The CLICKTRUST monthly pick – January 2020

News and articles that allow us to stay on top of our game. You might want to read them too.

General: Data, Privacy & more

The Marketing Funnel Isn’t Dead, We Just Understand It Better

– Search Engine Journal

“As we consider the concept of the marketing funnel, it’s tempting for us in the midst of the mess we marketers try to track every day, to throw our hands up and exclaim “it’s all chaos!”
However, I would (and have) argued there to still be a purchase intent progression that takes place in the customer journey. “

Google Chrome Will Drop Third-Party Cookies In 2 Years

– AdExchanger

“Third-party cookies – the backbone of programmatic advertising – are not long for this world. Google’s Chrome browser will phase them out in two years.
Google Chrome is betting that its Privacy Sandbox – the privacy-preserving API first unveiled in August – will over the next two years build functionality that replaces third-party cookies.”

DMPs Aren’t Dead, But They Must Continue To Evolve

– AdExchanger

“The DMP is not dead – but the free-for-all days of non-consented, persistent identification and data promiscuity are. What must also die is the near-total disregard for consumer privacy and consent, which reigned supreme in the quest for one-to-one marketing and its associated riches.”

You don’t just need personalization — you need the right personalization

– Think with Google

“Over half of U.S. consumers say they are interested in seeing personalized content when shopping. And they say they are comfortable sharing their information as long as they feel like they’re getting value in return.
A study that we fielded with Ipsos found that shoppers value experiences that: Save them time, Offer value & Surface the right product or service assortment.”

How brands can merge online and offline experiences to drive growth

– Think with Google

“For today’s consumers, shopping doesn’t begin and end in the store. With so many options both in stores and online, digital and video play a huge role in getting people through the door. For example, 80% of people say they typically switch between online search and video when researching products to buy. It’s no wonder, then, that every brand with an online and offline presence is looking for better ways to connect the dots between the two.
The final step in the campaign was measuring its success. In the past, H&R Block connected digital campaigns to digital KPIs, optimizing for what it could squarely measure: online appointments. But this proxy didn’t capture the full picture.”

Top-Down. Always Top-Down!

– Avinash Kaushik

“Taking a top-down approach – Success Delivered, Budget Spent, Executive Affection – helps deliver clarity of purpose for any analysis you do. It reduces the time you and I spend sitting in our Email silo or Display silo or TV silo and thinking our work is God’s gift to the company and going on meaningless analytical journeys.
Big lesson: Just because you can analyze something, don’t. You are magnificent, your time is precious. Find the worthy.”

Google: Organic, Ads & Analytics

January Updates to Paid Advertising Platforms

– PPC Hero

“Google: Google implements black “Ad” label and brand icons on the desktop SERP
Google: What: Bid simulator now enabled for Target ROAS, while budget simulator is now available for Maximize Clicks and Maximize Conversions
Microsoft Advertising: Response Search Ads(RSAs) are now available worldwide
Microsoft Advertising: Microsoft sunsetting average position metric”

Google Ads Introduces Bid Simulator Support for Smart Bidding

– Search Engine Journal

“Google Ads is rolling out bid simulator support for the Target ROAS (return on ad spend) bid strategy, as well as a new budget simulator.
This marks the first time bid simulator support has been available for a smart bidding campaign. Previously, bid simulators have only been available for campaigns using manual bidding or Target CPA. “

Would Google’s own marketing team use Smart Shopping Campaigns? (Probably not.)

– Mike Ryan on Linkedin

“Google’s Smart Shopping Campaigns (SSC) have been at the center of tons of heated conversations in recent months. This is partly due to debates about the new campaign type’s pros and cons (increased reach and revenue in exchange for several settings and reports). It’s also due to a wide-scale sales push by Google reps to drive adoption – which has generated controversy among PPC managers. “

Google desktop favicon search results study

– Search Engine Land

“In 2019, Google introduced a new format in mobile search results which included a small “favicon” icon from the website, to the left of the snippet. This week, Google announced that a similar format was being launched in desktop results.”

Social: Facebook, Instagram & others

Now that Facebook lets users clear internet tracks, marketers lose another signal to target ads

– Adage

“Facebook finally rolled out a “clear history” button that lets people erase their online tracks, adding to the potential roadblocks advertisers face targeting consumers as more internet companies lockdown data.”