Today's News

Instagram Carousels Boost Reach

Google Replaces Advertising VP

X Changes Drive Users to Bluesky

CPG Digital Ad Spend Growth to Slow

Amazon Ads Takes Center Stage

Amazon Tests New Grocery Store

Instagram Carousels Boost Reach

First, it was videos. Then, Reels.

Now, Instagram says posting carousels on Instagram can increase your reach. That's according to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri this week.

Remember, carousels can now include up to 20 frames and music.

Why it works

Carousels get more reach than single photos for two reasons.

First, multiple frames lead to more interactions. More interactions mean more reach.

Second, if a user doesn't swipe through your carousel, Instagram will often show them the second frame anyway.

More opportunities

Carousels with music can now appear in the Reels tab, expanding their reach.

Instagram also recently added text overlays and multi-format display to carousel posts.

This means you can include different image formats in a single carousel.

If you have the assets, creating a carousel plan might be worth considering.

Instagram post by @mosseri

Google Replaces Advertising VP

Big changes in the Google org chart.

The senior vice president in charge of advertising is leaving the role to take on the new job of chief technologist.

Prabhakar Raghavan will now focus on providing technical direction and leadership.

He’s been with Google for 12 years, leading teams across the company. Most recently, he was in charge of search, ads, and commerce.

His replacement is Nick Fox, who has experience launching products like Google Fi and RCS messaging.

Other teams are being shuffled

The division working on Google's Gemini app will join Google DeepMind.

The Google Assistant team will become part of Google's platforms and devices team.

X Changes Drive Users to Bluesky

The decentralized social platform Bluesky added a half-million new users in a single day this week.

The surge most likely linked to several recent changes on X that have sparked controversy.

Blocks no longer, you know, BLOCK

X users received a pop-up message stating that their posts will be visible to users they've previously blocked.

While blocked accounts won't be able to interact with the posts, the change has raised concerns about harassment. X claims the update will increase transparency, but many users say they’re worried about their safety.

Bluesky quickly used the change as a recruitment tool, capitalizing on users' concerns about the new blocking policy.

New T&C also troublesome

X's new terms of service have also caused alarm, particularly regarding data use for AI model training. The new terms state that users agree to let X and its third-party partners use their content for training AI models.

This clause did not exist in the previous version of the terms.

Judicial conflicts of interest?

The updated terms also require users to file any legal disputes with X in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas. X doesn’t operate in that jurisdiction. But that court has a judge who owns Tesla stocks, and has ruled favorably in cases involving Musk and his companies, raising concerns about judicial conflicts of interest.

CPG Digital Ad Spend Growth to Slow

The US consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry's digital ad spend growth will slow significantly next year, according to an eMarketer forecast — this, after years of double-digit growth.

The rate is expected to drop to around 6% and remain there through 2026.

CPGs have invested heavily in digital advertising to reach consumers who have reduced spending or switched to private labels. However, as inflation cools and recession fears recede, eMarketer says growth will normalize.

By 2026, US CPG digital ad spend is expected to reach $56 billion, accounting for more than 15% of total digital ad spend.

Amazon Ads Takes Center Stage

Amazon Ads is becoming a major player in the media and entertainment industry.

But while the business is growing, analysts say it still has room for basic upgrades, such as improving the platform's user interface.

Upgrades and changes

Amazon is working to address feedback from users, including complaints about slow wait times for using Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC). The company announced changes to AMC, including a new SQL-free coding feature that allows non-technical users to create audiences using natural language prompts.

AMC is a key part of Amazon's strategy, offering exclusive targeting and retargeting capabilities based on Amazon sales data.

Performance Plus

Amazon's machine-learning-based ad product, Performance Plus, is gaining traction.

The product allows advertisers to input their budget and key performance indicators, and Amazon takes care of the rest.

Performance Plus offers a range of benefits, including controls to target or avoid specific Amazon channels and more transparent reporting.

Amazon Tests New Grocery Store

Amazon is trying out a new type of small grocery store.

The first location is in downtown Chicago, right next to a Whole Foods Market. (You might remember Amazon owns the Whole Foods brand.) This new store is actually in the same building as the Whole Foods.

Why?

The new store, called Amazon Grocery, sells products that can't be found in Whole Foods, like foods with artificial sweeteners and color additives. So, you know, like Whole Foods — but crappier.

The store has about 3,500 products, including some big-name brands that aren't in Whole Foods. It also has drinks and grab-and-go meals.

Part of a bigger plan

This new store is just one of many changes Amazon is making to its grocery business.

Last week, the company said it would add a small automated warehouse to a different Whole Foods location. This would let shoppers buy products that aren't normally sold in Whole Foods.

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