The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google gave their final arguments on Monday in an antitrust case regarding Google’s digital advertising technology.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema is expected to make a decision by the end of the year.
DOJ’s Argument
The DOJ claims that Google has built and kept a monopoly in open-web display advertising through products like DoubleClick, Google Ads, and AdExchange.
They say Google holds about 91% of the market for publisher ad servers and 87% for advertiser ad networks.
The case against Google is supported by a 2009 email from former Google executive David Rosenblatt. He mentioned the company’s goal to “do to display what Google did to search.”
Prosecutors argue that this shows Google’s plan to control the digital advertising market.
Another important part of the trial is Google deleting internal chat messages. Google claims most of these were casual chats but admitted that some included business discussions.
Google’s Response
Google is challenging the DOJ’s definition of the advertising market.
Google believes digital advertising has three separate markets, while the DOJ sees it as one two-sided market.
Google argues it competes with several platforms, including:
Social media platforms like Meta and TikTok
Streaming services
Mobile app advertising
When considering these competitors, Google claims its market share is only about 10%. The company also states that this share is shrinking due to increased competition.
Additionally, Google points out that it has spent billions developing ad-matching technology. It argues that it shouldn’t have to share this competitive advantage with other companies.
Potential Consequences
If Judge Brinkema finds Google guilty of unfair business practices, the case will move to the next phase focused on solutions.
The DOJ and the states involved may try to make Google sell some parts of its ad tech business, earning tens of billions of dollars yearly.
This case is happening alongside another antitrust case targeting Google’s search business. In that case, Google might also have to sell its Chrome browser and face other penalties.
Publisher & Advertiser Impact
The case highlights tensions between Google and its customers:
Publishers say they must use Google’s full ad stack to earn more.
Advertisers feel they have few options to reach large audiences.
Small businesses worry about rising advertising costs.
The government claims Google’s dominance prevents fair revenue for publishers, stating the company takes up to 36% in commission.
Google argues its “take rate” is now 31% and falling and is lower than competitors’.
Looking Ahead
Judge Brinkema is expected to issue a written ruling on the case by the end of the year.
The outcome could set important precedents for how antitrust law applies to digital markets.
With hindsight, the previous epoch could be called “The Age of the One-Trick Pony.” It began back in 2002 when Google passed more than a dozen crawlers and directories to become the dominant search engine.
If you learned how to improve a website’s visibility in Google’s natural or unpaid search results, then you could get a respectable job as a search engine optimizer.
Going forward, SEO specialists will need to invest more time in learning four additional disciplines: digital analytics, digital advertising, content marketing, and social media marketing.
SEO managers will also need to demonstrate critical thinking about digital marketing strategy if they ever hope to climb the ladder.
So, where should you begin?
Digital Analytics
You should start by learning more about digital analytics, which is the process of collecting, measuring, analyzing, and interpreting data from digital sources to understand how users interact with online content.
This will help you understand why traditional metrics like “keyword rankings” and “organic pageviews” – which are the top two performance metrics that SEO professionals use to measure success in 2024 – aren’t getting noticed anymore. This means they’re never going to help you get a promotion, let alone a seat at the big table.
“Keyword rankings and pageviews are not necessarily relevant to business goals. They’re the main metrics being disrupted right now, but it’s critical to lean into disruption to discover opportunities and change strategies.”
He used a clickstream panel from Datos to tackle a couple of critical questions:
What typically occurs after Americans and Europeans perform a Google search?
In 2024, what percentage of searches end without any clicks?
As the twin charts below indicate, close to 60% of Google searches result in zero clicks, while slightly more than 40% result in a click.
Image from Sparktoro, September 2024
Of the searches that result in a click, about 25-30% go to platforms that Google owns, including YouTube, Google Images, Google Maps, and Google News. Meanwhile, the other 70% to 75% go to a non-Google-owned, non-Google-ad-paying property.
For every 1,000 Google searches, only 360 clicks in the U.S. and just 374 clicks in Europe go to the open web.
That is why you should use digital analytics to measure the impact of visibility in Google’s natural or unpaid search results on raising brand awareness.
In the late 1980s, I was the director of corporate communications at Lotus Development Corporation and at Ziff-Davis during the 1990s. Back then, I began utilizing surveys to measure the impact of publicity on brand awareness.
Today, you can use a modified version of brand lift surveys to measure this KPI.
Brand lift surveys ask people questions about your brand and products – either before and after your target audience has been exposed to a new campaign or at regular intervals.
The questions can help you understand how your SEO efforts and other cross-channel programs are impacting your brand, including:
Awareness.
Consideration.
Favorability.
Purchase intent.
In other words, learning to use digital analytics to measure, analyze, and interpret data is significantly more valuable to your career than just using the same old web analytics metrics that SEO pros have been collecting and reporting for more than 20 years.
Digital Advertising
Next, I would recommend learning more about digital advertising, which includes pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
Digital ads can appear in many forms, including text, images, audio, and video, and can be found on various platforms, such as search engines, social media, and websites.
You’re probably sharing your keyword research with colleagues in your advertising department or over at your ad agency. But that is just the front end of a longer process – you should learn more about the middle and back end, too.
For example, I had bet dollars to donuts that your colleagues in advertising are busy setting up audiences in Google Analytics 4, which lets them segment users in ways that are important to your business.
By linking your GA4 account to Google Ads, they can remarket to them.
Why does this represent a strategic opportunity for SEO pros?
“People don’t make decisions in a neat, linear fashion.”
Between the moment they realize they need or want something and the moment they make a purchase, a lot happens.
The research also found:
“People look for information about a category’s products and brands, and then weigh all the options.”
They go through two different mental modes in the messy middle: exploration, which is an expansive activity, and evaluation, which is a reductive activity.
It concluded:
“Whatever a person is doing, across a huge array of online sources, such as search engines, social media, and review sites, can be classified into one of these two mental modes.”
So, how do SEO professionals harness this insight?
What if you started building “SEO audiences” in GA4 to help people in the “messy middle” of their purchase journey?
You could then share your SEO audiences with your colleague in advertising, who could then create a remarketing campaign targeted at this specific group of users – and help them complete their purchase journey.
For example, if your SEO program builds an audience of 1,000 users who:
Begin the checkout process, then your colleague could use Google Ads to ask them to make a purchase.
Download a white paper, then your colleague could use Google Ads to ask them to complete a registration form.
Scroll to 90% of a blog post or article, then your colleague could use Google Ads to ask them to subscribe to a newsletter.
SEJ’s State of SEO 2025 says the biggest barrier to SEO success in the last 12 months was “budget and resources.” And that was followed by two other traditional barriers: “Google algorithm updates” and “competition in SERPs.”
But if you dig a little deeper, the fourth item on the list of the biggest barriers to SEO success was “alignment with other departments.”
So, imagine what would happen if the SEO and PPC people started working together to help people in the “messy middle” of their purchase journey?
Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, And SEO
Speaking of alignment with other departments, SEO pros need to learn even more than they already know about content marketing and social media marketing.
Overlapping responsibilities can be a waste of time and frustrating for teams. So, these tend to be the first things that companies and clients trim when they tighten their purse strings.
Ironically, slightly overlapping roles can improve workflow integration. This is because each role’s activities impact the next process in the workflow.
Alignment with other departments isn’t just a way to keep your SEO budget and resources from being cut. It is also a way to overcome other barriers to SEO success, like “Google algorithm updates” and “competition in SERPs.”
The article by Kevin Indig dives into the latest data on AI Overviews (AIO) to understand domain visibility, citation trends, and effective search strategies crucial for SEO success.
What does he notice? The top three most cited domains in AIOs are:
YouTube.com.
Wikipedia.com.
LinkedIn.com.
What does he wonder?
“The fact that two social networks, YouTube and LinkedIn, are in the top three most cited domains raises the question of whether we can influence AIO answers with content on YouTube and LinkedIn more than our own.”
Indig also notes that videos take more effort to produce than LinkedIn answers, but videos might also be more defensible against copycats. So, “AIO-optimization strategies should include social and video content.”
Let us imagine that you are the SEO manager at a Fortune 500 company. What would happen if your chief marketing officer (CMO) decided to create a task force to develop AIO-optimization strategies?
If the task force included managers from the SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing departments, then how likely is it that you would be selected to head up this team?
Since then, SEJ’s State of SEO 2025 confirms that 46.3% of SEO professionals are “content goblins,” a term that the author coined to describe people “willing to eschew rules, morals, and good taste in exchange for eyeballs and mountains of cash.”
Another 25.2% of SEO pros are “alligator wrestlers,” another term coined by The Verge to describe the link spammers who want people to click on “WATCH: 10-foot Gator Prepares to Maul Digital Marketers.”
And 19.6% were confused by these descriptions, which indicates that they don’t get out of their silos very often.
So, how do you avoid the stereotype that SEO pros are hustlers, while simultaneously demonstrating that you have the education, expertise, and experience needed to lead an interdisciplinary team?
But you’d probably improve your chances of getting the new position by also reading:
In other words, the more you know about content marketing and social media marketing, the more likely it is that you will be chosen to head up a task force to develop AIO-optimization strategies.
And working collaboratively with other departments to leverage YouTube, LinkedIn, and cross-channel strategies will also increase your odds of getting promoted in the foreseeable future.
