E-news: Bard becomes Gemini | Amazon's cookieless ads deal | Updated digital transformation playbook

Hi {NAME}, Digital marketing is complex today because there are so many different and developing elements to consider. That's why we recommend taking an always-on approach to optimizing your strategy. You'll find our recommended resources, and top new stories from the week, below... Updated: Digital transformation playbook Work smarter not harder - Our [Digital transformation playbook]( helps marketers like you make the most of today’s digital opportunities and prioritize where to focus your efforts. Now updated for 2024, our playbook features 25 practical digital transformation activities to review across the RACE Framework. Always-on smarter marketing Dr. Dave Chaffey will explain how to apply the [SMART approach]( across each stage of your marketing plans at our first Masterclass of the year. [Book a membership consultation]( and sign up for Business Pro to join the session live on Wednesday 21st February. Bard becomes Gemini Google confirms that Gemini is its most capable family of models. [New release Ultra 1.0]( tackles complex tasks like 'coding, logical reasoning, following nuanced instructions, and collaborating on creative projects'. It also better understands the context from your previous prompts. Cookies depreciation update Amazon has secured a [landmark deal](with publisher Reach to share 'contextual' first-party data with advertisers. Meanwhile, the UK's CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) has raised [competition concerns](. Marketers who manage or benefit from paid media can track [Chrome updates]( in Google's blog. Personalization from the consumers' perspectives Not all personalization is equal. A 2024 study of [10,000+ respondents]( found that 84% of consumers appreciate personalized birthday offers, yet this drop to less that 50% for geo-targeted offers. Plus, 64% describe geo-targeted ads from an unknown brands as 'creepy'.​​ ​ RACE technique: What's your digital maturity? Get a ‘line in the sand’ benchmark for your organization's digital marketing activities with our [free digital marketing maturity models](. Business Members can stay up to date on the latest feature changes and releases across 12 digital and social platforms with our [quarterly digital media updates tracker](. Have a good week, Dr. Dave Chaffey and the Smart Insights team If you'd rather not receive email updates you can [unsubscribe](.