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Tag: Advertising

  • A Guide to YouTube Advertising

    A Guide to YouTube Advertising

    YouTube is a compelling opportunity for businesses in their digital marketing and advertising strategies. One of the reasons advertising on YouTube can be advantageous is because it’s the second-most popular website in the world, with two billion visitors a month.

    YouTube is owned by Google, so when you advertise on the video-based search engine, you’re working in the Google Ads network.

    The following is a guide to advertising on YouTube and the basics of what you need to know to get started.

    Types of Ads

    There are a few main types of YouTube ads that are available. These include:

    In-Stream, Skippable Ads

    These ads are what you see playing before a video or during it, which is technically pre-roll or mid-roll. The key feature of in-stream, skippable ads is that a viewer can opt to skip them after the initial five seconds.

    If you’re the advertiser, you pay when viewers choose to keep watching past the first five seconds. Your ad has to be at least 12 seconds long, and you pay once someone watches the first 30 seconds or the whole thing. You’ll also pay if they interact with your ad via a click—it’s whichever comes first that advertisers pay for.

    Non-Skippable Ads That Are In-Stream

    Around 76% of people on YouTube report automatically skipping ads. This leads advertisers to run ads pre-roll or mid-roll with no skip button. If you want a lift in brand awareness and you think your creative will hold the attention of your audience for a full 15 seconds, you might use these ads.

    With non-skippable ads, the advertiser pays per impression.

    There’s also a sub-category of these non-skippable ads—bumper ads. These are six seconds long, and they’re the same as the non-skippable in-stream ad in that you pay for impressions. They’re best for awareness and reach campaigns.

    Discovery Ads

    In-stream ads are like commercials on traditional TV, but discovery ads are more like what you see when you’re using Google to search for something.

    A discovery ad will show up with organic search results.

    A discovery ad includes three text lines and a thumbnail. When someone clicks on your ad, they’re directed to your YouTube channel or video page.

    Non-Video Ads

    If you don’t have the budget for video, YouTube also offers non-video ads.

    There are display ads that will show up on the right sidebar, and they include text and an image, as well as a link to your website and a CTA.

    In-video overlay ads are something that will show up as floating on top of video content from channels that are monetized.

    Creating a Campaign

    If you want to advertise on YouTube, the first thing you need to do is log into your Google Ads account and choose New Campaign.

    From there, you can choose your campaign goal, such as website traffic, leads, sales, or brand awareness and reach.

    You then choose your campaign type.

    Once you’ve chosen your type, you can choose your bid strategy, which will primarily be driven by your campaign type, and you’ll enter your budget. You can set up your budget by day, or you can do it as the total you’ll spend on the campaigns.

    Targeting Your Audience

    You’ll need buyer personas to target your audience, so if you haven’t already created them, it’s a good idea to do so.

    Demographics include things like household income, parental status, age, and gender. YouTube also goes more in-depth, so you can target groups like students, new parents, or new homeowners, just as a few examples.

    Interests are how you can target people based on their previous behavior.

    You can also use remarketing, so you’re targeting audiences that have already had an interaction with your business on your website, with your other videos, or using your app.

    Ad Specs

    If you’re using skippable or non-skippable stream video ads, then you have to upload them as a regular YouTube video first. The ad technical specs, like your dimensions and ad image sizes, should be the same as they would be for any other YouTube video.

    The exception to this is with Discovery ads. These have to be a maximum file size of 1 GB. Discovery ads need to have an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 4:3, but YouTube can automatically adapt the file.

    The minimum length for skippable ads is 12 seconds. The maximum length for skippable ads is three minutes, and for YouTube kids, the limit is 60 seconds.

    Non-skippable ads can’t be more than 15 seconds long, and bumper ads have to be no more than six seconds long.

    The Pros of YouTube Advertising

    YouTube advertising is cost-effective. You can choose exactly what you’re willing to pay, and you’re only paying when someone takes a certain action that you determine.

    An upside of YouTube ads is also that it’s very targeted. You can get extremely detailed as you’re targeting the audience you want to reach.

    People tend to feel more connected to brands after watching a video. There’s the chance to better understand the company and see how a service or product works, and there are faces that can represent the brand in a video ad. You can also be the face of your brand, so you’re able to foster a strong connection with your audience.

    The YouTube ad metrics are easy to measure, and you’ll have access to a lot of insight as far as what works and what you could improve.

    The results can occur quickly since there are billions of monthly users. You’re simply getting your ads in front of a potentially huge pool of people, boosting your clicks, traffic, and sales.

    Video has a powerful emotional impact, making it one of the most effective approaches to advertising.