Digital Marketing Strategy
But when you climb the corporate ladder, don’t be surprised if your next job title doesn’t include the term “search engine optimization” or “SEO.”
“Over the last 18 months there has been a marked decline in the job market for senior SEO leadership roles across in-house and agency landscapes, and this trend is persisting.”
And he wondered:
“Maybe companies don’t believe SEO by itself is enough anymore. Job seekers need SEO plus something extra.”
As I mentioned earlier, the era of one-trick ponies is about to end. What comes next can only be described using Words of Estimative Probability (WEP), which are used by intelligence analysts in analytic reports to convey the likelihood of a future event occurring.
So, whether you’re called the VP of marketing, CMO, or chief growth officer (CGO), the challenge will be the same: Create successful digital marketing strategies when your global company or top brand is faced with unexpected opportunities or unanticipated threats in the unforeseeable future.
What are the odds that you can overcome that challenge?
You can increase the likelihood of success by reading case studies and then asking yourself two questions:
What do I notice?
What do I wonder?
I used this approach when I wrote the chapter on digital marketing strategy in the book, “Digital Marketing Fundamentals.” I shared two articles that I had written for Search Engine Journal:
Now, learning lessons from others is a good start, but you can significantly improve your chances of success by borrowing a big idea from my old friend and former colleague, Avinash Kaushik. He wrote an article titled, Stop Exceeding Expectations, Suck Less First.
He said that we should stop trying to “exceed the (often less-than-optimally informed) expectations of Wall Street Analysts” because “this desire to overachieve also comes at a very heavy cost – it drives sub-optimal behavior.”
Instead, he recommended this “as the #1 goal for your company: Suck less, every day.”
How does this incremental approach help a VP of marketing, CMO, or CGO achieve their business objectives?
“More often than not, magnificent success results from executing a business plan that is rooted in a strong understanding of the landscape of possibilities, and a deep self-awareness of business capabilities. These business plans will contain a structured approach…”
Then, he shared the Digital Marketing “Ladder of Awesomeness” below.
Image from Occam’s Razor by Kaushik, September 2024
Next, Kaushik shared the Digital Analytics “Ladder of Awesomeness” below, which outlines the KPIs for each step.
Image from Occam’s Razor by Kaushik, September 2024
Now, your twin ladders of awesomeness might look a little different than his because this is 2024 – not 2013.
And both digital marketing and digital analytics have evolved. But the step-by-step process that Kaushik outlined will help you make the hard choices that are the most relevant for your company or brand when it finds itself in an unexpected, unanticipated, or unforeseeable position.
So, the first step in this new era of SEO is developing digital marketing strategies that help you avoid the pitfalls, seize the opportunities, and climb the ladder of success.
In parallel, the second step should be learning how to measure incrementality, the conversions that would not have occurred without marketing influence.
Oh, it’s also smart to start climbing these twin ladders of awesomeness as quickly as you can.
Why? Because the clock is ticking.
According to Spencer Stuart’s most recent CMO Tenure Study, Fortune 500 CMOs had an average tenure of 4.2 years last year.
However, there are differences between diverse types of companies.
CMOs at B2B companies tend to stay in their roles for an average of 4.5 years; CMOs at B2C companies average 4.0 years; CMOs at the top 100 advertisers hand on to their jobs for just 3.1 years.
In the next couple of years, a significant percentage of CMO jobs are going to open suddenly. How likely is it that you’ll be ready to be interviewed for one of them?
Spencer Stuart also noticed that 34% of Fortune 500 CMOs lead functions in addition to marketing, such as communications. So, the “plus something extra” trend extends from the SEO manager level all the way up to the CMO level.
The Age Of Awesomeness
Take an expanded view of marketing leaders’ growing purview and start climbing the ladder as soon as humanly possible.
The only thing that’s left to do is coin a unique term for the new era we’re entering.
We could call it the “Age of Awesomeness” or the “Epoch of Twin Escalators.” But I’m open to other suggestions.
What have you noticed, and what have you wondered?
We’ll explore four key themes that can drive more successful international PPC results:
Keyword localization.
Geo-specific bid adjustments.
Market-specific creative adaptation.
Leveraging automation tools for international scaling.
1. Keyword Localization: Translating Intent, Not Just Language
Keyword localization is a cornerstone of international PPC success, but it’s often misunderstood as a simple translation exercise.
When translating keywords from one language to another, it’s not a “2+2=4” equation most of the time.
In reality, it’s much more complex.
Keyword localization involves understanding the intent behind searches and adapting keywords to match the local language, cultural context, and user behavior.
