The week of May 6 to 12 sees its weekly digital marketing updates and events dominated by McDonald’s headlines. Here’s a summary of the top stories your Clicademist collected for your must-know updates.
McDonald’s Digital Marketing Fund: McDonald’s is set to launch a new digital marketing fund in the U.S. next year, as revealed by a memo. Franchisees will contribute 1.2% of projected identified digital sales to this fund, which aims to modernize marketing strategies and enhance the company’s competitive edge. The focus will shift towards mobile ordering and digital initiatives, potentially reducing reliance on traditional marketing methods like TV commercials.
The company plans to invest heavily in its loyalty program and introduce new ordering channels, such as web orders without an app. With over 34 million active digital customers in the U.S. and a goal to reach 100 million loyalty members by 2027, McDonald’s is forecasting an increase in cash flow for U.S. restaurants starting in 2025. This strategy also aligns with global efforts, as markets like the U.K., Canada, Australia, and Germany will contribute to the global digital marketing fund. Your Clicademist will follow up more on this in the weekly digital marketing updates.
AI and Marketing Upskill Urgency: Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) research suggests that marketers rapidly adapt to AI, analytics, and automation, with over half reporting role changes due to AI and 44% utilizing advanced tools like ChatGPT. Upskilling in AI, marketing strategy, SEO, and content creation is crucial for competitiveness, as 85% of marketers surveyed believe AI will enhance their work. Companies face a skills gap, with AI strategy development being the largest, and are prioritising upskilling initiatives over hiring new staff, recognizing the benefits of performance and employee satisfaction. Industry certifications are increasingly valued over traditional degrees, with DMI certifications boosting hiring prospects.
UXLINK and Binance Web3 Wallet Partnership: UXLINK, a leading social infrastructure platform, has partnered with Binance Web3 Wallet to launch a joint marketing campaign to drive social growth within the Web3 space. The campaign offers 20,000,000 UXUY points through UXLINK’s Social Protocol, encouraging community engagement and adoption of Web3. Binance Web3 Wallet provides secure and user-friendly access to DeFi services, while UXLINK boasts over 5 million users and facilitates social interactions via 90,000 web3-powered groups. This collaboration, announced on May 9, represents a significant step in integrating social infrastructure with decentralized finance. Your Clicademist will follow up more on this in the weekly digital marketing updates.
OKX Ventures Invests in Wild Forest: OKX Ventures, the investment division of the crypto exchange OKX, has announced an investment in Wild Forest, a Web3 real-time strategy game. Wild Forest has gained significant traction with 18,300 daily active users, 61,900 monthly active users, and over 104,800 installations. The game features PvP battles and a token-driven economy and has seen over 1 million NFTs minted since its Beta launch. The early NFT Sale on February 22, 2024, sold out in just 7 minutes, highlighting the game’s popularity. Backed by notable firms like Sky Mavis and Animoca Brands, Wild Forest is set for continued growth in the Web3 gaming market.
OpenAI’s Search Innovation: OpenAI, in collaboration with Microsoft, is set to revolutionize the digital marketing landscape with a new AI-powered search engine, says CMSWIRE. This engine, leveraging ChatGPT technology, promises to enhance personalized marketing and user experience. Marketers are anticipating the need to adapt their SEO and content strategies to align with AI-driven search dynamics. The potential launch, rumoured for May 9, could challenge Google’s dominance and introduce new analytical tools for deeper consumer insights. This pivotal development signifies a major shift in search technology and digital marketing strategies.
Constant Contact’s Campaign Builder Launch: Constant Contact, a renowned digital marketing platform, has introduced Campaign Builder, an innovative tool that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to automate multi-channel marketing campaigns for small businesses and nonprofits (SMBs). This tool, unique in offering such depth of automation, crafts strategic marketing plans by analyzing goals and suggesting optimal content, channels, and timing. It addresses common SMB challenges like time constraints and marketing expertise, enabling effective marketing with minimal effort. The launch also includes BrandKit, which is designed to assist SMBs in quickly initiating and maintaining consistent marketing efforts.
Ad Tech Investigation: A report by Adalytics revealed that the supply-side platform Colossus provided mismatched user IDs to The Trade Desk, leading to concerns about the effectiveness of verification vendors in preventing fraud. Procter & Gamble Co. is among the advertisers continuing to trade via Colossus despite these issues. Google and The Trade Desk appeared to have blocked this supply-side platform over user ID mismatch issues to create better verification processes to protect advertisers’ investments.
DMA Impact on Google Hotel Ads: Implementing the European Digital Marketing Act (DMA) has led to a significant decline in online visibility, as evidenced by a 30% drop in clicks and a 36% drop in direct bookings on Google Hotel Ads. The data, collected from a comparison of traffic volume between DMA and non-DMA markets for 3450 hotels from January to April 2024, highlight the challenges faced by the hotel industry in adapting to new digital regulations, according to the HNR Hotel News.
News Corp’s D_Coded 2024 Event: News Corp Australia is set to host its annual D_Coded digital marketing event, promising to unveil innovative solutions for securing a competitive edge in the digital landscape. The event will feature live presentations in Sydney and Melbourne, focusing on strategies and technologies for deeper insights, targeting, personalisation, and measurement. Keynote speakers include Evan Shapiro and Daniella Harkins, discussing the new user-centric era and collaborative data practices, respectively. Additionally, the event will showcase News Corp’s Intent Connect platform, shoppable experiences, and video solutions to help brands connect with audiences and maximize ROI.
HubSpot’s Strong Q1 Performance Amid Sale Rumors: HubSpot reported a 40% increase in earnings and a 23% rise in revenue for Q1 2024, surpassing expectations for the ninth consecutive quarter with a revenue of $617.4 million. The company’s stock rebounded after an initial post-earnings dip, fueled by ongoing acquisition talks with Alphabet. This potential sale to Google’s parent company aligns with Alphabet’s strategy to bolster its digital marketing capabilities, especially in light of the looming antitrust lawsuit outcomes that may force business unit divestitures.
Stream Companies & GM Partnership: Stream Companies has joined the General Motors (GM) Dealer Digital Solution Program as an approved Digital Advertising and SEO Partner. This collaboration will benefit over 4,000 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealerships by allowing them to use GM IMR Turnkey Match funds for Stream’s services. The partnership aims to enhance dealership sales through digital marketing strategies and first-party data analytics. David Regn, CEO of Stream Companies, and Rich Harrisson, Senior Executive VP, are optimistic about boosting GM dealerships’ success in the competitive market.
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