Why Wearable Tech Advertisements Are Going to Be Big

2022-08-11

It’s my job to know everything in marketing and advertising online, and after over 20 years of writing about it and owning companies in the industry, there’s been very few things that get me excited. As the world of marketing continues to evolve, so too does the technology that marketers use to reach their audiences.

One of the latest trends in martech is the integration of wearables into marketing campaigns. Smartwatches and other wearable devices offer a new way to approach audiences and build connections with users.

According to eMarketer, almost a quarter of U.S. adults own a wearable device. This number is expected to increase in the coming years as wearables become more sophisticated and more widely adopted. For many people, wearables offer a convenient way to track their fitness and activity levels. They can also provide valuable insights into one’s sleep patterns and overall health. In addition, wearables are becoming increasingly popular as a means of staying connected to the digital world. With notifications and social media alerts, many people rely on their wearable devices to keep them up-to-date on what’s happening in the world By harnessing the power of location-based advertising, marketers can deliver highly targeted messages to users based on their location and activity.

For instance, a person who is looking for an apparel store can get a notification from one when passing it by. This type of targeted advertising is not only more effective than traditional methods, but also more likely to result in a conversion.

Wearable technology has the ability to collect real-time data on users’ moods, location, health metrics, and lifestyle. This makes it an ideal channel to deliver highly personalized promotions and amplify engagement. For example, a fitness tracker could send a user a notification when they are near a gym, or a messaging app could send a message to a user’s friends when they are at a popular restaurant. In the past, people had to rely on their computers or smartphones to stay connected and receive notifications for things like new emails or text messages. However, with the advent of wearables, people can now receive these notifications instantaneously, no matter where they are.

This is a huge benefit for both consumers and businesses alike. For consumers, it means that they can see and respond to notifications much faster, which can be very useful in a variety of situations. For businesses, it enables them to track data more effectively, such as click through rates. This helps marketers be more adaptable and responsive during campaigns, which can lead to better results.

Also, fitness wearables have become increasingly popular in recent years, as more and more people look for ways to track their fitness progress and health data. While these devices are often used to simply monitor one’s own fitness level, they can also be used by brands to improve customer engagement. By tracking data such as workout intensity and duration, brands can send targeted marketing messages to customers that are timed to when they are most likely to be receptive.

For example, a message delivered immediately after a workout, when endorphins are high, can leave a positive impression and drive interactions. In this way, fitness wearables can be used to create deeper relationships between brands and their customers.

The advertising potential of wearable tech has sparked the interest of various companies. While some are still testing the waters with campaigns that deliver targeted ads on wearables, others like American Express and Walgreens have taken the plunge and are reaping the benefits. Delivering targeted ads via wearable tech allows these companies to enhance their brand message and provide better customer experiences.

Those who have yet to explore this promising avenue should waste no time in doing so. The potential for increased sales and customer loyalty is too great to ignore.

Comments? Leave your opinion and continue the conversation on LinkedIn.

Does Facebook Want to Ruin the Metaverse?

Pesach Lattin

2022-08-11

Facebook…Errr… Meta.. is really into the Metaverse. Some say that even Mark Zuckerberg is obsessed with the metaverse.

It’s no secret that the founder and head of Facebook is a big fan of virtual reality, but it seems he’s more interested in the potential of the metaverse than anything else. According to some employees at the company, Zuckerberg has been talking about the metaverse for years and is determined to make it a reality. Some say he’s even become a little bit obsessed with it.

He believes that it will one day be as ubiquitous as the internet is today. And while the actual footprint of the user base on the company’s Oculus platform is relatively small, it’s growing a little bit here and there. The most popular Facebook VR headset, the Oculus Quest 2, has at least 4 million users. That may not seem like a lot compared to the billions of people who use Facebook every day, but it’s still a sizable audience. And as virtual reality technology continues to improve and become more accessible, that number is only going to grow.

The real problem is that Meta is not exactly having a great year: its reputation keeps being sullied by bad news especially when it comes to privacy and security. Meta has a bad reputation. And as much as we’d like to think it doesn’t, that reputation is going to stick with metaverse if it continues to be associated with Meta.

Many experts believe that Facebook’s dominant role in the metaverse will lead to its downfall. Facebook has become a target for regulators, who are concerned about the company’s impact on society and the economy. If new regulations are enacted, they could make it more difficult for other companies to compete in the metaverse space. This could lead to a decline in innovation and creativity, and a loss of jobs and economic growth.

The potential for regulation has already had a chilling effect on the metaverse industry. Some companies are reconsidering their plans to enter the market, while others are scaling back their ambitions. This could have a significant impact on the development of the metaverse as a whole.

MetaFacebook even admits this: They recently announced that it will be spending $50 million on research to avoid ruining the metaverse. The investment will be used to fund research into ways to prevent social interactions from descending into toxicity, bullying, and other negative behaviors.

And then there is the problem that Facebook is extremely monopolistic. Zuckerberg hasn’t grown out of the “I want to rule the world phase,” and sees this as just a stepping stone for him to becoming the Master of the Metaverse.

Zuckerberg even ignored that there was already a company in the space, also called Meta and according to some, violated their trademark. An installation-art company called META (or Meta.is) is suing Meta (or Facebook) for trademark violation, alleging that Zuckerberg’s name change violated the smaller company’s established brand.

“On October 28, 2021, Facebook seized our META mark and name, which we put our blood, sweat, and tears into building for over twelve years,” reads a post on the smaller company’s website. “This includes our domain name meta.is, which now redirects to facebook.com/about/meta.”

The suit alleges that Facebook has “engaged in a pattern of trademark infringement and dilution” by using the Meta name and mark without permission. It also claims that the social media giant has caused “confusion and deception” among consumers by using a similar name and branding.

“As a result of defendants’ actions, consumers are likely to believe mistakenly that META is affiliated with or sponsored by Facebook,” the suit says. “This is precisely the type of common-law trademark infringement and dilution that the Lanham Act is designed to prevent.”

This isn’t the first time that Facebook has been accused of infringing on another company’s trademark, and just not caring. In 2011, the social media giant was sued by Timelines Inc., a startup that had developed a service with a similar name. That suit was settled out of court in 2012.

However, the government is taking note: The FTC announced that it was suing Meta, a company that it alleges is attempting to establish a monopoly in the virtual reality market. The suit notes that Meta has already made significant investments in the VR space, purchasing seven of the most successful development studios, and now has one of the largest first-party content catalogs in the world.

Since the announcement of Meta’s acquisition of Within, Kavya Pearlman, an expert in Metaverse safety has expressed her concerns with the way Meta acquiring Within maybe a lot more than just another “merger and acquisition”.

According to Pearlman, by acquiring Within, Meta has gained access to a wealth of user data that it can now use to dominate the market. She also believes that this could be the first step in a plan by Meta to create a virtual monopoly, which the FTC should step in and prevent.

“This acquisition gives Meta access to some of the most sensitive user data out there,” said Pearlman. “They can now use that data to dominate the market and control what users can see and do in the Metaverse. The FTC should step in and stop this from happening.”

