Ben Young
Ben Young
June 9, 2023

Edition #406

How our industry can’t help but appreciate how Apple does things, podcasts have been around 20 years! And Twitch pulls back on its new branded content guidelines.


Spatial computing. How could I not have a newsletter this week and not mention spatial computing and Vision Pro. You just can’t. Well you can, but too late now.

I did like, Facebook tried to land this space, with Meta and metaverse. And Apple comes along, and pulls it in further, this is spatial computing. Computing overlaid over the world around you.

Not just brilliant, but sets the stage for others to build upon. Here’s a preview from Google Trends on searches for the term.

I think half the adoration from our industry, is that we as marketers get it and like to appreciate good work. It’s like Succession, Axios saying it got more than its fair share of write ups. Because media insiders enjoyed it. That’s got to be a factor with Apple. It’s like when you have a brilliant sales person, who you know is selling you, but you enjoy the experience. Alright go on then.

Along with IOS 17, there are extra privacy changes coming. Apps will need to declare how they use permissions, like an ads.txt but for privacy. And then IOS will remove parameters that uniquely identify an individual from mail & messages. This puts pressure on personalization & CRM-like tools. But probably just shifts the focus to log in type experiences to maintain the data. Half of why Google is asking you to log in everywhere on mobile.

As we’re 22 days away from which tens of millions websites analytics will stop working, just a nudge for whoever handles analytics at your company to peek what we’re doing at Nudge.

Oh – and who is going to be the first to sign MrBeast to their streaming channel?

Notable stories this week

  • MrBeast makes a public call to try his wares on a streaming channel.
  • How GoPro uses its million dollar challenge to source user-generated content year-round.
  • Why Johnnie Walker is shifting marketing to branded tv content.
  • How Kevin Hart’s media company helps brands like Sam’s Club ‘find they’re funny’.
  • Twitch backtracks on branded content changes after streamer backlash.
  • TikTok viral videos in decline.
  • Podcasts are 20 years old!
  • Amazon plans to add an ad-supported tier to Prime Video.
  • YouTube is more profitable for creators than Instagram or TikTok.
  • Spotify reduces headcount in its Podcast business.
  • We’re here to save Indie Media.
  • Adobe is so confident its Firefly Generative AI won’t breach copyright that it’ll cover your legal bills.
  • For Ad Tech, Cannes this year is all business.
  • Dotdash Meredith wants to make contextual targeting a cookie killer.
  • Media’s less glamorous future.
  • The Trade Desk wants to be the App Store for ad tech.
  • Media’s “Succession” obsession.
  • IOS 17 automatically removes tracking parameters from links you click on.
  • Big Tech rolls back misinformation measures ahead of 2024.
  • [Long read] Why AI will save the world.

Deals/M&A

  • BuzzFeed considers sale of Complex Networks.
  • MediaMath and Viant are in talks to potentially join forces.
  • Newsletter and online community Study Hall acquired by OutVoice.
  • Amid a dearth of ad tech M&A, LIveRamp fielded inbound inquires over a potential sale.
  • Jeff Zuckers investment vehicle Redbird IMI is one of three suitors exploring a majority deal in Air Mail.

Campaign of the week

View all 2023 best campaigns.

Smartest commentary

  • We have organic food labels. We have non-GMO labels. We have made-in-America labels. What about a “human-made content” label?”Joe Lazauskas, A Team
  • “We act like programmatic destroyed the Internet, but the Internet kinda sucked before programmatic advertising. Remember pop-unders, contextual ad networks, toolbars?”Brian O’Kelley

Datapoints of note

That’s it for this week.


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