    The Downsides of YouTube Advertising

    As with anything, YouTube advertising does have a few downsides that marketers need to think about and consider too.

    People don’t love ads in their videos. While they might end up watching some of them if they get their attention, overall, they feel they’re intrusive.  If someone feels like your ad is intrusive and not offering them value, it might evoke negative emotions.

    You’re also still going to need an advertising budget, and you may not be able to afford much here, depending on what yours is.

    Best Practices

    If you think YouTube advertising could be right for your brand, there are certain things you should do when creating your ads.

    ·   Create an ad that’s immediately going to hook people. Maybe you choose a good song for the background, or you immediately work to evoke strong emotion.

    ·   Branding should ideally occur in your first five seconds and also throughout your ad if you’re working at the top of the funnel. If you’re creating ads for audiences that are further down your funnel, then you might be able to add branding later in your video, and that’ll increase your watch times while viewers are engaging with the story of your ad.

    ·   You want to have a story for your ad because this is how you’re going to be able to get an emotional response.

    ·   Make sure people know what step you want them to take next with your ad. You need a goal to measure how successful your ads are.

    ·   Answer a few questions when you’re creating an ad. Think about who the people you’re targeting are, what video content they already engage with online, and what aspects of that can be used and integrated with your own brand story.

    ·   Consider the context where your ad is going to appear. To understand this, get familiar with the type of video content your targeted audience is already engaging with and consuming.

    ·   One interesting way you can target your audience is to show your ad to people who have already searched for terms relevant to your business.

    ·   Use cards to encourage people to buy. A YouTube card is something that a viewer can click to expand. You can make the appearance of a card timed so that the users who are engaged with the video are the ones who will see it. You can feature products in the video using cards to drive purchases.

    ·   Use an end screen that drives subscribers to wherever you want them to go. For example, maybe you encourage them to subscribe to your channel to get future updates.

    ·   Use negative remarketing. For example, if you want to show an ad that’s only going to be for new users, you can exclude people who have previously interacted with you in some way.

    ·   Use closed captioning and, if relevant, transcriptions in other languages.

    Overall, YouTube is a powerful place to run your brand ads. Your paid advertising can work hand-in-hand with your organic social media strategy on YouTube. You do have to remember that these ads can get expensive and complex if you’re not working in a targeted way. You want to know your audience and let the preferences of the people you’re targeting guide the creative process to create your ads for YouTube.

  • AWS Bastion Aims to Help Advertisers Work Within Data Privacy Rules

    AWS Bastion Aims to Help Advertisers Work Within Data Privacy Rules

    AWS is preparing to unveil a new tool that aims to help advertisers work within the various data privacy rules that are currently hindering them.

    AWS is the leading cloud provider and is widely used across a variety of industries. One such industry, the advertising industry, is reeling from various data privacy efforts, both on the part of companies like Apple and Google, as well as various countries’ legislative efforts.

    According to The Information, via Tech Monitor, AWS wants to help advertisers deal with the restrictions in an innovative way with its upcoming Bastion service. The service acts as a “clean data room,” allowing companies to anonymously pool customer data in a way that prevents any company from viewing or accessing the entire pool.

    The Information uses the example of Target and HBO Max being able to see where their customers overlap, giving the retailer useful insight into whether it should target its customers with ads on the streaming platform. The clean data room, however, would still protect the privacy of the customers and help the companies stay compliant with privacy regulations.

    Unlike existing options, such as Google’s, AWS Bastion will allow companies to work with partners of their choosing, not even locking them into the Amazon Ads service. Amazon sees a future where Bastion could be used in other industries far beyond advertising, such as the financial industry, manufacturing, and more.

    AWS will likely launch the new service later this year.

  • What Can Marketing Firms Learn From Real Estate Advertising?

    What Can Marketing Firms Learn From Real Estate Advertising?

    Selling real estate is a very different endeavor than just about any other sales. You are trying to market a major asset that is both an investment and a basic necessity. People may be buying a home for very different reasons, and may have extremely different sources of capital to do so.

    Real estate is also unique in that there is never a fixed price. Prices fluctuate based on factors that have little to do with the seller or the property itself. Potential buyers may negotiate to get a better price, based on nothing more than their own instincts or ability to afford the home.

    In addition, buying a home comes with a lot of associated costs. As such, the agents marketing the home need to know about everything from insurance coverage for new homeowners to the legal ins-and-outs of property transfers. There is no bluffing your way through a sale.

    For people in the marketing industry, there is therefore a lot to learn from real estate advertising. Real estate agencies have found ways to manage a whole host of issues most marketers don’t need to think about. These strategies can come in handy no matter what you’re selling.