“This is particularly bad for the next iteration of the internet, the Metaverse, as it goes against the very assertion Meta continues to make that they don’t want to own it. If they own all the major apps and don’t allow indie developers to flourish, it will lead to Meta inevitably owning a large part of the Metaverse, becoming the most powerful organization for the next evolution of the internet.”

Pearlman is not alone in her concerns. Many others have voiced their fears that Meta will be able to use Within’s data to its advantage and further consolidate its position in the VR market in order to create a monopolistic dystopian alternative reality they control.

Stephanie Llamas, founder of Metaverse market research firm VoxPop, said: “If other companies don’t have the ability to compete with Facebook and its cash, it’s effectively giving Facebook the opportunity to create virtual reality on its own. That means With that, we might be missing out on some really cool stuff.”

Let’s make this clear: Meta has always been a company that’s believed in monopolizing its markets. So when the metaverse – the digital world that’s taking the world by storm – came along, Meta knew it had to stake its claim.

They believe that whoever controls the metaverse wins the world. They’re operating under the belief that this is the future, and they’re determined to be the ones who shape it.

For Meta, this poses a real threat. If it can’t monopolize the metaverse, it will lose all its money and power — and they will do anything, ANYTHING to prevent that even if it means destroying everything in the process.

What is your opinion? How can the Metaverse survive Zuckerberg?

Social Media Has Died: What Brands and Marketers Must Know

Pesach Lattin

2022-08-11

It’s been said that people don’t know what they want until you show it to them. And, in the case of social media, this appears to be true.

What started out as a way for people to connect with friends and family has turned into a battleground for attention and engagement. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have been trying to one-up each other with new features, all in an attempt to be more like TikTok.

To be clear, when we say “social media,” we’re talking about platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These networks were built on the idea of giving people a way to communicate with each other, and for a while, that’s exactly what they did. But as algorithms have become more sophisticated and as users have become more savvy, people stopped feeling social.

What people really want is perceived authenticity. They want to be entertained and engaged with content that is real, not scripted or contrived. And that is something that the big social media platforms are slowly but surely losing.

There is no more social media. One-to-one social networking is gone. It’s been replaced by heavily curated feeds and algorithms designed to keep us hooked.

Even on LinkedIn, I can’t get away from videos of people dancing and twerking in order to get attention to their resume. One person even posed “almost” naked in order to make “a point” but it was all about extreme attention getting.

We are no longer in control of our own social media experiences – the platforms are — and they want your eyeballs staring at them.

And that’s a shame, because social media was once a great way to connect with friends and family.

It was a place where we could share our thoughts and feelings, and where we could have real conversations with each other.

But those days are long gone. Now, social media is all about the numbers. It’s about getting as many likes and shares as possible, regardless of the quality of the content.

What’s more, content consumption platforms are not just reaching more people than social media – they’re reaching younger people too. The aforementioned Pew Research Center study found that YouTube reaches more 18- to 49-year-olds than any other cable network. And a recent study by eMarketer found that Netflix will reach more American millennials this year than any other digital platform.

Of course, that’s not to say that people aren’t still using it – they are. But the platform that was once seen as the pinnacle of online communication has been replaced by something far more powerful and pervasive: content consumption.

What does that mean for brands and advertisers? It means that you can’t rely on social media to reach your target audience. Sure, you can still use it to distribute content, but if you want to truly connect with your customers, you need to go where they are – and that’s in the content they’re consuming.

The best way to do that is by creating content that resonates with your target audience. This will be more important than any other sort of advertising. That might mean creating videos, writing blog posts, or even just posting images on social media. The key is to make sure your content is relevant and interesting to your audience, and that it provides value.

When creating content for newer platforms, it’s important to keep in mind that these audiences are different than those on what used to be called “social media.”. They’re looking for fun, entertaining content that is relevant to their interests.

So, how can you create content that resonates with these audiences? Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure your content is relevant and interesting.

When it comes to TikTok especially, viewers are looking for something that will make them laugh, smile, or just generally feel good. So if you want to create valuable content, focus on entertainment value .Keep your target audience in mind when creating content, and make sure it is relevant and interesting to them. If your content is boring or irrelevant, they won’t watch it. They also will leave your channel fast if it’s just full of hard sale advertisements. If you’re trying to be serious, make sure your information is accurate and well-researched. And always remember to stay on-brand; if your channel is all about cute animals, don’t suddenly start posting political videos.

2. Provide value.

Your audience will appreciate videos that provide value – whether that’s entertainment, information, or both. Try to think of creative ways to deliver valuable content to your viewers. share useful information with your viewers. This could be anything from tips on how to do something new, to information about current events or hot topics. Try to think of creative ways to deliver this information, and make sure it’s interesting and engaging for your viewers. Take advantage of trends and current events. If something is happening in the world, try to create content around it that will interest your viewers.

3. Be creative.

TikTok and other newer platforms are all about creativity and fun. So be creative with your content – use humor, be innovative, and think outside the box. This will help you stand out from the crowd and attract attention from new viewers. Try filming unique video concepts, or use special effects and filters to add interest and flair to your videos. The more creative you are, the more likely people are to watch and share your content. Another thing to keep in mind is the tone of your content. If you’re trying to be funny, make sure your jokes are funny!

So as a brand advertiser how can you come up with fresh ideas that will capture your audience’s attention? Try brainstorming with friends or family members, or check out some of the latest trends on social media. You can also watch other popular TikTok creators for inspiration. This may seem completely different than what many agencies have taught their employees, but changing the way we interact means changing the way we advertise.

What is your agency doing to change how it advertises? What forward thinking ideas do you have?

Why The TradeDesk is Taking Over

Pesach Lattin

2022-08-11

People said that you couldn’t compete with Google. In the world of digital advertising, Google reigns supreme. The company has crushed almost all its competitors, thanks to its unmatched technological capabilities.

However, one rival is emerging as the best hope to challenge Google’s monopoly: The Trade Desk. The company has been growing rapidly in recent years, and it now dominates the field of programmatic advertising.

The company, which went public in 2016, helps advertisers buy ad space on different websites and mobile apps. It has been growing rapidly, reporting sales increases quarter after quarter. In a strong show of faith in the online-advertising industry, Trade Desk Inc. (TTD) reported stronger-than-expected sales and guidance Tuesday amid doubts about the space. It also reported sales of $385.5 million for the third quarter, beating the $392 million Wall Street was expecting.

Shares soared 15% in extended trading following the report.

Google has responded by slashing prices for some of its advertising products, but The Trade Desk’s CEO Jeff Green says that won’t slow his company down.

“We’re not worried about Google,” he said in an interview with Barron’s.

“They’re a great company, but we’re focused on what we’re doing.”

The Trade Desk is also benefiting from the growth of streaming video and audio, which is driving up demand for digital advertising. The company says it expects sales to grow by another 50% this year.

So why is the Trade Desk “Kicking Ass?”

