Inside Digital Marketing: July 2024
At a glance...
July has been an eventful month.
The world held its breath on multiple occasions with the dramatic Olympic launch to a worldwide IT outage.
Google announced an unexpected reversal on cookie phasing and OpenAI boldly move into search.
Cookies bite back
After years of back-and-forth, Google announced that it will not phase out third-party cookies in Chrome after all.
This marks a significant U-turn from their previous stance aimed at enhancing data privacy. Anthony Chavez, Google’s VP of Privacy Sandbox, shared the news in a blog post titled “A new path for Privacy Sandbox on the web” that the company is “proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice.”
Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, Google will introduce a new Chrome feature allowing users to make informed choices about their web privacy and adjust these settings at any time.
The decision was made in response to feedback from various stakeholders, including regulators, publishers, and advertisers, who expressed concerns about Privacy Sandbox, Google’s proposed suite of cookie alternatives. Despite this shift, Google will continue to develop APIs for reaching audiences who have cookies disabled.
So, what does this tell us going forward? The future is still uncertain, so we’ll have to stay tuned.
OpenAI announces SearchGPT
It appears that OpenAI has entered the search race with the introduction of SearchGPT.
This announcement marks a major milestone for OpenAI as SearchGPT is anticipated to push the boundaries of current search engine technology to new heights.
The landing page for the product describes the product as follows: “A prototype of new search features, using the strength of our AI models to give you fast answers with clear and relevant sources.”
SearchGPT is still in its early stages. Described by OpenAI as a “temporary prototype,” the platform is currently undergoing fundamental testing and is available to a select group of 10,000 users and publishers with plans of moving towards a wider roll-out.
While detailed information about the product is limited, it is understood that it will be integrated into ChatGPT rather than featuring as a standalone product.
This move positions OpenAI as a serious competitor to established search engines, including Google and Bing. The integration of generative AI into search tools has sparked an industry-wide race, despite concerns about AI’s accuracy and copyright issues.
Will this SearchGPT outdo Google? We’ve signed up to the waiting list to find out and we’ll let you know our thoughts.
Global IT outage
A global IT outage caused massive disruptions, impacting digital systems worldwide.
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, whose shares dropped by 11%, revealed that the outage was triggered by a faulty update to its Falcon antivirus software which protects Microsoft Windows devices.
The failure led to over 5,000 flight cancellations, grounded aircraft, and chaos affecting multiple industries including healthcare, banking, and payroll systems.
Passengers were stuck for hours at airports; supermarkets couldn’t take payments and many workers could not complete their daily tasks due to blue error screens.
Microsoft said it was taking “mitigation action” to deal with “the lingering impact” of the outage.
The incident underscores vulnerabilities in global IT systems and raises concerns about the concentration of tech services.
Olympics springboard marketing campaigns
Over 28 million viewers tuned in to the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking the 33rd edition of the Games.
Despite heavy rain, the event captivated audiences as teams arrived via boat along the Seine, with the ceremony being the first to be held outside a stadium, culminating in a stirring performance by Celine Dion of Edith Piaf’s ‘L’Hymne à l’Amour.’
For marketers, the Olympics are a prime opportunity to seize global attention. The surge in internet traffic and media engagement provides a unique platform for brands to shine. However, it’s not just major brands that benefit. Smaller companies can also tap into the Olympic excitement to boost their profile. For example, Cynthia Erivo dressing up in green as promotion of her upcoming film ‘Wicked’ shows how niche campaigns can make a significant impact.
Check out our LinkedIn page to explore our favourite Olympic campaigns this summer here.
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