In a mischievously terse, 91-word statement, Walmart yesterday said they will, or might, join Microsoft’s bid for TikTok. Walmart is aggressively growing its ecommerce and advertising businesses, so this announcement makes more sense than several other aspects of TikTok saga. Walmart was already expected to pass eBay this year to become the second-largest ecommerce company.
Let’s peer today at life’s second-most interesting topic: consumer behavior. We’ll start with this Unruly report (that’s the company name; the report is well-behaved) on connected TV viewers. Headline finding is 73% of U.S. consumers would rather watch ads on free TV than pay for ad-free TV content. Times being what they are, consumers are even more likely to seek free options: 35% have tried a new ad-supported streaming service since the pandemic began and 79% plan to continue.
Whatever happens to Audience Network, Facebook is working hard to build its ecommerce business. Its latest step is Facebook Shop, a new section in its main app that lets users buy from multiple merchants. This is a big step up from the Facebook Shops that exist on merchants’ own pages. Raise your hand if you think becoming more dependent on Facebook is a good idea.
It’s tough to get brand safety right, but the industry keeps trying. IPG Mediabrands announced a new set of tools to find and block inappropriate ad placements, while IAS expanded its suitability measurements to include standards from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Meanwhile, DoubleVerify admitted a mistake made brand safety on X/Twitter look worse than it really was in October 2023 and March 2024.