Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here.
Anti-Social
The Threads app is a counterpoint to the argument that scale and reach are what count.
The Instagram-backed social network is an unabashed clone of X, except without the hard news and political content. And as of this month, Threads boasts 175 million monthly active users, according to a post (a Thread? A tweet?) by Mark Zuckerberg.
Yet advertisers remain confused and largely unimpressed, Digiday reports.
Threads hasn’t publicly launched an ad platform yet and has only run campaigns as part of limited tests. And during a heated election year is maybe not the most opportune moment.
Regardless, there may not be much room left in the social advertising market.
“Social advertisers already have plenty of platforms to invest in, and unless a new platform offers substantial benefits for minimal effort, many are satisfied with the results from existing platforms,” says Eb Adeyeri, VP of paid social and partnerships at Jellyfish.
If Threads is unable to effectively monetize, however, it becomes yet another example of the if-you-build-it-they-will-come dream not panning out for social networks. The battlefield is littered with many that built big, dedicated audiences, but then ad revenue didn’t materialize.
X is a loser, BeReal’s never sold an ad and Reddit still must prove it’s not small fries on revenue.
Pixel Problems
These days, carrying tracking pixels from Google, Meta and others on your website is almost like having a bull’s-eye on your back.
Hospitals and health care companies have been through the wringer, as have universities and certain government agencies.
And now it’s the US Postal Service’s turn. The USPS has been disclosing info on customers, TechCrunch reports, including the home addresses of logged-in customers using its Informed Delivery program.
One throughline across different verticals is that most companies aren’t much aware of what’s being passed via their website pixels. And, to be fair, there are reasons other than ad targeting for using these trackers. Hospitals might use Google and Facebook for log-ins to Wi-Fi or to book appointments. It’s not always a cynical ploy to use data for ad purposes.
For what it’s worth, a USPS spokesperson said it’s since remedied the issue.
But it’s kind of crazy what was being shared with Meta and Google when the pixels were still in use. For example, the USPS shared some live in-transit mail tracking info, including where a parcel was located and in some cases how close it was to the recipient.
Strange Chums
Apple has a rather strange relationship with advertising and advertisers.
Remember iAd? Apple’s programmatic platform launched in 2015 – and was shuttered in 2016.
One reason iAd was so short-lived is because Apple doesn’t typically take input or tap into expertise from the ad tech industry. It has a history of catching iOS developers off guard, not to mention administering ad tech shock treatments.
All of that is an entrée to talk about yet another startling Apple ad tech decision: the recent news that Taboola is the new seller of native ads inside of the Apple News and Apple Stocks apps.
For many tech and media types, Taboola is synonymous with chumboxes, the lowest, most cynical ad unit on the web (which is saying something).
However, Apple needs to grow ad revenue. And it’s unlikely Apple would ever develop tech to sell ads within third-party iOS apps, because (a) it looks down on the practice and (b) it would invite antitrust scrutiny.
And so that only leaves owned-and-operated apps, like News and Stocks, as well as growing Apple TV+ supply, Ad Age writes.
And, again, Apple doesn’t really want to be in the advertising business. So it needs a Taboola.
Taboola’s relationship with Apple isn’t new, either. It was already the News and Stocks ads seller in Australia and Canada, and it’s now taking more US and UK business from NBCUniversal.
But Wait, There’s More!
Speaking of Apple, it’s in talks to license more films from Hollywood. [Bloomberg]
Meta is considering buying a stake in EssilorLuxottica, which makes the popular Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Meta would be paying roughly $5 billion for a 5% stake. [Financial Times]
What advertisers are paying for the first programmatic Olympics packages. [Adweek]
Italy’s competition watchdog begins an investigation against Google over allegedly “unfair commercial practices” to obtain user consent for tracking and profiling. [TechCrunch]
Four Havas-owned agencies lose their B Corp status over work for Shell Oil. [DeSmog]
You’re Hired!
Retail media measurement company Incremental expands its leadership team with two senior hires. [release]
Courtney Brown Warren has been promoted to CMO of Kickstarter. [Brand Innovators]
