https://ift.tt/3TugR25
Charter Sees Steeper Q2 Video Subscriber Declines, Broadband Fares Better https://ift.tt/xCslpcY ![]() Charter Communications' groundbreaking deal with Walt Disney last fall included streaming platforms’ Disney+ and Hulu in Charter's traditional cable TV bundle, which was intended to stem video subscriber losses. But that is not working so far. Total second-quarter losses widened substantially -- to 408,000 from 200,000 in the second quarter of 2023 -- 12% higher than expected. Charter now has a total of 13.3 million U.S. video subscribers. “There had been some speculation that Charter’s landmark Disney agreement last year -- and Paramount deal just signed -- would be part of a resurrection of the linear TV bundle,” says Craig Moffett, co-founder and media analyst of MoffettNathanson Research. “It’s clear that is not happening.” advertisement advertisement Quarterly declines have accelerated compared to a year ago -- down 9.5% in the second quarter. There was a 8.0% drop in the first quarter of this year, a 6.8% pull back in the fourth quarter of 2023, 6.0% in the third quarter and 5.1% in the second quarter of 2023. In other Charter business, its highly scrutinized broadband business had better news -- the quarterly subscriber decline was half that of the expected total of 149,000. This news sent Charter stock price soaring -- up 17% in early Friday morning stock price to $366.98. “As was the case with Comcast, that’s the worst quarter ever for broadband,” says Moffett. “Are we out of the woods yet? Well, no, not quite.” At issue was a Federal program that was ending -- one that provided subsidies for broadband customers. Charter says it is working to lower costs for those subscribers who used that program. In addition, quarterly broadband revenue managed a slight rise of 1% to $5.8 billion. On the positive side, the mobile phone business grew 33% year-over-year to 8.8 million subscribers. Revenue rose 37% to $737 million. Company-wide revenues were basically flat at $13.7 billion, with cash flow -- adjusted earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) -- rising 3% to $5.7 billion. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/qyxHd1C July 26, 2024 at 12:14PM
0 Comments
https://ift.tt/Up97OEt
Take One: Beverly Hills Agency Offers Email Tool For SMBs https://ift.tt/nkBW8QS The Chambers Group, a celebrity-oriented marketing agency based in Beverly Hills, California, has launched an email targeting tool for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The new offering, called Deep Target, provides AI technology that had been accessible only to large corporations, partly because of cost-saving measures, the company says. Deep Target makes use of The Chambers Group's email database containing over 350 million consumer profiles that have been nurtured through consistent transactions. This data set is enriched with thousands of attributes, offering clients direct access to target audiences within the U.S. and Canada, the company says. Run by Eric and Branden Chambers, The Chambers Group also offers custom email design capabilities. These include:
advertisement advertisement In a separate development, The Chambers Group has teamed up with Must See Movies with Mario Lopez (MSM), a firm that brings blockbuster movies to hotel rooms, to produce commercial spots for upscale travelers. MSM reaches over 600,000 luxury hotel rooms in the U.S. and Canada and makes more than 15 million impressions per month, the company states. MSM seeks to draw “advertisers we never would have reached otherwise,” says Steve Weiser, executive producer of Must See Movies with Mario Lopez.
Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/qyxHd1C July 26, 2024 at 10:52AM
https://ift.tt/Up97OEt
Reddit Lead-Generation Ads Tap User Consent https://ift.tt/RWSrUIY Lead Generation Ads on Reddit moved into public beta this week. The ad format integrated with the AI automation platform Zapier to collect "high-quality leads" signaled by opt-in information provided by Reddit users. Reddit users, through this opt-in process, essentially give advertisers information on the types of ads they want to see and a way to reach them about specific topics related to anything, including products or services. Platform user names and email addresses are used as targeting information as part of the opt-in approach. While this process aims to create a seamless experience for the platform’s users, Reddit also claims it offers advertisers lower cost per lead (CPL) and higher submission rates compared with traditional conversion campaigns. It also supports mobile-optimized design with auto-populating email fields, and a privacy-focused approach to ensure that user data is handled securely and responsibly. Integration with Zapier seamlessly send leads directly from Reddit to an advertiser's CRM platform. advertisement advertisement About 28% of those using the Reddit platform reported in a 2023 survey they had researched online education programs and subscriptions in the past six months, and 93% said Reddit helps them make more informed decisions when upgrading tech products and devices. In a HubSpot report fielded in 2023 and released in 2024, aligning sales and marketing is one of the top challenges cited by marketers despite 70% report having “high-quality leads.” Around 75% of marketers believe a personalized experience increases purchases and the likelihood of a contact becoming a repeat customer. It takes data to successfully generate leads. Some 15% of marketers said they face challenges with generating traffic and leads. Building connections requires a new way of thinking, with 34% mentioning lead generation as a solution. During beta testing, advertisers across various industries experienced improvements in lead quality and campaign performance. LaunchDarkly, a feature management platform that helps software development teams implement and control feature flags, saw a 30% decrease in CPLs and a 25% increase in lead submission rates, compared to their previous conversion campaigns on the platform in early testing. The speed-to-lead time improvements allow advertisers to quickly qualify leads, automate lead segments, and connect with more than 7,000 applications in their existing tech stack. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/qyxHd1C July 26, 2024 at 10:52AM
https://ift.tt/Up97OEt
OpenAI Tests Prototype Of Search Tool It Plans To Integrate With ChatGPT https://ift.tt/OZYSDgC OpenAI has a limited number of users testing a new set of search features that replies to queries with timely information, complete with attribution to creators and news publishers. It also provides source links. The company calls the tool a "temporary prototype." Users can ask follow-up questions similar to the way someone might do in a conversation with a person. The conversation will build on each query and response. The company announced the tool today. Datos, a Semrush company, released a report Thursday analyzing clickstream data to determine how generative AI (GAI) has influenced consumer search behavior during the past year. While the adoption continues to grow, 99% of AI platform users also continue to use traditional search engines -- at least for now. advertisement advertisement The study also found Google remains the most dominant search engine in the U.S., maintaining stable metrics in search frequency and user engagement despite the rise of AI-driven search tools. YouTube is the most-searched social platform, with an average of 19.9 searches per search user per month during the course of the study. It’s based on mobile and desktop usage, excluding in-app behavior. LinkedIn had the second-highest average, at 13.3. Web search trends have remained stable during the past year with only slight, inconsistent declines for some platforms like Amazon -- most likely the result of seasonal sales events. This suggests consumer search behavior has not undergone drastic changes. Searches per user have either remained consistent or increased, indicating a healthy level of user engagement. While AI shopping assistants may impact retail search behaviors, precise data will take another year or more. OpenAI is building its search tool with publishers. “For decades, search has been a foundational way for publishers and creators to reach users,” OpenAI wrote in a post. “Now, we’re using AI to enhance this experience by highlighting high-quality content in a conversational interface with multiple opportunities for users to engage.” Earlier this month, The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson publicly said the search engine was on its way, likely because the publisher had been working with OpenAI to develop the features based on a recent content deal to train models. SearchGPT is separate from training OpenAI’s generative AI foundation models. Sites can be surfaced in search results even if they opt out of generative AI training, OpenAI said. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced important changes as it transitions to AI-supported search by combining the power of large language models (LLM) and small language models (SLM) with Bing’s search results. The company explained in a post how the combined technology understands the search query, reviews millions of sources of information, dynamically matches content, and generates search results in a new AI-generated layout. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/YTmqyGM July 25, 2024 at 05:10PM
https://ift.tt/PEO9WC6
