Happy and healthy weekend 🌶️💪
Yours, Verena
🍪 Google keeps cookies: The winners and losers
Google’s decision to keep cookies in Chrome is fundamentally changing the digital advertising landscape. ID providers such as The Trade Desk and LiveRamp emerge as winners, as do SSPs PubMatic and Magnite, which benefit from their publisher relationships and contextual signals. Publishers such as Vox Media and Newsweek with cookie-dependent revenue models can also breathe a sigh of relief. Ironically, Google itself is on the losing side due to the reputational damage and wasted resources. Privacy sandbox investors such as Criteo are also among the losers, despite short-term revenue benefits. Privacy advocates and consumers, who were promised improved privacy, also lose out. >>> Adweek
🕹️ Twitch continues to grow: 15.6 billion hours of gaming in 2024
Amazon’s live streaming service Twitch grew strongly again in 2024: users worldwide watched 15.6 billion hours of gaming content – an increase of 10 percent compared to 2023. GTA V led the way with 1.4 billion hours, followed by League of Legends (1.18 billion), which was the most popular in Germany and France. Twitch thus secured 60 percent of the global livestreaming market. >>> Eurogamer
🥸 Meta finally wants to tackle the spam problem
After much hesitation, Meta acknowledges a significant spam problem on Facebook and announces countermeasures. The feed is overcrowded with long posts, unnecessary hashtags and irrelevant captions. As part of a new initiative, Meta wants to reduce the reach of spam accounts, combat fake profiles and better protect content creators. Over 100 million fake pages were already removed in 2024. This initiative is part of the strategy to return to the original Facebook experience. >>> Meta
🕵️♀️ ChatGPT launches entry-level research
OpenAI has introduced a "light" version of its ChatGPT in-depth research tool. This uses the o4-mini model, delivers faster and cheaper answers and is now also available for free users (up to five tasks per month). The results are usually shorter, but retain the usual quality according to the operator. If the limits of the full version are exceeded, the system automatically switches to the light version. >>> TechCrunch
🪰 Adobe: Firefly opens up to other AI models
Adobe is opening up its AI tool Firefly to external models from OpenAI, Google and, in future, Pika, Ideogram and other providers. Users can now generate images with GPT, Imagen 3, Veo 2 and Flux 1.1 Pro, in addition to the improved in-house Firefly model. Seamless integration with programs such as Photoshop remains. While Adobe guarantees commercial security for its own model, it now offers customers more choice for creative processes. The payment system with credits is also used for third-party models. >>> Reuters
🇪🇺 Ionos launches European AI for SMEs
Internet service provider Ionos offers a new data protection-compliant AI solution specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises. The tool comprises four specialized AI assistants: a copywriter for text creation, a designer for image generation, a developer for programming and a generalist for brainstorming. The data remains in German infrastructure and is not used for training. >>> Ionos
🧼 Coolblue launches subscription for household appliances
The expanding Dutch online technology seller Coolblue is launching a subscription model for large household appliances in Germany: Washing machines and dryers from 18.99 euros, dishwashers and refrigerators from 20.99 euros per month. The service is available in NRW, Frankfurt and Hanover and includes delivery, installation, rapid replacement in the event of a fault and a purchase option after 12 months. >>> Channelpartner
🛍️ TikTok Shop: Germans skeptical, warning against impulse purchases
A Kantar survey shows: 58 percent of Germans reject purchases in the TikTok Shop. Generation Z in particular is interested, but expresses concerns about counterfeit products (52 percent) and data protection (43 percent). The Berlin Consumer Advice Centre warns against impulse purchases through personalized videos and "Buy Now, Pay Later" options, which can lead to excessive debt. In addition, high return costs could be incurred with sellers outside the EU. >>> Absatzwirtschaft / VZ Berlin
🤷 DACH companies neglect Web3
Many DACH companies neglect Web3, as 80 percent are barely familiar with the technology and 57 percent do not have the necessary expertise. Web3 stands for a decentralized Internet in which users retain control over their data. A lack of knowledge, regulatory uncertainty and few practical examples are holding back investment. Education, courage and legal clarity are needed to exploit the potential. >>> BVDW
🔨 Prebid bookings for digital outdoor advertising
Weischer.JvB is launching a new prebid service for DOOH campaigns that enables fully automated advertising space bookings before the actual auction. The system decides on the advertising space purchase within three milliseconds, based on a precise target group analysis with campaign-specific and movement data. According to Managing Director Jonas Kofahl-Kraatz, the service "closes the last gap between target group data and programmatic playout". >>> Meedia
