colorized rectangles of
entertainment, TVs have long been the center of home recreation. Today, the rise of Connected TV (CTV) marks a significant shift in how we view and interact with content. As Millennials, Gen X, Y, and even Gen Z make their mark, they’re tuning into CTV like never before. READ THE FULL STORY
The Murky Waters of Podcasting Ad Fraud The digital soundscape of podcasts has experienced exponential growth. Millions worldwide tune in every day, taking solace in the intimate embrace of a podcast's
comforting audio. Like any influential medium, podcasts have piqued the interest of advertisers and with that, an influx of capital. But this golden age for podcasts, with its rapid expansion and significant revenue milestones, is facing the timeless ailment of the advertising world: fraud. READ MORE
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