Gen Z Shoppers, HBO Max With Ads, & More | Weekly Marketing News

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It’s always important for marketers to stay on top of the constant stream of news that is being published about the ad industry, and this week was no different. To make it easier to see it all in one place, we made this roundup of the top stories that made headlines. 

In digital marketing news, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Gen Z shoppers are going to change the way we use marketing in the future. According to a new article from Adweek, Gen Z is interested in something more than a traditional ad when shopping online. This generation is looking for a seamless shopping experience and expect brands to reach them across a multitude of devices and channels. They are also digitally native, and with that comes a more tolerant view of advertising. According to Verizon Media, 61% of these shoppers say that ads help give them new ideas for items to buy, and 42% have clicked on a sponsored ad – a higher percentage than any other generation. There are a few tricks that marketers can use to ensure their ads are reaching this valuable audience group, and Adweek lays them out here. 

And in Connected TV news, HBO has just launched their much anticipated ad-supported subscription tier, called HBO Max With Ads. This tier will cost new subscribers $9.99 a month, and comes with a lighter ad-load than many of HBO’s competitors with similar offerings. This news comes as many marketing sources are finding that consumers actually prefer this kind of content – according to Tivo, 79% of streamers prefer ad-supported content over paid streaming services. And it sounds like HBO Max executives were paying attention. According to Brad Wilson, WarnerMedia evp, growth and revenue, who was interviewed by Adweek, HBO hopes that this new ad-supported tier will appeal to those cost-conscious consumers looking for a lower price point on their subscription streaming services. As the Connected TV industry continues to evolve, updates like these can help marketers to better understand the trajectory of this growing channel.

Keep reading below to see the rest of the marketing headlines that made waves this week. 

DIGITAL

Why AI Powered Creative Is The Most Important Change In Advertising Development History – Through AI and machine learning, ads are optimized at scale across sectors for micro-targets that can be defined in multiple ways. The technology also enables a new form of targeting based on message resonance. 

Are You Connecting Digitally With Gen Z Shoppers? – When deciding what to buy, Gen Z is looking for something more than a traditional ad – They want to be inspired across the entire sales funnel, with seamless shopping experiences that feel relevant and personal. 

The Future of Marketing: Digital Marketing as a Game Changer – Marketing professionals believe that the digital transformation boost represents the biggest opportunity born of the pandemic, giving us an indication of what the future might look like. 

CONNECTED TV & STREAMING

Two-Thirds of Advertisers Use CTV To Build Stronger Link Between TV And Digital – Innovid announced the findings of its State of CTV Advertising report, which surveyed more than 100 brand marketers and agency executives to spotlight where the industry stands in its CTV advertising journey.

Attribution Is the Key to Unlock the Full Potential of Connected TV – Connected TV offers a wealth of opportunities for brands to more precisely connect with their ideal consumers where and how they live. The key is figuring out how exactly to quantify the potential.

YouTube is Poised to Overtake the TV Advertising Market – Alphabet’s online video service has grown from tween pastime to one of the world’s largest sellers of digital advertising. Now it’s poised to overtake the TV ad market—if it can maintain control of the wild universe of content it created.

76% Plan To Change Business Model To Capitalize On Exploding Streaming Demand – In their latest industry report, Applicaster has revealed that 84% of media executives expect streaming to grow in 2021, with nearly half of those budgeting for more than 50% growth this quarter alone.

HBO Max With Ads Debuts, Featuring More Than 35 Brands – HBO Max’s ad-supported tier officially rolled out on Wednesday, marking WarnerMedia’s entrance into the fast-growing ad-supported streaming space.

MOBILE

Google’s New Android Privacy Policies Draw a Line on IDs – Google announced a policy update that requires Android app developers to shore up their user-tracking policies in a move that mirrors the ongoing war of words between the online advertising giant and iPhone-maker Apple.

Twitter Debuts Subscription Services for ‘Super Users’ – Twitter Blue will cost $2.99 a month for access to tools including the ability to rescind tweets and organize posts.

Keeping the Pirates at Bay – Mobile Marketing talks to White Bullet CEO Peter Szyszko about the rise of online piracy in a post-pandemic world, new government initiatives to defund piracy and the role the social media giants can play in the fight against piracy. 

WE’LL KEEP YOU UP-TO-DATE

That’s it for the roundup this week, next week we’ll be back with another list of what’s making news in marketing.

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