Temu and Shein Are the ‘Jaws’ of Digital Advertising

Fashion brands advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Google are swimming in shark-infested waters, and Temu and Shein are the sharks.

The Chinese e-commerce players have been on a huge advertising spree capable of disrupting the marketing of any brands they end up competing against head to head. They can appear out of nowhere, abruptly send costs soaring and disappear just as quickly.

“We are all very aware of their spending power and their ability to change our results in a hurry,” said Vic Drabicky, founder and chief executive of January Digital, a consultancy and marketing agency with customers including Tory Burch, Fenty Beauty and Victoria’s Secret.

Temu’s parent company, PDD, spent almost $2 billion on Meta ads in 2023, sources told the Wall Street Journal, making it Meta’s biggest advertiser by revenue for the year. (Temu disputed the number but didn’t provide a figure of its own.) The company also placed around 1.4 million ads across Google services globally in the past year, the New York Times reported.

Shein is trying to keep up. In the last quarter of 2023, the company’s US ad spending was up 160 percent compared to the prior year, according to data from digital-intelligence firm SensorTower. It ratched up spending a further 80 percent month over month in January of this year.

Most of the time fashion brands won’t see much impact from this flood of advertising. But when it’s targeted at the same shoppers they’re trying to reach, it can make it dramatically more expensive to get the same number of clicks from users — and may come as they’re already fighting to keep their shoppers from decamping to those platforms for similar-looking items at much cheaper prices.

At least two of January Digital’s customers have already run into scenarios where they’ve found

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How marketers can advance personalized marketing across the digital advertising ecosystem

In modern media, personalization will become increasingly critical in connecting audiences with content and advertising that best align with their interests and preferences. For brands seeking 1:1 relationships with new consumers, quality audience data has become critical as the digital landscape expands and channel engagement fragments. This is particularly relevant across two fronts: traditional digital media across computer and mobile and connected TV (CTV1).

While the lines between these two environments are blurring, they currently exist independent from one another, which means that marketers need to understand how each is structured and evolving so they can best navigate the intricacies to best capitalize on the promise of personalization.

The digital advertising ecosystem is fundamentally different for CTV than it is for other platforms.

  • In browser-based digital media, marketers have used third-party cookies for audience-specific digital engagement for more than 20 years. Now, as the industry moves away from cookies, Nielsen is prepared to use other identifiers such as hashed emails (HEMs) or any other ubiquitous identifiers that the industry uses, as there is no single universal identifier that the ecosystem has adopted that is a true replacement for cookies. Nielsen is recommending the use of HEMs for digital measurement as it is a non-proprietary identifier that can be generated without integrating with other third-party systems.
  • In video-based CTV, marketers use a combination of first-party identifiers, unique device IDs and/or household IP addresses for audience-specific advertising.

While complex and evolving, these environments become significantly more navigable for marketers when they have person-based measurement data to tap into for their campaign efforts.

Foundational differences aside, traditional digital media and CTV are similar in that they offer the same value proposition to marketers: a direct means of communicating with specific audiences. While many throughout the industry expected media spending across traditional

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Ad:tech Forum 2024: Unpacking influencer marketing in an ever-evolving landscape | Advertising

Day two of Ad:tech 2024 saw an engaging session around the burgeoning creator-led economy and the influencer marketing which is increasingly marking its space in brand’s media mix today. You can read all about day one here.

 

The panelists included marketers from diverse product categories and industries such as FMCG, Finance and AlcoBev and comprised Ankit Desai, head of media, digital marketing and brand PR, Marico, Vishal Gaba, former associate director for marketing, Bira and Megha Manchanda, senior vice president and head of marketing at DBS Bank. 

 

Hari Krishnan, managing director, content & groupé marcomm, Publicis Groupé India moderated the session.

 

The discussion centred around ‘secrets of successful brand and creator economy collaborations’,  and spotlighted the evolution of the influencer space, with brands now collaborating with different cohorts of macro and micro influencers simultaneously. The panel endeavoured to uncover strategies for driving efficiency in this ever-evolving landscape, even as it redefines the way brands influence and sell.

 

The evolution 

 

Krishnan highlighted how the influencer space has grown dramatically in the last only three to five years, to the extent that the Prime Minister himself  has recognised and felicitated influencers in the country (and some outside) through the recently held national creators economy. He underlined how this was a clear indicator of the potency of the medium, and a reason enough as to why the cohort must not be taken lightly, especially in the wake of the upcoming general elections in the country.

 

Krishnan kicked off the session by asking the marketers to share their experiences with the influencer medium in the past four years—from when it began exerting its influence on the markets to its evolution today as part of several brands’ marketing media mix. 