1) People don’t like Google’s Monopoly: As the giant of online advertising, Google has long been the target of accusations of monopolistic practices. This week, those allegations seemed to gain fresh traction as Bloomberg reported that the Justice Department is preparing to sue the company.The news was seen as a positive for independent ad tech companies, with Jeff Green, CEO of The Trade Desk, telling Bloomberg that it’s “a good time to be an independent ad tech company.”Green added that the allegations against Google are “getting more and more attention in the public,” and that this is good for smaller players in the space. Frankly, he is right, the more they take on Google, the more gravitas and attention it gives the Trade Desk.

2) It’s a Great Place to Work: The Trade Desk is a great place to work, according to the majority of employees who responded to a recent survey. 93% of respondents said that it was a great place to work, compared to just 57% at a typical U.S.-based company.This high level of satisfaction is likely due to a number of factors, including the company’s strong culture and its focus on employee happiness.The Trade Desk also offers a number of great benefits, including unlimited vacation days, free food and drinks, and flexible working arrangements. All of this contributes to a positive work environment that employees love – and it more important to a company’s success than many people realize. Heck, I’d work there.

3) Transparency is the New Programmatic: Transparency has become an increasingly important issue in the media buying world, as advertisers have become frustrated with the lack of clarity and unfairness in a space that has long been dominated by a handful of platforms.However, there is one company that is emerging as a leader in transparency and fairness: The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk’s commitment to transparency is evident in everything they do. For example, they are the only company that discloses all of their fees up front. They also make all of their data available to clients so they can see where their money is being spent. And they are one of the few companies that allow clients to audit their programmatic campaigns. Then they launched, OpenPath which is seen as leveling the playing field for advertisers who are frustrated with systems that are riddled with fraud and transparency issues.

In an industry that is often shrouded in secrecy, The Trade Desk stands out as a beacon of transparency. Thanks to its commitment to openness and fairness, The Trade Desk is quickly becoming the go-to platform for media buyers who demand honesty and integrity in their advertising partners.

Also, let’s be honest: The Trade Desk is a promising company that could really take off if Google’s ad business is broken up.

Google has been dominating the ad market for years, and it’s been tough for anyone else to compete. But if there’s some break up of Google, it will finally give whatever’s left to have an equal competitor. This puts the Trade Desk in a unique place, because they are situated already to compete with Google.

What’s YOUR experience with The Trade Desk? What do you see in the future?

Report: 10% of Programmatic Ads on Fraudulent Sites

Pesach Lattin

2022-07-27

A new study from Ebiquity has found that almost 10% of programmatic ad spend in the US goes to low-quality, low-value websites designed to trick advertisers. The study analysed data from over 1,000 websites and found that 9.6% of ad spend went to sites with “ad fraud” or “non-human traffic” issues. Ebiquity estimates that this could cost advertisers up to $1.6 billion this year. The problem of ad fraud has been increasing in recent years as more and more advertisers move their spending into programmatic channels. However, Ebiquity’s study is one of the first to quantify the scale of the problem. The findings should serve as a wake-up call for advertisers, who need to be more careful about where their ads are being placed.

Between January 2020 and March 2022, Ebiquity found at least $115m was ‘wasted’ on MFA sites. That’s about 7.8% of their programmatic budget globally and 9.8% in the US. MFA sites are defined as those with little to no original content, little to no editorial oversight, and whose primary purpose is to generate revenue from advertising. While MFA sites are not necessarily fraudulent, they often provide a poor user experience and offer little value to advertisers. The findings from Ebiquity’s research underscore the need for brands to carefully consider where their programmatic ad spend is going and ensure that it is aligning with their business objectives.

MFA websites are a dime a dozen on the internet. They’re easy to spot, with their flashy headlines and abundance of ad banners. But what are they, and why are they so prevalent?

MFA stands for “made for advertising.” These websites are created solely for the purpose of ad arbitrage, which is the practice of making more money from ads than it costs to acquire the visitors in the first place. In other words, the publishers attempt to generate more revenue from a visitor clicking on ads on their website than it took them to acquire the visitor in the first place.
MFA websites typically provide click-bait headlines with low-quality content and an extremely large (almost abusive) amount of ad banners on page. This barrage of ads can be overwhelming and off-putting to users, but it’s all part of the MFA strategy. The thinking is that if they can get just a small percentage of visitors to click on an ad, they’ll still come out ahead.

According to the report, “Made For Advertising” is a class of ad-supported websites that thrive on the opacity of the programmatic advertising supply chain. Properties like 247mirror.com, definition.org, and parentinfluence.com bombard users with auto-refreshing display ads and auto-playing video ads, creating an experience that any rational marketer would avoid.
Also, many of the ads aren’t visible for a variety of reasons, but mainly on purpose to defraud advertisers. Ads that aren’t visible to the human eye are called “ghost ads,” and they’re a growing problem on the internet. Ghost ads are stacked beneath other ads or loaded inside a 1×1 iframe pixel, making them impossible to see. They can also be auto-refreshed at a very high rate, serving more impressions without the user ever knowing.

While browsing some of these clickbait sites, which have names like Adventure Crunch and It’s The Vibe, the website, Marketing Brew found ads for Nike, CVS, Disney, JetBlue, Best Buy, and other blue-chip brands.

While programmatic advertising is designed to make it easy for brands to show up on websites, many marketers are unaware of how the system works. Programmatic advertising relies on algorithms to place ads on websites, and the algorithms are often opaque. As a result, brands may not know where their ads are being placed. This can be problematic, as some programmatic ad networks include sites that are of questionable reputation.

Ok, you’re asking me: Why are these sites on programmatic exchanges?

Simply, most of the exchanges like the extra money and this provides them often with tons of cheap inventory that is highly profitable. It’s obviously a huge scam and shouldn’t be allowed – there’s little or no value.

Agencies should make it clear that this is fraud, and if their advertising is found on those types of sites, it means the buy is out. They need to be more proactive in protecting their client base, and invest in resources to prevent this.

One way to do this is to limit the placement of ads to certain categories or publishers. Another is to work with a programmatic platform that has strict quality controls in place – and this is limited to just a few larger ones.

The Real State of Affiliate Marketing?

Pesach Lattin

2022-07-27

Last week some of the biggest companies in Affiliate Marketing met up in Europe to discuss the state of the industry, do business and figure out how to evade spam filters

No, really – while there were some of the most reputable companies in the industry, it also included some of the worst companies in marketing, the most infamous spammers, hackers, and scammers.

According to Statista, performance and affiliate marketing spending is expected to reach $8.2 billion by 2022, up from $1.6 billion in 2010. This increase is due to the popularity of affiliate marketing among advertisers and publishers.

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts. It’s a popular way to earn income online, and because of its low barrier to entry, it’s also attractive to bad actors.

Cybercriminals are constantly developing new ways to exploit the affiliate marketing industry, and as a result, businesses need to be vigilant to protect themselves.

