Just Ad'ed | May Roundup

Blueprint's "Just Ad'ed" Weekly Digest – your new go-to source for Paid advertising news.

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly newsletter, Just Ad'ed, as we bring you a concise roundup of the most relevant and impactful news stories from the world of Paid Advertising. Staying informed is crucial in the fast-changing landscape of digital marketing, and Just Ad'ed is designed to keep you in the loop without overwhelming you.

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Jump To:  April 29-May 3 |  May 6-10|  May 13-27  |  May 20-24

Low-Activity Keywords: Google's Spring Cleaning for Advertisers

📈What Happened? 

Google to automatically pause low-activity keywords, defined as those that haven't generated impressions in over a year. 

🔍Why Does It Matter? 

Google's motivation this move is to help advertisers simplify their accounts and focus on keywords that drive results - advertisers can still unpause the keywords, but are recommended only to do so for those expected to receive impressions in the near future.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should refine their keywords, paying attention to the ones that are generating impressions and the ones that aren't. 

DeepSee Dives into Ad-Tech Transparency

📈 What Happened? 

Ad-tech consulting group DeepSee introduces the Publisher Research Portal, aimed at enhancing transparency in the programmatic advertising industry. 

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The platform utilizes data collected from web crawlers to offer advertisers insights into the quality of publishers, seeking to address concerns of fraud and waste in the ad-tech ecosystem.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers can utilize the new tool to make more informed decisions when selecting publishers and optimizing their programmatic advertising strategies.

ByteDance vs. Big Ban

📈 What Happened? 

TikTok announces new features within its Pulse Premiere ad offering, meant to give advertisers more control over their ad placements on the platform.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

With the looming ban, TikTok keeps its focus on enhancing its advertising capabilities. The new features aim to provide advertisers with greater control and customization options for their ad placements, potentially improving the effectiveness of their campaigns.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

 For advertisers, leveraging TikTok's enhanced advertising features, such as Pulse Custom Lineups and Pulse Premiere Tentpole Moments, can provide opportunities to engage with the platform's diverse user base.

Navigating Ad Land: Microsoft's Copilot Open for Advertisers

📈 What Happened? 

Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot becomes available for all advertisers across Microsoft Advertising Platform.

🔍 Why Does It Matter? 

Copilot is designed to assist advertisers by streamlining routine tasks, enabling them to focus on strategic decision-making and enhancing overall performance within the ad platform. 

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Copilot offers several AI-powered capabilities within the ad platform, including natural language conversational chat, recommendations for ad creative assets, and AI-generated images on demand.

ChannelIQ: Because Knowing Your Audience Is Half the Battle 

📈 What Happened? 

AnalyticsIQ rolls out ChannelIQ, a new addition to its suite of predictive data solutions meant to unlock consumer marketing channel preferences, offering brands and marketers actionable insights to optimize their messaging, targeting, and overall campaign performance. 

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

Using AnalyticsIQ's proprietary research-based approach, ChannelIQ offers insight into consumer channel preferences, content consumption patterns, and advertising responsiveness.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

The new tool could be beneficial to advertising campaigns using predictive analytics. 

Jump To:  April 29-May 3 |  May 6-10|  May 13-27  |  May 20-24

AI Showdown: OpenAI's Search Quest vs. Google's Reign

📈 What Happened? 

OpenAI set to roll out new AI-powered search product on Monday, strategically timed to coincide with Google's annual I/O conference.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

This platform could be a huge threat to Google, as OpenAI's search feature will be integrated into its ChatGPT chatbot, potentially offering features like citations and being partly powered by Bing.

⚖️ What Should We Do?

Users should monitor the new platform closely to see what opportunities it may have to offer. 

Facebook's Paid Perks: Meta's Monetization Makeover

📈 What Happened? 

Meta announces the launch of its Meta Verified subscription plan for brands, moving away from its original stance of providing free access to its platform.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The subscription plan offers four tiers, ranging from Standard to Max, with prices reaching up to $1,000 per month.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

For advertisers accustomed to leveraging Facebook and Instagram for marketing purposes, it's essential to evaluate the potential benefits and drawbacks of subscribing to Meta Verified tiers.

Retail Meets Streaming: Walmart Pairs With Disney

📈 What Happened? 

Walmart and Disney announce partnership to enable advertisers to utilize Walmart's shopping data to target audiences on Disney's streaming platforms, including Disney Plus and Hulu.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

This collaboration allows Walmart advertisers to leverage the retailer's extensive shopper data alongside Disney's Audience Graph tools, enhancing campaign effectiveness. 

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

This Walmart-Disney partnership presents an opportunity to explore new approaches to targeted advertising on streaming platforms.

Reddit's Ad Game: Going from Gold to Green

📈 What Happened? 

Reddit's new advertising business saw $222.7 million in revenue last quarter, marking a 39% increase year over year.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The platform's partnership with Google, aimed at improving search engine AI tools, has contributed to a surge in traffic. However, Reddit remains cautious about data usage and is selective about licensing agreements.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

As Reddit continues to expand its advertising offerings and explore strategic partnerships, advertisers should consider incorporating the platform into their marketing strategies.

Pin It to Win It: Get Certified as a Pinterest Media Buyer

📈 What Happened? 

