Welcome to the latest instalment in our series of weekly roundups, where we bring you the latest exciting developments in the world of digital marketing. This week, we look into how Google has begun to disable third-party cookies for Chrome users, and much more …
Let’s dive into some of the latest and exciting updates and news from the marketing world…
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Table of Contents
Google has started disabling third-party cookies for Chrome users
Google has initiated the disabling of third-party cookies for Chrome users, marking a significant step in the company’s privacy-focused efforts. The move aims to enhance user privacy by limiting the tracking capabilities of third-party cookies, but it also poses challenges for advertisers and marketers who rely on such data for targeted advertising. Google is exploring alternative solutions within its Privacy Sandbox to balance user privacy with advertising needs. This shift aligns with broader industry trends towards more privacy-centric practices, emphasising the ongoing transformation of digital advertising ecosystems. Read more here:
After decades of consistent decline, humour in advertising is roaring back in 2024
In November, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity announced that it would add a new humour category to its 2024 awards. “Work entered into this category should use wit and satire to provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections with audiences,” reads a statement on the festival’s website. The news came after Andrew Robertson, chief executive officer at Omnicom-owned creative agency BBDO Worldwide, gave a keynote speech at Cannes in 2023 urging marketers to return to humour. “If brands are truly looking to make the world a better place,” the executive said, “we could do a lot worse than make people laugh.” It’s a sentiment that appears to be gaining increasing buy-in across the industry. After solemn, pandemic-era ads struck emotional chords and led with purpose-focused messaging, audiences are hungry for levity and light-heartedness. Read more here:
Google Clarifies How Algorithm Chooses Search Snippets
Google have added to their search snippet documentation to clarify what influences what is shown in the snippet for an organic listing in search results. Traditionally, this was always the meta description but is not always the case now. The new documentation states that “the primary source of the snippet is the page content itself” but that it “sometimes uses the meta description HTML element if it might give users a more accurate description of the page than content taken directly from the page.” This is another instance of site owners having less control over what is shown on the SERPs so needing to ensure that all page content is of high quality to allow Google to understand the page and therefore show an appropriate summary to users of what the page is about. Read more here:
Beyond SEO: John Mueller On AI-Generated Images & Stock Photography
Google’s John Mueller provided his thoughts on the use of AI images over real imagery. He discussed that on a site that is aiming to sell a product, real images are better to show the authenticity and quality of a product, but, for general content embellishment, AI images will suffice to make the content more aesthetically pleasing for a reader. However, he did suggest that AI images could represent scraped content in some instances and therefore your site could be perceived as low quality. Ultimately, it depends how important image quality is for selling your product/service and the decision to use AI generated or real images should ultimately be based on the goals of the content and whether authenticity will matter to the user experience and trust. Read more here:
The anti-predictions: Here’s what won’t happen in advertising in 2024
We have to agree with many of the points in this article and their anti-predictions for advertising in 2024, highlighting what trends are unlikely to occur. They suggest that despite the anticipation of a “metaverse gold rush,” a widespread adoption of the metaverse in advertising may not happen as quickly as expected. Additionally, the article challenges the notion that contextual targeting will replace third-party cookies entirely. It questions the hype around “NFTs as ad inventory,” emphasising the challenges in implementing non-fungible tokens in advertising. The piece provides a counter-narrative, cautioning against overestimating the immediate impact of certain anticipated trends in the advertising industry for the upcoming year. Read more here:
The AI Revolution: Which Jobs Are Most at Risk?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly, leading many to question its impact on job security. This issue has gained significant attention following the introduction of AI tools like ChatGPT. A recent UK Government study sheds light on the jobs most at risk from AI, providing many with a deeper understanding of its impact. The UK Department for Education conducted a study to assess job vulnerability to AI. This study, focusing on AI’s potential in automating jobs, revealed that 10-30% of roles might be at risk of AI-driven automation. This percentage varies based on individual perspectives on AI’s capabilities. Initial findings identified professional sectors like finance, law, and business management as more vulnerable to AI. The finance and insurance industries, in particular, showed high exposure levels. The study suggests a correlation between higher educational requirements for a job and greater AI exposure. Conversely, roles requiring less education and experience, except for security guards, showed lower AI exposure. The emergence of security technology has made these roles more AI-centric than similar low-education jobs. Read more here:
If you’re looking for some expert advice on how to keep your digital marketing strategies up to date and follow the trends in a rapidly moving market – get in touch with us. Our team of experts will be more than willing to discuss your requirements and offer their knowledge – just fire over an email to team@modo25.com and we’ll get back to you.