Here are some real facts about affiliate marketing:

1) Performance Marketing is NOT Affiliate Marketing. The “affiliate networks” like to point to the spend of $8 billion in affiliate marketing to attempt to claim some legitimacy next to larger media networks. Here’s the problem: most of “affiliate marketing” money is in performance marketing through agencies, where they are rewarding large media partners, or the buy is a CPM ROI-focused buy but is not an “affiliate relationship.” I’ve spoken to some of the large performance marketing companies spending $500 million a year on media buys – and they aren’t using “affiliate networks.” They are buying on Facebook, managing video buys to back into a clients eCPA.

2) Affiliate Companies Can’t Stop Fraud. Stephanie Harris of Partner Centric wrote something interesting. She claims one of her tools helped a client “save 27% in monthly commission payments by blocking and redirecting all fraudulent traffic before it ever reached their site.” Here’s the problem with this claim – and I don’t doubt it – it admits that their partners are fraudulent, trying to game the system and that they caught 27% of them committing fraud. I’ve known Stephanie for over a dozen years and she is one of the more reputable folks in the industry and I don’t doubt her desire to make a change. Why not just cut scammy partners, do due diligence, and make sure only reputable companies are involved? She knows it’s a serious issue, as she has posted about it at least two dozen times in the last year about how pervasive fraud is in the industry, yet why not just use the simplest solution to prevent it?

3) What isn’t Fraud is Often Just Theft. Fraud researcher Augustine Fou points out that the best converting type of affiliate marketing is often just stealing money from the merchant. “They are paying marketing fees to re-targeting vendors or performance networks for sales that would have happened anyway. That’s why retargeting looks so awesome in the click data — it appears you are getting tons of clicks and the sales are attributed back to the retargeted display ads. What is much harder to calculate is the true incrementality of the campaigns – what additional sales did these campaigns drive, above and beyond what would have happened anyway?” Basically, these are sales that would have happened no matter what, but using “affiliate marketing” just stole the sale through stealing the attribution.

So, I’m constantly asked what the key to affiliate marketing getting over its fraud problem, and it’s simple:

1) Work with Trusted Partners Only. No more “anyone can sign up and make money online.” The idea that there are secret sources of traffic left that some “affiliate” will bring to the table is absurd. These are all professional marketers trying to game the system.There needs to be full visibility here: no “mysterious” affiliates and networks behind the scenes. I’m also amazed that people who just a few years ago were settling with the FTC for extreme amounts of fraud, being sued by Facebook for hacking their systems or just getting out of jail for scams are celebrated in the industry as “heroes” and given awards.

2) Zero Tolerance for Fraud. Fraud Detection Systems often have a “acceptable fraud meter,” meaning that the network or vendor is allowing fraud to come in, and can move the dial to allow what they want and don’t want. This is absurd. No fraud should be allowed, and the system should be made to prevent any and all shady traffic. The reason networks allow this is that it’s profitable.

3) Don’t Distribute to Affiliate Networks. Most Affiliate Networks are just partnering up with Spam Artists. Ask them who some of their large media partners are. Is it CNN? Is it Forbes or Hulu? It’s a site you’ve never heard of in Lithuania that claims to have billions of American impressions for some game you’ve never heard of. Why? It’s all fraud. Ask around who the reputable few networks are (or email me, happy to help!)

Businesses that are unaware of the latest cybercriminal tactics and how to protect themselves against them can quickly find their affiliate marketing programs decimated. However, with the help of experts and vigilance, businesses can stay ahead of these threats and safeguard their valuable relationships with affiliates.

No one is Visiting the Metaverse Because It’s Boring and Dead

Pesach Lattin

2022-07-18

Facebook’s decision to rename itself Meta Platforms (META 0.99%) ignited interest in the virtual worlds that make up the metaverse, a space that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described as an “embodied internet.” Along the way, sales of virtual real estate have boomed, creating a cottage industry with speculators scooping up parcels, and even big brands like Adidas and Nike are established their own Metaverse outposts.

However, there are several signs that interest in the metaverse is already starting to wane significantly and may never grow again.

General interest in the metaverse is declining as Google searches have fallen following a spike after Facebook announced its name change.

Also, Decentraland’s and Sandbox’s currencies have both seen a decline in value following Facebook’s rebranding announcement – and as I mentioned yesterday, almost no one is visiting their virtual worlds. Decentraland’s metaverse is the most popular of all the metaverses, but it is still empty, boring, and not very different from just another quickly made online game a teenager would toss away.

This has led to a lot of disappointment among users, who have been unable to find the same level of excitement and engagement in Decentraland that they experienced in other virtual worlds. So no one is going back..

Why is this happening? Is there a common reason that the Metaverse seems to have already collapsed before it even got off the ground? Companies are still preparing for the metaverse, investing billions into virtual- and augmented-reality technologies, but the transition to a new computing platform, as Zuckerberg has described it, could take longer than expected.

After all, there needs to be a compelling reason to join virtual worlds like Decentraland besides novelty interest.

They need to make work easier, provide entertainment, or offer some other significant advantage over the physical world.

So far, it’s not clear that any of these virtual worlds stand a chance of fulfilling that promise – nor do they even seem to be trying to. In the meantime, we’ll just have to keep living in the real world, where lawns still need to be mowed and bills still need to be paid.And that’s the big issue: business folks with a desire to ride the wave created the virtual words to make quick money from brands spending experimental budgets.

However, none of them actually are game designers, none of them have a passion for development nor really are trying to create a long-lasting product.I’ve mentioned more than a few times that I am fascinated with Roblox, a gaming platform that is enormously popular with younger children, with approximately half of its users aged 13 or under.

It’s fascinating because it seems to have done what Facebook WANTS to do, years ago. And continues to do well. Roblox allows kids to play games, interact with each other, and create their own worlds.

It’s like a mix of Minecraft and Second Life, but with less violence and more brightly colored graphics.

When it comes to socializing and gaming, there’s no denying that Gen Z knows how to have fun. So it’s no surprise that a socializing, tech-first gaming app like Roblox would gain so much popularity among them. In fact, just 14% of Roblox’s users are over 25 years old.

The majority of Roblox players (67%) are under the age of 16, so today’s youth are leading the way in this game and, in turn, the metaverse itself.

With such a huge user base of young people, it’s no wonder that Roblox is constantly evolving to meet their needs. From avatars and games to chat and social features, Roblox is constantly innovating to give its users the best possible experience.

Roblox is a game platform that allows for endless freedom and creativity. It’s a test bed for new ideas and concepts, and it’s also got its own ecosystems and economies.

The community is as much a part of the game as the technology, and it’s this community that makes Roblox a platform more than just a game. Roblox is constantly innovating and expanding, and it’s this willingness to experiment that makes it such an exciting place to be.

Whatever you can think of, you can make an experience with it, from complicated fighting games to just chilling out in your virtual living room. There’s even a fully explorable Hilton Hotels group (Bloxton Hotels in-game).

Roblox wasn’t created to just make advertisers happy and take money from them. It was created as a place for play, community, and engagement – and then both users and advertisers flocked to it, year after year.

I’m not sure these advertising companies understand how to build something as compelling as Roblox — where people choose to come together and hang out, have fun, and spend time together — without it feeling like cheesy, forced fun that’s just trying to keep you there for long enough to show you advertising.

It’s a delicate balance and one that I don’t think these companies have figured out yet. Or they don’t want to, because as I mentioned, they are looking for the easy money.

The key is to create an environment that is entertaining and engaging without being overwhelming or intrusive.

Otherwise, people will quickly get turned off and will go elsewhere. I think that’s why Roblox has been so successful — they’ve created a space that feels like a safe haven from the constant bombardment of advertising that we’re subjected to everywhere else.So did the Metaverse bubble burst? No — just the one that was created by shady companies looking to cash on a trend but not provide any value. Sandbox and Decentraland will likely just disappear unless they make radical changes from an advertiser-centric experiment to a real digital world that makes users want to come back.

What do you think? Is the Metaverse Gone already?

Lead Generators Beware: Web Session Data Technologies May Present a Legal Problem

Richard B. Newman

2022-07-12

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that use of certain technologies on a website to track and record web session data before obtaining affirmative consent may be a violation of California’s wiretap statute.

In the case of Javier v. Assurance IQ, LLC and ActiveProspect Inc. (*not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3), Florentino Javier (“Javier”) appealed from the district court’s order granting Assurance IQ, LLC’s (“Assurance”) and ActiveProspect Inc.’s (“ActiveProspect”) motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim.

Assurance is an insurance platform that owns and operates websites where users can request life insurance quotes from Assurance and its insurance partners. To operate such websites, Assurance purportedly relies on a product created by ActiveProspect called “TrustedForm.”

TrustedForm records user’s interactions with the website and creates a unique certificate for each user certifying that the user agreed to be contacted.

In January 2019, Javier allegedly visited one such website. To request an insurance quote, he purportedly answered a series of questions about his demographic information and medical history. Purportedly unbeknownst to Javier, TrustedForm allegedly captured inreal-timee every second of his interaction withthe Website and supposedly created a video recording of that interaction.

After allegedly filling out the insurance quote questionnaire, Javier supposedly viewed a screen that stated that clicking the “View My Quote” button would constitute agreement to Assurance’s Privacy Policy. Javier allegedly clicked the “View My Quote” button.

Javier subsequently filed a class action complaint against Assurance and ActiveProspect in the Northern District of California. He alleged that defendants violated Section 631(a) of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”). Cal. Penal Code § 631(a).

The district court did not reach any of Defendants’ other arguments.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals considered that while written in terms of wiretapping, Section 631(a) applies to Internet communications. It makes liable anyone who “reads, or attempts to read, or to learn the contents” of a communication “without the consent of all parties to the communication.” Cal. Penal Code § 631(a).

The district court held that consent under Section 631(a) is valid even if it is given after the communication has taken place. The Court Appeals disagreed.

“When interpreting state law, federal courts are bound by decisions of the state’s highest court. In the absence of such a decision, a federal court must predict how the highest state court would decide the issue . . . .” PSM Holding Corp. v. Nat’l Farm Fin. Corp., 884 F.3d 812, 820 (9th Cir. 2018) (quoting Ariz. Elec. Power Co-Op., Inc. v. Berkeley, 59 F.3d 988, 991 (9th Cir. 1995)).

The Court of Appeals “must therefore predict whether the California Supreme Court would interpret Section 631(a) to require prior consent.” “The California Supreme Court has stated that another provision in CIPA, Section 632, requires prior consent even though the text of that section contains only the word “consent.” See Cal. Penal Code § 632.

It wrote that Section 632 “prohibits . . . a party . . . from recording [a] conversation without first informing all parties to the conversation that the conversation is being recorded.” Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney, Inc., 137 P.3d 914, 930 (Cal. 2006) (emphasis added). Further, the California Supreme Court has written about Section 631:

As discussed by the Court of Appeals, secret monitoring denies the speaker an important aspect of privacy of communication—the right to control the nature and extent of the firsthand dissemination of his statements. Partly because of this factor, the Privacy Act has been read to require the assent of all parties to a communication before another may listen. Thus, the Legislature could reasonably have contemplated that [S]ection 631 . . . would prohibit the type of surreptitious monitoring of private conversations alleged here . . . . Ribas v. Clark, 696 P.2d 637, 640–41 (Cal. 1985) (emphasis added) (citations omitted).

Though both of these statements were dicta, the Court of Appeals opined that it is “bound to follow the considered dicta as well as the holdings of the California Supreme Court when applying California law.” Aceves v. Allstate Ins. Co., 68 F.3d 1160, 1164 (9th Cir. 1995) (citing Rocky Mountain Fire & Cas. Co. v. Dairyland Ins. Co., 452 F.2d 603, 603–04 (9th Cir. 1971)).

“Finally, the California Supreme Court has also emphasized that all CIPA provisions are to be interpreted in light of the broad privacy-protecting statutory purposes of CIPA. Ribas, 696 P.2d at 639–41; Smith v. LoanMe, Inc., 483 P.3d 869, 879 (Cal. 2021) (“The interpretation of section 632.7 we adopt is better aligned with the[] aims and declarations [of CIPA] than a narrower interpretation would be.”).”

Based on these statements by the California Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals concluded that the California Supreme Court would interpret Section 631(a) to require the prior consent of all parties to a communication. It held that Javier sufficiently alleged that he did not provide express prior consent to ActiveProspect’s alleged wiretapping of his communications with Assurance.

According to the complaint, as stated by the Court of Appeals, neither Assurance nor ActiveProspect asked for Javier’s consent prior to his filling out the insurance questionnaire online, even though ActiveProspect was purportedly recording Javier’s information as he was providing it. The Court of Appeals decided that Javier therefore alleged sufficient acts to plausibly state a claim that, under Section 631(a), his communications with Assurance were purportedly recorded without his valid express prior consent.

The Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s dismissal of Javier’s Second Amended Complaint and remanded for proceedings accordingly. It did not reach defendants’ other arguments, including whether Javier impliedly consented to the data collection, whether ActiveProspect is a third party under Section 631(a), and whether the statute of limitations had run.

“So rather than a contracts lens, we should review this case through a torts lens. And to my knowledge, no case shows that California has adopted retroactive consent as a defense to an invasion of privacy tort.”

You can review the opinion here.

TAKEAWAY: Website operators and lead generators that continue to rely upon third-party technologies that monitor and record web session data in the absence of prior consent, including that of California consumers, are taking risk. Consult with a qualified FTC attorney to discuss legal regulatory compliance considerations and strategies to minimize risk exposure. At least according to the Ninth Circuit, affirmative assent to website agreements such as privacy policies and terms of services is not itself tantamount to prior consent, for example, if recording has already commenced.

Richard B. Newman of Hinch Newman LLP is a leading advertising compliance and FTC defense lawyer at Hinch Newman LLP. He represents digital marketers that are subject to FTC investigations and enforcement actions.

Informational purposes only. Not legal advice. May be considered attorney advertising.

TikTok Gets Bad News from Congress, But What is the Danger?

Pesach Lattin

2022-07-07

It’s bad news, again, for TikTok, the Chinese owned company that implores teens to dance and do stupid challenges.

Senators Mark Warner and Tom Cotton, the top Democrat and Republican respectively on the Senate intelligence committee, sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday urging the agency to investigate ByteDance’s TikTok over reports that employees in China accessed data about U.S. users of the service.

“In light of repeated misrepresentations by TikTok concerning its data security, data processing, and corporate governance practices, we urge you to act promptly on this matter,” Senators Warner and Cotton wrote in the letter.

The senators pointed to several recent media reports that have raised “troubling” questions about TikTok’s handling of user data. They also noted that while TikTok has claimed that it stores all U.S. user data domestically, there is reason to believe that some data is still being routed through servers in China.

Given these concerns, the senators urged the FTC to investigate whether TikTok has violated any of its commitments under the consent decree it reached with the agency in February 2019. They also asked the FTC to determine whether any changes need to be made to the consent decree in light of recent developments.

“As recently as March of this year, TikTok officials reiterated to our committee representations they have previously made that all corporate governance decisions are wholly firewalled from … ByteDance,” the lawmakers write. “Yet according to a recent report from Buzzfeed News, TikTok’s engineering teams ultimately report to ByteDance leadership.”

This is concerning because it indicates that TikTok is not being truthful about who is actually in charge. If TikTok is lying about who is running the show, what else are they lying about? We need to get to the bottom of this and find out what really is going on behind the scenes.

China is a country that is very different from the Western world in many ways, including the way that its businesses are structured. Unlike in the West, where businesses are typically owned by private individuals or shareholders, every major company in China has governement officials monitoring and controlling certain aspects of the company.

In a socialist market economy, the state sector directs the economy and there is substantial state ownership of major industries, but prices and enterprise management are guided by market forces rather than by central planning.

Government officials in China and government ideologies are directly infused into business operations. Private sector employees are “educated” on government policies and ideologies, with the expectation that this “enlightenment” will help inform their business decisions. This government-business symbiosis is further cemented by the provision of massive government subsidies to Chinese firms. The result is an economy that is heavily influenced by the state but which also relies on market mechanisms to allocate resources and set prices

One huge example: Jack Ma is no longer the richest man in China, and his company Alibaba is facing regulatory hurdles that may Clip its wings. This is the result of a year-long crackdown on the tech sector by the Chinese Communist Party, which made an example out of Ma.

The message was clear: Chief executives will either act in accordance with party wishes or see their lives upended and their companies dismantled.

This means that the government has complete control and authority over everything that happens within the country’s businesses.

TikTok, the short-form video app owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, has been under fire before. But the latest criticism of the app, which has come from both the US and Europe, is on a whole other level.

At issue is TikTok’s handling of user data—including personal information, browsing habits, and location data—which critics say could be used by the Chinese government to spy on or manipulate TikTok’s Western users.

TikTok collects a variety of data from users, including their location, contacts, and browsing history. This data could be valuable to foreign governments, which is why the Army and Navy have banned TikTok from soldiers’ work phones.

Truth be told, the future of the internet is at stake. It’s over what users watch and create. It’s over the opaque algorithm that governs what gets seen and what doesn’t. This algorithm is usally controlled by a handful of tech giants, but in the hands of big government it can be used to further their own agendas, whether that means selling more ads or manipulating public opinion. China could very well use TikTok to influence an election by pushing fake news to get the person they want elected.

Already, there is proof that China has been allowing this: In recent months, TikTok has become a platform for Russian propaganda. Media Matters has tracked an coordinated campaign involving 186 Russian influencers who normally post videos about beauty tips, pranks, and other lighthearted content.

However, these same influencers have been posting videos that support the Russian narrative on the war in Ukraine. The videos are often highly emotional and personal, making them more likely to resonate with viewers.

In addition, they tend to downplay the role of the Russian military in the conflict, instead painting it as a civil war between Ukrainian nationalists and ethnic Russians.

This seems to be purposeful and Chinese based TikTok did nothing to prevent it.

Do you think TikTok should be removed from app stores? What implications do you think this would have for national security?

Let us know what you think in the comments.

The EU Digital Services Act will Affect Online Marketing for Decades

Pesach Lattin

2022-07-07

The European Parliament has agreed on the Digital Services Act (DSA), a package of bills that would wrap red tape around Big Tech activities in the EU. If it is approved, the DSA could go into effect as soon as 2024, which means that ad targeting will get even more limited. Tech giants will no longer be able to target users based on their personal data, and they will also be required to give users more control over their data.

In addition, the DSA would create a new regulator to oversee the tech industry, and it would impose heavy fines on companies that violate the rules. The DSA is still awaiting formal approval by EU institutions, but if it goes into effect, it could have a major impact on the way that Big Tech does business in Europe.

The DSA (Digital Standardization Agency) would also prohibit the use of “dark patterns” in digital products and services. Dark patterns are deceptive strategies that manipulate users into buying products or services that they might not otherwise purchase. For example, a common dark pattern is the “bait and switch,” in which a user is lured in by a low-priced item, only to be switched to a more expensive product when they try to check out.

Other examples of dark patterns include false deadlines, hidden fees, and forced continuance (such as when a user is automatically enrolled in a subscription after completing a free trial).

If you’re an e-commerce platform that does business in the European Union, you’ll need to start monitoring your markets more closely. The EU’s Direct Selling Association (DSA) has tasked platforms like Amazon with preventing the sales of illegal goods. Depending on what you’re selling, the act could complicate things for merchants and marketers.

The DSA’s new measure is designed to protect consumers from being scammed by illegal businesses, but it could also create headaches for e-commerce platforms that will now need to vet every merchant more carefully. In addition, the DSA’s measure could also make it more difficult for small businesses to sell their products online

For e-commerce platforms, the best course of action is to stay compliant with the DSA’s new regulations and monitor their markets closely to ensure that only legal products are being sold.

Also, the European Commission has proposed new rules that would require tech companies to take down illegal material such as hate speech, incitement to terrorism and child sexual abuse.

The rules would also require e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon to prevent sales of illegal goods. The proposals are part of a wider effort to regulate the tech sector in Europe.

Critics say the proposals could lead to censorship and stifle free speech. The Commission says the rules would only apply to illegal material and would not restrict legitimate speech.

Last month, EU institutions approved the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which seeks to curb the market power of Big Tech firms. The DMA covers a wider range of areas than the DSA, but the two concepts are closely linked. In particular, the DSA is likely to include provisions that would make it easier for national authorities to enforce the DMA. For example, the DSA could give national authorities the power to order platforms to take down illegal content or to stop using certain algorithms that amplify fake news.

The DSA is also likely to include rules on so-called “gatekeepers”, which are platforms that play an important role in connecting businesses and consumers. These rules could include requirements that such platforms give businesses access to data on their users, or that they allow businesses to port their data to other platforms.

