Today in Digital Marketing
Episodes
Correctile Dysfunction
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Correctile disfunction: The audacious new plan being floated to remedy Google's monopoly. Meta kills off a popular transparency tool. Disappearing...
Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With elections looming, are brands right to be worried about the secret political leanings of their paid influencers? Also: TikTok is literally giving...
DTC Sales are Plateauing. Here's Why.
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
DTC sales are slowing. Is it the economy? The products? No, but there are three reasons for it. Has Google given up on AI Overviews in Search? Instagr...
The Case of the Missing $16M Google Ad Credit
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An apparent glitch promises advertisers millions in Google ad credits. The glitch is fixed, but could Google be on the hook? Also: A report says Googl...
The Subtraction Principle
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two prices, one answer — where do you put your discount? Media buyers rethink X after the platform sues an advertiser coalition. Questions about how...
Blue Monday
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. declares Google an illegal monopoly. What's next for one of the world's biggest ad platforms? Netflix's ad prices keep dropping. ...
When Brat is Not Brat
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The risks of jumping on board a fast trend. Amazon's warning could fortell a slow quarter for us all. Google hates tax laws, and you'll pay be...
All Your Ads Are Belong to Us
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Zuckerberg is coming for your ads — and he wants your hands off the steering wheel. The ad business is still growing, just a lot slower than before....
Move Fast and Cancel AI
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Back to the drawing board — Meta kills celebrity chatbots. The Performance Max change we all wanted is here. New data on where young people start th...
How Do You Do, Fellow Boomers?
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A big loss for Amazon as an American regulator gives the company the news it didn't want. SurveyMonkey pushes out a big update. X's financial ...
Inside the Slow Crumbling of the 'Google Network'
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The untold story behind the slow decline of Google network revenue. Reddit launches Lead Gen Ads. A massive acquisition in the influencer marketing sp...
Influencer Marketing Grows Up
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Influencers are charging more — and it's partly your budget's fault. TikTok brings the update many wanted, but few actually need. And Apple ...
Think You Can Stop What They Sell? I Doubt It.
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Take 2: TikTok tries its hand at ecommerce in Europe. Yelp upgrades its Request a Quote service. A new spend limit on Google Ads. And here's how y...
Cookie Cancellation: Cancelled
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The great cookiepocalypse is cancelled. What does that mean for marketers now? The two-letter solution to improving your Google search ranking. Europe...
Snap, Crackle, Pop.
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was the blue screen heard around the world — how did today's massive global computer outage affect marketers? Google kills off yet another pr...
The Last B, Well, That’s Not That Simple
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ads are coming to Threads but will media buyers care? A shocking development in the agency world. Has Google given up on AI summaries? And why Instagr...
One Tiny Toggle
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Google Ads now default to Broad Match. Facebook's new AI tool could spell trouble for brands that get a lot of comments. Another door into TV ads ...
The Real Cost of Amazon's Prime Days
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Outrageous greed — that's what the U.S. government calls Amazon's Prime Days, in light of its estimate that almost half of the company's...
SPECIAL: "True" (AKA "Wazzup") by Budweiser
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world's most successful ad campaigns almost didn't happen.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/...
SPECIAL: "1984" by Apple
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The untold story of what many believe is the best television ad of all time. Rate and Review Us • Contact Us 📰 Get our free daily newsletter...
SPECIAL: The Surprising History Behind "Mana Mana"
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The untold story of one of the original acoustical earworms. Rate and Review Us • Contact Us 📰 Get our free daily newsletter📈 Advertising: R...
The Security Breach We All Feared Has Happened
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The hack nobody wanted: How a leading two-factor authentication app used by marketers worldwide is now exposed. Plus TikTok slows down, a deep-dive in...
If You Can't BEAT Apple...
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A big design tool pulls its AI features... the slow recovery from a Google algorithm update... Meta makes a big change to a small tag... and YouTube&#...
Meta's Ad Platform: Half-Measures Availed Us Nothing
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For many Meta ad buyers, June was a month full of bugs and volatile performance. Is this the new normal? We check in with our Meta ads correspondent A...
Meta Hates Bots. (Except Those It Creates.)
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your Facebook ads might soon cost more — but there is a way out. Google's search ranking apparently considers how busy your business is. Wordpre...
Googol Typos
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Typos are coming to your ad reports — here's why you'll like that. TikTok tries to pre-empt Amazon's big sale. An verification tool used...
