Who knew?!
Intrusive ads that disrupt consumers’ browsing experiences or shopping journeys risk lower engagement and, crucially, lost conversion and sales opportunities
Most ads are interruptions, but they don’t have to be bad ones.
Steal This: Easy VIP Experience
This is a third hand anecdote, but the idea is brilliant.
There is a doctor's office at Johns Hopkins that is very difficult to get an appointment at, but if you call to schedule one you're offered one the same day.
I don't know the exact wording, but the gist of the communication isn't "we're booked up for 3 months, but how does your calendar look on this day you can't possibly have thought about yet." The experience is "we can see you now."
Think about how different those two feel to the customer.
One makes them feel like an inconvenience. Like they're bothering you by trying to schedule an appointment.
The other makes them feel important. Like they know people. Like they have connections and are getting special treatment.
How can Johns Hopkins do this?
They have data. Only 4% of people take the same day appointment.
Sometimes asking a question where you know the answer is "no" is worth it.
This isn’t surprising:
November is when that spend really starts to play out, though, with 53% of respondents saying that’s when they’ll exhaust most of their holiday budget.
That spend is likely from ecommerce brands or retailers that make their quarter during Black Friday. For those brands, December is about riding the fumes and saving cash for a post-Christmas push.
Ad spend can be a leading economic indicator, so this is good news:
Concerns about a recession or inflation seem to be fading among the marketers surveyed, with 86% saying they plan to spend at least as much on holiday ads this year as they did last.
Google is going Apple and hiding IP addresses.
The feature is called IP Protection (formerly Gnatcatcher, which sounds cooler, tbh), and it will limit IP tracking by third parties.
This “could mean that the IP address is not the viable post-cookie alternative some thought it might be.”
I don’t know why it was ever considered a viable alternative in the current privacy environment. Part of the reason GA4 dropped IP addresses was to conform with privacy regulations.
3rd party IP access is going the way of 3rd party cookies, not replacing them.
Sephora with a timely example of the good and bad of sales.
First the good, they’ve created routines and anticipations around their sales because they only do 2 a year. Constant sales can devalue brand perception. This approach maintains luxury standing while making the sale feel like a treat for customers vs. a money grab.
The bad, you gotta be prepared. General infrastructure stability seems like an internet-wide issue right now, but if you know this is one of your biggest moments you need to provide a good experience. It’s TSwift Ticketmaster all over again.