🤖 Meet Bard.

Google, Amazon, and Apple announce mixed earnings, AI is coming to search, and more. February 6, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning. Remember the days when the “cool kids” wore shorts or t-shirts on frigid days and acted like they didn’t feel a thing? Good times. No, we weren’t one of them. We bundled up like a bunch of nerds. Still do. ADVERTISING Down, down, up, down… earnings reports are bumpy [article-image] This is the part where the “fasten seatbelt” sign turns on… at least if you’re working in Big Tech. Alphabet’s seeing red: Google’s parent company reported [revenue growth of just 1% last quarter](, missing expectations in most areas. YouTube disappointed, [and missed ad revenue expectations](, earning $7.96B instead of the $8.25B expected, even though Shorts amassed 50B daily views. Google attributes this to the “pullback” in spending by advertisers and the challenging economy. Amazon Ads soar: Meanwhile, the e-commerce giant fared much better, [making $11.56B with its advertising business](, beating expectations, and growing 19%. Even though Amazon holds less than 7.5% of the online ad market, it could potentially disrupt the Meta-Google duopoly if its growth keeps up. Apple also fell, reporting a [5% drop in revenue](, the largest decline since 2016. But while Apple hasn’t reported advertising revenue, it’s expected to show positive results, especially given how its privacy regulations work in Apple’s favor. Why we care: Last week Meta [reported disappointing results](, so it’s not surprising that other platforms are struggling, too. On the other hand, “smaller” challengers such as Amazon, TikTok, and others could have an [opportunity to grab a bigger piece of the advertising pie](. Either way, now may be a good time to bump up your ad spend while costs are low. You might just eat up some market share of your own… AI MARKETING Ready, set, go – AI search engine race heats up Hear that rumbling? It’s the sound of the big players revving their search engines… Shortly after Microsoft announced plans to integrate ChatGPT with Bing, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said [something similar is coming to Google soon](. Two is company: Google is [testing a chatbot called Apprentice Bard]( in its own search engine. Apprentice Bard is based on Google’s LaMDA language model, and Sundar says the feature could be released in “the coming weeks and months.” By the way, Google is holding a [Search and AI livestream this week](, allegedly to reveal concrete details on the launch, in case you’re interested. Did you see that? Meanwhile, users caught [glimpses of a new Microsoft Bing interface appearing](—and then disappearing—a few mornings ago. The new interface supposedly comes with a ChatGPT-like chat box instead of a search bar, and encourages natural language rather than keyword-driven search. Sounds like the first look into the much anticipated GPT-4 powered search engine… Why we care: Marketers and SEOs may be on the brink of a completely new world of optimization, the biggest difference being natural language and queries of up to 1000 characters instead of keyword-driven queries. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you updated about the new hints and signals. Just keep calm and read Stacked Marketer. SPONSORED BY UPFLUENCE Brands are shifting to influencer marketing. Should yours? [article-image]( Are you feeling let down by the effectiveness of traditional media and social media ads lately? You're definitely not the only one. … But there's one marketing channel that’s defying the advertising slowdown: influencer marketing. Between its high ROI and the rising cost of PPC ads, influencer marketing is giving many brands the proof they need to adjust budgets accordingly. Especially the brands using Upfluence. [Upfluence saves money and precious hours]( by helping you manage creators, affiliates, and brand ambassadors in one place. Upfluence is the leading influencer marketing platform that helps you: - Spend less time finding the right influencers. - Drive & track sales from creators. - Build authentic content creator relationships. - Grow affiliate programs. By the way, did we mention that influencer campaigns drive real sales, with high-quality customers that have a better brand recall, and likely higher LTV? It’s true. [Start driving more sales with Upfluence now.]( GOOGLE It’s the year to try new things on Google, according to… Google [article-image] Sure, you’ve got a great marketing routine. But according to Google, that may not be enough. Instead, the tech giant wants you to see the upcoming year as an opportunity to move to “tried-and-new” ways of doing things with its tools. Google listed a [few things you should focus on this year]( that could set you up nicely for big industry changes, including the shift to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and more. And when Google talks, we listen… #1 – Make use of the new Google tag. In October, Google introduced [a new website tag]( to help you combine and manage all your tags from a centralized dashboard. By adopting simpler tagging, you can measure with more accuracy, make better decisions, and adjust your strategy with more efficiency. #2 – Prepare for the future. The marketing landscape will change significantly in the next couple of years. To stay on top, you’ll want to embrace two new measurement technologies: - Google Analytics 4 (GA 4): Google says now’s the time to make the jump, because it will start sunsetting Universal Analytics later this year. - New Search Ads 360: This feature-rich ad tech comes with a smoother user interface and improved support for all search engine features. And yes, Google wants you to use it. #3 – Combine first-party and privacy-first data by using [PAIR](—Google’s solution to data privacy. That way you can target users that have visited your site and the publishers’ site, showing ads to customers that had “pre-existing relationships with both parties.” #4 – Turn to connected TV (CTV). CTV advertising is getting more accessible, and now you can use Display & Video 360 to show your ads on small screens. Last year Google boosted its CTV features with frequency capping, activating first-party data and unlocking even more inventory. 2023 might be a good time to test the waters. #5 – Set up to track every ad dollar. Are you making the most of your advertising efforts? Google says you should use all its advanced tools and insights to be sure. Products like Display & Video 360 and Campaign Manager 360 can help you manage audiences and plan campaigns across different channels while maintaining your budget. Thanks, Google! Of course, this doesn’t mean you should stop doing what’s working. But make sure you’re giving yourself time to prepare for this year’s marketing transitions. SPONSORED BY STACKED MARKETER PRO Everyone’s cutting costs and prices. That’s a bad idea… [article-image]( Yes, customer spending habits and priorities change during a recession. And that can be scary. But you can survive—and even thrive—if you know how to adjust your strategy. And no, cutting costs and prices isn’t the way to do it. [Our newest Stacked Marketer Pro report](shows how successful brands respond when bad economies change the shopping habits of your ideal customers. Want to gain market share and profit margins while your competitors struggle? [Try Stacked Marketer Pro for just $7 to get the report.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS Why Instagram Reels should be a part of your advertising strategy [article-image] Jack of all trades, master of none is all well and good… until it comes to your advertising strategy. Because gone are the days when a brand can invest in Facebook Ads and call it a day. Today’s economy calls for a more holistic approach to advertising, and that means investing in organic social media, like Instagram Reels. Let’s talk about why your brand should get on Instagram Reels if it hasn’t already: - Reels has good reach. Instagram released Reels in response to the growing popularity of TikTok. Since then, Instagram has been prioritizing short form video on the app. - It’s great for older audiences. Chances are your parents use Reels more than they use TikTok. The app will do great for any brand that has an older target audience. - It builds more trust. If a customer sees your ad on Facebook and doesn’t find anything about you on Instagram, chances are, they won’t convert. Instagram Reels can serve as an organic way to signal that your product is loved and trusted by your customers. The good news is, posting on Instagram Reels is free, minus the costs of producing a short-form video. Expert tip: If an Instagram Reel does well organically, you can throw some ad spend behind it and test it on TikTok too! ROUNDING UP THE STACK [RETAIL STRATEGY:]( Return fees trends, store ops, recession-proofing… retail moves fast. Cogsy catches you up in 5 minutes. Join the 2k+ retailers wising up with e-commerce lessons, brilliant strategies, new, and insight delivered fresh every Tuesday morning. [Subscribe for free.](* [PAYMENTS:]( Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is coming to Apple Pay. CEO Tim Cook confirmed this, saying the feature is currently in beta testing, but should be launching “soon.” Having another BNPL option could be useful if you’re selling high value items… [QUORA:]( Another big player has quietly been making AI moves. Turns out Quora has been building a chatbot named Poe that answers questions and can have back-and-forth conversations with multiple bots. Que the “Poe hacks” threads… [META:]( Heads up, developers. Meta released Facebook Graph API v16.0 and Marketing API v16.0, plus a wide range of changes, including new access requirements to Developer Platform as well as several product updates, and deprecations. Worth a read. [TWITTER:]( Exclusivity is getting pricey. Twitter is considering giving businesses an exclusive gold verified checkmark for a premium price of $1000. Every month. So is the check made of real gold, or… [ADVERTISING:]( Surprise, surprise… native advertising is embracing artificial intelligence (AI). Taboola, one of the biggest native advertising platforms, is testing an AI-based technology that would help you generate ads, titles, and content using natural language processing and machine learning. Nice. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER I’m not clothes but I cover your body. The more I’m used, the thinner I grow. What am I? You can find the [answer here.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT The choco anatomy [article-image] Question: Why does chocolate feel so good melting in your mouth? Answer: Because when it touches your tongue, it releases a fatty film that coats it and makes the chocolate feel nice and smooth. So yeah, it’s the fat that gives you the buzz. And since too much fat is a big no-no, a couple of food scientists made their sacred mission to [design dark chocolate that would feel awesome while being almost fatless.]( How? By creating a special, fat, gradient-layered architecture on the surface of the chocolate instead of stuffing a ton of fat in the chocolate itself. Mmm… A chocolate that’s healthy, creamy, and yummy at the same time? Whoever gets to advertise this chocolate probably won’t have to worry about returns… SHARING IS CARING How about schnitzel with us in Vienna? Attention, Stacked Marketer fans: If you get 1000 people to sign up for our newsletter, we’ll fly you to Europe for a weekend with us in Vienna. We’ll eat schnitzel, see the sights, and talk marketing. It’ll be awesome. And of course, you’ll unlock other rewards, too, including: - The Marketer Mug (30 referrals). - The Marketer Zip Hoodie (50 referrals). Hit your custom link below to unlock exclusive content, merch, and membership! 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