Working with brand ambassadors; Ad revenue growth slows to 8%

Plus: Target, Carvana, and Lowe’s are moving up the US ecommerce sales rank [Insider Intelligence]( [Emarketer Daily]([Emarketer Daily]( Charts. News. Analysis APRIL 13, 2023 | By Sara Lebow, Arielle Feger, and Becky Schilling Meme of the moment: #WaterTok is [trending]( on TikTok. Creators are mixing store-bought flavor packets in giant bottles of water—usually the on-trend Stanley tumbler—to invent new funky water flavors like [cotton candy](, [peach ring](, and [orange creamsicle](. The lesson here (if there is one) is that bright colors, ASMR-type sounds, and a product can mix into a viral TikTok. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. TOP STORY [3 reasons you should be working with brand ambassadors]( Influencers may be an attractive option for brands looking to broaden their reach, but if a creator isn’t able to promote the service or product, it can come off as inauthentic and turn consumers away. Brands looking for a way to promote their products should look to longer-term brand ambassadorships. Here are three reasons why. [Keep reading]( NEWS AND VIEWS [IAB: US internet ad revenues growth slowed to 10.8% last year]( Our view: According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), that’s a slowdown from 35.4% from the previous year, putting it in line with our own digital ad revenue growth numbers of 37.6% in 2021 and 10.6% last year. Digital ad spend will decelerate a bit more this year, to 7.8% growth, as post-pandemic normalization and economic uncertainty persist. [A marketer’s guide to modern media consumption by age group]( Our view: A brand’s media mix depends on who it’s targeting. Gen Z sticks to social and gaming, millennials add podcasts and some traditional TV into the mix, and older generations spend a solid chunk of time on traditional TV. [HBO Max and Discovery+ merge to become Max]( Our view: The service may have trouble selling users on its price bump, but the merger could be attractive to advertisers as more content means more targeting opportunities. ANALYSIS [Target, Carvana, and Lowe’s are moving up the US ecommerce sales rank]( Over the next two years, the four ecommerce companies with the largest shares of US retail ecommerce sales will hold their spots. Though Target has solidified its place in the top five, moves by smaller players (like Lowe’s) will shake up the rankings. [Keep reading]( THINGS TO KNOW 🤖 [Auto-GPT is the next big thing in ChatGPT]( 👆 [How to glean insights from impressions to boost PPC performance]( 🐦 [PBS follows NPR’s lead of suspending Twitter use]( 🪪 [LinkedIn introduces identity verification (and it’s free)]( 🦚 [Peacock will stream on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro]( PODCAST [Behind the Numbers: The Daily]( Advertisers aren't going back to Twitter, Lemon8 takes off, and TikTok's new ‘Series’ feature. Tune in on [Apple Podcasts](, [Spotify](, or wherever you listen to podcasts. [Follow us on Instagram.]( “Behind the Numbers” is made possible by Cint. [Listen in]( THE BIG QUESTION Green thumb: Which natural element influences consumer behavior in advertising? A) Warm imagery B) Cold imagery C) Nautical themes D) Autumnal colors [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](