Steps To Effective Keyword Localization
Market Research: Before diving into translation, research how consumers in the target country search for products or services. This involves understanding search intent, popular terms, slang, and regional dialects.
Translation with a twist: Work with native speakers or linguists familiar with the market. Tools like Google Translate can give you a starting point, but they won’t capture cultural subtleties. Manual keyword research in local search engines is vital.
Use local search engines: Google may dominate globally, but other regions may favor different search engines. Baidu in China, Yandex in Russia, and Naver in South Korea have distinct algorithms and keyword trends. Tailor your keywords to the dominant platform in each market.
Test and optimize: International markets are fluid. What works in one month might need refinement in the next. Regularly review performance and optimize based on search trends, conversion data, and shifting customer behaviors.
For example, in Spain, the keyword “coches baratos” (cheap cars) may seem like a direct translation of its English counterpart.
However, further research might reveal that “ofertas coches” (car deals) or “vehículos económicos” (affordable vehicles) performs better depending on user intent.
2. Geo-Specific Bid Adjustments: Tailor Bids For Performance By Region
International campaigns are prone to fluctuations in performance, driven by differences in local competition, purchasing power, and user behavior.
Geo-specific bid adjustments allow you to tailor your bidding strategy to the realities of each market, maximizing return on ad spend (ROAS).
Below are some best practices for geo-specific bidding:
Analyze Regional Performance: Use data to assess performance on a country or even city level. Look for patterns like higher conversion rates in certain regions and adjust bids accordingly. This is especially important in diverse markets where sub-regions may perform differently, like the UK or Canada.
Adjust Bids Based on Currency Value and Buying Power: Regions with lower purchasing power or fluctuating currency values may require different bid strategies. In some markets, a lower cost-per-click (CPC) approach could help maintain profitability.
Consider Time Zone Differences: Adjust bids based on peak performance hours in each time zone. A broad international campaign can benefit from time-based adjustments that ensure ads show during peak periods in each country.
For instance, if your campaign targets both New York and Berlin, you may find that your peak performance hours vary drastically, necessitating different bid adjustments to maximize efficiency.
In this instance, it’s likely worth segmenting your campaigns by region to account for maximum return on investment or ROI in each region.
In larger enterprise accounts, most regions have different audience sizes, which require different budgets.
If your brand falls into that category, it may be worth creating a separate Google Ads account per region, which can roll up into one MCC account for easier management.
3. Market-Specific Creative Adaptation: Speak The Local Language Through Ad Copy
One of the most common mistakes in international PPC campaigns is failing to adapt ad creatives to local contexts.
Just as keyword localization requires cultural adaptation, ad creatives must be tuned to resonate with local audiences.
A few approaches to localized creative to think about include:
Ad Copy and Messaging: Localize ad copy to reflect cultural preferences, holidays, humor, and common phrases. Avoid literal translations that may miss the mark. Collaborate with local copywriters who understand the nuances of language and sentiment.
Visual Adaptations: Imagery that works in one region may not resonate in another. If your ad visuals feature people, clothing, or settings, make sure they align with local norms and expectations.
Calls to Action (CTAs): CTAs should be adapted based on local shopping behaviors. In some regions, urgency works well (“Buy Now”), while in others, a softer approach may perform better (“Learn More” or “Discover”).
For example, a successful ad campaign in the US using a humorous tone may need to be entirely rethought for a market like Japan, where subtlety and respect play a bigger role in advertising.
4. Leveraging Automation Tools For International Scaling
Managing international PPC campaigns across multiple markets can quickly become overwhelming.
Automation tools, both native to ad platforms and third-party solutions, can help streamline campaign management while still allowing for localized control.
Automation Tactics To Help Scale International PPC Campaigns
Smart Bidding: Utilize Google or Microsoft’s automated bidding strategies tailored to individual market performance. Smart bidding leverages machine learning to optimize bids for conversions or ROAS, adjusting bids based on real-time data.
Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs): Dynamic Search Ads can help expand your reach by automatically generating ad headlines based on your website’s content. For international campaigns, ensure that your website is properly localized to ensure the DSAs serve relevant, accurate ads.
Automated Rules and Scripts: Set up automated rules or scripts to adjust bids, pause underperforming keywords, or raise budgets during peak times. For example, you might set rules to increase bids during holidays specific to individual regions, like Singles’ Day in China or Diwali in India.
Automation tools should be used to complement your manual efforts, not replace them. While they can help manage large campaigns more efficiently, regular oversight and optimization are still essential.
A Holistic Approach To International PPC Success
Expanding into international PPC campaigns presents both challenges and opportunities.
Success depends on taking a holistic approach that incorporates keyword localization, tailored bidding strategies, localized creatives, and effective use of automation.
By adapting your strategies to each specific market, you’ll be able to tap into the unique search behaviors, cultural nuances, and competitive dynamics of global consumers.
Remember that the global PPC landscape is constantly evolving, and regular monitoring, testing, and optimization will be key to staying ahead of the competition.
Whether you’re managing campaigns in-house or as part of an agency, these best practices will help you optimize your international PPC efforts and drive better performance across borders.
Google has announced the expansion of its First Position ad offering on YouTube, making it available across all content types through Display & Video 360.
This marks a change from the previous limitation of First Position ads to YouTube Select inventory.
What Are First Position Ads?
First Position ads are in-stream advertisements that appear at the beginning of YouTube videos, ensuring they are the first ad viewers see.
This placement is designed to capture audience attention when engagement is at its highest.
Key Changes to First Position:
Availability: Now accessible for all YouTube content, not just YouTube Select inventory
Pricing: Shifted from a fixed-rate CPM to a dynamic pricing model through Display & Video 360
Targeting: Allows advertisers to reach target audiences across a broader range of content
This feature is now available in all markets where First Position ads were previously offered.
Ad Formats & Placement
First Position targeting is available for both in-stream and Shorts ad formats, expanding the potential reach of these ads.
However, it’s worth noting that in-stream line items targeting the first position are not guaranteed to serve in the first position of a user’s session on YouTube TV.
This may affect strategies for connected TV advertising.
Instant Reserve & Implementation
Advertisers can use Instant Reserve, a Display & Video 360 feature, to get a quote and reserve YouTube inventory immediately without negotiations.
This aligns with the new dynamic pricing model, offering more flexibility in ad purchasing.
For implementation, advertisers should note that YouTube videos used in First Position ads must be set to “Public” or “Unlisted” visibility. Private videos cannot be used in these campaigns.
Reporting & Measurement
To assess the performance of First Position ads, advertisers can utilize Basic report templates and YouTube-specific reports available in Display & Video 360.
These tools allow for detailed analysis of ad performance across various metrics.
Case Studies Provided
Google cited two examples in its announcement:
Booking.com reportedly saw a 21% relative lift in ad recall during a holiday campaign.
IHG Hotels & Resorts claimed to achieve twice the YouTube benchmark for ad recall and brand awareness when combining First Position ads with Content Takeovers.
Context
The move may affect how brands allocate their video advertising budgets and could impact competition for prime ad placements on YouTube.
Here are the potential implications of these changes for advertisers:
Flexible Budgeting: Dynamic pricing allows for more adaptable spending strategies.
Expanded Reach: First Position ads are now available across all YouTube content, not just Select inventory.
Increased Competition: Wider availability may drive up costs for premium placements.
Strategic Planning: Advertisers may need to be more selective about using First Position ads.
Advertisers interested in leveraging First Position ads should consult Google’s Help Center for information on Instant Reserve in Display & Video 360 and Reservations in Google Ads to understand the implementation process and best practices.
According to details surfacing online, ad management firm Mediavine is terminating publishers’ accounts for overusing AI.
Mediavine is a leading ad management company providing products and services to help website publishers monetize their content.
The company holds elite status as a Google Certified Publishing Partner, which indicates that it meets Google’s highest standards and requirements for ad networks and exchanges.
AI Content Triggers Account Terminations
The terminations came to light in a post on the Reddit forum r/Blogging, where a user shared an email they received from Mediavine citing “overuse of artificially created content.”
Trista Jensen, Mediavine’s Director of Ad Operations & Market Quality, states in the email:
“Our third party content quality tools have flagged your sites for overuse of artificially created content. Further internal investigation has confirmed those findings.”
Jensen stated that due to the overuse of AI content, “our top partners will stop spending on your sites, which will negatively affect future monetization efforts.”
Consequently, Mediavine terminated the publisher’s account “effective immediately.”
The Risks Of Low-Quality AI Content
This strict enforcement aligns with Mediavine’s publicly stated policy prohibiting websites from using “low-quality, mass-produced, unedited or undisclosed AI content that is scraped from other websites.”
In a March 7 blog post titled “AI and Our Commitment to a Creator-First Future,” the company declared opposition to low-value AI content that could “devalue the contributions of legitimate content creators.”
Mediavine warned in the post:
“Without publishers, there is no open web. There is no content to train the models that power AI. There is no internet.”
The company says it’s using its platform to “advocate for publishers” and uphold quality standards in the face of AI’s disruptive potential.
Mediavine states:
“We’re also developing faster, automated tools to help us identify low-quality, mass-produced AI content across the web.”
