∞

Did you know shopping season is starting? Looks like Google does.

Big G has rolled out some new features that could have a bigger impact than just this Q4.

First, a deals page for shoppers:

Search “shop deals” to access

Make sure to audit your deals in Merchant Center, Chrome now has tools that will show shoppers when “an active promotion is available.”

But the big one, no more pricing games to make deals seem better than they are. Chrome’s new shopping insights “will show that product’s typical price range and a price history graph for up to the last 90 days.” Plus price drop alerts.

∞

Google mulled offering paid-for no-logging private Search subscription

I think there are 2 reasons companies like Google and Meta won’t roll out paid ad-free versions:

  1. Once you’re a large, publically-traded, profit-generating machine, the genie ain’t going back in the bottle. I doubt the unit economics work out for a monthly subscription amount users are cool with replacing the potential ad revenue. Think about how much more money these companies make compared to Spotify or Netflix (the money only matters because stock markets).

  2. They don’t believe users will actually enjoy a non-personalized, data-powered experience more.

∞

IYKYK

☁️

∞

Steal This: Intentional Stance

I was introduced to Daniel Dennett's concept of the intentional stance via Seth Godin. It reads like marketing strategy 101 for being customer-centric with your messaging:

Here is how it works: first you decide to treat the object whose behavior is to be predicted as a rational agent; then you figure out what beliefs that agent ought to have, given its place in the world and its purpose. Then you figure out what desires it ought to have, on the same considerations, and finally you predict that this rational agent will act to further its goals in the light of its beliefs. A little practical reasoning from the chosen set of beliefs and desires will in most instances yield a decision about what the agent ought to do; that is what you predict the agent will do.

I translate this as:

  1. Acknowledge the entity you are talking to is both a human being and a rational agent capable of making its own decisions (you're making an appeal—an ask—not coercing or commanding)
  2. Determine what (you believe) this entity believes: experiences, values, foundations, local reality, etc.
  3. Determine what (you believe) this entity desires: dreams, aspirations, self-talk, role models, etc.
  4. Determine what (you believe) this entity will do, given its beliefs, to satisfy its desires: actions, means, consideration set, etc.

With that base you can then craft your messaging.

What is the narrative the entity is telling itself?

How does your brand fit within that narrative?

What is it seeking?

How do you call attention to your solution?

∞

More ads in the same places

Meta is turning its monetization focus to WhatsApp, including lead gen ads that launch a WhatsApp chat.

Maybe the Reels revenue machine can be refined, but Instagram and Big Blue have few growth avenues. Their ad revenue will grow as long as budgets do. Zuck+co’s messaging apps and Threads are where growth acceleration will happen.

Elsewhere, Fire TVs are about to become ad machines. And you know it will mint the Bezos Boys a fortune. If they don’t ruin the user experience. I’m less confident in that last part these days when it comes to The Everything Company.