Pinterest has introduced a new Media Buyer Certification program on Pinterest Academy, recognizing marketers' expertise and on-the-job experience in utilizing Pinterest for advertising.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The program aims to help marketers showcase their skills effectively while enabling agencies and brands to identify top talent swiftly. 

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

The Media Buyer Certification program presents an opportunity to validate and showcase their expertise in Pinterest advertising. Marketers with two to five years of media buying experience, including one to two years specifically using Pinterest advertising tools, are encouraged to pursue this certification.

Jump To:  April 29-May 3 |  May 6-10|  May 13-27  |  May 20-24

From Cat Videos to Prime Time: YouTube Refines Ad Offerings

📈 What Happened? 

Youtube revises it's advertising pitch for the upfront market, with a focus on creating more scarcity and offering new tools.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The platform is raising the threshold for its YouTube Select program, now including the top 1% of channels, as well as introducing AI-powered ad optimization for non-skippable ads and branded QR codes.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should take advantage of the new features being put out by Youtube, utilizing the top 1% of channels for high-quality, targeted advertising opportunities.

Netflix Doubles Down: Ads, Tech, and 40M Viewers

📈 What Happened? 

Netflix's ad-supported tier hits 40 million users monthly, globally.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

Netflix is now doubling down on the ad business, developing its own advertising platform and partnering with major ad tech companies like Google and The Trade Desk.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should monitor the platform's growth, and utilize Netflix’s advanced ad tech, powered by collaborations with top companies.

Ad Innovation on Max: WBDs New Ad Products

📈 What Happened? 

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) rolls out new advanced ad products for Max, including shoppable ads, advanced contextual targeting, and interactive video formats.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The new ad products aim to enhance brand engagement and consumer action, with features like click-to-contact and viewer’s choice on the interactive ads.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should leverage the shoppable ads to implement advanced contextual targeting to match ads with relevant content moments.

Screenvision's Guarantee: Ad Success on the Big Screen

📈 What Happened? 

Screenvision Media announces new guarantees on incremental reach, including the launch of Screenvision Amp, breakthrough research tools, and content partnerships.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

Screenvision Amp offers advanced digital solutions, enhancing brand messages before, during, and after films, providing advertisers with measurable outcomes and increased confidence in cinema advertising.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should take advantage of Screenvision’s guarantees for measurable business outcomes.

Privacy Meets Performance: Snap x Datahash 

📈 What Happened? 

Snapchat partners with Datahash to simplify CAPI setup for advertisers and send web events without cookies after CAPI integrations grew 300% in Q1 2024.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

This partnership allows advertisers easier access to CAPI setup for better conversion optimization and accurate ROAS.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers using Snapchat should monitor the new CAPI setup, as Advertisers have seen +25% purchase value and -18% cost when using CAPI and Snap Pixel.

Jump To:  April 29-May 3 |  May 6-10|  May 13-27  |  May 20-24

Unlocking Ad Potential: Amazon’s Performance+

📈 What Happened? 

Amazon launches Performance+, a product that uses machine learning within Amazon's demand-side platform to optimize advertising campaigns based on predicted conversion rates.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The new product marks Amazon's first entry into the AI-driven ad automation market, competing directly with Google and Meta.

⚖️ What Should We Do?

Advertisers should utilize the platform for more control and potentially better results, as Amazon claims significant cost-per-acquisition (CPA) reductions compared to standard ad buys.

Canva Enterprise: Big Business, Bigger Creativity

📈 What Happened? 

Canva rolls out Canva Enterprise, a new offering for large enterprises, at its first international Canva Create event in Los Angeles.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The launch included tailored Work Kits, native adtech apps, and new AI capabilities designed to enhance and simplify creative work for businesses.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should consider adopting Canva Enterprise to centralize and streamline their creative processes, ensuring brand consistency and improving efficiency.

Meta’s Catalog Ads: From Browsers to Buyers

📈 What Happened? 

Meta launches new automated video ad option for Catalog Product Ads, allowing advertisers to include video assets in addition to still images.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

This update expands the capabilities of Catalog Product Ads by incorporating video to enhance ad campaigns across Reels, Feed, and Stories.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should start integrating video assets into their Catalog Product Ads to leverage this new feature.

Shop Smarter: Google’s New AI Ads

📈 What Happened? 

Google introduces new AI-driven ad experiences at Google Marketing Live 2024, aimed at enhancing online shopping confidence and assisting with complex purchase decisions.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

These new experiences include Video-powered Search Ads, Virtual Try-On (VTO) for apparel ads, and 3D Shoe Spins, all designed to create an immersive shopping experience.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Retailers and marketers should integrate these new AI-powered ad formats into their campaigns to leverage enhanced consumer engagement. 

Cookieless Confidence: Amazon’s New Ad Suite

📈 What Happened? 

Amazon introduced several new AI-driven ad tools and a revamped user interface to help advertisers navigate the upcoming cookieless era and enhance their control over audience targeting and performance insights.

🔍 Why Does It Matter?

The tools include the Cross-Channel Planner, Amazon Marketing Stream API, AMC Audiences, enhanced new customer data analytics, Amazon DSP Events Manager, Amazon Publisher Cloud, and Sponsored TV ads.

⚖️ What Should We Do? 

Advertisers should leverage these new tools to enhance their campaign strategies and prepare for the cookieless future.

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