The new EU rules are a good step, but they do not go far enough. Washington should look to the example of the EU in regulating Big Tech and enact similar measures to protect consumers and democracy online.

The 5 Ingredients to Make a Successful FAST Channel

Pesach Lattin

2022-07-01

1. Focus on Content: To be successful, a FAST Channel must offer good content that appeals to a wide range of viewers. This means providing a mix of popular programming, sports, local news, mainstream music content, factual programming, and true crime. While some channels focus on only one or two genres, the Channel must be able to offer a little something for everyone. In addition, the channel should consider going premium and offering exclusive content that can’t be found elsewhere. This will help to attract paying subscribers and generate additional revenue. Finally, the channel should focus on underserved genres that are not well represented on other channels. This could include sports, local news, mainstream music content, factual programming, and true crime. By offering a unique mix of content, any FAST channel can become a destination for viewers who are looking for something different

2. Smooth Ad Breaks: Maintaining a FAST Channel means creating an experience that is not only entertaining and informative, but also easy and smooth for users. Part of this involves finding content that is well-suited for ad breaks. This content should be engaging enough to keep users from scrolling through their feed or changing the channel, but it should also be appropriate for the commercial breaks. For example, if a FAST Channel is airing a cooking show, ads for kitchen appliances would be a good fit. Similarly, if a FAST Channel is airing a show about fashion, ads for clothing and cosmetics would be a good match. By carefully selecting content that is conducive to ad breaks, FAST Channels can create a seamless and enjoyable experience for users.

3. Origin, Go Local: The FAST channel lineup in Europe is still mostly international, with only a few local channels available. This is not ideal for viewers who want to stay up-to-date on current affairs in their own country. Local channels provide a more personal and intimate experience, as they are tailored specifically for the region in which they are broadcast. They also tend to be more engaging, as they often feature stories and interviews with people from the local community. For these reasons, it would be beneficial for the FAST channel lineup to go local in order to better serve its audience. international channels can still be available, but viewers should have the option to choose between local and global programming.

3. Depth: A FAST Channel must have Depth. This means that it must have at least 100 hours of content with a 10%-25% monthly refresh. The refresh rate is important because it ensures that the channel has new and relevant content on a regular basis. The depth of the channel is also important because it gives viewers a reason to keep coming back. If a channel only has a few hours of content, viewers will quickly exhaust all of the available options and move on to something else. However, a channel with a hundred hours or more of content will give viewers a reason to keep coming back for more. In order to create a successful FAST Channel, it is essential to have both depth and a regular refresh rate.

5. Programming Blocks. A programming block is a basic unit of television programming that contains a set of scheduled shows. A channel must have these blocks in order to be successful. The programming block allows the channel to keep a certain theme throughout the day. This is what makes the channel unique and differentiates it from the others. It also keeps viewers engaged by providing new and interesting content regularly. Seasonality is also important when it comes to programming blocks. For example, a channel that airs mostly reruns of old sitcoms would not do well during the summer months when people are looking for new and original content. By planning their schedule around seasonality, channels can ensure that they are always offering viewers something fresh and exciting.

Proposed FTC Influencer Guidelines Change the Game

Pesach Lattin

2022-06-29

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently announced its long awaited proposed changes to its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (the “Endorsement Guides”). The Endorsement Guides were first enacted in 1980 and are intended to help businesses ensure that their endorsement and testimonial advertising conforms with Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.” The proposed changes to the Endorsement Guides reflect the FTC’s continued focus on ensuring that endorsements and testimonials are not misleading to consumers.

Under the proposed changes, endorsements and testimonials would be subject to the same truth-in-advertising principles that apply to other forms of marketing. Endorsements would have to be honest and not misleading, and testimonials would have to reflect the typical consumer’s experience. In addition, the FTC is proposing new disclosure requirements for endorsements and testimonials that are made through social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. These disclosures would need to be made clearly and conspicuously, in close proximity to the endorsement or testimonial.

Some of the huge changes that will likely change how we think about social media marketing:

1. Under the new guidelines, any time a user posts content on a social media platform that features a branded product, that will be considered an endorsement. The FTC is concerned that many users are not aware of this practice and could be unknowingly endorsing products. For example, if a user posts a photo on Instagram of themselves using a certain brand of makeup, that would be considered an endorsement. If you tag a brand, that is an endorsement. The guidelines state that endorsements must be honest and transparent, and that users should disclose any relationship they have with the brand in question.

2. They really pushing that that bloggers and others who receive free products or other forms of compensation in return for positive reviews must now disclose such arrangements “clearly and conspicuously.” Disclosure of sponsorships must be “difficult to miss and easily understood by ordinary people.” FTC’s new guidelines are in response to concerns that such disclosures are often buried in lengthy terms and conditions documents or placed in a location on a website where they are easily missed.

3. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of middle-man vendors, such as advertising agencies and public relations firms, to create and place ads. While these vendors can be a valuable resource for businesses, they also pose a risk. In particular, middle-man vendors may be liable for not disclosing that their ads are paid. This is because the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that all paid ads be clearly and conspicuously disclosed.

4. Businesses should not distort or misrepresent reviews from customers or clients about their products or services. Although some businesses may be tempted to do this in order to make themselves look better, it ultimately damages their credibility and can lead to legal consequences.

5. Many platforms have introduced tools to help improve transparency, such as the paid partnership label on Instagram. However, it seems that according to the FTC, this is likely “not enough” as it doesn’t disclose the exact nature of the relationship, what was recieved, and so on. The FTC’s proposed changes to the Endorsement Guides are significant, and will require companies to take a closer look at how they use endorsements and testimonials in their advertising.

If you are currently using endorsements or testimonials in your advertising, or if you plan to do so in the future, you should carefully review the proposed changes and make sure that your marketing materials comply with them.

How to Create Customer Journeys with Anonymous Data

Pesach Lattin

2022-06-24

In the age of data privacy concerns, brands must get creative in their use of customer data to personalize shopper journeys. This is where non-personally identifiable information (non-PII data) comes in. Successful marketing in this new environment begins with objectives based on accurate insight into the customer journey.

Non-PII data is information that cannot be used to identify an individual, such as ZIP code, gender, or age range. While this type of data may seem limited, it can actually be quite powerful in helping to create personalized experiences.

For example, a retailer could use non-PII data to segment shoppers by location and then send targeted offers based on local weather conditions. Or, a brand could use non-PII data to create custom content that is relevant to the shopper’s interests. By leveraging non-PII data, brands can still provide personalized experiences without violating customers’ privacy rights.

There are many opportunities for personalization along the customer journey. In fact, 44 percent of consumers are willing to switch to brands that do personalization better. How can you do personalization better?

One effective way to convert and win loyal customers is using on-site personalization based on customers’ behaviors and intent. It’s one-to-one customization that changes a customer’s experience in real-time, making it relevant and personalized to them. And when done right, it has the potential to increase conversion rates by as much as unpreccedented levels.