 

Gaba admitted that initially at Bira they started off with skepticism regarding the emerging creator

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The rise of 3D ads in the post-CGI era: Transforming advertising and marketing

Authored by Srishti Jain, Founder- MakeAR 

Picture yourself walking down the bustling streets of New York City, surrounded by towering skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of urban life. Suddenly, you’re drawn to a larger-than-life Nike shoe seemingly popping out of a 3D billboard, capturing your attention with its stunning realism and dynamic visuals. Or perhaps you find yourself in the vibrant city of Dubai, where pizzas fly through the air in a captivating display of 3D imagery, enticing passersby with their mouth-watering allure. These are not just ads – they’re experiences that immerse you in a world of limitless possibilities, leaving a lasting impression that transcends traditional advertising.

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, the shift from 2D to 3D content is not just a trend – it’s a transformative journey reshaping the very essence of advertising and marketing. From mesmerizing CGI videos to eye-catching 3D billboards, consumers are embracing immersive experiences that transport them into a world where creativity knows no bounds.

As we enter the post-CGI era, the potential of 3D advertising emerges as the next frontier in captivating audiences and elevating brand storytelling to new heights.

Before diving deep into the waters of 3D advertising, let’s take a look at how 3D modeling differentiates itself from CGI and why 3D marketing is anticipated as the powerhouse of future marketing strategies.

Visual Style:

CGI ads often have a polished and cinematic visual style, with realistic graphics and seamless animations. These ads excel at creating fantastical worlds and larger-than-life scenarios that capture viewers’ imagination. For example, the CGI-animated Coca-Cola polar bears in the brand’s holiday commercials evoke a sense of wonder and magic.

3D Ads: 3D ads tend to have a more interactive and engaging visual style, with dynamic animations and immersive environments. These ads prioritize user interaction and

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Advertising & Marketing Industry Hosts Pride Kick Off Event


This week ADvocates Ireland, Outhouse LGBTQ+ CentreIAPIMarketing Institute IrelandIbec and Technological University Dublin, hosted an event for the industry: brand owners and marketeers, advertising agencies, and media companies to inspire and empower a room of community and allies on how to create authentic campaigns with lasting impact that are inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.

Oisin O’Reilly, CEO of Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, set the scene on how to ignite and sustain positive change. “The future is queer 4% Boomers are LGBTQ+ & 18% of Gen Z identify as LGBTQIA+ – brands need to represent this growing population. The corporate movement is crucial in supporting the community, with 2023 being the most violent year yet against the community. Corporate allyship helps to combat extremism and provide a safe space that allows LGBTQ+ folks to feel safe, seen and celebrated.”

Darius Pasalar,  Head of Planning at Droga5 Dublin, spoke about his five “guiding principles” “The graft behind the glitter” while also sharing some of Droga 5’s work for Dublin Bus such as Proud Dads – an inspiring impactful genuine piece of creative.  Darius’s Insights on Best Practice are reproduced below.

Richard Miley, Marketing Lead at An Post, shared powerful examples of the progressive campaigns at An Post, from representing queer couples in an authentic way through their trio of Christmas ads, to their hugely impactful Bród campaign in 2021 – celebrated in 900 stores across Ireland with merchandise, charity partner support, postmark, playlist, Bród post card door drops and more.


These keynotes were followed by an animated panel discussion moderated by Niall Cowley from We The People / ADvocates Ireland, as Jill DowneyAmanda Adé ( Adewole)Stephen WhelanRichard Miley & Oisin O’Reilly shared their experiences & opinions on

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Women that have empowered women in advertising & marketing to pursue their dreams

To celebrate diversity and empowerment on International Women’s Day and beyond, the theme for this year is ‘Inspire Inclusion.’ Every year, March 08 is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day serves as a powerful reminder of the progress made toward gender equality and highlights the work that still needs to be done.

And if it weren’t for the women who paved the way for future generations, we wouldn’t have made it this far. For every woman who broke the glass ceiling and mustered the courage to speak against boardroom inequality and the pay gap, there are fewer barriers for today’s women to overcome.

From Pepsico’s Indra Nooyi to Ogilvy’s Devika Seth Bulchandani, women who hold crucial positions across advertising, marketing, and media industries have also inspired many women CXOs and Founders to take that plunge of believing in themselves, achieve their dreams, and unlock full potential. They’ve felt a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment because of these women who led by example.  

We reached out to women in the advertising and media industry to find out those impactful figures who have inspired them to pursue their dreams, believed in them, and pushed them to be their best version. 

Many of them raised a toast to personalities who have broken gender norms and shattered glass ceilings in their respective fields, paving the way for other women in the industry. Others shared anecdotes of how the resilience and compassion demonstrated by their mothers shaped them into the leaders they are today. 

Here are a few women they look up to:

Aditi Shrivastava, Co-founder, MD & CEO at Pocket Aces:

I think my answer to this question about a Superwoman who has inspired me for the longest time has been Oprah. I

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