If You Can't Beat Them, Temu Them
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon's response to the discount Chinese ecommerce sites? To become them. Also: Why social media platforms would rather you forget all about that...
Marketers (Still) Aren't Ready for When the Cookie Crumbles
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've known it was coming for years, so why do marketers feel even LESS ready for the cookiepocalypse than they did before? Also: Pinterest wants ...
DEEP DIVE: Disabling Comments on Social Media Posts
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are many decisions to make when you're posting an ad on social media for your brand — the placement, the timing, the audience, the hook, t...
Meta Thinks Everything Is AI Now
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you use AI to make that product image? No? Then why is Meta telling everyone you did? Also: Local Service Ads expand to Maps, whether you want the...
The Meta ‘Discount Code Fiasco’
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A crazy new bug on Meta's ad platform is selling products at big discounts — and the merchants have no idea it's happening. Also: Sorry, why...
Your Griefbots Have No Soul
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Government regulators sound the warning on AI spokespeople, as the marketing industry and social media platforms scramble to ramp up their avatar game...
"We're Passing the Savings Along to Ourselves!"
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Google won't let some companies pay for ads by credit cards any more, in a move that could cost businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars overni...
Is YouTube About to Blow Up Ad Blockers For Good?
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Has the final gauntlet been thrown? A technical change to how YouTube ads are delivered may break ad blockers for good. Meta backs down on AI training...
There Exists a Not-Inconsequential Chance This Headline Will Make You Skip Today's Podcast Offering
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dumb it down — new research says the simpler you make your headlines, the more people will click on them. Also: Instagram's latest ad format is ...
The Myth of "99% Brand Safe"
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brand safety tools claim platforms they measure are '99% safe.' But can marketers trust those numbers? Probably not. Also: YouTube adds the si...
Uncomfortable Questions
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The app that wanted the world to be more authentic has been acquired. Google says the next search update might restore some penalized sites. Why marke...
More. More Never Changes.
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's happened again. This time, Adobe scrambles to reassure marketers it's not going to steal their work in the service of AI training. But ca...
Deepfakes: The Next Brand Safety Challenge
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Deepfakes are the next challenge for brand safety. Reddit's Ads API is out, barely. LinkedIn has a new video ad product. Instagram updates carouse...
The 'Other' Bucket: What is Google Ads Hiding?
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is Google dumping up to three-quarters of your ad results into an unmarked bucket? HubSpot is about to get more expensive. Finally, a framework fo...
⚠️ A TikTok Cyberattack is Underway
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A nasty cyberattack is targeting big TikTok accounts — and all you need to do for your account to be compromised is read a DM. Also: Why Google may ...
Meet the Instagram Ads Everyone Is Going to Hate
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Enshittification comes to the Instagram feed — how will users react to the new ad format which stops them from scrolling through content? Also: Goog...
The Instagram “Taste Test”
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new Instagram test that ignores your current fan base. Why your favourite marketing tool might stop working next week. Link previews are now pay-f...
Damage Done
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What's next for the relationship between Google and the marketing industry after a huge leak exposes Google's SEO secrets. The news is not goo...
The Refund Clawback: A New Tactic in E-Commerce?
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It seems ridiculous — asking people to buy something from you as you're refunding them from a previous purchase. But researchers say — it work...
Everything You Need to Know About the Huge Google Search Leak
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the biggest leak in Google's history — and the documents in it detail thousands of previously secret factors that decide how high you r...
Will Google's Biggest Acquisition Shake Up the Marketing Industry?
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is Hubspot about to sell to Google? Pinterest has summer trends for your content marketing. Amazon's AI-based ads seem to be performing well. And ...
We Have Seen the Future of AI and It Is... Shitposts
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two big players in the design space have a new offering for large brands and agencies. Snapchat has a new CAPI partnership. Yes, Bing was offline toda...
The Sad, Triumphant Return of Vaporware
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The marketing announcements are plenty — so why can't any of us actually use these cool new things? TikTok to lay off a big chunk of their suppo...
"They Talked a Lot and Said Nothing."
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Google’s annual event for advertisers was full of AI buzzwords, but lacking in anything beyond the expected obsession over AI and some incremental u...
Your Invitation is Here
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
JOIN US for the Unofficial Google Marketing Live Tailgate event. Tuesday May 21 at 11am ET: YouTube or LinkedIn 📰 Get our free daily newsletter📈...
