The decline in the quality of online ads can be attributed to factors such as Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, changing budget allocations by companies, and the shift in marketing strategies.
Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) has restricted advertisers' ability to collect data, resulting in a rise in poorly targeted ads.
The current economic landscape and changes in budget allocation by companies are contributing to the increase in poor-quality ads across various platforms.
Deep dives
Online Ads Are Getting Worse
Online ads have recently become more prevalent and of worse quality. Users are noticing an increase in nonsensical and poorly targeted ads across platforms. The decline in quality has been attributed to various factors, including Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, which limits the data advertisers can collect to target users. With the implementation of ATT, advertisers struggle to gather sufficient user information to create effective ad campaigns. Additionally, the worsening economy and changing budget allocations by companies have also played a role in the decline of online ads. As companies adjust their marketing strategies, they may opt for different platforms or methods that may not be as refined or effective as previous approaches.
The Impact of Apple's App Tracking Transparency
Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) is a major factor contributing to the decline in online ads. With ATT, users can choose to limit the data collected by advertisers, making it more challenging to create personalized and targeted ads. Advertisers used to rely on extensive user profiles and data to track users across various platforms and apps. However, with ATT in place, advertisers are restricted to collecting data only within the app itself. This shift has disrupted the advertising industry, leaving advertisers scrambling to find alternative methods to target users effectively and resulting in a rise in poorly targeted ads.
Economic Factors and Budget Allocation
The current economic landscape and changes in budget allocation by companies are contributing to the decline in online ads. As the economy worsens and companies face financial constraints, marketing budgets may be reduced or reallocated. Some companies are opting to allocate their marketing spending towards different strategies or platforms, away from social media, which they find less efficient. This shift in marketing strategies may lead to less refined and effective ad campaigns, resulting in an increase in poor-quality ads across various platforms.
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Plus: It’s not just you. Online ads have gotten much worse.
On today’s episode:
Tiffany Hsu is a technology reporter at The New York Times who covers misinformation and disinformation.
Zoë Schiffer is the managing editor of Platformer.
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