by Tod Maffin and Steph Gunn
Today's News
Ad Industry Wants to Cancel Click-To-Cancel
Google Calls Time of Death on Call Ads
Reddit Users Gatekeep Restaurants from SERPs
Low Instagram Views? Kiss Good Video Quality Goodb …
Amazon Sellers Brace for Holiday Shipping Delays
Could Loops’ Be the Fediverse’s Answer to TikTok?
Ad Industry Wants to Cancel Click-To-Cancel
Well, that didn't take long.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau and two other industry groups are suing the American trade regulator to block its new “click-to-cancel” rule.
That rule will require companies to make canceling subscriptions as easy as signing up is.
Netflix & sue
The IAB represents 700 members, like Netflix, Amazon, Google, and Meta, and it’s joining forces with the Electronic Security Association and NCTA–Internet and Television Association, whose members include Disney, Comcast, and Warner Bros.
The FTC argues simplifying cancellations will benefit consumers. But industry groups say it could harm businesses reliant on recurring payments.
Pay TV providers, which often require users to call to cancel, could be especially impacted, as the rule would demand a digital cancellation option.
Pausing the cancel button
The lawsuit was filed just days after the FTC published the final version of the rule, which is set to take effect in about six months.
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Google Calls Time of Death on Call Ads
Google’s “click-to-call“ ads are also getting canceled.
Google is dialing down on call ads as it prepares to phase them out next year, moving those campaigns to the “responsive search ads” format.
This shift means advertisers will need to make some changes, like adding a landing page and a business name at the campaign or account level.
What’s changing
Google says that starting sometime next year, creating new call ads will no longer be an option.
And any existing call ads without a final URL added will not be migrated to responsive search ads.
A Google spokesperson said that while there’s no specific kill date yet, the transition is likely to happen early next year. Advertisers should get an alert ahead of the change.
@DarioZannoni There's not a specific date at this point, but likely will be early next year. Advertisers will be alerted ahead of the change.
— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison)
6:38 PM • Oct 25, 2024
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Reddit Users Gatekeep Restaurants from SERPs
Reddit users are gaming Google's search results in order to drive customers away from their favourite restaurants — all in an attempt to keep those locations less busy.
Ars Technica reported on this first this week. The trend also points out flaws in Google Search’s reliance on Reddit and its AI Overview feature.
This all appears to have started on the r/London subreddit, where a user complained about a spot being “ruined by influencers.”
Modern problems require modern solutions
The post has more than 5,000 upvotes and several responses suggesting Redditors talk about how good a chain restaurant called Angus Steakhouse is so that Google picks up on it.
The commenters understood the assignment.
Now, a search for “best steak of steak sandwich in London” comes back with a Reddit thread titled “Which Angus Steakhouse do you recommend for their steak sandwich?” at the top.
One Redditor commented on the post, “Perfect place for an influencer.”
Low Instagram Views? Kiss Good Video Quality Goodbye.
Apparently, only the viral brands get HD on Instagram.
If you've ever wondered why some of your brand’s videos look blurry, while others look sharp on the app, we may now have an answer. It’s because Instagram lowers video quality for unpopular videos — this, according to platform head Adam Mosseri.
In a follow-up response on Threads, he added that Instagram devotes more resources to videos from “creators who drive more views.”
Mosseri acknowledged concerns about how this approach could affect smaller creators and brands but said people interact with videos based on their content, not their quality.
Amazon Sellers Brace for Holiday Shipping Delays
Ahead of the busiest commerce season of the year, Amazon is pushing sellers to stock up on their inventory earlier than last year to maintain quick delivery during the holiday rush.
Retail Dive reports today that sellers that haven’t done so may face delays due to Amazon's current capacity constraints.
High demand, low capacity
In an announcement to third-party sellers, the e-commerce giant said it's experiencing tight capacity at some West Coast facilities in particular due to high demand.
This is resulting in longer processing times for seller inventory at inbound shipping locations
It’s also causing longer times for palletized freight.
Amazon says it’s rerouting some shipments to other regions. It’s also extending the automatic closure and abandoned shipment windows for orders placed between August 7 and October 31.
Could Loops’ Be the Fediverse’s Answer to TikTok?
A new rival to TikTok, called Loops, is making its way to the fediverse.
This short-form video app, developed by the creator of Instagram alternative Pixelfed, recently opened signups.
How it works
Brands and users that have signed up will be able to post up to 60 seconds of video, according to details shared by its developer on Mastodon.
Features like using sounds and remixing others' videos will be coming soon.
Users will also have the option to pin profile videos and manage their comment sections.
However, the platform currently lacks support for hashtags and mentions.
The initial version of the iOS app will be available through TestFlight, Apple's platform for testing unreleased apps.
Integration in progress
According to a FAQ in its site, the Loops’ fediverse integration is in-progress but not live, and the platform hasn’t been open-sourced yet.
Even though there is a somewhat incomplete bridge between Threads and the fediverse, so far, there doesn’t appear to be a similar bridge between Loops and Instagram or TikTok.
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