|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brands Race to Rework SEO for Generative AI; The Middle East Is the New Theme-Park Hot Spot; Disney Calls Ad Demand Strong as Upfronts Arrive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good morning. Today, marketers’ websites may soon cater to machines more than humans; theme-park companies pile into their “final frontier”; and Disney strikes a cheery note ahead of advertising’s annual upfront market.
|
|
|
|
|
|
ChatGPT now handles more than one billion searches each week, according to OpenAI. PHOTO: CFOTO/ZUMA PRESS
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marketers are rushing to adapt their search engine strategies for the generative AI era, Patrick Coffee reports for CMO Today.
Mailchimp has seen a steady drop in web traffic since AI-assisted search results started letting people get more information about the company without visiting its sites, according to Ellen Mamedov, global director of search engine optimization.
The company is responding by updating its sites to better serve the bots crawling the web to collect data for AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini.
Those bots prefer lightning-quick sites that have been optimized for machines instead of humans, according to Mamedov.
Her prediction: Websites in general will evolve to serve primarily as data sources for bots that feed LLMs rather than destinations for consumers.
Pity the search engines: Apple executive Eddie Cue said yesterday that Google searches on the Safari web browser fell over the last two months, something that “has not happened in over 20 years.” Cue, testifying in the penalty phase of Google’s antitrust trial, attributed the drop to a growing number of people using AI services such as ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Alphabet shares tumbled more than 7% Wednesday after news outlets reported the comments. [WSJ]
“Do you have something like a prequel to ‘Black Mirror,’ and happening now?” Netflix is rolling out gen AI search, letting viewers talk to the streaming service using everyday language. [TechCrunch]
|
|
|
|
|
Content from our sponsor: Deloitte
|
|
|
Building an Ethical Culture: Leadership’s Role in Corporate Integrity
|
|
A top-down approach that weaves ethical culture throughout the organization can help leaders head off ethical breaches before they occur and respond effectively when they do. Read More
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Happiest Place on Earth?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
An illustration of Disney’s planned Abu Dhabi theme park. ILLUSTRATION: THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disney is planning a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, joining competitors including SeaWorld, Legoland and Six Flags with a presence in the Middle East, Jacob Passy and Ben Fritz write.
“This area of the world is one of the final frontiers” for the theme-park business, says Dennis Spiegel, an industry consultant.
Developers in the region have sought out partnerships with Western brands to create cornerstones for these new tourism centers, says Tonya Pope, executive director of Quantum Creative Studios, a theme-park design company.
Yas Island, where the new Disneyland will be built by local company Miral, is already home to the sports-car theme park Ferrari World, a SeaWorld and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
The island also has several sporting and concert venues, a golf course, a beach and a 2.5 million-square-foot shopping mall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heading Into the Upfronts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disney executives say advertising demand seems strong as TV’s annual upfront selling season arrives. PHOTO: MEDIANEWS GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disney is reporting steady enthusiasm from TV advertisers despite anxiety over global trade, Patrick Coffee reports for the newsletter.
“We continue as we go into the upfront season to see robust demand for advertising,” Disney CFO Hugh F. Johnson said on the company’s earnings call. “So, I know there’s lots of concern from a consumer perspective and what that might mean for advertisers. But right now, in particular, restaurants and healthcare have considerable demand for advertising.”
Despite declining ad rates, ad revenue growth may exceed the company’s previous estimates of 3% for the year, Johnson said.
On the less encouraging side of the equation, revenue from Disney’s TV networks dropped 13% due to decreasing viewership, and the company cut related marketing and production budgets by introducing fewer new shows.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$3 million
|
|
Budget for the Cannes Lions beach takeover planned next month by Michael Kassan’s new consulting firm 3C Ventures. His old company MediaLink will also be in Cannes as usual.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New surgeon general nominee Casey Means regularly touts supplements and other health-related products in her email newsletter and social media. PHOTO: THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE
|
|
|
|
|
|
President Trump said he would nominate Dr. Casey Means, a California doctor and wellness influencer, to be the next surgeon general. [WSJ]
Netflix next week will roll out the first major overhaul to its home screen since 2013. [NYT]
Warner Brothers Discovery recorded a smaller loss in the first quarter but lower sales as weakness in the linear TV business offset gains in the streaming business. [WSJ]
Applebee’s is amping up the marketing for its two-decade old offer of two meals for $25. [Restaurant Business]
Glossier Chief Marketing Officer Kleona Mack was named CMO at SharkNinja’s growing beauty division. [WWD]
The 4A’s named former DDB North America CEO Justin Thomas-Copeland as the ad agency trade group’s new chief executive, succeeding Marla Kaplowitz. [Ad Age]
Horizon Media Holdings hired Crystal Park from the Weather Company to fill the newly created role of CMO. [MediaPost]
Why AT&T switched from using ChatGPT to open-source AI to fight customer churn. [BI]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
