Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

TikTok Limits Teen Ad-Targeting Methods

 TikTok is updating its advertising policies to enhance privacy and transparency, particularly for users aged 13 to 17 in the United States. Advertisers will no longer be able to use personalised targeting for teens, restricting their options to broad categories like location, language, and device-related information. This change aligns with similar measures by Meta, aimed at protecting teens who may not fully understand how their data is used. TikTok’s larger teen user base, with 25% aged 10-19, means that this update could significantly impact advertisers’ strategies. Additionally, users can now manage ad preferences more precisely and use new features like “Disconnect Advertisers” to prevent off-platform data sharing, and “Clear My Activity” to remove any off-TikTok activity data shared by ad partners.

Google Struggles To Boost Search Traffic On Its iPhone Apps

Google is working to reduce its reliance on Apple’s Safari browser, with progress slower than anticipated. Amidst an antitrust lawsuit, Google’s deal making it the default search engine on Safari for iPhones is at risk. Efforts to switch iPhone users to Google Search or Chrome apps have seen modest gains, increasing iPhone searches via its apps from 25% to the low 30s over five years, short of the 50% target by 2030. Financially, Google paid Apple over $20 billion in 2023 to remain the default. Losing the antitrust case could cost Google access to 70% of iPhone searches, impacting its $207 billion mobile search ad revenue. Google has brought in new talent to enhance its apps, aiming to attract more users and reduce dependence on Safari.

Etsy Adds AI-Generated Item Guidelines In New Seller Policy

Etsy has updated its seller policy to address the rise of generic and AI-generated products. New “Creativity Standards” now require sellers to label items based on their level of human involvement, such as “Handpicked,” “Sourced,” “Handmade,” or “Designed.” The “Designed” label is for items created using AI tools, with sellers needing to disclose AI use in descriptions. Etsy also banned the sale of AI prompts, removing listings like “10,000 Midjourney Prompts.” The changes aim to clarify product origins and maintain Etsy’s commitment to handmade goods. CEO Josh Silverman highlighted Etsy’s efforts to uphold these standards, noting a significant increase in the removal of items violating the Handmade policy.

Waitrose Reacts To ‘Notoriously Variable’ British Summertime With Weather-Changing Ads

Waitrose has launched a geo-targeted, weather-responsive advertising campaign to adapt to the variable British summer. The campaign features two types of ads: ‘sunny’ videos appearing on YouTube and social media when temperatures exceed 24°C, and static display ads with ‘Good for rainy day’ messages on wet days with over 2 mm of rain. This initiative aims to tailor menu suggestions to local weather conditions. Waitrose’s social media marketing lead, Sarah Hood, emphasised the campaign’s responsiveness to regional weather. The innovative ads have already tripled customer engagement, boosting clicks, likes, comments, and shares. This campaign is part of Waitrose’s broader “Good right now” initiative with Saatchi & Saatchi.

Uber Welcomes Programmatic Media Buying

Uber Advertising has expanded its Journey Ads platform by enabling programmatic media buying within the Uber Rides app. Collaborating with Google’s Ad Manager and leading demand side platforms (DSPs) like Google’s Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, and Yahoo DSP, advertisers can now purchase ad inventory using their preferred DSPs. Journey Ads, launched in 2022, provides targeted display and video ads leveraging Uber’s first-party data from Uber Rides and Uber Eats. Early campaigns have shown increased favorability and purchase intent. The platform targets high-intent users, primarily those that are affluent and young. Uber partners with top measurement vendors to ensure ad buy legitimacy and performance tracking, with industry leaders praising the enhanced targeting and insights.

Apple Removes VPN Apps At Request Of Russian Authorities, Say App Makers

Apple has removed 25 VPN apps from its Russian App Store at the request of Roskomnadzor, the Russian government’s internet regulator, according to VPN makers. This action follows Russia’s ongoing crackdown on internet freedom, with VPNs commonly used to bypass government censorship. VPN services like Le VPN and Red Shield VPN received notifications from Apple, citing violations of Russian law. The removals align with Russia’s increased efforts to control online content, including a ban on VPN advertising before the March elections. Despite the removals, VPN developers assert their services remain accessible to users and criticise Apple’s compliance with Russian demands. Apple did not comment on the issue.

Clear Channel Releases Study On Diversity And inclusion within OOH ads

The UK has about 16 million disabled people, nearly a quarter of the population. Despite this, they often lack representation in media and advertising. However, inclusive advertising and store accommodations are improving. Over half of UK adults noticed more inclusive ads, yet 40% still feel underrepresented. Younger generations, especially Gen Z, and women prioritise diversity in ads. Sensory-friendly shopping measures, like dimmed lights and reduced noise, help neurodivergent individuals. Awareness of these measures varies by age and gender. Out-of-home (OOH) advertising can enhance inclusive messaging, increasing brand trust and purchase intent, particularly among 18-34 year-olds. Inclusive ads, with simple, clear messaging and design, can effectively reach diverse audiences.

TikTok Launches New Program to Attract More UK Merchants

TikTok has launched the ‘£1 Million Club’ to boost UK businesses’ sales on the app. This initiative offers five key benefits: 90 days of commission-free sales, free fulfilment through ‘Fulfilled by TikTok’ priority seller support, training from TikTok’s ‘Seller Academy’ and marketing assistance. The program aims to help UK retailers achieve £1 million in revenue via TikTok. Despite previous setbacks in 2022 due to lack of consumer interest and internal conflicts, TikTok’s in-app spending is increasing. TikTok hopes this new initiative will enhance its eCommerce presence in the UK and potentially lead to broader success in other markets, inspired by its success in China.

Research Finds Snap Campaigns Are Particularly Effective for Movie and TV Promotions

Snapchat has emerged as a potent platform for promoting entertainment content, as evidenced by data from Snap and Samba TV. Their research shows that Snapchat campaigns for TV shows and movies generated an impressive 84% increase in audience interest to tune in after exposure to relevant ads. While not all viewers necessarily followed through, those who saw Snapchat ads exhibited greater favourability towards the content and a heightened intent to watch. Furthermore, Snapchat reaches a unique audience segment not reached by traditional TV ads, with 79% of its impressions going to households untouched by TV promotions. Additionally, one-third of new viewership driven by Snapchat came from audiences entirely new to the content. These findings underscore Snapchat’s effectiveness in engaging younger demographics and its potential as a pivotal platform for entertainment brands seeking to broaden their viewer base and enhance audience engagement.

Google Launches Tool To Simplify Enhanced Conversions Setup

Google has introduced a new Chrome extension named EC Assist aimed at aiding advertisers in troubleshooting their Enhanced Conversions setup. This tool is crucial as Enhanced Conversions are pivotal for optimising Google Ads performance but can be challenging to configure correctly. Advertisers simply install the extension, execute a test conversion on their website, and EC Assist identifies potential issues along with recommended actions. This initiative underscores Google’s effort to democratise advanced advertising features, making them more accessible to a wider audience. Enhanced Conversions enable advertisers to transmit hashed first-party conversion data to Google, enhancing tools like Smart Bidding for improved ad effectiveness.