Epic Games

Google is testing a new badge for shopping-related searches on some mobile devices. Plus, should brands have political opinions?

Ally’s newest Fortnite game, “Tee Time Speedrun,” launched last week to promote its sponsorship of the USGA and LGPA. The game ties into Ally’s goal of reaching gender parity in its sports sponsorships.

In today’s newsletter: Google tries to buy its way out of a jury trial in the DOJ’s antitrust case against its ads business; Walmart sees some of its best margins on ad sales; and TikTok tests 60-minute videos.

In today’s newsletter: Google AdSense publishers are in crisis; Apple is fighting antitrust suits in the UK and the US; and Sherwood Media has a post-SEO strategy.

SuperAwesome CEO Kate O’Loughlin discusses how contextual targeting makes it less risky for brands to market to kids and teens, and whether advertiser priorities for reaching young consumers are shifting after years of metaverse hype.

The vast majority of advertisers who buy ads in video games (91%) no longer consider gaming to be an experimental media channel. But ad spend in games still lags behind audience engagement.

In today’s newsletter: Under DMA’s gatekeeper rules, Apple reinstates Epic Games’ developer account one day after it suspended it; brands are building first-party-data-based walled gardens to weather cookie deprecation; and Kevel raises $23 million.

The question isn’t whether Google will fall, but whether its time is near. And, if so, what will finally bring it down?

In today’s newsletter: Users’ rare anime collections disappear as Sony consolidates Funimation and Crunchyroll; Instagram and Threads stop promoting political content; and why Fortnite is winning the metaverse.

In today’s newsletter: Buyers are relatively blasé about made-for-advertising sites; Meta is riding high, having fully adapted to ATT, while Google’s search dominance is under threat; and Publicis Groupe reports strong growth.