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Edition #432
Spicy takes on Googles Sandbox this week, MrBeast tests X video & LiveRamp makes a big acquisition.
Curious to see MrBeast drop a video on X, openly wanting to see how it performs. It’s already been documented how the view count threshold was dropped on X, meaning the view count doesn’t equate to similar elsewhere. Reminds me when at a point in time, scrolling past a video on Facebook counted as a view.
Nonetheless, I am curious to see what he reports after a week. At the moment it is 90m views, but how’s the earnings on it? There is no ad breaks watching it, like there would be on YouTube. Surely something X will address in time.
I did mention the CES Hub that they had up, and what did make it better compared to prior, was the video throughout the event.
We’ve also seen some spicy takes, from TTD & others around the privacy sandbox, a tone of disappointment. Google paying partners to test it, also got a bit of coverage. Net net, not everyone is onboard, with the approach of a step backwards, to take a step forwards. Which I do think Jeff Green does get to in the end of his piece.
Notable stories this week
- MrBeast launches a video on X to see how it goes. 90m views at time of posting. Important to note, views as defined on X is a much lower threshold than say YouTube.
- Matt Locke touches on how consideration times are shorter.
- Are you ready for the beauty newsletter boom?
- How theSkimm plans to grow its new wellness newsletter to 1 million subscribers.
- Inside the Davos cash machine.
- What would you do with BuzzFeed?
- New CNN CEO outlines digital strategy, hints at subscription product.
- Snoop Dogg’s stove stunt proves no one knows what marketing is.
- Google Search really has gotten worse.
- Apple is tightening its reporting of how many people listen to podcasts by switching off automatic downloads, for users that haven’t listened to five episodes of a show int he last two weeks.
- Podcasting is in its YouTube era.
- The creator economy is ready for a workers movement.
- How brands make culture.
- Artifact is shutting down, shares that the market opportunity isn’t big enough to warrant further investment.
- TripleLift partners with ID5 to advance advertiser targeting across the open web.
- Google is paying firms to help test Privacy Sandbox.
- A new year and a new Google: TTD perspective on Privacy Sandbox. Archive link.
- Fortune 500 companies are eliminating chief marketing officers roles.
- Chrome users now worth 30% less money thanks to Google’s cookie killing, ad firm says.
- Designers are accusing Temu of selling copies of their work.
- Disney ties mood to messaging with contextual ads.
- Digiday welcomes new CEO.
- Privacy is the ultimate luxury.
- [Long form] Can content creation be sustainable?
Deals/M&A
- LiveRamp acquires Habu for $200m.
- Amazon to buy minority stake in Diamond Sports.
- The Free Press in talks to raise capital this year.
- RedBird IMI boss flies in for talks with regulator over Telegraph deal.
- Red Ventures explores sale of CNET.
- Pitchfork to be folded under GQ.
Campaign of the week
- Get ready, new ad for the Apple Vision Pro. Produced by their in-house creative team.
View all 2023 best campaigns.
Smartest commentary
- “Advertising is changing — again — forever.” –Jeff Green, CEO, TheTradeDesk
Datapoints of note
- 2024 State of Email Newsletters.
- Over 4 billion people open up their email inboxes. 50% check it daily.
- Roblox MAUs hit 355m in Dec, 23. More than the de-duplicated Switch + Xbox + Minecraft + Playstation MAU.
- Peacock AFC Wild Card game is biggest live streamed event in US history. Using up to 30% of internet capacity. Averaging 23m viewers.
- Advertising on the Sphere during Super Bowl will cost up to $2m.
That’s it for this week.
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