Ad market has best January ever; Google gives more control to advertisers

Plus: Insights into personalized, seamless customer journeys [Insider Intelligence]( [Emarketer Daily]( Daily]( Charts. News. Analysis FEBRUARY 28, 2024 Even a 140-year-old brand can rebrand. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is changing its logo for the first time since the 1880s. Probably for the best, considering the company’s old logo portrayed a lion carcass with honeybees swarming out of it. [No, really](. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. TOP STORY [Google gives search advertisers more transparency]( Beginning on March 4, the company will let advertisers access impression-level data about sites where their ads appeared on as part of Performance Max campaigns—a popular campaign format on Google that was launched in 2021 and is now a testing ground for cutting-edge AI features. The change comes after industry activist Adalytics published a report in November that found Google ads were appearing on sites hosting pornography, pirated material, and in countries sanctioned by the US. [Keep reading]( NEWS AND VIEWS [US ad market posts best January ever]( Our view: It’s no secret 2023 was challenging for advertisers, but this year is already looking better. We forecast US total media ad spend will grow by 10.2% this year. [Tech clients are breaking up with ad agencies]( Our view: Our forecast shows the US technology and electronics industry’s digital ad spend slowed a fair amount in 2023, with a growth of just 2.3%. But there is good news: Growth will rise to 14.4% this year. [Google paying some news publishers to publish AI-generated articles]( view: The move raises concerns that generative AI could create a glut of poor-quality content. But since it’s in Google’s best interest for content to be good (and worth searching), hopefully the tool will yield positive results. RESOURCES [Insights into crafting personalized, seamless, and memorable customer journeys that will ensure their return]( Having a standout product or service alone isn’t enough. Today, consumers seek more than just a transaction. They expect experiences that include personalized communication, easy and flexible checkout processes, proactive customer support, and more. In fact, marketers often call these “seamless” customer experiences—the goal of making every engagement at the product-discovery level, down to post-purchase interactions, smooth and impactful on a customer’s perception of a brand. This is all part of the customer experience (CX), which has emerged as the key to long-term success—where brands differentiate themselves, build trust and loyalty, and foster lasting relationships with their audience. In this guide, we explore the current state of CX across marketing and commerce, and how it can unlock new opportunities to acquire, convert, and retain customers. [Read our new guide]( THINGS TO KNOW 🤖 [Tumblr and WordPress to sell users’ data to train AI tools]( 📝 [Threads widens the gap with X, with triple the daily downloads on iOS]( 🗳️ [AIs serve up ‘garbage’ to questions about voting and elections]( 🚫 [3 reasons not to block GPTBot from crawling your site]( PODCAST [Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail]( The Unofficial Most Interesting Retailers List (February). Tune in on [Apple Podcasts]( [Spotify]( [YouTube]( or wherever you listen to podcasts. [Follow us on Instagram.]( [Listen in]( THE BIG QUESTION Stacks up: What is Substack’s most profitable newsletter? A) Letters from an American B) Market Blues C) Supreme Quart D) Lincoln Blogs [Get the answer]( Email sent to: {EMAIL} If you cannot view the HTML newsletter, [please read it in your browser here](. [Become a Premium Subscriber]( | [Advertise with us]( [Manage your email preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Terms of Use]( | [Privacy Policy]( ©2024 Insider Intelligence, One Liberty Plaza 9th Floor, New York, NY 10006 [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo](