E-news: Brand/marketplace analysis | MarTech overtakes staff budget | Google's new shopping experience

[ ] Plus, adopt a collaborative approach to AI for marketing [View this in your browser]( [ ] [Smart Insights]( [About]( [Membership]( [Contact Us]( [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 6th December 2023 Welcome to this week’s edition of E-news, The start of December is a great time to take stock of your most recent activity, whilst firming up plans for 2024. We have resources to help you with both. Plus keep scrolling for the return of RACE Wrapped... Updated: Marketing budget spreadsheet template Typically, in December, we see more members using our budgeting and audits resources. So, we've updated our [Marketing budget spreadsheet template]( to make sure you'll have everything you need for your next budget. Spending allocation for MarTech overtakes marketing staff A global survey of [603 CMOs]( found that 30% of the marketing budgets were spent on MarTech in 2023, overtaking staff/labor allocation of 28%. Use our [MarTech selection guide]( to ensure the best ROI on your investment. Meta subscription limits ability to create ads Meta has released clarification that EU, EEA, and Swiss users who opt into ad-free Meta will [lose access to most ad creation and monitization features](. 20% of apparel queries are five words or longer Google's [new SGE shopping features](, just in time for Christmas, include image-generation technology for very specific gift searches alongside virtual try-on tools, and AI-generated gift ideas. RACE technnique: Brand success factors A strong, differentiated brand is vital for businesses of all sizes in all sectors. Use our [Brand audit and marketplace analysis template]( to review your brand positioning alongside our [Competitor benchmarking guide and template](. Have a good week, Dr. Dave Chaffey and the Smart Insights team [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your top 5 templates of 2023​​​​​ Smart Insights Members downloaded 30,000+ resources this year, across the full marketing mix. Your top 5 templates were: 1. [Free digital marketing plan template]( 2. [Digital strategy Powerpoint template]( 3. [Customer journey mapping template]( 4. [Campaign/ project plan template]( 5. [Marketing budget template]( [Looking to create rank-worthy content with ease?](​​​​​ Try ContentShake AI—a tool that combines ChatGPT capabilities with Semrush’s real-time SEO data and a customized interface. Generate content that’s ready to rank and shine in just one click. [Try it now for free]( ​​ [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [Your Top Articles](#) of 2023 [10 reasons you need a digital marketing strategy in 2024]( Digital marketing is deceptively easy if you take the deliberately simple definition… - [Read the full article](. [How can I use ChatGPT for marketing?]( I’ve been advising on digital marketing and new innovations for over 25 years… - [Read the full article](. [10 recommended AI copywriting tools for creating marketing content in 2023]( What are the most popular free and paid marketing writing assistant tools... - [Read the full article.]( [How to create an actionable customer journey map using RACE]( In today’s digitally connected world, customers have a myriad of choices... - [Read the full article](. [2024 Digital Marketing Trends shaping the Future of Marketing]( Each year, at Smart Insights we review the latest trends to suggest actions... - [Read the full article](. [View Latest Articles]( [Smart Insights Expert Membership]( [New and Updated Member Resources]( [Img_1] [SEO report template]( [Img_1] [AI and Machine Learning for marketing briefing]( [Img_1] [Google Ads Audit Checklist spreadsheet]( [Img_1] [Index of Smart Insights resources and editable templates]( [Img_1] [Latest digital media updates tracker]( [Learn More]( [ ] Resources [Free resources]( [Paid]([resources]( [Templates]( Membership [About membership Business benefits]( [En]([quire now]( Strategy [RACE Framework]( [Strategy advice]( [Tools for Growth]( [ ] Follow Us [linkedin]( [fb]( [tw]( [instagram]( [rss]( This email from Smart Insights is permission-based; you agreed to receive it through opting in at [SmartInsights.com](. [Click here to unsubscribe](. Smart Insights (Marketing Intelligence) Ltd