Advertising & Marketing

Advertisers and marketers can’t afford to waste budget, so we foresee a partial shift away from display ads and renewed emphasis on search—with one big exception, retail media.

This year’s Super Bowl ads will be defined by big stunts, from FanDuel’s live Gronk field goal attempt (we won’t be betting on this) to whatever M&M’s is doing with “Ma&Ya’s candy coated clam bites” (these we would bet on). Here are five charts on Super Bowl advertising.

Microsoft versus Google: Which AI-powered approach to search is best? The fate of the $150 billion search ad market could be soon transformed.

After a shaky 2022, CTV advertising is ramping up: A study shows consumers are more likely to engage with unique CTV ad formats that offer advertisers personalization.

Penske hopes its event-focused model can keep Vox alive: The media giant recently invested $100 million into Vox, which has seen repeated layoffs.

Generative AI’s future hinges on legal battles: With Getty Images and others suing AI companies for theft, advertisers would be wise to stay away from the tech.

Apple considers pricier iPhones to spur sales: Can an even more premium iPhone help increase sales? Apple seems to think so. Meanwhile, carriers are discounting its latest models in China by $100.

ES: EU, UK, and US antitrust approaches are aligning: Microsoft’s $70 billion acquisition of Activision could face tougher pushback now that various regulators are on the same page.

Fintech kicks off Black History Month with a wealth-building campaign: The investing app Stackwell reminds financial institutions that they struggle with culturally sensitive banking.

Despite a tightening ad market, the Super Bowl powers on: Fox has sold out spots for Sunday’s game, with prices stabilizing after last year’s jump.

Slowing consumer demand rocks tech’s ivory tower: Apple, Alphabet, and Amazon turned in disappointing quarterly earnings. Expect further austerity measures, including layoffs, which could prove costly.

Musk’s 100 days at Twitter sink in: Its workforce is greatly reduced, users and advertisers are fleeing in droves, and now third-party developers are gone. What’s next for the beleaguered social network?

Instacart leans into shoppable TV ads for Super Bowl campaign: Delivery platform’s signals its desire to woo CPG brands to improve its IPO prospects.

Microsoft urges developers to buy its Store Ads: Feature could benefit app creators, possibly at the expense of the user search experience.

Amazon’s ad business reports another strong quarter: Its new AWS Clean Rooms could bolster its ongoing efforts to woo advertisers.

Meta’s vow of efficiency marks renewed optimism: Meta shares rally after analysts upgrade stock due to Meta’s new, leaner direction. Meanwhile, the company continues to spend billions on an unrealized metaverse pivot.

Can Google coast comfortably through a challenging 2023? The search and advertising giant’s Q4 foreshadows slow growth, revealing cracks in its empire.

Digital ad spend will grow the fastest in Latin America this year, with Peru leading the pack, according to our forecast. While Argentina and Chile will also rank high by this measure, none of the three countries will crack the global top 10 for total digital ad spend.

Breaking down Amazon’s layoffs: Its 18,000 job cuts are spread across a variety of business units and locations and could indicate where Amazon plans to pull back on investment this year.

Say goodbye to Peacock’s free-with-ads tier: The no-cost option will sunset soon as the streamer tries to drive up its revenues per user.