🇨🇦 100% Canadian Owned and Operated 🇨🇦

The Top Three

🏆 THE INDUSTRY’S MOST IMPORTANT STORIES TODAY

🥇 THREADS BEGINS GLOBAL AD ROLLOUT

Threads $META ( ▲ 4.0% ) , now reaching 300 million monthly active users, is opening its feed to ads starting today. Image-based ads will appear between posts as part of a global rollout, and Meta is also expanding access to its inventory filter.

• The new ‘Threads feed’ placement will be automatically enabled for new campaigns using Advantage+ or Manual Placements.

• Advertisers can opt out of the Threads feed via Manual Placements.

• Ads will be delivered in select markets at launch.

• Meta will also integrate its brand safety and suitability controls on Threads, and users will have ad control options.

🥈 AI IS EATING YOUR TRAFFIC

CTR you later👋: Several recent studies have found that Google's $GOOGL ( ▲ 2.56% )  AI Overviews are killing clickthrough rates. Danny Goodwin covered two of these new studies on Search Engine Land, noting that "AI Overviews are significantly decreasing clicks to traditional organic listings, especially for non-branded, informational queries." more

• Ahrefs data shows a 35% drop in average CTR for top-ranking pages with AIOs, compared to similar informational keywords without them.

• Amsive data indicates a 15% average CTR decline when AIOs are on the page.

• Similarweb data shows 20% fewer clicks on search results with AIOs.

🥉 INSTAGRAM LAUNCHES EDITS

Instagram (finally) launched Edits yesterday, its new all-in-one video editing app and direct rival to TikTok's CapCut. The app lets users manage multiple projects, add notes for future videos, and film clips up to 10 minutes long. It’s like a pretty CapCut without all of CapCut’s features. more

Other key features include:

• Multi-channel editing.

• Trending Reels and audio search.

• Video effects like green screen, cutouts, and AI animations for still objects.

• Users can export videos watermark-free, post directly to Instagram, or download videos for other platforms.

• Edits also includes auto-captions, royalty-free music and content performance analytics.

Today’s Other News

📰 EVERYTHING ELSE THAT MATTERS

Advertising 📣

• Adtech firm Criteo $CRTO ( ▲ 4.7% )  announced Onsite Video today, a new shoppable video ad format available across its network of about 220 retailers. Unlike Amazon $AMAZ ( 0.0% ) , Walmart $WMT ( ▲ 0.08% ) , and Instacart $CART ( ▼ 0.8% ) , which offer video ads through their own tech, Criteo’s format lets brands run campaigns across multiple retailers without adjusting creative for each one. more

• Google has updated its Local Service Ads (LSA) terms, requiring advertisers to accept the new conditions by June 5, or risk having their ads removed from Google Search and Maps. The new terms include:

  • Google may modify, display and use your LSA content across other products and services.

  • Google may use phone calls, message conversations and URLs/destinations from LSAs.

  • Agencies may accept these terms on your behalf.

• LinkedIn has launched "Qualified Leads Optimization" for Lead Generation campaigns, letting brands define what qualifies as a high-quality lead. By setting up a “qualified leads” conversion event through the Conversions API, brands can share lead data with LinkedIn, whether from websites, CRMs, sales teams, or offline channels. The Campaign Manager will then optimize ad delivery based on these leads. more

• In 2024, the average CTV ad campaign reached only 20% of U.S. households, missing 80% of the target audience, according to Innovid’s new report. While ad frequency stayed relatively steady, Digiday reports on how advertisers are struggling to strike the right balance between reach and exposure.

• AD-ID announced a partnership with Comcast Technology Solutions $CMCSA ( ▲ 0.59% ) today, a division of Comcast Cable that develops buying and planning products for advertisers. The goal is to boost the adoption of AD-ID’s ID tracking system and push stronger ad industry standard. more

Search & GBP 🔍

• Google has rolled out Video Previews for Business Profile verification. You can now review your recording before submitting. more

Social Media 📱

• LinkedIn has added new features to Premium Company Pages, including custom CTA buttons, auto-invites for people who engage with your company Page or content, updated insights into Page visitors, testimonials, AI writing tools and more. You can also now invite followers of similar Pages to check out your profile. more

Analytics 📈

• 🤔 Dude, where’s my data?: Marketers are reporting issues with Google Analytics real-time data, with many saying it's underreporting or not updating properly. The glitch began this morning. As of this afternoon, the bug is reportedly being fixed. more

Agencies 💼

• As the Trump administration continues to target DEI efforts across the U.S., two major ad agencies, WPP and IPG $IPG ( ▲ 0.44% ) , have scaled back their initiatives. Marketing Brew reports that both companies have recently removed diversity-focused language from their websites.

  • WPP deleted a paragraph from its “Belonging” webpage, which had emphasized a commitment to building a diverse workforce and promoting gender balance and racial equity.

  • IPG removed a section from its “Diversity and Inclusion” page detailing how CEO compensation was tied to diversity goals, with consequences for failing to meet them.

AI’d Like To Buy a Browser 🤖 

• 👀 First it came for search, now its browser?: If the DOJ forces Google to sell Chrome, OpenAI might be first in line to buy it. ChatGPT's head of product told a judge the company would be interested in snatching up the browser, Reuters reports. The comment came during the remedies phase of the U.S antitrust case, where the court is considering breaking up Google’s dominance in online search. more

The Ticker

📈 HOW DIGITAL MARKETING STOCKS ARE DOING

In partnership with