Emotion + Science + AI = Profit
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of TV shows, paired with thousands of academic marketing papers — and what do you get? One TV network says an insanely good audience targe...
TikTok is Coming For YouTube's Eyeballs
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok's biggest move for YouTube's viewers yet — will this new test change the vertical ad game? Threads is getting a Tweetdeck. Snapchat m...
In an AI World, Is SEO Dead?
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Search in the AI age — how Google's plans might change the SEO industry forever. Why you may be overthinking brand safety. The surprising advice...
Two Steps Forward, No Steps Back. Ever.
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Battle of the AI — Both Google and OpenAI come out swinging with their latest technology. What does it mean for marketers? We have full coverage in ...
Tuning In the Right Frequency
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, a special deep-dive issue into the impact of repetitive ads on brand perception and brand attachment.Tod interviews Dr. Nelson Amaral who condu...
Search and Destroy: The Imminent Threat to Google's Existence
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Things are about to get real — OpenAI is poised to take on the fight of its life. And the battle could shape the future of search advertising foreve...
The Consumer Buying Database You've Dreamed of Is Here
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everything they've ever bought — imagine using that to target people in your ads. Well, that time has come. Also: Threads plans to reveal your v...
Meta's New "Verified" Plans Could Cost You $1,000 a Month
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meta's new subscription plans are out and I sure hope you like being disappointed. Shopify's stock plunges after a quarterly loss. Amazon exte...
Which Font Sells Better — 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 or 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬?
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How curvy is the font you're using in your product ads? It could make a difference. Also, TikTok isn't going down without a fight. How Amazon ...
Meta G̶i̶v̶e̶t̶h̶ Taketh and Taketh Away
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why Meta no longer lets you pick which product to advertise. YouTube's new AI might be costing your brand viewers. Instagram's new Sticker cou...
Arm Me with Harmony: How Changing Your AI's Ad Voice Can Improve Sales
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible that the perceived gender of the AI voice you choose for your TikTok ads could be one of the most important factors in whether you’ll...
Pack It Up, Pack It In, Let Shein Begin
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Physical stores are closing and it's all your fault. The music is back on TikTok. People are watching less ad-supported content. And the prices of...
Unfollowing as a Service
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The court case that could dramatically change the Facebook feed as we know it. Why Google is automatically pausing your keywords. Pinterest's user...
84% of Listeners Prefer This Podcast to That Other One
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The sales boost you could get by telling your customers how to write their reviews. Instagram tweaks its algorithm to favour smaller accounts. Why doe...
Pause and Pay: Surprising Results from TV's Newest Ad Format
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You mocked them at first, but now the results on pause ads are in — and they're kind of amazing. Also: Threads makes a big move. Does the ad bus...
Here is How TikTok Will Die ☠︎
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ban or no ban, were TikTok's days as the marketers' darling numbered anyway? The world's largest ad agency may be considering breaking up....
Everybody Hates AI
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Revenues up but stock price down — what caused the crash of Meta's stock? Just two letters. Also: You're not imagining it: Your Google click...
Don’t Call It a Comeback
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
They're baaack — third-party cookies: Will they ever die? Stripe makes a big move away from payments. Threads now has more daily users than X. A...
Spam As a Service
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Now even Reddit comments are filling up with AI spam — and a whole new generation of bots are lined up to take marketers' money. Why your buyers...
It's Temu's World. We Just Advertise In It.
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your ad costs are going up — is it all Temu's fault? TikTok influencers say their peers are going into brand deals too hard. And the hilarious g...
Amazon's Secret Spy Program Revealed
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fake company, real products — inside the elaborate secret Amazon scheme. Also: How to get your ads beside the most popular Shorts content. Your bran...
All Your Brains Are Belong to Us
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Companies are now selling their users' brainwave data to target consumers with ads, and lawmakers are just now catching wind of it. Also: What to ...
Wait, Links WORK Now On TikTok Videos?!
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's happening — tappable links might be coming to TikTok videos. LinkedIn's new Premium company pages have a creepy but probably very effec...
To Plural or Not to Plural: That is the Question(s)
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What a difference an S makes — why one single letter could change the future of your brand. Also: Amazon runs in where others have bolted out. DMs a...
Manipulating Consumers with the Truth
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tod speaks with Dr. Cat Armstrong Soule who co-authored a marketing research paper about how marketers should use numbers and percentage in marketing ...