    Here are some of the most important lessons marketing firms can learn from real estate advertising.

    Consider how customers pay for goods

    A realtor needs to take into account how potential buyers are going to pay for a home, as some will buy cash while others will get decades-long loans. Most marketing does not require such a consideration, but it is definitely worthwhile. This is because you are far better positioned to sell to someone if you know how they can afford the product.

    Think about the most simple form of marketing: hawking wares on the street. Traditionally, a vendor would hape that the passersby are able to pay for their product in cash. Few people carry cash any more, and those vendors that recognize this are able to find alternatives, whether using portable PoS machines or smartphone apps.

    This knowledge does not only make it possible for vendors to receive payment, but also puts them in a good position to make the sale. A passerby who uses their lack of cash as an excuse not to buy the product is suddenly in a sticky position when the vendor pulls out a card machine.

    Knowing the potential ways people pay for the specific goods you are selling allows you to push through with the sale. In more typical scenarios to that of the street vendor, this may mean offering payment plans or using a buy-now-pay-later system.

    Get on board with the associated admin

    When it comes to selling property, agents need to know a lot about how the sale will work and what the new homeowner requires from the start. Most products are far more simple. A sale requires nothing more than an exchange of goods and cash.

    However, there are many products and services that do require some more insight, at least on the customer’s part. Marketing a fancy new fridge as having instant-freezing capabilities sounds great, but customers may be intimidated by the thought of having to figure out how to use the feature.

    With more knowledge of the associated admin, you can make it clear in your marketing that customers have nothing to worry about. You give them the basic information they need to know so that they embrace the complexities.

    Understand what customers need

    Finally, there is a common mistake marketers make that would never fly in the real estate market. They forget to consider what the customers need. When selling a fancy new product, they list all of the exciting features. But this is basically asking the product to sell itself. Certain features may be technologically incredible, but won’t make much difference to the customer experience.

    Realtors need to understand why potential buyers are looking at the home. This way they can sell it based on a family’s needs, the earnings potential for an investor, or the potential for design projects for DIY-lovers.

    You should have a similar understanding when selling anything else. By pinpointing what it is the customers truly need, you can focus on selling that aspect of it. Your marketing is relevant to your customers’ lives, and you are more likely to get them to buy the product.

    Real estate agencies have to deal with factors that most marketers don’t need to consider. However, by learning some lessons from the realty market, you can improve your marketing prowess.

  • How to Find a Perfect Audience

    How to Find a Perfect Audience

    Focusing on your target market when trying to build your online presence can save you from wasting lots of time and money. With over 250 million Americans using social media, the internet is the best place to start when trying to build an audience, but there are strategies you can use to make this process easier. 

    Many People use Social Media in the Wrong Way

    This is especially true when they are trying to build an online presence. Oftentimes people will post the same content across every social media platform and this can prevent from gaining new followers. Every social media platform has a different audience, and this means that content needs to be uniquely crafted for that audience in order to gain traction. Sticking to only a few platforms and creating unique content for each channel can help you reach a wider audience and gain more followers.

    Once you decide the kind of content you want to create and the platforms you want to use, there are different phases that contribute to finding your perfect audience.

    Phases of Finding Your Perfect Audience

    Phase 1 is all about the environment of your content. If your content aligns with a specific trend that is happening, it’s a great time to start putting it out. Getting your foot in the door with trendy content can help to build a foundation, and then you can continue improving your content based on data. Useful data is collected over about 2 months, and this information can help you determine the demographics of the people watching your content. Demographics can help you determine certain likes and dislikes of your audience, which can help you tweak content even more to make sure you are marketing the best way to the audience you want to reach.

    Phase 2 is all about how you deliver content. Tone is very important when distributing your content. How you communicate with the content can help to build new audiences, and how audiences interpret your tone can be a deciding factor in how your content is perceived overall. The other important aspect of content delivery is the timing. Similar to releasing related content to trends, content can be more popular at certain times. You have the control when to reach a new audience based on trends or other important events. 

    The last phase of building your perfect audience involves emotions. It is important to not make knee jerk decisions based on audience responses  because this can do more damage in the long run. Use audience responses to make small improvements within your space so it is not as drastic but is still making your content better. If you are able to navigate the first two phases, it will provide some consistency within social media algorithms so that the third phase is less complicated!

    In Conclusion

    The social media landscape is integral in finding a perfect audience today. If you follow the three phases, it can be easier to learn the functionality of online habits and make reaching your perfect audience much easier. If you want to learn more about finding your perfect online audience, take a look at the infographic below:

    Finding A Perfect Audience
    Source: Bang Productions
  • Microsoft Advertising Can Now Import Facebook Ads

    Microsoft Advertising Can Now Import Facebook Ads

    Microsoft has announced its Advertising platform can now import Facebook Ads.

