My own personal Siri?
Apple Inc. will begin analyzing data on customers’ devices in a bid to improve its artificial intelligence platform
The goal is to check how well the synthetic training data did while preserving privacy.
But this could be the foundation for AI models that become personalized to each user based on use, patterns, and on-device profiles.
Like ChatGPT remembering your chats, but based on your Apple device usage.
Edge AI—like XR glasses—is nothing but exciting potential right now.
via Bloomberg
The hits keep on coming for Google
Google created an illegal monopoly in the online advertising industry, a Federal judge ruled
According to the ruling, Big G pulled some anticompetitive shenanigans with ad servers and exchanges, and hurt publishers and users by doing so.
The Department of Justice argued that through acquisitions and anticompetitive conduct, Google seized control of the full advertising technology stack: the tools advertisers and publishers buy and sell ads and the exchange that connects them.
An appeal is coming.
via MarTech
The China tariffs are changing the ecommerce landscape in the US as the major players grapple with increased costs.
Temu and Shein have already cut average daily spending on social media platforms by 31% and 19% in the past 30 days
Temu backed out of Google Shopping entirely.
Auction pressure is going to be a lot different for advertisers.
Recent related tariff posts: analysis trap | ad spend impact
via The Daily Upside
The tea leaves are still swirling, but early reads aren’t great, Bob
A February survey of ad executives by trade group Interactive Advertising Bureau found a full 60% of respondents are projecting as much as a 10% reduction in ad budgets this year.
a recession could cause $45 billion in lost advertising, with promoters shifting from traditional television spots toward direct response channels.
The math is simple. Tariffs = higher prices = less budget for non-purchasing activities (like marketing or discretionary spending)
Related to yesterday’s post
via The Daily Upside
There’s a potential analysis trap brewing as businesses see decent sales / revenue performance to start the year.
Highly likely this is pull-forward spending as consumers try to beat tariffs.
Embrace the boring stuff.
Internally, people usually want to do the flashy, exciting stuff. But boring keeps the lights on (and typically has a longer shelf life).
Externally, what’s boring to you is interesting to others. Because they aren’t in it every day like you are. Your boring is the hook.
Maslowvian marketing
“Human beings,” writes [Drew Eric] Whitman, “are biologically programmed with the following eight desires…”
- Survival, enjoyment of life, life extension.
- Enjoyment of food and beverages.
- Freedom from fear, pain, and danger.
- Physical companionship.
- Comfortable living conditions.
- To be superior, winning, keeping up with the Joneses.
- Care and protection of loved ones.
- Social approval.
By creating ads that appeal to these things, you are tapping into Mother Nature, harnessing the power of our inborn motivators to compel and sell.
via Very Good Copy
Trust boosts purchase potential. And transparency boosts trust.
I love this example from the Nudge newsletter:
This is especially true in food, but sectors have opportunities.
Peel back an element of your sector people assume the worst about, are suspicious of, or want made clearer.
Buyers are willing to pay more for things sellers are willing to charge less for.
Why?
Because the seller enjoys making it.
From the abstract for the paper Production enjoyment asymmetrically impacts buyers’ willingness to pay and sellers’ willingness to charge:
Buyers are willing to pay a higher price, are more likely to click on ads, and are more likely to choose a product or service when the seller signals that they enjoy producing it.
In contrast, sellers are willing to accept lower prices, and actually charge less, for products and services they enjoy producing.
Both buyers and sellers make the inference that production enjoyment leads to higher quality products/services, but only buyers rely on this inference when forming their pricing judgments relative to sellers.
Pricing is hard. The fulcrum is value.