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Welcome to Scout! Each week, our team tracks down the best digital marketing articles, POVs, and reports—so you don't have to. Here’s what to read from the week of 9/1/23 - 9/7/23 to stay ahead of the curve:
Meta is reportedly weighing the possibility of offering an ad-free, subscription-based version of Facebook and Instagram in Europe. The source of this dramatic shift in revenue model: the Digital Services Act, which gives European internet users more control over how their data is used, combined with a recent data-focused EU court ruling that curbed Meta’s ability to combine user data across platforms (not to mention a huge fine levied by Irish regulators that cost the social giant hundreds of millions of euros). No wonder Zuckerberg was itching for a cage match to let off some steam!
This week, the Justice Department kicked off its first antitrust case against Google, accusing the Big Tech behemoth of monopolizing the online search market. The results from the trial could upend the search market, force Google to restructure or pay huge fines…or ultimately end uneventfully and without further action. Either way, it may just be Act I in the drama between the DOJ and Google: a separate suit on Google’s illegal abuse of its adtech monopoly was filed in January.
Speaking of Google, the company is gradually rolling out its new “Enhanced Ad Privacy” Chrome functionality, which allows websites to target users with ads based on their online activities, interests, and browser histories, but is positioned as a privacy-friendly alternative to third-party cookies. However, users who’ve seen the notification are complaining that Google has made it unclear how to toggle this new tracking method on and off—using, to every marketer’s chagrin, vague language and a confusing CTA.
Read all of these stories already and hungry for more? No need to waste your time searching for the right read: Answer a few quick questions, and this quiz will provide a piece of content sure to suit your current needs and interests.
Show off your marketing chops with our question of the week. This week’s hot topic: Convergent TV and video advertising.
How much ad spend was represented by digital video at this year’s upfronts?
A. Less than one-quarter
B. About half
C. Roughly two-thirds
D. More than three-quarters
Click here to get the answer, plus learn how to navigate TV advertising amidst convergent TV’s dramatic plot twists—including the continuing writer’s and actor’s strikes.
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