    Many companies live or die by their online advertising. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, many small businesses have increasingly shifted to online sales, making their advertising more important than ever.

    For companies looking to expand their advertising reach, recreating a successful campaign on another platform can be a time-consuming proposition. Microsoft is hoping to make it easier, releasing Facebook Import to help companies import their Facebook ad campaigns into the Microsoft Audience Network.

    Are you new to audience campaigns, or looking to expand your existing presence on the Microsoft Audience Network? Using Facebook Import, it’s now easier than ever to get audience campaigns up and running by importing from Facebook Ads. Now rolling out to all advertisers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany, this new feature is designed to save you time and maximize ROI by seamlessly bringing over your campaigns from the Facebook Audience Network into the Microsoft Audience Network. Facebook Import can be used as a standalone tool, as well as a powerful complement to any existing Google Import strategy.

    The new feature can be accessed via the Import menu in the Microsoft Advertising dashboard.

  • Privacy-Focused Tech Companies Call for Ban on ‘Surveillance-Based Advertising’

    Privacy-Focused Tech Companies Call for Ban on ‘Surveillance-Based Advertising’

    A group of tech companies with a history of protecting user privacy is calling for a ban on “surveillance-based advertising.”

    Mojeek, along with DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, StartPage, Fastmail, Proton Technologies and others have written a letter calling on the US, UK, EU and Australia to take action against the dominant form of online advertising. Mojeek is a UK-based search engine that has not tracked users since its inception, and holds the distinction of being the first privacy-oriented search engine. Similarly, the other companies on the list have a long history of protecting user privacy.

    The companies make the case in their open letter that surveillance advertising, commonly called “personalization,” is a threat to consumers, businesses and democracies. The companies also stand as examples that prove it’s possible to build a profitable business without exploiting consumers.

    We are a group of businesses who write to you today to show our support to this initiative. We represent small, medium and large businesses who all believe -and demonstrate on a daily basis -that it is possible to run profitable companies without exploiting the privacy of individuals.

    The companies emphasize they are not anti-advertising, they simply want the industry to use technologies and methods that don’t involve invading the privacy of users.

    Although we recognize that advertising is an important source of revenue for content creators and publishers online, this does not justify the massive commercial surveillance systems set up in attempts to “show the right ad to the right people”.

    Other forms of advertising technologies exist, which do not depend on spying on consumers, and alternative models can be implemented without significantly affecting revenue. On the contrary – and that we can attest to – businesses can thrive without privacy-invasive practices.

  • Google Under Closer Scrutiny From German Antitrust Watchdog

    Google Under Closer Scrutiny From German Antitrust Watchdog

    Google has been labeled a company of “paramount significance” by the German antitrust watchdog, opening the door for more scrutiny.

    Google is facing scrutiny and legal challenges worldwide over antitrust concerns related to its search dominance, advertising business, and its Android operating system.

    According to SFGATE, Google’s designation was changed by the Bundeskartellamt, the German antitrust group, allowing it “to intervene earlier and more effectively” to block anti-competitive behavior. The classification lasts for five years.

    “This is a very important step, since based on this decision, the Bundeskartellamt can now take action against specific anti-competitive practices by Google,” said the watchdog’s president, Andreas Mundt.

    Google has already said it will not appeal the decision.

    “We are confident that we comply with the rules and, to the extent that changes are necessary, we will continue to work constructively with the (Federal Cartel Office) to find solutions that enable people and businesses in Germany to continue to use our products,” Google said in a statement.

  • UK Takes Aim at Adtech, Warns Against Unlawful Behavior

    UK Takes Aim at Adtech, Warns Against Unlawful Behavior

    Elizabeth Denham, the UK’s information commissioner, has penned a piece on the adtech market, warning against unlawful behavior.

    Adtech has becoming an increasingly controversial business model. No longer content to simply offer and sell goods or services for a fair price, companies have built entire businesses around treating their customers as the product, mining every last bit of data about them — whether they like it or not. Some companies are pushing back with privacy-oriented services, such as Apple’s App Tracking Transparency or DuckDuckGo’s App Tracking Protection for Android.

    Denham is throwing her weight into the dispute, calling out the adtech market for unlawful behavior that doesn’t take consumer choice and privacy into account.

    As organisations continue to evolve their proposals, the Commissioner believes that market participants should develop solutions that are focused on the interests, rights and freedoms of the individual. These should move away from intrusive tracking technologies that may continue to pose risks and struggle to comply with the law. 