WhatsApp Hits 100 Million Monthly Active U.S. Users https://ift.tt/XLeRhuU According to Mark Zuckerberg's WhatsApp channel, the Meta-owned social messaging app has amassed 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., becoming the tech giant's fourth social-media platform -- including Instagram, Facebook and Messenger -- to do so. Having maintained its position as the most popular messaging app in the world, at 2.78 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is just starting to become more popular in the United States, with Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Seattle driving a major portion of the uptick in domestic users. Southern states are driving “significant growth” as well, with over 10 million active users in Texas alone, according to WhatsApp. WhatsApp adoption among U.S. users has been on the rise over the past two years. According to Apptopia, daily users grew by 9% in 2023. A recent report by CNBC contributor and founder of the Big Tech newsletter Alex Kantrowitz also lists the popularity of large messaging groups as an alternative to email chains, increased international travel among Americans and the ease at which Android and Apple iOS users can communicate as prominent reasons for the ongoing increase in domestic usership. Meta has also worked to build out WhatsApp as a conversational hub for businesses and their customers. advertisement advertisement The platform has made a point in prioritizing partnerships and in-app features that support business transactions, including naming Dentsu as the app's customer-relationship solution provider. In 2023, the app's daily business users increased by 80% in the U.S., following a 122% jump the previous year. Across the globe, there are now over 200 million monthly active users on WhatsApp's dedicated Business offering across the globe, according to Statista. In addition, despite advertisers' inability to advertise directly on WhatsApp, they are able to stoke conversation through Click to Message ads and in brand-focused in-app chat groups and communities for both curious and devoted customers. A WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement that “this is the first time data pertaining to users has been released since Meta's acquisition of the messaging app” for $16 billion in 2014. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/YTmqyGM July 25, 2024 at 05:10PM
https://ift.tt/T5X0GAY
YouTube Growth Slows: CTV, Competition Poised To Make A Dent? https://ift.tt/7BIQewV On the surface, Google’s YouTube second-quarter results look great -- with a 13% increase in advertising revenue to $8.6 billion. But Wall Street was expecting a bit more -- like $8.93 billion. In addition, analysts wonder whether increasing competition -- from many outside influences -- is waiting in the wings and poised to make a few dents in the big streaming video site. The first indication of potential softness comes from the dominant Google search business itself -- a business that climbed 14% in the period. MoffettNathanson Research says Google’s growth in search at the company has outperformed YouTube video ad growth in nine of the last 12 quarters -- and adds that this is surprising, given the age and engagement differences between the YouTube and search markets. advertisement advertisement There are also concerns that YouTube Shorts is not doing as well as non-Short inventory. The problem is that TikTok and Reels may remain stronger -- especially when it comes to mobile. The good news is that YouTube has seen continued quarterly improvements since the first quarter of 2023 -- rising 2%, then 5%, 12%, 16%, and 21% -- in advertising revenues. An analysis seems to suggest that YouTube seeing a dip most recently to 13% could mean a change is coming. The broader view shows the current advertising weakness in not only linear TV video advertising, but also a maturing and softening of streaming TV ad activity. Perhaps this indicates a bigger picture -- that YouTube depends heavily on brand advertising -- upper-funnel, awareness engagement that can be particularly tough to prove out, in terms of return on media investment. And there are new connected TV (CTV) competitors to consider going forward -- with strength in Amazon Prime Video strength and retail media. The positive element has been core viewing results for streaming. The most recent Nielsen reading shows YouTube rising to another best result with 9.9% share of total June viewing for persons two years on older when it comes to all TV-video viewing. Finally, there is this: Disney+ has been considering the idea of adding "user-generated content" -- core YouTube content -- to its platform, to pull in a broader range of viewers. Seems like a big task. But getting even a small piece of some $9 billion in potential ad revenue per quarter could be a big deal for any new legacy-owned streaming platforms’ profitability. Someone is hitting the ‘like’ button. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/YTmqyGM July 25, 2024 at 07:45AM
https://ift.tt/DiBazr9
FTC Tells Businesses: Identifiers Are Not Anonymous https://ift.tt/S2GtFY8 Data brokers and online ad companies should avoid claiming that the data they collect or transfer is “anonymous” if there is any chance that the data could be linked to an individual. That's according to the Federal Trade Commission, which signaled Wednesday that it will continue to scrutinize companies' disclosures about privacy -- including statements by businesses that they “anonymize” data when, in actuality, they merely assign pseudonyms to consumers. The agency specifically debunks claims that companies can anonymize personal data by “hashing” -- which involves using algorithms to convert people's names or email addresses into alphanumeric sequences. Those alphanumeric strings, comparable to serial numbers, “aren’t 'anonymous' and can still be used to identify users, and their misuse can lead to harm,” agency staff said in a technology blog post. advertisement advertisement “All user identifiers have the powerful capability to identify and track people over time, therefore the opacity of an identifier cannot be an excuse for improper use or disclosure,” the post states. “Companies should not act or claim as if hashing personal information renders it anonymized,” the agency wrote. “FTC staff will remain vigilant to ensure companies are following the law and take action when the privacy claims they make are deceptive.” The FTC has alleged in enforcement actions that pseudonymous information -- such as mobile device identifiers -- can identify users. Most of those cases have settled, but at least one case currently in court -- a complaint by the FTC against the mobile data broker Kochava -- could result in a definitive ruling about pseudonymous identifiers. In that matter, the FTC alleged that Kochava engaged in an unfair practice by selling precise geolocation data as well as mobile advertising IDs -- unique, 32-character identifiers that persist, unless consumers proactively reset them. Kochava has always countered that the data at issue isn't “personally identifiable.” (The company has also raised other arguments, including that the allegations against it, even if proven true, wouldn't support a finding that it engaged in unfair acts.) Earlier this year, U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill in the Northern District of Idaho rejected Kochava's bid to dismiss the case before trial. The matter remains pending in front of Winmill. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/YTmqyGM July 25, 2024 at 07:45AM
https://ift.tt/x6HcLwj
Taboola Unveils AI Tool For Audience Development https://ift.tt/FlPB35u Recommendation platform Taboola has debuted an AI-powered technology designed to help publishers drive more traffic. The new offering, called Taboola for Audience, combines AI-powered personalization capabilities in a unified audience development platform, the company claims. It provides access to Android OEM relationships, news aggregators, personalized notifications and means of reaching users. Taboola for Audience also supports reader experience personalization that allows teams to combine editorial voice and AI across their sites. And, it provides audience insights for both the editorial and commercial sides, the company says. The tool derives insights form Taboola’s nearly 600 million daily active users, and distribution including across the top mobile device manufacturers in the world. “Publishers are facing a new era in which sudden decisions by Big Tech and changes in consumer behavior are making it harder to survive,” says Adam Singolda, CEO at Taboola. advertisement advertisement Singolda explains, “Industry giants like Google are changing rules for search, making it harder for publishers to surface content through organic rankings while adding another barrier for site traffic, in the form of Generative AI search. Social platforms like Meta have closed dedicated ‘news’ portals from their apps.” Taboola is being used by a range of publishers and advertising clients. “There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to audience engagement, and Taboola’s ability to power key areas of our homepage, recirculation from within articles, and other sections of our site, their huge amounts of readership data that provide actionable insights, and their valued partnership in working side-by-side with our own editorial team are the unique building blocks in our shared success,” says. “With Taboola, we have been able to take a truly reader-first approach to personalize our sites, delivering more of what resonates with readers and thereby increasing engagement,” says Mike Braun, Senior Managing VP, Chief Digital Officer at Gray Media.
Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/W7MeEhP July 24, 2024 at 04:13PM
https://ift.tt/zatPhLB
Forget Coupons - QSR Club Joiners Get Most For The Money https://ift.tt/9b4gFZ0 This is the summer of the meal deal, with every fast-food chain offering a bundle deal or some sort of combo to help consumers combat high food costs. When it was reported earlier this year that McDonald's meal prices were a whopping (no pun intended) 40% higher than just five years ago, almost all chains came roaring back with deals for the summer. But using coupons to save money may be a thing of a past, replaced by a variety of more tech-forward ways to save a bit on consumers' favorite snacks. According to a recent Technomic Food Industry Insights report, consumers are using physical and digital coupons less than ever before. “Despite an increase in value-based promotions and industry discussion regarding the need for value offerings to attract diners, overall coupon redemption from consumers has been declining in the most recent months,” the study reported. The decrease was primarily driven by both QSR and fast-casual segments, although QSRs have seen a slight uptick in recent months. Among possible reasons for the decline, many chains are offering deals without the need for a coupon. For example, McDonald's $5 Combo Meal was an LTO, but now appears to be sticking around awhile. Wendy's, Burger King and Sonic, among others, have similar offerings without need for physical or digital coupon. Yet membership has its advantages. Chains are reserving their best deals for members of their loyalty clubs, and most of these are available exclusively through the chains' mobile apps. For example, just this week Chick-fil-A launched a summer promo game, where food discounts and prizes are only available to Chick-fil-A One loyalty club members. White Castle has late night menu items exclusive to Craver Nation fans. Long John Silver’s new loyalty program, the “Seacret Society” also touts its exclusive menu items only available to members. “As chains fight for share of traffic amid a broader consumer pullback, we expect to see more deals and discounts made available to all consumers rather than solely promoted through apps and (member) programs,” the Technomic study concluded. