ClickZ Indie Media Pulse Newsletter - 08.22.2024

PLUS: Pinterest rises as GenZ platform of choice, and new Ad formats launched by Snap

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ClickZ
August 22, 2024

Specialty Bites 🍪

Fospha's TikTok Playbook highlights the platform's explosive growth and its power for eCommerce, especially during peak shopping periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

With brands allocating an average of 10% of their marketing budgets to TikTok, the platform has shown exceptional return on ad spend (ROAS) during high-traffic times.

The playbook emphasizes the importance of a full-funnel strategy on TikTok, engaging consumers at every stage from awareness to conversion, which helps brands sustain momentum beyond peak periods.

TikTok's ability to attract new customers makes it ideal for product discovery, with a significant percentage of purchases coming from first-time buyers.

As brands across various industries prepare for upcoming high-traffic events, how can they develop a comprehensive TikTok strategy that leverages the platform's unique ecosystem to maximize both short-term sales and long-term brand engagement while accurately measuring TikTok's true impact on their marketing efforts?

Walmart's advertising business surged by 26% in Q2, outpacing Amazon's 20% growth. Walmart Connect led with 30% growth, driven by increased advertiser participation. Global segments like Flipkart and Walmex also contributed. This success underscores Walmart's effective diversification and digital strategy, enhancing profitability and market position.

Gen Z is increasingly using Pinterest for shopping inspiration, making it a crucial platform for brands targeting this demographic. Pinterest's user base is growing, with Gen Z being the fastest-growing segment. Brands like American Freight and Bis are leveraging Pinterest's features to boost engagement and sales.

Disney, YouTube, and Instacart introduce innovative ad formats to enhance user engagement and brand recall. Disney's interactive and shoppable ads, Instacart's contextual product placements, and YouTube's picture-in-picture live mid-rolls aim to create less intrusive, more engaging advertising experiences, promising higher consumer interaction and improved monetization.

Snapchat introduces new ad products, including an enhanced Lead Gen suite, First Lens Unlimited, and AR Extensions. The platform's Q2 2024 report shows a 16% revenue increase and a 243% rise in adjusted EBITDA. New features target app advertisers and leverage ML and AI for improved ad performance.

Brands are rapidly adopting viral internet phrases like "very demure" to stay culturally relevant. While this can boost engagement, experts caution that not all brands should follow suit. Successful integration requires alignment with brand identity and consumer ethos, ensuring authenticity and avoiding the risk of seeming out of touch.

BrightEdge's July data reveals Google AI Overviews (AIOs) focus on education and ecommerce, driven by back-to-school trends. AIOs increasingly handle specific, long-tail queries, integrating facets for refined search results. This shift boosts traffic to educational and ecommerce sites, enhancing user decision-making processes.

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