    While Denham acknowledges there are multiple ways to address the issues moving forward, she emphasizes that any path forward must be a departure from current practices.

    Participants should note that continued use of intrusive online tracking practices is not the right way to develop solutions. Anything that essentially results in a continuation of existing practices will not meaningfully change the status quo. 

    Industry must recognise the need for change. It should understand that the Commissioner does not advocate for alternatives that use the same fundamentally flawed approaches.

    It’s refreshing to see an official take such a strong stance against an industry that has devolved into near-parasite practices that ignore the privacy and security of its users.

  • Google Joins Exclusive $2 Trillion Club

    Google Joins Exclusive $2 Trillion Club

    Google has joined the $2 trillion club, becoming only the third US company to cross the threshold, thanks to a surge in its stock price.

    Apple was the first company to cross $2 trillion in valuation, in August 2020, followed by Microsoft in June of this year. According to TheStreet, a surge in Google’s stock price Monday helped the search and ad giant cross over.

    Despite a great deal of hand-wringing over Apple’s various privacy initiatives, the ad industry in general, and Google in particular, has managed to survive relatively intact.

    Google’s valuation shows there’s still plenty of money to be made in the advertising industry, while still respecting user privacy.

  • Reddit 1-800 Flowers Ad Goes Viral

    Reddit 1-800 Flowers Ad Goes Viral

    “Our ads on Reddit have gotten a lot of traction and puts a big smile on people’s faces,” says 1-800 Flowers CEO Chris McCann. “That’s what we’re trying to do is just make sure we’re relevant and create that cognitive speed bump when people think about our company. They see something different and I’m thrilled with the creative team for coming up with something like that.”

    Reddit Ad That Went Viral for 1-800-Flowers.com

    As usual, some opinionated Redditers expressed their thoughts on the ads:

    1-800 Flowers CEO discusses the company’s growth that was accelerated by the pandemic:

    Ecommerce Growth Accelerated During Pandemic

    What we’ve seen is an acceleration of growth in our company that began back in 2018 and really then accelerated even further in 2020 with the pandemic. It’s driven by the need for us as people to connect and express ourselves. As a company whose vision is to inspire more human expression, connection, and celebration, and as an ecommerce leader, we’re well-positioned in the trends that we see coming out of this pandemic. We think these trends are sustainable going forward.

    We started out as one flower shop many years ago. What we’ve done is created this e-commerce platform for growth, a platform for expression, connection, and celebration. It starts with this all-star family of brands that we have led by Harry & David, 1-800-Flowers, Cheryl’s Cookies, Shari’s Berries, and our recent acquisition just this past August of Personalization Mall. You see us now as a company in the expression and connection business with a leadership position in floral, a leadership position in gourmet food gifting, and certainly now leadership and position in expressions and personalized items which is a fast-growing market.

    You’ll continue to continue to see us grow by organic product development of products that help customers express and connect. And as we’ve done through acquisition, adding to that platform and leveraging that platform that we’ve built.

    Need To Express and Connect Is a Lasting Trend

    Hopefully, the vaccines accelerate and we turn to some sense of normalcy sooner rather than later. As we look at our business, the momentum we saw began in 2018 and 2019 and then accelerated with the pandemic. We’ve been on a good momentum growth even before the pandemic and we really see ourselves now as a bigger stronger company than we were prior to it. We’ve acquired Personalization Mall just this past August and by putting it on our platform and leveraging our digital marketing expertise we accelerated the growth of that company. It grew by 50 percent this last quarter.

    A year ago August we acquired Shari’s Berries and took a business that was stagnant and losing money to now one that’s got a nice growth rate and is generating a nice contribution margin as well. If we just keep our focus on what the consumer is looking for to help express and connect then we’ll be continuing to see double-digit growth for some time to come. That trend that we’ve all learned from being isolated, our need to express and connect is a lasting trend coming out of this pandemic along with the shift from offline to online.

    1-800 Flowers Ecommerce Growth Accelerated During Pandemic

  • Reddit Hits $10 Billion Valuation

    Reddit Hits $10 Billion Valuation

    Reddit has secured another round of funding, bringing the social media company’s valuation to $10 billion.

    Reddit has been the darling of the social media industry, posting impressive growth, especially compared to its larger rivals. The company has been moving toward an IPO, hiring Drew Vollero as its first CFO in an effort reach that goal.

    The company has now revealed its latest round of funding, placing the company’s valuation at $10 billion.

