Digital Recap: Your Source for Industry News

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DOJ Files Suit Against Google 

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice filed its long-anticipated antitrust lawsuit against Google. In his article for the New York Times, Steve Lohr provides a breakdown of the government ‘s accusations against the tech giant. At its core, this is a monopoly defense case akin to that against Microsoft in the late 90’s. The DOJ claims Google has abused its dominance in search in ways that harm competitors and consumers. Google is expected to argue that the deals cited in the suit are completely legal and that it isn’t completely dominant – nearly half of all shopping searches, for example, start on Amazon. The filing is indicative of a long, litigious road ahead for Google. Read Lohr’s article for more details: “What Is Happening With the Antitrust Suit Against Google?” 

New Ad Options in Instagram 

Facebook announced new ad tools this week, just in time for holiday shopping. Andrew Hutchinson covered the announcement for Social Media Today. Advertisers can now create Instagram ads with product tags within Ads Manager. Product tags were previously available only on Instagram posts. Also included in the update are new options for Custom Audiences, helping to retarget people who have shown purchase intent. This update includes important tools that businesses can use to maximize the holiday season – read Hutchinson’s article for more: “Facebook Announces New Advertising Options for the Holidays, Including Product Tags in Instagram Ads.” 

Ad Personalization and Effectiveness 

A survey from Interpublic’s Magna and the IPG Media Lab strengthens the idea that ad personalization increases effectiveness by delivering a more relevant ad experience. Steve McClellan covered the study for Media Post. They found that most forms of ad personalization added value, and that “higher levels of personalization were more effective at shifting difficult-to-move metrics.” Read McClellan’s piece for more analysis and access to the full survey report: “IPG Study Finds Strong Link Between Ad Personalization and Effectiveness.” 

Google – Personalization & Privacy 

On Wednesday, Google released the preliminary findings of a study that tests group targeting as a replacement for individualized targeting. In preparation for the cookie-less future, Google is seeking privacy-friendly ways to target audiences and offer ad personalization. In his piece for Search Engine Land, Greg Sterling explains that groups of people with similar browsing histories and interests could be targeted collectively. This helps to preserve individual privacy, but there’s a trade-off when it comes to marketing precision: larger groups are more diverse, making it harder to use group targeting information for finely tuned ad personalization. Read Sterling’s analysis for more: “Google moves one step closer to ads that can deliver personalization and privacy.” 

Should Holiday Ads Mention COVID-19? 

Unruly and Tremor Video released survey data that explores consumer attitudes and planning for the 2020 holiday season, and despite COVID-19’s impact, 64% of consumers are just as (or more!) excited about the holidays this year. Laurie Sullivan analyzed the data for Media Post. Among the findings: 

• 42% of consumers think holiday ads should reference COVID-19. 
• 41% report decreased comfort with in-person shopping. 
• 75% plan to do at least half of holiday shopping online. 
• 57% report searching online is most or somewhat influential when it comes to holiday shopping decision making. 

Read Sullivan’s piece for more: “Do Consumers Want to See COVID-19 Mentioned in Holiday Ads?”