Home Ad Exchange News Safari Tracking Change Hurts Some Pubs; Google’s Latest TV Push

Safari Tracking Change Hurts Some Pubs; Google’s Latest TV Push

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Cookie Crumbles

Apple’s recent policy change to limit cookie-based tracking of Safari users [AdExchanger coverage] is already starting to hit publishers reliant on programmatic. CafeMedia, which sells about half of its inventory programmatically, has seen CPMs on Safari dip 10% or more from expected returns since Apple announced the new policy, according to Digiday. It’s difficult to isolate the impact of Apple’s tracking changes on CPMs, but those impacts are likely to escalate as iOS and Safari users update their service (a process that takes months). Advertisers that rely heavily on third-party audience targeting “have shifted slightly away from Safari visitors,” said Clark Benson, CEO of Ranker. And Android yields seem to be going up as more bids shift to that browserverse. More at Digiday.

Sell-ovision

Google landed a deal with CBS as the exclusive ad delivery stack for CBS All Access, the broadcaster’s entry in the ferocious streaming media market. Over the years, Google has made land grabs on linear television budgets with its own Fiber network tests, connected TVs, proxy battles fought by YouTube and a slew of TV-related products – with mixed success. “But over the last six months or so, Google has been quietly and deliberately trying to sell its ad serving software to big TV and video players,” writes Mike Shields at Business Insider. The push pits Google directly against Comcast’s FreeWheel, the category leader in ad delivery for streaming TV shows. More.

Status Update

Facebook is testing a product that would let brands mine its trove of posts and comments for marketing insights, Ad Age reports. An extension of its Audience Insights API, the product will allow Facebook to offer a new dimension of data to marketers beyond just what consumers like and share. “On Facebook, you know everything about a person from their profile, what they liked and who they connect with,” said an anonymous agency exec testing the tool. “But Facebook is not good at knowing what people are saying, what they’re posting.” While there’s no targeting capability to speak of yet, marketers see potential to target groups of people against topics, themes or products they discuss on the platform. More.

Every Trick In The Books

Not much is known about Amazon’s post-acquisition plans for Whole Foods and the grocer’s private-label brands, aside from general promises to trim prices. But for one possible indicator The Wall Street Journal takes a look at Amazon Books, a 12-location chain of bookstores launched about two years ago. Prices aren’t marked, but can be scanned on phones or store kiosks. Without prices stamped on books and shelves, Amazon incorporates the dynamic pricing it features online, so the cost of a book can fluctuate based on supply and demand. Amazon Books also displays highly rated online customer reviews – a potential conversion booster in both environments. More.

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