    We are optimistic and encouraged that not only are we resourced and capitalized to continue on our growth path, but also that our investors support our vision and want to deepen their stakes in our future. We will raise up to $700 million in Series F funding, led by Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC. and including other existing investors, at a post-money valuation of over $10 billion.

    Reddit reiterated its solid growth, noting its first $100 million advertising revenue quarter, a 192% increase from the previous year.

  • FTC Official Blasts Facebook’s Actions Against Researchers

    FTC Official Blasts Facebook’s Actions Against Researchers

    The FTC’s Acting Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Samuel Levine, has written an open letter blasting Facebook’s recent actions.

    Facebook banned researchers from New York University that were studying political ad spending and disinformation on the social media platform. The company used its Terms of Service, which prohibit scraping personal data, to justify its actions. As critics have pointed out, however, the only data NYU researchers were collecting was regarding ads that are, by their very nature, public.

    Director Levine has written an open letter to Facebook criticizing the company’s actions, and making it clear the company’s initial claim of ‘protecting privacy’ doesn’t hold water in these circumstances.

    Below is a copy of his letter:

    Dear Mr. Zuckerberg:

    I write concerning Facebook’s recent insinuation that its actions against an academic research project conducted by NYU’s Ad Observatory were required by the company’s consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission. As the company has since acknowledged, this is inaccurate. The FTC is committed to protecting the privacy of people, and efforts to shield targeted advertising practices from scrutiny run counter to that mission.

    While I appreciate that Facebook has now corrected the record, I am disappointed by how your company has conducted itself in this matter. Only last week, Facebook’s General Counsel, Jennifer Newstead, committed the company to “timely, transparent communication to BCP staff about significant developments.” Yet the FTC received no notice that Facebook would be publicly invoking our consent decree to justify terminating academic research earlier this week.

    Had you honored your commitment to contact us in advance, we would have pointed out that the consent decree does not bar Facebook from creating exceptions for good-faith research in the public interest. Indeed, the FTC supports efforts to shed light on opaque business practices, especially around surveillance-based advertising. While it is not our role to resolve individual disputes between Facebook and third parties, we hope that the company is not invoking privacy – much less the FTC consent order – as a pretext to advance other aims.

    Sincerely,

    /s/ Samuel Levine

    Acting Director

    Bureau of Consumer Protection

  • Facebook Bans Researchers Investigating It

    Facebook Bans Researchers Investigating It

    Facebook is taking action, that appears to be retaliatory, against researchers that are investigating it.

    Researchers from New York University have been investigating how political advertising money is spent on the social media platform and shed a light on disinformation. The researchers created a browser plug-in that allowed users to capture ads they saw and post the data to a public database.

    Facebook has since blocked the researchers, claiming they are breaking the company’s Terms of Service by scraping data, saying so in a blog post:

    Today, we disabled the accounts, apps, Pages and platform access associated with NYU’s Ad Observatory Project and its operators after our repeated attempts to bring their research into compliance with our Terms. NYU’s Ad Observatory project studied political ads using unauthorized means to access and collect data from Facebook, in violation of our Terms of Service. We took these actions to stop unauthorized scraping and protect people’s privacy in line with our privacy program under the FTC Order. 

    There’s only one problem with Facebook’s stance: The data NYU’s browser plug-in captures is not from private individuals, but from ad companies whose ads are already publicly available — they wouldn’t be very effective ads if they weren’t.

    Facebook’s actions are already drawing criticism, with its actions being seen as a poorly veiled attempt to silence its critics. The result has been calls for increased scrutiny, including from no less that Senator Ron Wyden, well-known for his staunch pro-privacy stance.

  • Google Piloting Three-Strikes Policy for Repeat Ad Policy Violators

    Google Piloting Three-Strikes Policy for Repeat Ad Policy Violators

    Google is cracking down on those repeatedly violating the company’s ad policies, piloting a three-strikes program.

    Google has a number of policies aimed at preventing harmful or inappropriate ads. The company prohibits “ads promoting deceptive behavior or products such as the creation of false documents, hacking services, and spyware, as well as tobacco, drugs and weapons, among other types of content.”

    Unfortunately, companies often try to circumvent Google’s policies, leading the company to try a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ approach.

    “That’s why we are introducing a new pilot program to test a three-strikes system for repeat ad policy violations,” writes Brett Kline, Product Manager. “Starting September 2021, warnings and strikes will be issued for violations of our Enabling Dishonest Behavior, Unapproved Substances and Dangerous Products or Services policies—this includes ads promoting deceptive behavior or products such as the creation of false documents, hacking services, and spyware, as well as tobacco, drugs and weapons, among other types of content. These types of ads have long been prohibited, but now we are introducing increasing penalties with each strike applied.”

  • Third-Party Cookies Get a Stay of Execution as Google Postpones Plans

    Google is pushing back its plans to eliminate support for third-party cookies, buying the advertising industry more time to adapt.

    Third-party cookies are one of the most commonly used methods advertisers use to track individuals as they move across the web. Apple’s Safari, the second-most popular browser behind Google’s Chrome, already blocks third-party cookies by default. This makes it more difficult for advertisers to track users and build a profile about them.

    Google had previously planned on following Apple’s lead by early 2022. Because advertisers have built an entire industry around surreptitiously tracking users as they browse the web, and building detailed profiles on them, the thought of being cut off from one of the primary ways to do so caused much hand-wringing among ad companies.

    Google is now saying it will not begin making the change until mid-2023, with the process completed approximately three months later in late 2023. The company said the revised timeline would provide advertisers the time they neede to adapt and adopt more privacy-conscious advertising methods.

    This will allow sufficient time for public discussion on the right solutions, continued engagement with regulators, and for publishers and the advertising industry to migrate their services. This is important to avoid jeopardizing the business models of many web publishers which support freely available content. And by providing privacy-preserving technology, we as an industry can help ensure that cookies are not replaced with alternative forms of individual tracking, and discourage the rise of covert approaches like fingerprinting.

  • French Competition Authority Fines Google $267 Million

    French Competition Authority Fines Google $267 Million

    The French Competition Authority has fined Google $267 million for favoring its own advertising services and abusing its dominant position.

    Google has been facing increased scrutiny for its behavior, facing lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions for alleged monopolistic and anti-competitive behavior. The French Competition Authority is the latest to hand Google a defeat, claiming the company improperly used its position in the online advertising market.

    The elements in the case show that Google has implemented two distinct practices aimed at ensuring that its ad server DFP favours its platform for selling advertising space (SSP AdX) and, conversely, that its SSP AdX platform favours its ad server DFP.

    One of the incriminating factors was DFP’s limited interoperability with competing ad platforms, helping to ensure a measure of lock-in to Google services.

    Notably, Google did not dispute the facts, according to the Competition Authority. Instead, the company committed to making improvements aimed at improving interoperability and ending its practice of favoring itself.

    The Competition Authority’s decision is also unique in the complexity of factors that were considered in reaching it.

    “The decision sanctioning Google has a very special meaning because it is the first decision in the world to look into complex algorithmic auctions processes through which online display advertising works,” Isabelle de Silva, President of the Autorité de la concurrence stated. “The particularly rapid investigation revealed processes by which Google, building on its considerable dominance in ad servers for websites and applications, outperformed its competitors on both ad servers and SSP platforms. These very serious practices penalised competition in the emerging online advertising market, and allowed Google not only to maintain but also to increase its dominant position. This sanction and these commitments will make it possible to re-establish a level playing field for all players, and the ability for publishers to make the most of their advertising space.”

    The decision will likely serve as a precedent for other cases the company is facing.

  • Verizon Media Sold to Apollo Funds

    Verizon Media Sold to Apollo Funds

    Following reports Verizon was exploring a sale of Yahoo and AOL, its Verizon Media business is being sold to Apollo Funds.

    Verizon purchased Yahoo and AOL, both pioneers among the early internet companies. Although both had since fallen on hard times, the two brands still had large, loyal followings. Verizon’s goal was to build an advertising business that could rival Google and Facebook.

    Unfortunately, the advertising business proved more difficult for Verizon to crack than it planned. Over the last several years, the company has been selling off some of its media properties, with Yahoo and AOL being the final piece. Apollo Funds has agreed to purchase Verizon Media for $5 billion. The new company will be known as Yahoo, and Verizon will maintain a 10% stake in it.

    “We are excited to be joining forces with Apollo,” said Guru Gowrappan, CEO, Verizon Media. “The past two quarters of double-digit growth have demonstrated our ability to transform our media ecosystem. With Apollo’s sector expertise and strategic insight, Yahoo will be well positioned to capitalize on market opportunities, media and transaction experience and continue to grow our full stack digital advertising platform. This transition will help to accelerate our growth for the long- term success of the company.”

    “We are thrilled to help unlock the tremendous potential of Yahoo and its unparalleled collection of brands,” said Reed Rayman, Private Equity Partner at Apollo. “We have enormous respect and admiration for the great work and progress that the entire organization has made over the last several years, and we look forward to working with Guru, his talented team, and our partners at Verizon to accelerate Yahoo’s growth in its next chapter.”

