August’s no good, very bad ad numbers

Slack attack, loving LinkedIn, and Augustus gloom Charts. News. Analysis By Sara Lebow, Arielle Feger, and Becky Schilling | September 22, 2022 It’s September 22 and—for our Northern Hemisphere readers—the first day of fall. So light that cinnamon-scented candle, grab your pumpkin spice latte, and put on your [coziest sweater]( as we bring you today’s stories. - [Augustus gloom]( - [Slack attack]( - [Loving LinkedIn]( TOP STORY [Bad ad summer]( Some bad news: Ad spending dropped for the third month in a row in August, down 3.3% over last year. Some good news: August’s decline was not quite so bad as July’s 12.7% dip, when ad spend hit a two-year low. Those rough July numbers may have been an anomaly, but ad spend still isn’t healthy. Back from the break: Ads will get a boost from sports this fall and winter, but measurement challenges, potential regulations, and economic downturn linger. But an ad spend renaissance won’t happen on its own. Firms have to adapt to changing standards. [Keep reading]( [Introducing The Brief: A Summit Presented by Marketing Brew]( It’s time to dust off your work pants! Marketing Brew invites you to a can’t-miss event in the heart of NYC. Hear from a powerhouse panel of expert speakers from the world’s most influential brands on topics such as storytelling, trend-setting, brand values, engagement, and more. Discounted pricing is live now. [Grab your tickets!]( ADVERTISEMENT ANALYSIS [Don’t slack on Slack]( This week Slack announced Canvas, an integrated feature that allows users to create and edit documents without leaving the application. Salesforcing the competition: Slack’s productivity moves reveal why Salesforce spent [$27.7 billion]( to acquire the company last summer. - Last year, our analyst Gadjo Sevilla noted that “Slack’s own rich app integration capabilities can serve as a conduit” for integrating the over 3,000 apps within Salesforce’s ecosystem. Today, Sevilla weighed in on the Canvas news via—you guessed it—Slack. - “The addition of Canvas document editor into Slack could place it on par with Microsoft Teams and Google Docs in terms of ramping up productivity and collaboration tools.” But Sevilla warns, “It does run the risk of complicating a beloved user interface for millions of users who might perceive the new feature as bloatware.” Slack is focusing on ease of use and integration. We wrote about both on [Monday](. [Keep reading]( [Webinar: How to Drive Genuine Ad Traffic]( Learn how to identify invalid traffic, improve attribution measurement, and get the most out of your advertising budget. Join eMarketer’s Tech-Talk Webinar, presented by TrafficGuard. [Register Now]( ADVERTISEMENT REPORT [Connection invitation]( By 2024, nearly 1 in 4 B2B digital ad dollars in the US will be spent on LinkedIn. The social platform saw pandemic surges in B2B ad dollars and will continue to grow by double digits through 2024. [LinkedIn will capture nearly 25% of US B2B ad spending by 2024]( [Keep reading]( PODCAST [Behind the Numbers: The Daily]( Social commerce pivots, YouTube Shorts’ money hose, and can TikTok remain fun? Listen in on [Apple Podcasts](, [Spotify](, or wherever you listen to podcasts. [“Behind the Numbers” is made possible by Neustar, A TransUnion Company]( NEWS AND VIEWS 🛒 [Retail media makes up 11% of global ad spend](. Group M estimates it will reach $101 billion this year, up nearly 15% year over year. 🗳️ [TikTok will ban all political fundraising.]( Its aim is “protecting the creative, entertaining platform” via tech and human moderation. ✂️ [Meta and Google are quietly cutting staff.]( They’re not using the L-word yet (that’s layoffs), but both companies have been restructuring to trim costs. 🔀 [Writer spends several days searching TikTok instead of Google.]( The results were strong, but more reminiscent of YouTube than Search. 📯 [Will the world’s first trombone rhythm video game be Game of the Year?]( The linked clip from Trombone Champ is an absolute must-watch—or, should we say, must hear. THE BIG QUESTION Game stop: In H1 of this year, the top 1% of mobile gaming app publishers accounted for what percentage of gaming app revenues? A) 52% B) 75% C) 81% D) 93% [Get the answer]( [Webinar: Win at the Digital Shelf]( Improve ecommerce performance and drive in-store sales by mastering the essentials of building a strong position on the digital shelf. Join eMarketer’s Analyst Webinar, made possible by ChannelAdvisor, to hear how to develop effective branding, content, and advertising strategies that win market share. [Register now]( ©2022 Insider Intelligence, 11 Times Square, New York, NY 10036 eMarketer Daily is published by Insider Intelligence, Inc. Email sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( | [Change email address]( | [Update preferences]( | [Advertise]( | [Privacy Policy]( If you cannot view the HTML newsletter, please [read it in your browser here](.