探花精选

Welcome to 探花精选 Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from 探花精选’s media team. 

YouTube recently shared the showcasing the top 10 most popular ads that ran on the platform this year.

The top ad was Amazon’s starring Scarlett Johanssen and Colin Jost which was released for Superbowl LVI.

The ad featured a cheeky back and forth between Johanssen and Jost whose thoughts were being spoken aloud by their Alexa device, speaking harsh truths the actors likely didn’t want to be heard out loud. As a millennial who still has nightmares about the 1999 , I found the ad equal parts terrifying (which generally sums up my opinion of smart devices) and amusing.

Since its debut in February 2022, the video has garnered over 69 million views on YouTube. But did the ad’s high views generate a meaningful return for Amazon?

Last month it was reported that Amazon was looking to , most of which were expected to come from the devices unit at Amazon which is responsible for Echo products and has .

How did this happen?

Though Amazon has sold a decent number of Echo units, user behavior hasn’t supported profitability. The devices were initially designed as a big bet for Amazon with the hopes that the devices would make it easier for users to place larger, more frequent orders.

Instead of relying on Alexa to conveniently place Amazon orders, users turn to their devices for remedial tasks such as checking the weather, playing music, setting timers, and for the answers to trivia questions, making the purchase of an Echo less valuable to Amazon’s bottom line than the company intended.

As consumer trust in voice devices declines due to increased privacy concerns, the growth opportunities for the market are unclear.

Though viewers found the Mind Reader ad entertaining, commenters on YouTube highlighted the video hit a little too close to home. One user said, "I have ZERO interest in having a spy in my home but this was a great commercial and actually gets funnier on subsequent viewings."

While the goal of the ad was to present the Echo devices in a fun and lighthearted way, it may have played into existing distrust of the product a little too much to generate a meaningful ROI.

Marketing Snippets

The latest news and Marketing strategy insights.

Instagram is at it again adding , including Candid Stories (reminiscent of BeReal), group profiles, and Notes (a throwback to AIM status updates).

Five lessons this 探花精选 Blogger learned about content marketing while biking from Canada to Mexico.

Tumblr is vying for Twitter’s ad spend by to establish a greater presence on the platform.

The top marketing holidays of the year, according to marketers surveyed by the 探花精选 Blog.

Utah and Alabama are the latest states to on government devices.

Twitter has responsible for overseeing the safety and credibility of the app.

贰惫别苍迟产谤颈迟别’蝉 CEO shares tips for running a successful virtual event in 2023.

Music labels are using AI to on social media due to copyright concerns.

Amazon is launching its to offer a TikTok-like shopping experience.