The Day the Little Mermaid Went Full Batshit Crazy

In This Issue:

🔎 SALES: Meta introduces fresh lead generation tools on Facebook.

🛍️ Commerce: Meta rolls out promotional ads designed specifically for e-commerce deals.

⚖️ Regulation: Meta incurs its third fine in 2023, a GDPR violation for mishandling EU user data.

📲 Mobile Ads: Ads now constitute over two-thirds of the $500B mobile app economy.

🎮 Game Ads: Microsoft contemplates offering players ads to watch for “timed slices of games.”

🔍 SEO: Google averts a major search engine switch by retaining a significant partner.

🚁 Delivery: Amazon Prime Air's goal for 10,000 drone deliveries this year stalls, achieving only 100 so far.

📺 Oops! A YouTube TV glitch repeatedly displays Little Mermaid ad, interrupting the end of an NBA playoff game.

Meta: A Bucket of Updates

From automatic discount codes to new lead gen options, Meta added some welcome updates to Facebook ads yesterday. 

🛒 Promotional Ads 

First, the company is introducing a new ad format called 'Promotional Ads,' which automatically applies advertised discount codes during the checkout process.

Plus, if a consumer clicks through to checkout, but doesn't complete a purchase, they receive a Facebook notification before the deal expires.

The ad format is currently being rolled out to select advertisers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and India.

❓ Q&A Forms 

Meta is also expanding its tools for lead generation. The platform is updating Lead Ads with a new, dynamic question flow that adapts based on consumer responses. 

For instance, an educational institution can ask questions, such as, ‘What degree are you interested in?’ Based on the answer, the subsequent questions will dynamically adjust to provide the person with tailored information about a specific program.

📝 Instant Forms

The tech giant will also soon let brands overlay Instant Forms on their business web page within Facebook’s in-app browser. This means that when a user taps through a Facebook link, brands can apply feedback forms from Facebook on their site. 

💬 New Facebook Page Experience

And with the latest Facebook Page experience update, businesses have the option to include a lead gen form on their web site, linked to the CTA button on their Page. 

Now, brands and businesses can add a lead gen form to a ‘Contact Now’ button on their Page, which will let visitors send their contact info in a private Messenger chat.

👩‍⚖️ Another Day, Another GDPR Fine

Meanwhile, Meta is facing its third fine this year for allegedly failing to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation by transferring user data of EU residents to the U.S. without adequate guarantees that it would remain safe from inspection by authorities.

The exact amount of the fine, to be imposed by Ireland's Data Protection Commission, is still undisclosed as the commission has not yet published its decision on the matter.

Images: Meta 

Mobile Advertising Thriving Against All Odds 

Even with tightening budgets and regulatory restrictions, mobile advertising is thriving. 

According to a new report from Data.ai, global spend on mobile apps exceeded $500 billion last year, with two-thirds of that coming from advertising and a third from in-app purchases.

📱 Ad Spend Distribution

In terms of ad spend, two-thirds of the total went to non-game apps, like TikTok and Instagram, while gaming apps made up the remaining third of spend. When it comes to in-app purchases, games dominated consumer spending, while non-game apps accounted for a third. 

The report also revealed that subscriptions were a significant contributor to in-app purchases on iOS devices, accounting for nearly 30% of spending in the first quarter of 2023. Subscriptions were also a major driver for non-game apps on iOS, contributing to 70% of in-app purchase revenue with the top-ranked app being YouTube, followed by:

• Tinder 

• Disney+

One-time purchases also gained traction among non-game apps, with TikTok's creator economy model playing a pivotal role in their success. TikTok ranked first in the U.S. for one-time purchase revenue, followed by nine mobile games.

🌍 Top Mobile Advertising Revenue

As for total revenue, excluding China, Facebook claimed the top spot globally, followed by:

• Instagram

• YouTube

• TikTok 

• Snapchat

Images: Data.ai

Xbox Considers Borrowing Ad Model from Mobile Games

Gamers who watch ads may soon be able to skip Xbox subscriptions.

Microsoft has lured more than 25 million subscribers to its Xbox Game Pass since 2017. But now, the company is reportedly considering a new model where players can opt for a brief gameplay session in exchange for watching ads. 

🎮 Testing Gamers' Tolerance for Ads

But would gamers tolerate it? While the company's interest in incorporating ads into games is not new, Ars Technica reports that in-game advertising primarily focuses on billboards and other in-world placements. 

One in-game ad study published in 2009 warned developers not to interrupt the game experience and found that such marketing could "generate irreparable damage" to a brand.

However, since then, mobile gamers have grown accustomed to interstitial video ads as part of the free-to-play experience. But, as the report notes, it's less clear if these kinds of ad breaks would be as welcome during loading screens or between levels of high-end console games.

Image: Xbox 

Samsung: 1 for Google, 0 for Bing 

We previously reported that Samsung was considering replacing Google with its arch-rival Bing as the default search engine on its phones.

Now, it seems that won't happen after all. 

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Samsung has halted an internal review exploring the move, according to people familiar with the matter. The switch would have replaced Google as the primary search engine on Samsung's ‘Internet’ web-browsing app, which comes preinstalled on its smartphones.

Had this breakup occurred, Microsoft’s Bing would have achieved a huge victory in the search space, which has long been dominated by Google. 

Google, Microsoft, and Samsung declined to comment.

Image: Canva 

Amazon's Drone Dreams Grounded?

Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery program is having trouble with lift-off. 

CNBC reported yesterday that the e-commerce giant's drones have only made 100 deliveries in its two operating locations in California and Texas.

Initially, Amazon had set a target of 10,000 deliveries using its fleet of flying robots by the end of 2023. However, progress has been slow, with earlier reports indicating deliveries to fewer than 10 households, and the pace doesn't seem to be picking up. 

🛰️ Regulatory Roadblocks

The report notes that a big obstacle for Amazon is the strict regulations imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration on drone operations. These regulations prohibit flying across roadways or near people, making it difficult for the company to drop packages in residential areas.

In contrast, Amazon's competitors, such as Walmart, are experiencing better results. Walmart has partnered with companies like DroneUp, Flytrex, and Zipline to complete more than 6,000 deliveries across the U.S., with rotisserie chickens among its most common drone deliveries. Maybe that's where Amazon is missing the mark?

Image: Amazon

And Finally…

YouTube TV crashed recently during the tense final moments of an NBA playoff game, leaving viewers stuck on a perpetual loop of watching the same ad for ‘The Little Mermaid.'

And the game never came back online. It wasn't until early yesterday morning, several hours after the game ended, that the platform resolved the issue.

YouTube hasn't confirmed what exactly dragged NBA fans unwillingly "under the sea."

Images: Twitter