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/W7MeEhP July 24, 2024 at 02:36PM How SEO and SEM Strategies Work Together https://ift.tt/k64XOS5 Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are different forms of digital marketing that require distinct skill sets and approaches, but one is not complete without the other. Utilized correctly, SEO and SEM complement each other, allowing a marketing team to balance short-term and long-term gains to achieve their goals more effectively than they could using only one or the other. Read on to learn how both SEO and SEM work, and why they serve as complementary cornerstones in an effective digital marketing strategy. What’s the difference between SEO and SEM strategy?Search engine optimization (SEO)Search engine optimization is the practice of continuously updating web pages to ensure they rank as well as possible for search engine result pages (SERPS) related to the keywords they’re targeting. SEO refers to all activities focused on enhancing a page’s organic SERP ranking. Unlike SEM, SEO practices don’t involve explicitly paying search engines to appear in SERPs. Instead, this discipline is about creating and optimizing high-quality content that aligns with user intent to rank near the top of searches for important keywords and queries. All on-page website optimizations you implement to improve a page’s SERP ranking could be considered part of your SEO strategy. These include keyword research and implementation, content optimization, link building, user experience improvement, and more. Search engine marketing (SEM)Search engine marketing is sometimes used as an all-encompassing term for search-related marketing activities (including SEO), but often refers specifically to paid search engine advertising. Where SEO aims to rank on SERPs organically by providing best-answer content, SEM initiatives involve using paid advertisements to increase SERP visibility for a predetermined set of highly valuable keywords. SEM ads can appear in the “sponsored” section at the top or bottom of a SERP, or in an additional designated space to the side of the results. Though SEM involves direct paid advertising, it still requires considerable strategic planning and maintenance. Most search engines use a bid-based pay per click (PPC) model to determine which paid advertisements appear per SERP. These auctions occur whenever a SERP is called up by a user; winners are determined not only by the amount bid by each advertiser, but also by the quality, relevance, historical click-through rate, and more. SEO and SEM differences in practiceThe primary difference is that SEM refers to appearing in SERPs by paying to place advertisements in them, while SEO refers to everything you do to appear in SERPs without explicitly paying search engines to be there. This distinction means SEO and SEM are typically used for two different but interrelated purposes. SEO is considered the long-term play for rankings. By steadily building authority and following SEO best practices, sites can improve their SERP rankings and, therefore, their brand’s visibility and share of mind. Meanwhile, SEM is considered a short-term play for rankings and visibility. Though paying to appear in SERPs perpetually is not cost-efficient compared to SEO, SEM does offer brands the ability to appear at the top of SERPs for valuable keywords almost immediately, driving more surefire conversions. This allows organizations to devote extra resources to promoting tentpole marketing initiatives like special deals, announcements, or branding pushes. How SEO and SEM strategies support each otherDespite their differences, brands tend to get the most out of both SEO and SEM by using them in tandem. The two approaches to search marketing naturally complement and enhance each other in several ways. SEM visibility now, SEO authority alwaysSEO takes time, but it’s ultimately the best way to drive sustained, relevant, cost-efficient traffic to your website. SEM produces immediate visibility, but relying on it for too long will lead to high CPAs and diminishing returns. A strategy that uses both, however, can get the best of both worlds. By targeting high-value, conversion-focused keywords with SEM, you can quickly generate attention and engagement in a short period. While driving these quick results, you can then focus on organically optimizing your landing page (and the rest of your supporting content), benefitting from the added traffic and first-party data it produces. Good SEO leads to lower SEM costsUnlike most auctions, the winner of an SEM auction isn’t necessarily whoever pays the most. Maximum bid per SERP is one element search engines consider when awarding these positions, but they also consider user experience, content quality and relevance, keyword rankings… and a whole host of other factors that are primarily impacted by your SEO. The bottom line is that search engines like Google recognize they can’t simply sell out for the highest bidder; they need to deliver a good and meaningful experience to searchers. By incorporating SEO on the landing pages you’re promoting with your SEM initiatives, therefore, you can win auctions more frequently without necessarily having to pay more to do it. The more relevant, appealing, and search-optimized your content, the more bids you’ll win for your budget and the more effective your SEM campaign will be. Ideally your SEO strategy will start driving enough qualified traffic over time for important keywords that you can scale back or even stop running paid campaigns for them. SEM remarketing to SEO visitorsOne of the most effective forms of SEM is retargeting ads. These ads automatically follow up with users who provided you with their contact information or previously interacted with your marketing or website. The more effective your SEO, the more visitors your website will receive, and the more relevant those visitors will be. This will help you create a robust list of users you can retarget with SEM. SEM for research, SEO for implementationBecause SEM campaigns generate so much engagement so quickly, they’re also a great way to learn about what your audience wants. By A/B testing multiple SEM campaigns with small changes, for example, you can see what kind of promotions and messaging perform, and which don’t. Use this information to inform your larger SEO and content strategies. Of course, this can also work the other way. If you experience exceptional organic success with a page or piece of content, try to figure out what made that content resonate with your audience. Apply what you learn into your next SEM campaign for better PPC rates. By integrating and coordinating SEM and SEO campaigns this way, you will continue to generate highly useful information about how to market to your audience more effectively. Learn more about elevating your brand’s rankings and authority in search. The post How SEO and SEM Strategies Work Together appeared first on TopRank® Marketing. Mobile Marketing,SEO via Hubspot https://ift.tt/290wh8R July 24, 2024 at 07:21AM |
CategoriesArchives
April 2023
|