    “We are big believers in the growth prospects of Yahoo and the macro tailwinds driving growth in digital media, advertising technology and consumer internet platforms,” said David Sambur, Senior Partner and Co-Head of Private Equity at Apollo. “Apollo has a long track record of investing in technology and media companies and we look forward to drawing on that experience to help Yahoo continue to thrive.”

    “Verizon Media has done an incredible job turning the business around over the past two and a half years and the growth potential is enormous,” said Hans Vestberg, CEO, Verizon. “The next iteration requires full investment and the right resources. During the strategic review process, Apollo delivered the strongest vision and strategy for the next phase of Verizon Media. I have full confidence that Yahoo will take off in its new home.”

  • Alphabet Scores Big on Google Ad Revenue

    Alphabet Scores Big on Google Ad Revenue

    Alphabet released its latest results, reporting a strong quarter on rebounding ad revenue for Google.

    Like many companies that rely on advertising, Alphabet was initially impacted by the pandemic. A year in, however, the company’s ad business has recovered and is continuing to grow.

    According to the results, Google’s sales came in just under $45 billion, a 32% increase over the previous year. Alphabet’s overall revenue, including Google ad sales, cloud business and device sales, increased 34% from the previous year.

    “Over the last year, people have turned to Google Search and many online services to stay informed, connected and entertained,” said CEO Sundar Pichai. “We’ve continued our focus on delivering trusted services to help people around the world. Our Cloud services are helping businesses, big and small, accelerate their digital transformations.”

    “Total revenues of $55.3 billion in the first quarter reflect elevated consumer activity online and broad based growth in advertiser revenue,” said CFO Ruth Porat. “We’re very pleased with the ongoing momentum in Google.”

  • Daily Mail Newspaper Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google

    Daily Mail Newspaper Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google

    The Daily Mail has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, claiming the search giant wields too much advertising power and newspapers see little in return.

    As Google has grown from a search engine to an advertising behemoth, it has exerted an increasing level of control over the entire advertising process. The company now controls the ad exchange, ad space on publishers pages and the inventory of available ads.

    According to Reuters, The Daily Mail has had enough and is suing Google.

    “The lack of competition for publishers’ inventory depresses prices and reduces the amount and quality of news available to readers, but Google ends up ahead because it controls a growing share of the ad space that remains,” the lawsuit said.

    The lawsuit adds to a growing list of suits Google is facing, including one by the Department of Justice, as well as one by a coalition of states.

  • J.P. Morgan Raises Alphabet Price Target

    J.P. Morgan Raises Alphabet Price Target

    J.P. Morgan has raised the price target for Alphabet stock to $2,575 from $2,390, citing the company’s fundamentals.

    The advertising industry was hit especially hard in the early days of the pandemic. Like many companies, Google’s parent initially faced challenges and uncertainty as a result. Advertising has since rebounded, and Alphabet has been aggressively diversifying into other business, especially cloud computing.

    According to TheStreet, J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth believes those fundamentals put the the company in a good position to benefit long-term.

    “We remain positive on Alphabet, as we believe it is well positioned across ads, clouds, and a number of other key initiatives to both drive and benefit from long-term digital trends,” Anmuth wrote.

    “And it has an attractive combination of top-line scale, growth and margins, supporting our view that valuation remains attractive at 27 times our 2022 estimated Alphabet GAAP earnings per share, or 22 times our 2022 estimated GAAP earnings per share excluding cash and other bets.”

  • GroupM: Stimulus Money Will Help US Ad Industry Grow 15% in 2021

    GroupM: Stimulus Money Will Help US Ad Industry Grow 15% in 2021

    GroupM has revised its outlook on the US ad industry, expecting it to grow 15% in 2021, thanks in large part to stimulus spending.

    2020 was a difficult year for advertisers, as the global pandemic impacted all sectors of the economy. GroupM had previously predicted a 12% growth in the industry in 2021.

    The company is now predicting a 15% increase, thanks to increased spending as a result of the latest stimulus package. Even more significantly, this represents a 6% increase over 2019 levels, indicating the industry will fully rebound from the pandemic in 2021.

    Our upgrade of expectations is primarily a reflection of the healthier-than-expected recovery of the economy from the depths of the pandemic paired with the significant impact of fiscal stimulus the federal government is providing to consumers. Digital advertising is the primary beneficiary of trends impacting the economy, both because new small businesses are forming at a record pace (even if collectively they may be losing share of activity within the economy) and because large businesses are increasingly focused on e-commerce, with spending shifts to digital media generally aligning with this trend.

    GroupM originally factored the vaccine rollout into its projections, but the Georgia Senate races made the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 a reality, adding to the recovery.

    GroupM’s report is welcome news for the advertising industry, and the economy at large.