Insights from below deck: September 2023

Video culture is shifting

To better understand the shifting landscape of video creation and consumption, Think with Google has looked at hundreds of video trends, spoken to creators and experts, and ran surveys across 14 countries. 

The resulting 2023 YouTube Culture and Trends Report has uncovered that this year, there are more formats to follow, more ways to express fandom, more content to consume, and more technologies to add even more variables to the mix. In 2023, the digital landscape offers:

1. Widespread online personalisation

2. Mainstream casual creativity

3. Content experiences built for viewers

4. AI-enabled creative possibility

This rapidly evolving digital format offers more opportunities to break through, making content creation more accessible to everyone.

Specsavers highlights the joy of everyday sounds

For many of us, our hearing is something we take for granted. Specsavers’ latest campaign to promote its audiology services does a great job of changing that. Across a film and a series of print ads, the campaign highlights the joy of everyday sounds, such as a kettle coming to the boil, popcorn popping, and the squelch of wellies in mud.

Between the voiceover-free film and stripped-back ads featuring a pared-back design, the campaign subtly highlights how impactful these simple, everyday noises can be, playing on the recent popularity of ASMR videos and use of onomatopoeia. 

Meta has introduced new ad optimisation tools

We’re about to utter a dirty word: Christmas. We know - autumn has barely begun - but us marketers must think ahead in order to optimise sales strategy for the big season. Luckily, Meta has our back, adding new ad optimisation tools to help improve campaigning.

These include:

-Time-based budget scheduling: Divide higher budgets for specific periods and audience segments. Simplify budget management for Advantage+ campaigns. 

-Promotional ads expansion: Entice shoppers with discount codes and special offers. A clear prompt is mentioned right below the product image and when clicked, your shopper is led to the checkout page where the product offers are revealed.

-Reminder ads accessibility: Create Reminder ads and let users opt into event reminders. Upload creatives in Ads Manager and use Stories as a placement for increased engagement. Users will receive notifications one day before, 15 minutes before, and at the event time.

-Shops Ads testing: While the article doesn't provide all the details, Meta is testing a new ad format called ‘Shops Ads’. This could offer you unique advertising opportunities to promote your products and engage with your audience.

These new tools can help you with leveraging your ad campaigning, providing a great user experience while maximising your revenue.

Google to update its Misleading Representation policy

On 21st November, Google will update its Misleading Representation policy, reclassifying the non-fulfillment of products or services due to qualifications issues under the Unacceptable Business Practices policy. 

Google's Misleading Representation policy targets deceptive ads and websites, while the Unacceptable Business Practices policy addresses impersonation, fictitious businesses, and false advertising. Violating Google's Unacceptable Business Practices policy can lead to Google Ads account suspension, so ensuring compliance is crucial.