Hi ,

Welcome to your first edition of March!

As spring (slowly) approaches, we bring you the following:

• TikTok dominates for YoY spend growth
• How Google & Reddit’s $60m partnership will impact marketers
• Is Gen Alpha replacing Gen Z as advertisers’ favourite audience?

And much more!

🗞️ HEADLINES YOU CAN'T MISS 🗞️

💰 Acquisitions unravelling: Thrasio files for Chapter 11

A few years ago, a new breed of hold cos like Thrasio were the talk of the eCommerce space – aggressively buying up small to medium Amazon brands with a view to make precarious businesses sustainable through scale. Unfortunately, having spent over $3bn of VC money trying to make this a reality, Thrasio is struggling and has just filed to restructure its own debt. With Amazon ad costs being added to the already expensive fees on the platform, and heavy competition, it’s unsurprising many D2C brands are choosing to shun Amazon and keep selling through their own sites. Read more.

🎙️ Podcast: Becoming a T-Shaped Marketer

The T-shaped marketer combines a blend of broad marketing knowledge with deep expertise in specific areas. There are three layers of expertise: a base knowledge layer covering statistics, programming, and design principles; a marketing foundation layer with skills like CRO and copywriting; and a channel expertise layer for deep dives into specific marketing channels. 

🛍️ Retail Media Will Comprise 1/5 of Worldwide

Digital Ad Spend in 2024 Worldwide retail media spend will hit $140 billion this year, according to Insider Intelligence’s December 2023 forecast. With a growth of 21.8%, retail media is growing faster than almost any other form of ad spend. Read more.

💳 How Affiliate Marketing Can Support Your Channel Mix

The Drum, in collaboration with AWIN, outline how affiliate marketing can help marketers capitalize on opportunities. They highlight AWIN’s expertise in supporting brands with establishing retail media networks, navigating post-cookie challenges, and maximizing ROI in a privacy-first landscape. Read more.

💡 The Key to Marketing Success: Understanding Innovation is a Spectrum

Uncover the three types of innovation: Incremental Innovation advocates for small but consistent advancements. Exaptive Innovation seeks out opportunities to reformat innovations already in use elsewhere. Disruptive Innovation rewrites the rules of the game. Read more.

🔍 Google is Giving Advertisers More Control

From March 4, advertisers using Performance Max will have access to impression-level placement reporting of Search Partner Network sites.

Additionally, if you exclude certain ad placements at the account level, it will now apply to the Search Partner Network, as well as YouTube and Display ads.

This is a good sign for marketers, addressing concerns over ads being placed near inappropriate content. This works to safeguard brand reputation, and should provide more flexibility around ad creation in Google channels. Read more.

👶🏽 Brands Are Utilizing Gen Alpha as Ambassadors and Influencers

Brands are increasingly targeting Gen Alpha, the generation following Gen Z, recognizing their digital proficiency and significant influence on family purchases.

With over 2 billion individuals, Gen Alpha's economic impact is substantial.

An active approach to Gen Alpha marketing is a winning one – giving target audiences the chance to provide direct feedback through live chat, early access to products, and even helping them choose product names.

However, maintaining engagement with Gen Z remains crucial, as their collaboration with Gen Alpha fosters a sense of empowerment among young consumers. For more on this approach, click here.