Paper Clips

It’s difficult for marketers to adapt to most changes, especially those who have concerns about losing the ability to measure and track advertising campaigns. Attribution and measurement will look very different. “It’s been a good run for the cookie,” said Patrick Gut, vice president of U.S. at Adlook, an enterprise demand-side platform (DSP) focused on brand growth. “But when thinking through privacy concerns and legislation, it’s not about finding a transition away from browser tracking cookies, but finding a new way for digital marketing to operate.” The roots of Adlook, which launched in the U.S. about 1.5 years ago built on GDPR standards, originate from RTB House Group, a Polish advertising-technology company that specializes in targeted advertising.

You’ve probably seen Hydro Flask everywhere, on college campuses, hiking trails, and even around the campfire or climbing a mountain face. They’ve become a household name, which is impressive in a crowded competitive landscape with big-name brands and budget knock-offs. Hydro Flask, a digital-native brand, was ready to capitalize on its market position and expand into the catalog realm. They wanted to impact the holiday season and show people they’re more than just water bottles. They wanted something that could build on the success of their digital channels to reach their customers in a more powerful and tangible way. So they reached out to CohereOne and J.Schmid for help launching a catalog. Taking the leap to first-time cataloger is as dramatic as any adventure with a Hydro Flask bottle in your pack. It’s an exciting trek to build on their proven designs and draw in their customers in a new way. This catalog launch targeted holiday shoppers in Q4, allowing them to show off their full product line and connect with their loyal customers, showing them gifting opportunities and introducing them to new product lines. Read the Case study at: https://jschmid.com/portfolio/hydro-flask/

Google has officially begun to phase out third-party cookies by implementing a default browser feature called Tracking Protection. When activated, it will cut off a website’s access to third-party cookies. The browser feature began rolling out randomly to 1% of Chrome users globally today, marking the year’s first notable step toward privacy for consumers and third-party cookie deprecation for the industry. Marketers will adapt. “While it’s an adjustment for everyone, it’s actually a valuable move,” said Anthony Yell, Razorfish chief creative officer. “It might take some adjustment to communicate as effectively in a world with cookies, a world without cookies is a wonderful thing.”

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday proposed new restrictions on companies' ability to use behavioral advertising techniques to serve ads to children under 13. The proposal effectively would require operators of websites and apps to obtain opt-in consent from parents at least twice before serving behaviorally targeted ads to children. First, the companies would have to obtain parents' consent to collect children's personal data, including data stored in cookies or other pseudonymous identifiers; then, companies would have to separately obtain parents' consent before sharing that data for behavioral targeting purposes.

In what appears to be a first-of-its-kind boast, Cox Media Group claimed in marketing materials that it can use microphones in smartphones and other web connected devices to listen in on people's conversations, and then target ads to people based on those conversations. “It's True. Your Devices Are Listening to You,” the Cox Media Group (CMG) Local Solutions division wrote on a website (now archived) touting “active listening” technology. “With Active Listening, CMG can now use voice data to target your advertising to the EXACT people you are looking for.”

Just as U.S. consumer price inflation appears to be flattening out following a period of protracted increases, media price inflation paid by advertisers has moved in the opposite direction, according to a new quarterly update from ECI Media Management. The U.S. data estimates ad-supported media prices in the U.S. dropped sharply throughout 2023 -- from +6.6% in the first quarter to -5.1% in the second quarter. The analysis attributes U.S. ad-price deflation mainly to the impact of the Hollywood strikes, which have been settled, but won't impact the ad marketplace until the first quarter of 2024.

A study released today by R.R. Donnelley Sons & Company (RRD) revealed that marketers' preference for channels with proven return on investment more than doubled over the past year (38% compared to 15%). The Modern Marketers Report found that economic uncertainty, increasing privacy concerns, and consumer fatigue toward marketers’ digital strategies are driving the resurgence of “tried and true” marketing channels. In addition, managing vendors was reported as a more common top organizational challenge this year than it was in 2022 (23% compared to 7%). The Modern Marketers Report, the company’s fourth annual marketing industry report, compares 1,000+ US consumers’ purchasing behaviors and preferences and attitudes toward brands’ marketing tactics with how 500+ U.S.-based marketing professionals are planning, executing, and adjusting their strategies. “During the holiday shopping season, consumers are thinking twice before they open their wallets or provide their personal information to receive deals,” said Al duPont, Chief Commercial Officer at RRD. “Results from our latest report show that marketers pairing their most reliable channels with positioning that blends convenience and savings stand the best chance for fostering customer loyalty in an increasingly competitive market.”

IPG Mediabrands Magna unit this evening released the latest in a series of quarterly updates on the U.S. ad spending outlook, increasing its 2023 estimate up two-tenths of a point, and its 2024 projection up four-tenths of a point. Magna's 2023 estimate still is down dramatically from its first estimate published in June 2022, but has been climbing steady since it bottomed out at +2.5% in June 2023. Magna's 2024 estimate has climbed steadily since benchmarking it at +7.3% in June 2023.