ROUND UP — FTC, Performance Max & More

27 tactics for improving your website's conversion rate & much more

SIDE NOTE 1: I've added a new detail to the Campaign Monitor section that, whenever possible, highlights the agency responsible for creating the campaign. These teams put in a lot of effort, so I figured it was worth showcasing them whenever that information is available.

SIDE NOTE 2: Tons of news and no ads today — let's get right into it!

A CRO MASTERCLASS

What did you do on your last birthday? Did you write a 27-tweet thread about how to maximize your website's conversion rate? Of course not, but that's what makes Nik Sharma so great. To celebrate his recent birthday, he ran through an extremely comprehensive list of all the elements that can be optimized on your website to make it convert as effectively as possible. Check out his thread below and make yourself a checklist. No doubt, executing some of these ideas will help you maximize profits.

FAREWELL MEDIAMATH

MediaMath, one of the oldest adtech companies, recently filed for bankruptcy after their previous acquisition talks fell flat. The company announced that they will shut down operations in the coming months, and access to MediaMath’s platform will no longer be available as of June 30. This is an unfortunate situation, as MediaMath has been a staple in digital advertising for quite some time. For more details, check out the article from AdExchanger below.

FTC VS UGC

In some pretty big news for the advertising world, the FTC recently announced new guidelines for how we use influencers/creators/people of interest in our ad creative. It's pretty extensive, too. Notably, we are going to be expected to make it extremely obvious, with clear labelling, when someone is being paid, gifted a product, etc, to say something. The lines get a little blurry, too, so I'll let this fantastic breakdown from Rob Freund do the talking. You definitely want to check this one out if you're involved in paid media.

AD CREATIVE BREAKDOWN

As part of a new series, Dara Denney is doing '30 Days of Ads', highlighting a new ad each day and talking about why they are either great or terrible. This one, in particular, I really liked. Here, Dara talks about the psychology behind celebrity endorsements and why it can work so well for some brands. There are definitely some insights to glean here, so make sure you check it out and follow her so you don't miss any new posts!

PERFORMANCE, MAXIMIZED

Google Ads' newest addition to their roster, Performance Max, has been around for some time now, but it's still very much a black box. Chances are, you've tested it with some success but wondered how to actually make the most of it. Well, look no further because Menachem Ani has the answers. In an extremely comprehensive thread, he outlines all the tactics and insights he has for maximizing Performance Max's, well, performance. Check out his thread below to have your mind blown:

DTC THREADS PEOPLE TO FOLLOW

I will save you the breakdown of what Threads is, as I'm sure that everyone has heard more than enough about it. Instead, I'm sharing a post from Jaquory Lunsford, where he has built a sheet as a database for all the DTC people you should follow on Threads. Due to it using IG handles instead of your chosen username, it can be hard to find the right people to follow. Well, look no further. Check out his post below to see more, which will be updated over time.

• CAMBODIA GOES EYE-FOR-AN-EYE: Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen, has decided to bar members of Meta's oversight board from entering the country after the board had decided to ban Sen's Facebook account for six months.

• CONTROLLING ASC: Jon Loomer, an industry vet, dropped a new blog highlighting methodology for using audience controls to improve the performance of Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns.

COTTENELLE — ASSVERTISERS

Agency: FCB Chicago

Cottenelle has enlisted the one and only Ken Jeong to help them spread their message of 'down there care.' In their new campaign, they are looking for influencers to help spread this message, dubbing them 'assvertisers.' This one kind of speaks for itself: celebrity endorsement, launch of a social campaign, and comedic angle. Nothing to hate here. I personally like when brands don't shy away from a little 'edge,' where traditional legacy brands might be too afraid to use the word 'ass,' Cottenelle puts it front and center. Respect.

...that said, they released some highly questionable 'Tales of Down There' series that goes a little too far, which I will spare you from having to see. My take: I love that they are spinning this series into a promo featuring Ken Jeong looking for a new angle and sweeping the horrifying previous iterations under the run.

Fine, since I know you can't stop thinking about it, here's one of the Tales of Down There. See, I told you it was bad. You made me do this.

MATOMO ANALYTICS — GOOGLEHEIMER

Agency: Unknown (if you know, please let me know)

Have you heard about the GA4 migration??? Of course you have. Everyone on Earth has, reluctantly. Have you heard of Oppenheimer? That new Christopher Nolan movie based around the creation of the atomic bomb? Well, good. Then you're ready for... Googleheimer!

In a creative new campaign, Matomo Analytics does a fantastic job of using parody and current hype (around the Oppenheimer movie) to showcase their product as an answer to one of the most dreaded platform updates in the marketing world.

This is playful, fun, highly produced, and never goes too far in any direction, which keeps the pacing and attention where it needs to be. Overall, loved this campaign.

Have a great week,Cory