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Archive: Mar 2021

Commentary

Can collaboration in content collapse already?

Collaboration in content is still hard, disjointed and not very scientific. An ideal scenario would balance the art and science of content, supporting the creative to nestle out the best work. Too much content is unseen, unconsumed and has the work gone to waste. Effective collaboration helps solve this. The problem is data-driven collaboration is missing from all processes. At the moment, data is largely not involved in the collaboration process. At best some data or insight is shared in… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 26, 2021
Commentary

Does Google even need us?

What happens when Google doesn’t need you anymore? It’s still a ways away but it kind of is the trajectory. The same way Uber was considering a world without drivers, Google is moving towards a world without click out search results. SparkToro estimates that in 2021 2/3 of searches do not go further than the search results page. When you consider things like GPT3, an AI that can create copy to fulfill… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 26, 2021
Commentary

NFTs and Content

I had just bought 1/1000th of a first edition Ian Fleming book, Goldfinger. Now what? Can I go read it? It turns out it is stored in a secure east coast facility, held on my and 999 others behalf by Rally Road. Rally Road launched in 2017 when three friends got together to find a way to democratize the ownership of collectibles. However, this isn’t an NFT but it’s a nice lead into it. You see, the book exists, the… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 26, 2021
This Week in Native Ads

Newsletter #320 – Are we in decline?

A brief thanks to Gustaf, who I collaborate with on the newsletter, this is his last for a while. ?One big thingA story this week was on how advertising was down YOY, notably February (should be) the last ‘normal’ month before the covid declines. My underlying feeling though is, is that the right thing to be watching right now? Well yes, it is factually correct. But is watching advertising spend the best way to understand what is happening with advertising… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 26, 2021
This Week in Native Ads

Newsletter #319 – Ferraris and newsletters

After a week hiatus, we’re back, with a juicy line up of stories. We’ve also started sharing more of our commentary on our website, over here.One big thingThese Google Slides digging into how 7-figure newsletters make money was brilliant. Despite the cheesy title, it shows how you can tell a rich story using Google Slides. Even without a voice over. And the information is useful. It anticipates the questions you might have,… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 19, 2021
Commentary

Shenanigans in sports sponsorships

Formula 1 is the yachting of motorsports, that is it is showy, speedy and intellectual. Many have been introduced or brought back to it through Drive to Survive on Netflix. As I was. Simply it is 20 drivers, racing around a track, in cars that have to adhere to regulations. Otherwise referred to as the Formula, hence Formula 1. There is a whole history around the regulations and the history which is… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 17, 2021
Commentary

Should we be optimistic about technology?

The role technology is playing in our lives is ever more present and top of mind. This piece explores optimism around technology, how the bad stuff is wired into us, economic freedom and how do we keep it in check.Should we even be optimistic about technology?Kevin Kelly is a futurist and author of books What Technology Wants and The Inevitable, looking at how technology shapes us. As founding editor of… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 17, 2021
Commentary

The origin of the newsletter

We’re in the middle of a newsletter renaissance, with many writers opting to use paid newsletters as a means to go independent. Most recently, newsletters are associated with marketing, for internal or external purposes. But where did they come from? How long have they been around? This piece digs in to that and what we may expect from the future.To get started, what is a newsletter, The etymology of the word, gives us clues. Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 17, 2021
Commentary

The economics of attention

This piece highlights the economics of attention across consumer media. This is curious for a few reasons, understanding what we as consumers get for free and what that’s worth, what consumers are willing to pay for content, the potential for up and coming media like TikTok, how scale and personalization impact the economics.We have broken it into two sections, different mediums and different platforms. And the dollar amount per hour the platform earns from our attention.  Revenue per hour (cents)Medium Cable67Linear… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 17, 2021
Commentary

The first time Apple built a Search Engine

Speculation has arisen again about the prospect of Apple launching a search engine. In July Apple updated its Applebot docs and the bot has since been observed crawling the internet more aggressively. So is now the time Apple launches a search engine? On HackerNews, an ex-Apple developer (jd20) shared how the first AppleBot was run. AppleBot being the program that goes out and builds an index of websites, captures metadata like topic,… Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
March 17, 2021