Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here.
Layser Focused
Stephanie Layser, former News Corp VP of ad tech, data and identity products, joined Amazon Web Services a year ago as global head of publisher ad tech solutions. And she just recorded a podcast with Marketecture about what she’s been up to and why she chose AWS. (Amazon Ads would have been the intuitive move.)
In the past year, AWS lit a fire under ad tech development, launching custom data clean rooms and, recently, a build-your-own bidder product.
One thorny question for Layser: Should publishers be paid for the contextual advertising data that’s routinely scraped from their sites? (There is no legal obligation, after all.)
“I don’t know what the answer is, but I think about it a lot, and it stresses me out.”
One way AWS can help publishers is by collapsing waste in the online ad supply chain – not just the ‘ad tech tax’ but actual compute power waste – by commoditizing point solution products.
But, as always, publisher advocates are pushing uphill.
“My boss always has to remind me the advertisers are the ones paying for it,” Layser quips. “You need to satisfy the needs of advertisers as well.”
Calling Time
Don’t go chasing waterfalls – because Google Ads is moving to real-time bidding for apps and will no longer respond to multiple calls in mediation as of Oct. 31.
Apps commonly use waterfall mediation to make multiple calls to demand partners for the same ad impression. Although developers do end up seeing more demand this way, that setup breeds inefficiency.
A shift to RTB will help advertisers find the best-priced app inventory and increase auction competition, David Mitby, Google’s senior director of product management, tells AdExchanger.
App publishers have been slower than their web counterparts to embrace programmatic RTB. But Google semi-forcing the issue is another step away from the waterfall.
In a blog post, Google Ads says it may begin transitioning from waterfall buying for certain multi-call requests even earlier.
“We understand that some publishers may still opt to use waterfall mediation from time to time,” Mitby says. “But overall in the industry we’re seeing a shift towards real-time bidding.”
In addition to saying ta-ta to multiple calls, Google will open Google Ads and DV360 demand to AppLovin’s MAX, Chartboost Mediation, Digital Turbine FairBid and Unity LevelPlay as part of a beta program.
Not Buying It
One powerful advantage for Amazon’s ad business is Amazon’s reputation for making consumers whole on fraudulent or even unsatisfactory purchases. It’s an expensive proposition, but Amazon’s backing provides confidence to click and convert on Amazon ads.
This is a long way of introducing the fact that Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are rife with ecommerce advertising and consumer fraud. The issue has bubbled up to the FTC, because so many people complain about fraudulent deals on social nets.
What are you going to do – call the Meta customer hotline?
The Wall Street Journal offers some best practices to avoid social ecommerce fraud: Google for product reviews (too many bad reviews or zero bad reviews are red flags); see whether the ad has comments disabled (another red flag); ask the seller to take a photo of the product with a printout of your name to confirm they have the item.
Meta and/or TikTok might also realize that, since shopping is critical to their business, it’s worth it to try harder to make their apps a place where people can shop.
But Wait, There’s More!
Meta is building an ‘Instagram for your thoughts’ that could be a Twitter challenger. [Insider]
Merrell’s chief merchant officer on how it adjusted its assortment for its target customer. [ModernRetail]
My descent into TikTok news hell. [Politico]
What downturn? In real terms, ad spending is doing just fine. [Digiday]
You’re Hired!
Roger Dunn heads to Ebiquity as retail media consultant. [post]
Snap hires two Facebook vets: The CPG head of vertical is David Sommer, and Patrick Harris is SVP of partnerships. [Bloomberg]
