8 months of ad declines; Productivity tools need AI

Plus: Everything going on with the TikTok ban, Meta’s ‘year of efficiency,’ and plans for a Twitter rival [Insider Intelligence]( [Emarketer Daily]([Emarketer Daily]( Charts. News. Analysis MARCH 28, 2023 | By Sara Lebow, Arielle Feger, and Becky Schilling The final season of “Succession” premiered on HBO Max on Sunday, and it was good. But viewers have yet to hear how the Roy family is dealing with a potential TikTok ban, fallout from AppTrackingTransparency, or other news affecting ad-supported publishers. We’ll keep watching for when they do eventually discuss vertical video and first-party data strategies. TOP STORY [US ad spend reached its eighth month of decline in February]( US [ad spend dropped 8.0%]( YoY in February, according to a MediaPost analysis of Standard Media Index’s US Ad Market Tracker. That marks eight months of consecutive YoY decline as part of a trend that began in July 2022. [Keep reading]( NEWS AND VIEWS [Microsoft gives Teams a shiny update](, while [Zoom boasts AI features]( Our view: Productivity tools are all incorporating AI assistance into their offerings. Productivity will be one of the most effective (and perhaps least controversial) AI uses moving forward. [Disney eliminates metaverse team, other ventures]( Our view: The Walt Disney Co. overinvested in the metaverse, which its former CEO called “the next great storytelling frontier.” But budgets are tighter and metaverse adoption has been low. The pixie dust has cleared, and the metaverse doesn’t look like such a good investment anymore. [Google Ads testing verification badges]( Our view: Google wants to maintain user trust, especially following a display of errors from its [new AI chatbot](. This is also another example of blue check marks representing prestige or reliability, which has become a revenue stream for [Twitter and Meta](. INDUSTRY VIEWS [Effectively target your ideal digital audiences]( With a clear understanding of consumers’ preferences and intent, marketers can identify the best audiences and effectively activate their campaigns against that behavioral data. In this video, Barney Marvin, senior vice president, digital at Claritas, shares how audience segmentation can increase lifetime value. Watch this sponsored video, contributed by Claritas. [Effectively target your ideal digital audiences | Sponsored Content]( [Watch now]( ANALYSIS [Colgate-Palmolive on why sustainability is an essential brand strategy]( By incorporating sustainability goals into its business objectives, Colgate-Palmolive is able to both preserve the environment while also providing value to stakeholders. “Our investment in sustainability is an investment in our growth,” said Ann Tracy, chief sustainability officer at Colgate-Palmolive. [Keep reading]( THINGS TO KNOW 🃏 [Pinterest brings shopping to Shuffles]( 🏠[TikTok introduces custom Effects House Branded Effects]( 🛠️ [Biden restricts use of commercial hacking tools by US agencies]( ⚖️ [Google seeks dismissal of DOJ lawsuit alleging an ad monopoly]( 🔌 [5 ways OpenAI’s ChatGPT plugins could change the AI game]( PODCAST [Behind the Numbers: The Daily]( Everything going on with the TikTok ban, Meta’s ‘year of efficiency,’ and plans for a Twitter rival. Tune in on [Apple Podcasts](, [Spotify](, or wherever you listen to podcasts. [Follow us on Instagram.]( “Behind the Numbers” is made possible by Meltwater. [Listen in]( THE BIG QUESTION Creating opps: The number of creator-focused startups in the US increased by how much between 2021 and 2022? A) 50% B) 200% C) 350% D) 550% [Get the answer]( Email sent to: {EMAIL} If you cannot view the HTML newsletter, [please read it in your browser here](. [Become a Premium Subscriber]( | [Advertise with us]( [Manage your email preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Terms of Use]( | [Privacy Policy]( ©2023 Insider Intelligence, 11 Times Square, New York, NY 10036 [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo](