Digital Mouth

Adtech firm Viant today released a new carbon label for digital ads. The label, which shows up as a small green leaf in the corner of an ad (similar to the AdChoices label), communicates to viewers that the ad was powered with renewable energy as part of Viant’s Adtricity sustainability program. The release comes just two weeks ahead of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) is expected to announce an industry-wide standard on digital media emissions measurement, called the Global Media Sustainability Framework. It’s the result of working groups that GARM and Ad Net Zero teamed up to form in October. One media agency exec, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned the value of Viant launching this label before GARM’s standards have been released. While Viant is a member of Ad Net Zero, the exec pointed out that a carbon label would be more useful if it were a pre-competitive project, similar to the Global Media Sustainability Framework. https://lnkd.in/eGvQ9MgG #digitalmouth #adsustainability #digitalmedia

For the first time in a decade, advertising is no longer the least-trusted industry, according to an Advertising Association report. The Value of Trust report, by the AA’s think tank Credos - Advertising's think tank, found advertising has leapfrogged government and media to third from bottom in a ranking of trust by industry. Almost a third (30%) of survey respondents trusted advertising, placing it above government and the media, which were both trusted by 26%. This is the first time since 2014 that the ad industry has moved off the bottom spot. People’s enjoyment of advertising remained the biggest single factor affecting whether they trust it or not, the research found, while being bombarded by ads was the largest driver of distrust. The research uncovered a “generational digital divide”, with half (50%) of young people trusting the ads they see or hear, compared with just 22% of the over-55s. Online ads were also more trusted by younger audiences, who were four times more likely to trust online advertising than the over-55s. https://lnkd.in/egunbEPX #digitalmouth #onlineadvertising #adbestpractices

Capitalizing on the AI opportunity means prioritizing the development of business acumen over tech know-how. And not seeing it as the solution to every problem. Those were the words of advice from StackAdapt co-founder and CEO Vitaly Pecherskiy spoken at The Drum Labs in London, for advertisers and marketers looking to lean into the benefits of this fast-emerging technology. https://lnkd.in/e44Xurd8 #digitalmouth #AIadvertising #AIprogrammatic

Anyone strolling around a branch of Walmart, as more than 200m Americans do each month, will see thousands of goodies on offer. Increasingly, its shoppers are being served up as products, too. According to The Economist, Walmart, the world’s top retailer by sales, has discovered that there is serious money to be made in selling access to its customers. On May 16th the company reported that its booming advertising business had helped it deliver a 9.6% increase in operating income, year on year, for its quarter ending in April. As it carpets its physical and virtual stores in commercials, the company is taking a growing share of the ad market. https://lnkd.in/dUve5UCX #digitalmouth #adinnovation #retailmedia

In a not too distant past, a seismic detonation of social media changed the media and creative world forever. Add to this the volcanic eruption of generative AI, coupled with the cultural climate change being driven by the inexorable rise of creators and influencers, and we have a lethally inhospitable new media and creative environment. Lethal, that is, to “old advertising economy” thinking. https://lnkd.in/eVPk6fde #digitalmouth #futureofmedia #digitaladvertising

Deepfakes ads, propagated by the ubiquity of generative AI, have become a topic of concern for all marketers and brands, but no arena has seen a bigger focus on mitigation efforts than U.S. politics. The Federal Election Commission was petitioned by the advocacy group Public Citizen to create rules requiring FCC-like disclosures for all political ads, regardless of the medium, but the agency has yet to act. A January Washington Post report said that the FEC plans to make some decision by early summer. But summer is around the corner, and we haven’t heard much. The Senate Rules Committee passed three bills to regulate the use of AI in elections, including disclosures, earlier this month, but there’s no promise it will hit the floor in time to make a difference. If you really want to get scared, there are only 165 days until the presidential election. That’s not many days to get something related to AI disclosures over the finish line, especially before the Biden and Trump campaigns, and all the -politicians, start dumping even more cash into ads on social platforms. https://lnkd.in/eWkdyNEY WIRED #digitalmouth #generativeAI #deepfakes #AIadvertising

Google teased a number of generative AI developments for advertisers coming down the pike as part of its Marketing Live showcase, including more ad formats integrated into the new AI Overview summaries in search. The company unveiled fresh AI capabilities for its commerce-oriented Shopping ads, including virtual try-ons and 3D-generated features. Another AI-assisted offering currently being tested helps consumers navigate complex purchase decisions, like figuring out short-term storage, when using search. For marketers, Google is implementing more granular controls for its AI-powered Performance Max campaigns, such as the ability to share specific font and color guidelines. Marketers will receive additional AI editing capabilities to add new objects to ads and adjust format, size and orientation. https://lnkd.in/g3dVnNbU #digitalmouth #generativeAI #digitalmedia #AIadvertising

Google yesterday unveiled its latest AI developments for advertisers, including new ways for brands to customize ads in campaign manager Performance Max, as well as a first look at how ads will play a role in recent updates to AI-guided Search. The features, announced during Google’s annual Marketing Live conference, follow products that Google unveiled last week, including “AI Overview,” which injects AI-generated text and images at the top of search results. Google first launched generative search in early 2023, for which it released experimental ad formats during last year’s Marketing Live conference. Google is also testing a new dynamic ad experience in Search that will help guide users through their purchase journeys. When a user clicks on an ad, a Google AI assistant may request more information, such as images and budget, in order to recommend products personalized to their interest. This guidance may include a website link to complete the purchase decision. https://lnkd.in/euHzJWM2 #digitalmouth #AIadvertising #paidsearch

Digiday's Tim Peterson reports on last week's Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit where agency executives participated in closed-door town hall discussions, in which they were granted anonymity for their candor. And they were quite candid about the challenges they are having to confront. https://lnkd.in/eGcBGnjz #digitalmouth #programmaticmedia #aiadvertising

MNTN CEO Mark Douglas joined CNBC's Julia Boorstin on The Exchange to discuss AI's impact on digital ads, how AI developers are addressing copyright issues, financial implications, and the legal ramifications of its widespread use. https://lnkd.in/eZZ7D584 #digitalmouth #AIadvertising #digitalmedia