Targeting ‘AI Clickbait Kingpin’ Tactics
While the Reddit user’s identity wasn’t disclosed, the incident has drawn connections to the tactics of Nebojša Vujinović Vujo, who was dubbed an “AI Clickbait Kingpin” in a recent Wired exposé.
According to Wired, Vujo acquired over 2,000 dormant domains and populated them with AI-generated, search-optimized content designed purely to capture ad revenue.
His strategies represent the low-quality, artificial content Mediavine has vowed to prohibit.
Potential Implications
Lost Revenue
Mediavine’s terminations highlight potential implications for publishers that rely on artificial intelligence to generate website content at scale.
Perhaps the most immediate and tangible implication is the risk of losing ad revenue.
For publishers that depend heavily on programmatic advertising or sponsored content deals as key revenue drivers, being blocked from major ad networks could devastate their business models.
Devalued Domains
Another potential impact is the devaluation of domains and websites built primarily on AI-generated content.
If this pattern of AI content overuse triggers account terminations from companies like Mediavine, it could drastically diminish the value proposition of scooping up these domains.
Damaged Reputations & Brands
Beyond the lost monetization opportunities, publishers leaning too heavily into automated AI content also risk permanent reputational damage to their brands.
Once a determining authority flags a website for AI overuse, it could impact how that site is perceived by readers, other industry partners, and search engines.
In Summary
AI has value as an assistive tool for publishers, but relying heavily on automated content creation poses significant risks.
These include monetization challenges, potential reputation damage, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. Mediavine’s strict policy illustrates the possible consequences for publishers.
It’s important to note that Mediavine’s move to terminate publisher accounts over AI content overuse represents an independent policy stance taken by the ad management firm itself.
The action doesn’t directly reflect the content policies or enforcement positions of Google, whose publishing partner program Mediavine is certified under.
We have reached out to Mediavine requesting a comment on this story. We’ll update this article with more information when it’s provided.
This morning, The Outlook Study: August Update has been released by the IAB as an update to their initial November 2023 study and provides a snapshot of projected ad spend, opportunities, and challenges for the remainder of 2024.
The study outlines the shifts that have occurred throughout the year, capturing current perspectives from buy-side ad investment decision-makers at brands and agencies.
Here are some of the key takeaways for digital marketers:
Buyers increased their 2024 ad spend projections from +9.5% projected at the end of 2023 to +11.8% today.
Nearly all channels are expected to post higher growth rates year-over-year (YoY), with even Linear TV rebounding.
Retail media’s ascent continues, with buyers revising YoY projections from +21.8% to +25.1%.
Buyers continue to focus on cross-funnel KPIs while shifting efforts towards reach optimization as interest in new KPIs wanes.
Measurement challenges persist for the industry, while economic concerns subside.
In other words, it’s time to spring forward, not fall back, in the media and marketing industries.
Buyers’ Ad Spending Forecasts For 2024 Have Been Revised Upward
The increase in projections is not what many digital marketers were expecting, so what is happening in the changing industry landscape?
Increased ad spending in the second half of 2024 is being driven by increased political spending around the presidential election and other cyclical events, such as the Summer Olympic games.
Based on IAB’s recent email survey of 200 buy-side ad investment decision-makers, primarily at brands and agencies, nearly all channels are expected to post higher growth rates YoY.
Yes, even linear TV is now expected to grow 4.3%, but nine other channels are expected to grow at even faster rates:
Connected TV (CTV) by 18.4%.
Social media by 16.3%.
Paid search by 13.1%.
Podcasts by 12.6%.
Digital video excluding CTV by 12.5%.
Digital out-of-home (OOH) by 8.9%.
Digital audio, excluding podcasts, by 8.3%.
Digital display by 7.4%.
Gaming by 5.1%.
Why Is Retail Media Expected To Continue Growing?
Buyers – particularly in the consumer-packed goods (CPG) and the beauty categories – are set to surge in the U.S. this year, pushing overall retail media ad spending to reach one-fifth of the total 2024 ad spend.
Okay, these are the reasons to spring forward, even if we’re on the verge of fall. But there are a couple of challenges that digital marketers still face.
For example, there’s been a decline in focus on new ad KPIs (e.g., attention metrics, weighted CAC, etc.), which suggests there’s been a renewed interest in refining and leveraging established metrics to achieve cross-funnel goals.
So, figuring out how to use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to measure business outcomes instead of marketing outputs remains “the road less traveled.”
Understanding Evolving Consumer Habits Is A Growing Concern
While economic worries have faded, the concern over executing cross-channel media measurement has risen.
The resilient economy, marked by a 2.3% rise in consumer spending in Q2 2024, has eased buyers’ concerns.
But, as media convergence gains traction, cross-channel measurement remains a top priority, especially for large advertisers that spend over $50 million annually.
