October 7th-October 13th // Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Ad industry tallies early losses from Apple’s Safari tracking block🔒 - Apple’s iOS 27 update blocked The Trade Desk’s ad server and several identity vendors in Safari. Apple quietly removed TTD’s ad server from the block list in a beta version of iOS 27.2 (which is not live yet, but should be soon). Early numbers are starting to trickle in to show how the changes are affecting the ad ecosystem. Aditude, a publisher ad ops and monetization platform, says its eCPMs declined by 10.5% for Safari users who installed the update. But only about 8% of iPhone users have installed the update, so the full impact won't be known for a few more months. Other publishers say they haven’t noticed much of a difference yet.

Opinion: Publishers and ad tech cos can complain all they want. It won’t matter. Fair or not, Apple’s privacy crusade takes aim at a common public enemy: advertising. So, it’s fair to assume the crusade will continue. The most durable strategy for marketers and publishers is to figure out how to make ads work without user-level data. And good news: if they can figure it out how, valuable Safari impressions will be cheaper!

Walmart lays out its plan to take over TV advertising🔒 - Walmart Connect is pitching streaming TV ads to brands that don’t sell at Walmart. Its Vizio and Vibe.co acquisitions have already given it relationships with “thousands” of these non-endemic brands. The selling point is Walmart’s shopper data, which it says can drive stronger outcomes for brands. For example, an insurer could find new moms, recent movers, or newly retired households based on what they buy at Walmart. Walmart’s ad business grew 38% YoY in the US in Q2.

Opinion: While Walmart shopper data was only valuable to endemic advertisers when Walmart was selling search and display ads, it becomes a lot more valuable to non-endemic advertisers now that Walmart sells TV ads. Because TV is all about brand impact, and marketers don’t care if their product isn’t sold at Walmart when running brand-focused ads on TV using Walmart shopper data.

TV is not only helping Walmart capture more ad dollars from existing customers, it’s helping Walmart go out and get customers it could never get before.

Meta bans TikTok ads from its platforms in tit-for-tat row - Meta will no longer run ads that promote TikTok. TikTok is now majority-owned by a consortium of US and UAE investors, including Oracle. A Meta spokesperson said it doesn’t have to run ads from a competitor trying to pull people off its apps. The move follows TikTok’s ban on using Instagram and Facebook profile links on TikTok.

Opinion: These competitive bans make business sense for the respective platforms, but they make life harder for creators and advertisers who are trying to grow their audience across platforms. Not cool!

TripleLift named first partner for Uber Advertising’s US offsite audience expansion - Advertisers can now use Uber’s data to target audiences outside of Uber’s own apps. The segments are based on people’s rides, food deliveries, and purchases. TripleLift, an SSP, curates Uber’s audience data through private marketplace deals, so buyers can access them in whichever DSP they use. Display, native, and video formats are available immediately, on both websites and apps. Uber pitches it as a way to keep reaching riders and diners once they’ve left its apps.

Opinion: The biggest commerce media networks (e.g. Walmart, Instacart, Uber) are opening up their data and inventory to ad tech intermediaries in order to maximize ad revenue. Expect Uber to make more of these deals. The buyers have spoken; they don’t want more walled gardens. This is great for the industry! We should all share!

Except maybe not Uber Share.

Thanks for reading!