Google Decides to Keep Cookies in Chrome; What Happens Next?

GA4’s Report Card; Consumers are Missing Universal Already Digital marketing turned a corner in July 2023 when Universal Analytics rode into the sunset and GA4 stood up to take its place. Genius Monkey covered the major difference between UA and GA4 in in a July 2023 article. Now – after one whole year of nothing but GA4 – how does the new system hold up compared to Universal Analytics? Short answer: not great.

When the world’s third largest software company waves the white flag, people sit up and take notice. A few days ago (June 11, 2024), Oracle announced at an earnings call that it would be leaving the advertising industry after a string of expensive acquisitions, legal troubles, and a mountain of lost revenue. Let’s take a look at the context and see what advertisers can learn from this tech giant’s sad story.

Each year in May, television (and now streaming) networks invite the industry to come together and bask in the advertising glory of the year to come. This is the TV Upfront event, where major new shows are revealed, big announcements are made, and advertising deals are struck. It’s a time when all the major outlets are looking to win over programmatic dollars and a timely snapshot into the health of the OTT/CTV medium.

Back in 2022, IAB predicted that podcast ad revenue would surpass $4 billion in 2024. We’re now in May 2024, and IAB has released a new report granting advertisers insight into the current state of podcast advertising. Is the industry still on track to hit that $4 billion milestone? What do advertisers need to know about targeted ads and consumer tracking in the podcast medium? Let’s dive into the report and learn about what podcast advertising can offer your business.

Targeted advertising has solidified itself as the king of digital marketing. Approximately 87% of all digital ad spend is devoted to programmatic, and nothing can get that popular without a few alternatives rearing their heads. To the crux of the issue: self-service vs. fully-managed programmatic platforms. There are many qualities that separate these two distinct tools of targeted advertising, and this article is going to take a deeper look at a key element that divides them: customer service.

Programmatic advertising has cemented itself as the premier digital marketing avenue, representing the vast majority of digital ad spend in 2023 – the exact percentage depends on who you ask, but the lowest we found was about 80%. Not only is it big, but the numbers also confirm that it’s growing. Programmatic covers a variety of mediums, all of which experienced their own ups and downs worth examining. In this week’s blog, we’re taking a look at how the mediums collectively and individually grew in the year 2023 – as well as comparing them to Genius Monkey data – so you can know the trajectory of industry moving forward.

New technologies and a worldwide pandemic have encouraged the advertising industry to cut out middlemen and other costs, leading to many overworked and understaffed internal marketing teams. These teams have adapted through the implementation of fully-managed programmatic platforms, and it’s time for media agencies to make the same jump. Published on AP News and Benzinga, Genius Monkey dives into the context and benefits of adopting a fully-managed programmatic system. If your team needs better ad coverage, hands-on expertise, and simplified workflows, get in touch with the Genius Monkeys and evolve your marketing strategy to the next level!

Supply Path Optimization (SPO) is a hot topic right now, and a natural result of digital advertising becoming more and more complex. The demand-side platform (DSP) has long been a vital step to online marketing, and remains so even in an age when DIY digital advertising is technically possible. We agree that trimming down excess fluff is vital in any business, and Genius Monkey is here to show that the DSP is anything but.

In a stunning move, three big names in the world of live sports streaming are teaming up to build a “new and exciting platform” launching later this year. Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are all contributing to a new yet-to-be-named streaming entity in an unprecedented partnership that aims to streamline (or monopolize, depending on how you look at it) the sports-viewing experience. This has the potential to upset the way many marketers reach their audience through sports broadcasting and programmatic OTT, but Genius Monkey users have nothing to worry about, and can even look forward to the exciting new marketing opportunities it provides.

Netflix Reports Large Increase in Ad-Supported Streamers With former password-sharers still eager for Netflix content, the addition of a cheaper, ad-supported tier seems to be just the right medicine. In January, Netflix announced over 23 million active monthly users on the commercial-driven version of the service. Compare this with the November 2023 report of 15 million; that’s an increase of 8 million active users in two months! Last year, ad-supported customers made up about 5% of Netflix’s total user base; now they represent almost 9%.