Other concerns, like managing reach and frequency across screens and channels, as well as media inflation, have remained flat.
Understanding evolving consumer habits is a growing concern – and is keeping significantly more buyers up at night than it did last year.
It does seem like it’s time to spring forward in the media and marketing industries, although this has traditionally been the season when digital marketers prepare to fall back.
Google has announced changes to its consent management tools to address the challenges advertisers face with evolving privacy regulations.
According to Google’s Ads Liaison, Ginny Marvin, the new integrated Consent Management Platform (CMP) setup will roll out globally over the next few weeks.
⏩ Introducing: Tag Diagnostics + new Consent Management setup in Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Google Tag Manager.
1. Tag Diagnostics: This is where you’ll find notifications about potential measurement set up issues & how to fix them, such as: – If you need a conversion…
— AdsLiaison I’m Away until 9/3 (@adsliaison) August 28, 2024
Consent Management Update
The update integrates with several of Google’s CMP partners within the Google Tag user interface across Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, and Google Tag Manager.
Screenshot from: support.google.com, August 2024.
This change affects how advertisers can manage consent banners and deploy consent mode.
Marvin stated:
“Working with one of Google’s CMP Partners is typically the easiest way to manage consent banner and consent mode deployment. Now the consent mode setup in the Google Tag UI integrates directly with many of these partners.”
Features Of The New Setup
The integrated CMP setup includes:
Guidance within the product interface
Integration with various CMP providers
Options for banner installation
Current CMP Partners
Four CMP providers are currently integrated with the new setup:
consentmanager
Cookiebot by Usercentrics
iubenda
Usercentrics
Broader Context
This update follows recent changes to digital privacy practices and regulations.
Earlier this year, Google updated its consent mode API with two new consent collection parameters.
In a blog post, Google noted,
“As privacy regulations evolve and technologies shift, we’ve continued to build tools that help advertisers succeed while respecting consumer choice.”
How This Can Benefit You
Google’s new integrated CMP setup could offer several advantages:
Easier Setup: Less technical hassle when implementing consent management.
Better Compliance: A streamlined process may help with GDPR adherence.
Data Accuracy: Aims to maintain measurement quality while respecting consent.
One-Stop Shop: Consent management directly in Google’s ad and analytics platforms.
Future-Proofing: Potentially quicker adaptation to evolving privacy rules.
The actual impact and effectiveness remain to be seen as they roll out to users.
Industry Outlook
As the digital advertising industry adapts to privacy concerns, these updates represent one approach to balancing advertiser needs with data protection requirements.
Advertisers must assess how these changes fit into their broader data strategies and compliance efforts.
Staying on top of these updates is key as the ad tech world navigates the privacy-first era.
Google’s halting ad monetization for Russian publishers on AdSense, AdMob, and Ad Manager, effective August 12, citing “ongoing developments” in the country.
This impacts Russian digital publishers, content creators, and app devs who use these platforms for revenue generation through ad impressions and clicks.
Background & Context
Google’s decision to halt ad monetization in Russia is not an isolated incident but part of a series of actions the company has taken since 2022 amid geopolitical tensions.
Previous measures include:
Halting ad serving to users in Russia in March 2022
Demonetizing content that exploited, dismissed, or condoned the conflict in Ukraine
Cracking down on state-sponsored YouTube channels and videos, blocking over 1,000 channels and 5.5 million videos
Google will make final payouts to eligible Russian AdSense users in late August, provided there are no payment issues and minimum thresholds are met.
This closes a revenue source for Russian creators who’ve been monetizing non-Russian traffic up to this point.
Google’s latest move has drawn criticism from some Russian officials. Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of Russia’s parliamentary committee on information policy, stated on Telegram that Google is “segregating citizens according to nationality” and supporting the division of the online space.
Potential Impact
The financial impact on Russian content creators could be substantial. Many have used these platforms to monetize traffic from both domestic and international audiences.
With this revenue stream now cut off, creators may need to explore alternative monetization methods or potentially face income reductions.
Beyond individual creators, this move could have broader implications for the Russian digital economy.
As a major player in the global digital advertising market, Google’s withdrawal may create a void that local Russian ad networks might struggle to fill completely.
This could lead to a decrease in overall digital ad spending within the country and potentially affect the quality and quantity of content available to Russian internet users.
Looking Ahead
Google’s exit from Russia’s ad market will force local publishers to pivot. They’ll likely explore alternative platforms or rev streams. This could boost Russian ad tech development, potentially siloing the RuNet further.
We may see similar actions from other companies as geopolitical tensions persist.