On-site personalization is based on understanding what a customer is trying to achieve on your website or app. Once you know that, you can offer content, products, or services that help them complete their task – whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a white paper. The key is to be relevant and helpful at every stage of the customer journey, so you can create more loyalty and repeat business.

Here are some key methods to use anonymous data to indentify customer journey’s

1) Identify Hesitant Shoppers: When it comes to online shopping, everyone has their own hesitations and concerns. For some, it’s a matter of not being able to see or touch the product before making a purchase. Others may worry about the quality of the item, or whether it will meet their expectations. And then there are those who are simply worried about making a mistake and wasting their hard-earned money. Whatever the reason, hesitant shoppers can be a tough sell – but that doesn’t mean you should give up on them entirely. There are a few key ways to identify hesitant shoppers, and with a little tailoring, you can turn them into lifelong customers.

One of the most obvious ways to identify a hesitant shopper is by how long they spend browsing your site. If someone is looking at the same product for an extended period of time, it’s likely that they’re undecided about whether or not to make a purchase. In these cases, it’s important to offer assistance – whether through a chatbot or direct contact with a customer service representative. You can also try emphasizing customer reviews, highlighting free shipping and return policies, or promoting unique discounts. By meeting hesitant shoppers where they are, you can increase sales and build loyalty among your customer base.

2) Use Smart Capture Forms: Time is valuable, and customers know it. They also know that you recognize it, which is why when they’re interacting with your brand, they expect a streamlined process that works for them. This is where smart capture forms come in. By collecting data on customer interactions, you can better understand their needs and how to serve them in the future.

Plus, you can use this data to inform the way you customize notifications and materials. For example, if you know a customer is about to leave your site, you can push a notification with a special offer or coupon code.

Or, if you know a customer’s purchase history, you can recommend similar products that they may be interested in. Ultimately, smart capture forms help you provide a more personalized experience for your customers, which can lead to improved satisfaction and loyalty.

3) Incentivize Signups: You may be asking yourself, why should I sign up to receive text messages from this business? And that’s a valid question. After all, users want to know what’s in it for them when you ask for their email addresses and phone numbers. Will receiving text messages from you actually enhance their lives, or are you just going to spam them with generic promotions?

Here’s the thing: businesses who incentivize their users to sign up for text messaging see a significantly higher rate of engagement than those who don’t. Why? Because people love free stuff! By offering a discount or some other type of incentive, you’re showing your users that you value their business and that you’re willing to give them something in return for signing up. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love getting a deal?

So if you’re looking to increase signups for your text messaging program, offer an incentive! It could be anything from a percentage off their next purchase to a free product or service. Just make sure it’s something that will appeal to your target audience. And remember, the key is to make it worth their while. Otherwise, they’ll just unsubscribe as soon as they get bored with your texts.

Unknown to known. It’s a phrase we often hear in marketing, but what does it really mean? In a nutshell, it means getting to know your customers. And in today’s world, that requires the right strategy and vision from both the marketing and technology sides.

Technology has always played a role in customer acquisition and engagement, but in recent years it has caught up with the vision of truly knowing your customers. With the advent of big data, artificial intelligence, and other cutting-edge technologies, we now have the ability to collect and analyze vast amounts of customer data like never before. This gives us insights into who our customers are, what they want, and how they behave.

But collecting data is only half the battle. The real key is using that data to create meaningful customer relationships. That’s where marketing comes in. Marketing is all about creating connections with customers and building long-term brand loyalty. And today’s marketing teams are using technology to do just that.

With the right mix of marketing and technology, businesses can finally achieve true customer centricity.

In order to create an unforgettable customer experience, it’s important to understand your customers on a personal level. What makes them happy? Why do they buy from you and not your competitors? Once you know the answers to these questions, you can begin to craft unique experiences that keep them coming back for more. Have you tried using personalized content or offers in your marketing strategy? If not, now is the time to start.

There are many different ways to get creative with customer experience, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what works best for your business. Are there any other ways that you think businesses should go above and beyond for their customers?

Viewability isn’t All That to Look At

Pesach Lattin

2022-06-24

We aren’t sure when this became so popular, but the advertising industry keeps pushing the idea that viewability is the key metric for advertising, but more and more people are showing that it’s often a semi-fraudulent metric.

Why? Viewability – just being able to see something – is not the same as actually seeing it.

Without attention from your audience, the viewability isn’t worth much.

Enter: banner blindness, ad blockers, and general scrolling fatigue. The average person is bombarded with upwards of 5000 ads per day, so it’s no wonder that we’ve developed some defense mechanisms. In order to cut through the noise and reach our target consumers, we need to be strategic about where we place our ads and how we design them.

Attention-grabbing imagery, relevant messaging, and a clear call-to-action are key elements of an effective ad campaign – regardless of viewability.

A recent study by Dentsu denmark and Lumen Research Ltd shows that the popular skyscraper format (160×600), while having a high viewability rate, actually has a low attention rate.

In other words, people can see the ad, but they’re not paying attention to it.

The study also found that ad placements in the middle of content had higher attention rates than those placed at the sides or at the bottom.

This suggests that people are more likely to pay attention to ads that are relevant to the content they’re consuming, and less likely to pay attention to ads that are intrusive or irrelevant.

Ultimately, this means that viewability is not the only success factor that should be considered when evaluating a campaign’s performance. Attention must also be taken into account.

Even stranger,new research suggests that viewability is not the only thing that matters. A study conducted by the University of British Columbia found that even when ads are not visible, they can still have a positive impact on consumer behavior.

The study found that when ads were played below the fold – that is, outside of the viewable area – they were still able to increase brand awareness and purchase intent.

In order to be successful, marketers need to find ways to measure consumer attention and then use that data to adjust their strategies. Otherwise, they run the risk of continued decline in attention and engagement.

There are a number of different metrics that can be used to measure attention, but many marketers don’t know how to properly interpret and use them.

In the world of online advertising, it’s not enough to simply say that an ad was “viewed” or appeared in the right environment. Instead, analysts need to take a closer look at who viewed the ad and what action, if any, was taken as a result.

This attention-based approach allows us to get to the heart of the issue and better understand the true impact of advertising online. By measuring attention, we can get a better sense of how well an ad is performing and whether or not it is having the desired effect on its audience. This approach provides valuable insights that can help advertisers fine-tune their campaigns for maximum impact.

As a result, Measurement 2.0 needs to go through a period of adoption in order to reach the majority. In order for this to happen, marketers need to understand the value of attention metrics and learn how to properly use them.

Only then will we see a shift in the way that marketing is done.

UrbanObserver

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No one is Visiting the Metaverse Because It’s Boring and Dead

Lead Generators Beware: Web Session Data Technologies May Present a Legal Problem

TikTok Gets Bad News from Congress, But What is the Danger?

The EU Digital Services Act will Affect Online Marketing for Decades

The 5 Ingredients to Make a Successful FAST Channel

Proposed FTC Influencer Guidelines Change the Game

How to Create Customer Journeys with Anonymous Data

Viewability isn’t All That to Look At

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