Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup
Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup
Bonded Bitesize – Bringing you your midweek roundup of the latest in digital and media.
Stay connected with recent updates from Microsoft, Google, Meta & many more!
TikTok is testing its own AI chatbot, Tako, to help power search and discovery
TikTok has confirmed that it is testing its own AI chatbot, called Tako, in select markets. Tako can answer various questions about a video using natural language queries, as well as give recommendations for new content a user may enjoy. The AI chatbot is believed to be leveraging an unknown third-party AI provider customised for its own needs, and will not appear on minor’s accounts. As with many AI chatbots, users are shown a disclaimer that Tako may not always provide true or accurate responses, and so should not be relied upon for medical, legal or financial advice.
Instagram has introduced Search Results Ads into its marketing API
Meta has announced that its new ad format, ads in search results, are now available through the Instagram Marketing API. Meta has been testing this new placement since March, which allows brands ads to appear in search result feeds. For example, if a user searches for ‘skin care’ within the app, relevant ads will be featured within the feed - helping brands target customers that are actively looking for their products.
YouTube has announced it is shutting down its Stories feature to focus on Shorts
YouTube has announced that it will be shutting down its ephemeral YouTube Shorts feature on June 26, as the company aims to focus its efforts on key areas including Shorts, Community posts and live videos. Creators will be notified of this shutdown via forum posts, in-app messages and reminders in YouTube Studio. Since the rise of short-form video content popularised through TikTok, YouTube’s seven-day disappearing stories have lost their initial traction. While Stories are still popular on Snapchat and Instagram, both Netflix and LinkedIn have abandoned similar features.
Google’s new Product Studio helps merchants create product imagery using generative AI
Google is launching a new Product Studio, which it claims will give merchants the ability to create product imagery for free and get more value from the images that they already have. The new tool can remove distracting or complex backgrounds with a plain white background, and improve the quality of small or low-resolution images. This tool is first being released in the United States in the upcoming months, and will also be available to merchants using the Google and YouTube app on Shopify.
Instagram expected to release its text-based app to rival Twitter this June
Meta’s new decentralised app expected to rival Twitter is believed to be launching this June, according to a Substack post from social media marketer Lia Haberman. The app is apparently referred to as P92 or Barcelona, and users will be able to sign in with their existing Instagram username and password - with details such as follower count, handle, bio and verification transferring over too. Meta has not officially released a statement regarding this new information, though did confirm that it was working on “a standalone decentralised social network for sharing text updates” back in March.
Google is opening up access to its new generative AI capabilities in search via Search Labs
Google has announced a new program known as Search Labs which will allow people to sign up for experiments of its new generative AI tools ahead of wider releases. Those who sign up will gain access to Google’s new Search Generative Experience, designed to help users get up to speed on a new or complicated topic quickly and uncover quick tips for specific questions. The new search experience also has a shopping integration, helping users learn more about the products that they are looking to buy.
Google admits Search bug caused drop in video traffic between 4th-17th May
Google has confirmed a bug in Google Search led to a drop in traffic to video content between the 4th to the 17th of May. This bug has since been resolved, though did cause many SEO experts to see a drop in traffic between this time - especially those that publish a lot of video content. This bug caused less videos to show up within the search results, and did not impact Google Search Console reporting meaning reports should still be accurate.
TikTok partners with ReachTV to bring videos to airport screens
TikTok has partnered with ReachTV, America's largest in-airport tv network, to bring its short form videos to the screens of travellers. With over 2,500 screens across 90 commercial airports, Reach TV will broadcast TikTok content in three-minute increments restored every hour. This series is said to feature popular travel and lifestyle TikTok videos. Alongside this partnership, TikTok has also recently struck a deal with Screenvision Media, a leader in cinema advertising, to distribute TikTok content during cinema adverts.
Google Ads has added 2 new campaign types, video view campaigns and demand gen campaigns
At Google Marketing Live 2023, Google announced two new campaign types coming to Google Ads including video view campaigns and demand gen campaigns. Firstly, video view campaigns, as the name suggests, focus on maximising views. According to a study presented by Google, advertisers using video view campaigns saw an average 40% more views than those using in-stream skippable CPV campaigns. These campaigns combine a variety of formats including skippable in-stream ads, in-feed ads and Shorts ads. Secondly, demand gen campaigns will use AI to help engage and drive action with consumers. Within these campaigns advertisers will also be able to create lookalike segments based on ‘seed lists’ consisting of first-party data and YouTube users.
Spotify is rumoured to be using the AI technology behind Spotify DJ to create AI ads that sound like real people
Several months ago, Spotify released its new AI DJ feature that curates a personalised selection of music combined with spoken commentary delivered in a realistic sounding, AI-generated voice. According to statements made by The Ringer founder Bill Simmons, it seems the company may now be working on a way to use this technology to create host-read podcast ads that sound like real people. Simmons explained, “There is going to be a way to use my voice for the ads. You have to obviously give the approval for the voice, but it opens up, from an advertising standpoint, all these different great possibilities for you”.
Google Bard now includes images accompanied with their sources within query responses
Google has announced that its AI chatbot, Bard, is now showing images within its responses to make it more informative as well as visual. All images will be accompanied by their source and users are also able to specifically ask Bard for images. This is the first of many new features that Google discussed at its I/O developer conference, with plans to also add the ability to generate images, the ability to use images from Google Lens within prompts as well as support for more languages.
Photoshop’s new ‘generative fill’ tool uses AI to add or remove objects and extend backgrounds through prompts
Adobe has released a beta version of its photo editing software Photoshop with a new ‘generative fill’ tool that uses its generative AI technology, Firefly, to extend backgrounds and add or remove objects from an image. Users are able to type a prompt describing the type of image or object they would like, and then Firefly generates three different variations for users to choose from. As with images produced on Firefly, Adobe will automatically apply its Content Credentials to any images utilising these AI features.
Google is adding generative AI tools to PMax to help create images and text assets
Google has revealed that it is bringing generative AI tools to Performance Max campaigns to help advertisers build campaigns. One of which will allow advertisers to generate multiple images while setting up campaigns, based on the information that they have provided. Advertisers will also be able to input their website into Google AI to create various different text and other assets. In addition, Google has also enhanced its customer acquisition goal and a re-engagement goal for PMax campaigns.
Microsoft launches AI tool to make building websites easier through prompts
Microsoft has launched a Copilot in Power Pages in preview for U.S. customers, an AI-powered assistant for Microsoft’s low-code business website creation tool, Power Pages. Copilot is able to generate text, forms, chatbots, web page layouts, as well as create and edit image and site design themes through prompts. A spokesperson for Microsoft explained, “As the maker, you describe what you need in natural language and use Copilot suggestions to design web pages, create content and build complex business data forms for your website. You no longer need to start from a blank slate”.
Google Ads has released several updates including brand restrictions in broad match, AI in Smart Bidding and more
Google unveiled several new updates coming to Google Ad during its Google Marketing Live 2023 event, including top search categories for RSAs, campaign prefils, new tools for Ads Creative Studio and new insights. Firstly, the company has improved brand restrictions for broad matches with a new feature that should help advertisers feel more comfortable with the match type. In addition the company has also implemented a deeper integration of large language models into bidding to improve Smart Bidding. And finally, a new feature will allow advertisers to review the top categories at the RSA level to give deeper transparency into what is driving performance.