With the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris officially opening today, DAIVID used its advanced content testing platform to see which ads from the global sporting event have elicited the most intense positive emotions of all time.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) dominates DAIVID’s chart, with five of the top seven ads – including the top three positions.
So, the rest of the search and marketing community will want to figure out what the American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio has understood for more than a dozen years.
A P&G 2014 Winter Olympics campaign honoring the crucial support mothers provide to athletes is the most emotionally engaging Olympic ad ever.
This accolade comes from DAIVID, a creative effectiveness platform, which found that the “Pick Them Back Up” campaign evoked the strongest positive emotions among viewers.
“P&G Thank You, Mom | Pick Them Back Up | Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games” led the chart with 59.6% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions. As the video’s description says, “For teaching us that falling only makes us stronger. For giving us the encouragement to try again. Thank you, Mom.”
Following the (emotional) success from 2014, Thank You, Mom – The Winter Olympics (2018) was close behind in second place with a score of 59.5%.
This video guides the viewer through moms supporting their kids with their dreams and through their circumstances – whether it be bias over color, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
P&G’s ad from the London 2012 Olympics took third place, with 58.4% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions.
In this 2012 edition of Procter & Gamble’s ad campaign, supportive mothers take their children to practices and help the kids deal with setbacks on their way to becoming successful Olympic athletes.
4. National Lottery Funded Athletes – TV Extended Version
The UK’s National Lottery ad, ” National Lottery funded athletes – TV advert Extended Version,” took fourth place with a score of 56.9%.
It was inspired by the story of 800-meter runner Jenny Meadows’ mother and showcased how National Lottery funding supports British athletes in achieving their dreams.
Another from P&G’s Thank You, Mom series for the Rio 2016 Olympics was placed fifth, with 55.9% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions.
In this two-minute commercial, P&G features supportive mothers helping their children persevere through difficult circumstances on their way to becoming Olympic champions.
The brand positions itself as the “Proud sponsor of Moms” and uses the tagline: “It takes someone strong to make someone strong. Thank you, Mom.”
6. We’re The Superhumans – Rio Paralympics 2016
Channel 4, a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel, took sixth place with its “Superhumans” trailer for the Rio Paralympics 2016. The 3-minute video ad got a score of 55.7%.
7. Procter & Gamble – Your Goodness Is Your Greatness
Your Goodness is Your Greatness from P&G took seventh place, with 55.5% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions.
Now, P&G was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. Do you think this gave them a head start on the rest of the field?
DAIVID CEO’s Insights
In a press release, Ian Forrester, CEO and founder of DAIVID, said:
“When it comes to emotional Olympic campaigns, no brand has ever gone faster, higher or stronger than P&G.
The company’s incredible tributes to the role mums play in helping to put future Olympic champions on the path to Games glory really tug at the emotional heartstrings and are capable of turning even the most cynical viewers into emotional wrecks.
‘Pick Them Back Up’ is a worthy gold winner, generating some of the most intense feelings of positivity we’ve ever seen for an ad.”
He added, “It’s also great to see Channel 4’s sensational campaign, ‘We’re The Superhumans’ in the top 6. Generating incredibly intense feelings of inspiration, the ad has played a crucial role in putting the Paralympics firmly in the hearts and minds of viewers all around the world.”
What can I add?
I’ve known Forrester since September 2012, when he joined the Unruly Group as global insight lead. And I talked with him several times over the next six years about Unruly’s Viral Spiral charts, which showed which video ads were among the most shared.
But if you want to figure out what P&G already understands, then it’s worth spending a few moments learning more about DAIVID’s methodology.
Check Out DAIVID’s Methodology
Based in London, DAIVID leverages technologies like facial coding, eye tracking, and computer vision to help advertisers enhance the emotional and business impact of their campaigns.
Their platform allows marketers to assess and improve ad effectiveness on a large scale using advanced data analysis methods.
DAIVID’s study of the most emotionally engaging Olympics ads utilized its Self-Serve solution, trained on millions of consumer data points, to predict the emotional reactions and attention levels ads would generate, along with their potential brand and business impacts.
The analysis involved 56 Olympic ads, excluding those from the current Paris Olympics.
Watch For Yourself To See Why These Videos Trigger Emotion
So, watch the seven ads above and see for yourself what kind of video content triggers intense positive emotions in viewers. You may see something that I might have missed.
But the next time you want to know if your ad creative is working, test it. I know, talking about testing social videos the way that Madison Avenue once tested TV commercials seems like pie in the sky.
But with AI as your co-pilot, making creative testing affordable, you can fix problems and identify solutions faster and easier than it could back in the old days.
Okay, this may not bring tears to your eyes – like “Pick Them Back Up” probably will – but it can help you catch up with P&G, which already has a 12-year head start.
