Personalization’s double-edged sword: Balancing relevance with intrusiveness

This article was co-authored with Mike Froggatt, Senior Director, Analyst, at Gartner. Digital personalization is a double-edged sword. While it can significantly enhance customer experiences, it also risks alienating consumers if not executed thoughtfully. Digital marketing leaders must carefully manage the reality and perceptions around personalization. A Gartner consumer survey of 2,001 respondents in April…

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Reaching consumers in the age of AI: What you need to know about search and social media

Today, we’re pondering many important questions:  Are search engines still at the core of consumer search, or is TikTok becoming the reigning platform? Have technologies like ChatGPT gone mainstream yet, or are we in an industry echo chamber about its adoption curve? Ultimately, how should marketers future-proof their strategies to remain relevant in the consumer buying process…

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Google shakes up ad auction dynamics for holiday shopping

Google is changing how Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns compete in ad auctions. Key changes: Performance Max will no longer automatically trump Standard Shopping campaigns Highest Ad Rank will now determine which ad serves for overlapping campaigns Brings these campaigns in line with other campaign types’ auction behavior Why we care. This update alters how…

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Google shakes up ad auction dynamics for holiday shopping

Google is changing how Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns compete in ad auctions. Key changes: Performance Max will no longer automatically trump Standard Shopping campaigns Highest Ad Rank will now determine which ad serves for overlapping campaigns Brings these campaigns in line with other campaign types’ auction behavior Why we care. This update alters how…

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Google blasts DOJ’s ‘radical’ proposed breakup plan

Google today pushed back on “radical and sweeping proposals” from the U.S. Department of Justice in its ongoing antitrust lawsuit over Google’s illegal search monopoly. These proposals are the latest developments in a lengthy and ongoing legal battle. Some of the suggestions are raising alarms about their potential impact beyond the scope of the case….

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Lyft Media expands measurement and targeting capabilities

This week, rideshare company Lyft added significant measurement and targeting abilities to its ad platform, Lyft Media. Partnerships with key adtech companies allow Lyft Media advertisers to connect ad exposures during the use of the company’s services to outcomes like store visits and in-app purchases. Over the last two years, Lyft has built out its…

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7 weak spots in Google’s defense against DOJ antitrust claims

On Friday, Google concluded its defense in the Department of Justice’s lawsuit over its advertising technology. Even though Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Milgrom provided supporting testimony, it’s still easy to see gaps in Google’s arguments. Here are the ones that stand out to me:  1. “Duty to deal” argument Google’s stance: Google argues that it…

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Google adtech antitrust trial: Everything you need to know

Google is on trial for allegedly abusing its dominance of the $200 billion digital advertising industry. The U.S. Department of Justice claimed that through acquisitions and anticompetitive conduct, Google seized control of the full advertising technology (“adtech”) stack: the tools advertisers and publishers buy and sell ads and the exchange that connects them. In response, Google denied…

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