I have to hand it to TikTok; they are an absolute gift for newsletter writers focusing on digital marketing (a niche, I know). This is the 38th edition of this particular newsletter and the 12th time that the lead story has focused on the platform.
Some of those have been because of terrific ad platform advancements, an increasing influence in search, or its role in social shopping. Sadly, this week, it’s due to something much darker; executives knew about the harm caused to teens by the platform but did nothing about it.
Elsewhere, in an otherwise jam-packed week of updates, Google turns to nuclear power (a sentence I never thought I’d write), the EU has brilliantly delivered good news for X while at the same time giving it a massive slap in the face, and there’s been plenty of other news besides.
Let’s get to it!
TikTok execs aware of teen harm caused by platform
Newly revealed TikTok documents show that the company knowingly understood the harmful effects its platform has on teens, particularly regarding addictive behaviours and negative self-image.
Despite this, in a move that will surprise no one who has ever seen corporations represented in mid-size blockbuster films, internal strategies focused more on public image than addressing the issues.
TikTok isn’t alone in attracting increased scrutiny (Snapchat has also had some poor moral choices aired recently), but this isn’t a great look. Aside from any personal thoughts, if you’re working with a brand or product championing solid ethics and morals, these are serious watch-outs when planning activity – not to mention the potential for tighter regulations on these platforms.
EU doesn’t think X is famous any more
If you’ll excuse the football-chant-based subheadline there, X (formerly Twitter) has avoided being designated as a “gatekeeper” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
What does that mean? Being a gatekeeper would mean X was seen as a dominant platform controlling digital market access. Being labelled as such would subject it to significantly stricter regulations designed to ensure fair competition.
Not being subject to these regulations is good news for X. But the fact that this is because it’s not seen as significant or essential anymore fits alarmingly well with last week’s news that Fidelity is valuing it at 79% lower than Elon Musk’s purchase price. It could easily be painted as the latest in a line of humiliations for the platform.
X also announced this week that it will be diluting blocking; if you block an account, they’ll be able to see your posts, but they won’t be able to engage with you. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however; X did reach an agreement with Unilever that means it’ll be dropping them from an ongoing lawsuit against advertisers, with the global giant due to resume activity (and, one assumes, ad spend) on the platform.
Google turns to nuclear energy to power AI
Google has signed a seismic deal to use nuclear energy to power AI data centres. This marks the first time a tech giant has turned to nuclear power to meet its energy needs, specifically due to the growing demand from AI.
It’s a real demonstration of AI’s real-world impact and the massive investments significant players are putting into it. It’s safe to say that it’s more than a fad.
Further Reading
Threads and Instagram have had a number of moderation issues recently leading to users losing access to accounts. Chief Adam Mosseri has said that, although AI was an issue, the issue was largely due to human errors.
Threads also wants to prompt more engagement by signifying when users are online. However, Meta’s owners came under fire this week for using what should be inspirational, community-driven, real-world events to hawk AI features—some interesting food for thought. Sadly, Meta also announced another round of layoffs this week.
With the US Presidential election only a few weeks away, I’m slightly surprised by how little cause I’ve had to mention it. However, this week, Donald Trump made some interesting claims about Google, which he says is one of the first things he’ll “do something” about. He’s previously said that he “had a feeling Google is going to be close to shut down.” If he does get voted in, it’ll be interesting to see what transpires.
While we’re at Google, they’ve also said they’re adding a handy ‘Cheapest’ tab to flight searches, making it easier for budget-conscious travellers.
Elsewhere, Reddit is improving its keyword targeting capabilities. It’s a slightly underrated ad platform for reaching hyper-specific audiences.
Amazon plans to ramp up the number of ads on its Prime TV service next year – apparently, people don’t mind them, so they’re going to push it further.
A couple of broader digital marketing trends also caught my eye this week. First, while I don’t necessarily agree with every point in this LinkedIn post by “Growth Advisor” Gaetano Nino DiNardi, there are some great points about the platform-driven move to zero-click content and the importance of educating this internally. I think the take is overly binary, but it’s worth considering.
Finally, this is an interesting article about ad fatigue and how brands see diminishing ROI once consumers see too many ads. The headline won’t surprise you, but the details merit a deeper dive.
That’s it! If you found this interesting, I would appreciate it if you shared it with your friends and colleagues.
If you’re feeling particularly generous, I won’t stop you from buying me a coffee. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next week!