Meet Your Brand's Deepfake Salesperson
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your product sales could be on autopilot, after TikTok unveils its latest scheme. Roblox branches into the programmatic market. Amazon's not prefe...
Meta CPMs Are Skyrocketing. Is This The New Normal?
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
CPMs up, morale down: Is Temu behind the recent downturn in Meta ads? LinkedIn's scam solution will cost you. YouTube videos for kids are getting ...
Non Mingito in Natatoria
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A new report on the PPC industry is out; we have expert analysis. Google is training its AI on your public Google Docs... Hootsuite buys a major socia...
Turn and Face the Strange Ch-ch-ch-Changes
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Under Pressure: TikTok is about to push out a new app, as Instagram says "Let's Dance." The Modern Love between third-party platforms and ...
The Right Way to "Shrinkflate" Your Products
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special deep-dive episode, Tod speaks with Ioannis Evangelidis, Associate Professor of Marketing at Ramon Llull University in Spain. He recent...
The 2024 Guide to Meta Ad Attribution Windows
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding Attribution — 7DC, 1DV... which do you use now? Also: What post type on LinkedIn will get you more engagement. Snapchat bolsters its a...
The Revolution Will Be Vertical
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Google's new ad format might hide your ad behind a scroll — but it's not as bad as you think. Your LinkedIn campaigns can now run on TV. Eve...
Are Podcasts the New TV?
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We know what will kill TV in the end, and it turns out, you're listening to one. Gmail is blocking some Outlook emails. Walmart keeps chipping awa...
AI Wrote This Episode Title. Do You Care?
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
AI is writing more marketing copy these days — but how many consumers can tell you cheaped out? Also: LinkedIn tries its hand at a TikTok clone. Ama...
The Surprising Way Slow Motion Video Changes Brand Perception
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of things to consider when you make a product video, or a promotional video for your company. Do we make it look polished? Or go with ...
Using Google Ads to Target Your Competitors' Customers
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Copycat tactics — how you can target customers of your competitors and not run afoul of Google's ad policies. LinkedIn now has DMs for Pages. Th...
🚯 You'll Never Delete a YouTube Video Again
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's not a rumour, it's official now: Deleting videos from your brand's YouTube channel can hurt your reach. And now we know why. Also: A ...
The Holy Trinity of Bid Strategies, Explained
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's happening again — Meta charging way more than your daily budget allows. But is this a case of Operating as Intended? Also, a deep dive into...
How Spammers Are Knocking Your Brand Out of Google Maps
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Pin Sin: How bad actors are pushing their competitors off Google Maps. Google makes things a little easier for data nerds. Threads makes its first...
Trust Issues: Is the Agency/Client Model Doomed?
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marketing agencies say trust is disappearing in their client relationships and client CEOs are partially to blame. Also: Some updates for Google media...
The Compelling Argument for “Calm the F**k Down, Influencers”
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Under Pressure — Meta might be forced by Europe to slash the price of its Verified subscription plans. When being enthusiastic backfires for influen...
SEO is Dead. Long Live TEO.
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Google battles AI spam in a fight for its relevancy, will TikTok’s pushes in Search topple the King? Also: Is this the end of "being real"...
Meet the New “Mega-Thread” Ad Format
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Reddit's new ad format mimics a popular organic post format. LinkedIn will now let you sponsor almost anyone. Microsoft cleans up its Ads UI. And ...
Would You Pay $56 to Talk to a Human at Meta?
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meta is thinking of beefing up its paid checkmark program — but will it ever be worth it to marketers? Amazon will set your products up in one click...
Google’s ‘Core Web Vitals’ Flip-Flop
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A final answer — perhaps — on the age-old question: How much does user experience matter to your Google ranking? Meta adds some new tricks to its ...
Teens Abandoning TikTok Because of (checks notes) “Life”
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is its reign finally over? TikTok starts losing users. Also: The social media posts you might not realize are being broadcast. The skyrocketing growth...
The Case of the $2,628 CPM
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of dollars still going wasted on the web's worst ad placements. Pinterest's new filter could skyrocket engagement. Why is Google show...
Oh FFS, Meta Is Hallucinating Return Policies Now
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it a bug or a feature? Meta's AI is hallucinating return policies now. Plus: TikTok's anti-ban campaign appears to have backfired. Why do w...
The Empire Strikes Back
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here come the penalties — Google starts bringing down the ban hammer. Why engagement is not your brand's best social friend. PayPal rolls out a ...