In our review of last week’s martech news, we highlight Google’s update to bring more user controls directly to the Search page, Amazon Advertising’s Q3 earnings up 123%, and YouTube’s investment in more educational content and safer places for ads.
Google Walkout: Employees say Time’s Up
What it is
Thousands of Googlers around the world walked out last Thursday in protest of sexual harassment allegations against top company executives — and exit packages to the tune of $90 million given to those same execs. They also declared five demands from employees to company leadership, in order to make progress on changes employees have been wanting for a long time.
Why it matters
For anyone who’s been paying attention to #MeToo, #TimesUp, and the host of other marches, campaigns, and political debates on gender equality, none of this comes as much surprise. If anything, it’s only time that company employees begin to join forces and participate in the work of ending sexual harassment.
The fact that Googlers were the first to stage such a walkout against sexual assault speaks to the high level of care, wisdom, and ownership they feel over their work and their company.
On an industry level, crises like these are potentially further steps toward a future where a small handful of technology giants have don’t have so much dominance over information and wellbeing.
Google Search users can delete search data and control ad settings
What it is
Google announced last week that users can update their privacy settings now without ever leaving the Search page. In the past, users had to do this from their account profile.
Now, you can visit the “Your data in Search” category to review and delete search history and access your ad control settings. These are controls that were already available to users through a more roundabout way, Google is just now moving to bring them closer to users’ fingertips.
Right now, this is available for desktop and mobile web app search. In the future, they’ll expand the feature also to the Android and iOS apps, as well as to Maps and many other Google products.
Why it matters
This update is great for user privacy — but gives advertisers less information for targeting ads.
However, on the heels of the recent Google+ data breach, alleged sexual harassment cover-ups, and employee resignations over Project Dragonfly and a potential AI contract with the Pentagon, this was a wise move to protect their relationship first and foremost with users.
They say this is “just one way that we are continuously working to build privacy that works for everyone.”
Amazon ad business is worth $2.5 billion, up 123% in Q3
What it is
In their Q3 earnings report, Amazon reported their ad revenue was up 123% from last year, now worth $2.5 billion. Amazon has been consolidating all of its ad products under Amazon Advertising, hoping to attract more marketers through ease of use.
Why it matters
While advertising online was long dominated by Google and Facebook, Amazon is making a stand as a strong part of the triopoly.
Unlike Google and Facebook, Amazon realizes only a small part of its revenue via advertising. For perspective, their overall revenue was $56.6 billion in Q3, with only $2.5bn of that from ads.
Many marketers liken Amazon Advertising to the early days of AdWords — it still has a lot of growing to do. As only a portion of the overall company, however, a strong case can be made for a lot of explosive growth to come.
YouTube invests $20m in educational content + safer places for ads
What it is
YouTube has plans to invest $20 million in creators of educational video content on its platform, under its YouTube Learning Initiative. “Educational” can include content around anything from cooking to science. They’ll also introduce a Learning channel to house education-specific content, whether job skill training, DIY tutorials, media literacy, or a host of other quality content.
As part of the effort, the company will also use its partnership with FameBit to help connect companies with appropriate educational YouTubers.
Initial recipients of the funds include channels from TedEd, Vox, and Socratica.
Why it matters
YouTube has faced scorn for running ads from top brands next to extremist content, including videos from neo-Nazi and jihadist groups, as well as content sexualizing children. Understandably, top brands want to steer clear of those associations.
This move will be a way for the platform to provide higher quantity and quality of trustworthy, credible, and otherwise “safe” content for brands to advertise on.
Before you go
- Users of Google Analytics will be given access to Google InMarket Leads, a lead generation company powered by Fastbase.
- Predictive sales tool People.ai raised $30M Series B funding to track the steps employees take to land a deal and automate them.
- LinkedIn ads can now be tracked via Google Campaign Manager.
- Google’s parent company Alphabet missed revenue estimates in Q3 — $27.2 billion vs estimated $27.3 billion.
- Facebook announced analytics suite for Instagram.
- Twitter Q3 earnings are up despite drop in users — 326 million in Q3 vs 335 million in Q2.
- Teikametrics, Amazon ad optimization technology, raised $10M Series A funding.
- Conversica, a conversational AI sales tool, raised $31M Series C funding.
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