Snap Keeps A Clean Nose; Facebook Russia Ad Fallout Looms

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Brownie Points

Despite being a smaller part of their revenue picture, Snap offers brands and publishers one thing Google and Facebook do not: a social media environment essentially free of “fake news.” Facebook and Google spread content further, but Business Insider’s Mike Shields argues that Snapchat’s more guarded, premium media environment could win consideration, as other platforms struggle with fake news and political propaganda. Humans review most Snapchat ads, and the platform lacks sharing tools that make fake content go viral. It also handpicks the publishers promoted in its Discover section. But it’s only a matter of time before Snap becomes too big to maintain its human review process. More.

Nightmare Scenario

We may never know what role fake news played in the 2016 election outcome, but there will be real impacts for Facebook nonetheless. “They’re going to need to make concessions,” Alex Howard, deputy director of the Sunlight Foundation, tells Alex Kantrowitz at BuzzFeed. Democrats are pushing for regulations that would mandate disclosures for online political advertising, which digital platforms have skirted by arguing that disclosures would be prohibitive in text-limited display ads and posts. Others want Facebook, a mass media and news hub, to have the same responsibilities for advertising and disclosure placed on TV and radio.  More.

B2B: Mobile Edition

B2B decision-makers have smartphones just like the rest of us, yet mobile marketing to enterprises has lagged behind the consumer ad market. In a blog post, Boston Consulting Group offers some best practices. “The B2B purchase process can be long and complex, so high-quality, personalized content, delivered throughout the buying journey, is an important differentiator. And because B2B purchasing is often team-based, mobile can play an important role in enhancing team communication and collaboration as well as decision-making efficiency.” Read it.

Growceries

Wal-Mart announced a new grocery service last week where customers can order online and pick up their shopping outside the store. Wal-Mart has been throwing lots of spaghetti at the wall in pursuit of ecommerce growth, but this change is more consequential than it might seem. Groceries and CPG products have low profit margins but deliver a lot of value to chains like Wal-Mart and Target because they attract regular shoppers who fill out their carts with higher-margin products. “So, if the customers don’t go into the stores, that could be a negative,” says Gene German, a food marketing industry researcher, tells The New York Times. On the flip side, Wal-Mart earlier this year began offering discounts for orders placed online and picked up in-store, with one exec telling AdExchanger that shoppers for big-ticket home goods or electronics would come to the store for the discount and stay for the groceries. More.

But Wait, There’s More!

You’re Hired!

This post was syndicated from Ad Exchanger.