Google Ads is moving brand guidelines, and a major advertising opportunity has opened up

Performance Max is changing again.

Cover your assets: Google Ads is now storing brand guidelines at the campaign level in Performance Max.

If you’re an API user still riding with the AssetGroupAsset, it’s time to switch to CampaignAsset. Otherwise, you might wake up to broken workflows and missing logos.

Also, with API v21, brand guidelines will be on by default, so migrate early if you want to stay ahead of the chaos.

Is this… opportunity? Temu and Shein have pulled back from Google Shopping. Even Amazon scaled down, too.

Meanwhile, clicks and spend surged 18% and 19% respectively, especially for Shopping ads. Also, Performance Max rebounded hard—it now owns 59% of Shopping spend and sales in Q2.

In other words…

CPCs are low and CTRs are higher compared to standard Shopping campaigns, which means less competition and more opportunity.

If you’ve been thinking about increasing your ad spend, now’s probably the time.

The most downloaded apps in June

No matter how much people complain, ChatGPT is still the main character.

Yep, the AI chatbot has topped the charts, again, as June’s most downloaded app globally.

ChatGPT gained over 50M downloads across the App Store and Google Play.

It also not only held the top spot, but was the only app in the top 10 to grow month-over-month. Not bad for a chatbot.

When it comes to social media, TikTok and Instagram were neck and neck, with TikTok just edging ahead:

• TikTok gained 37M downloads.
• Instagram racked up 36M.
• Facebook and WhatsApp followed with 30M and 28M downloads, respectively.

… In case you wanted to know which channels are growing fastest lately.

Altogether, the top 10 apps brought in 290M installs in June, down 8% from May, likely thanks to some good old-fashioned summer sunshine.

Maybe people are putting down their phones and going outside. Weird…

Meta is pushing this ad type, and DTC brands are seeing 53% higher engagement rate

Meta Partnership Ads have always outperformed traditional brand ads, and there’s no better time than now to jump on this ad type.

Why? Meta is actively prioritizing this ad format right now.

Partnership Ads were improved with features like adding catalogs, being able to now run partnership ads from just the creator’s handle, and more.

Media buyers are seeing an increase in performance with these ads because they:

• Amplify authenticity through influencers to build trust.
• Boost ad performance and conversions.
• Get 53% higher engagement than traditional brand ads.

Not sure where to start? Insense simplifies it!

• Find your perfect influencers within 48 hours from Insense’s database of 68,500+ vetted and responsive influencers from 35+ countries
• Enjoy creative brief templates, 1-click Ads Manager connection to Meta Partnership Ads, automated agreements and payments, and more.

Leading brands like LARQ, Glovo, JLO Beauty, and Bones Coffee are already crushing their paid social goals with Insense.

Book your free strategy call by July 31st and receive $200 credit for your first campaign!

PS: Download the free Creative Brief Template designed specifically for Meta Partnership Ads to ensure your influencer content aligns perfectly with your brand objectives.

Naming expert shares the process of creating billion-dollar brand names

What’s in a name? If you ask David Placek, the person behind over 4,000 brand names, the answer is… well, a lot.

His team has worked with over 250 linguists for over 40 years, and if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s this:

Great brand and product names make you uncomfortable.

Here’s what else David wants you to understand about how great names get made:

1) You won’t “just know it” when you hear it.

Founders love the myth of the “aha” moment. But according to David, it almost never happens. We gravitate to the familiar, but naming success lives in the unfamiliar.

2) A brand name is compounding leverage.

It’s said, typed, searched, and shared more than any other brand asset. A strong name delivers a cumulative advantage over time, creates an asymmetric advantage at launch, think of it as your first and cheapest growth hack.

3) Letters aren’t neutral, they carry psychological weight.

For example, “V” feels alive, “B” feels dependable, “Z” grabs attention, and “X” signals innovation. It’s science, not guesswork.

4) Quantity unlocks quality.

You need 1,000 to 1,500 names to find gems. Maybe 250 will be worth refining. David’s rule: volume first, filter later.

5) Use the “competitor test.”

Don’t ask: “Do you like this name?” Instead, ask: “Your competitor just launched with this, how do you feel?” That surfaces true market-level reactions, not bias toward comfort.

6) Compounds are naming cheat codes.

PowerBook. BlackBerry. Facebook. Windsurf. Two simple words combined mean richer mental associations and better recall. They’re “1 + 1 = 3” for the brain.

A great name is strategic infrastructure, not window dressing. If it makes you nervous, good. That’s probably a sign you’re onto something real.

Low conversions and CTRs on your ads? These “survival instincts” get attention and improve engagement

If your campaign is getting impressions but not getting clicks or conversions, there’s a good chance your ads aren’t getting attention.

So we studied how standout brands craft messages that get noticed—and clicked—without resorting to clickbait or obnoxious tactics.

Then we packed those findings into The Science of Grabbing People’s Attention report.

Inside, you’ll learn:

• Why our brains are wired to ignore most things—and how to tap survival instincts to break through.
• How to use contrast (not just loudness) to make videos and visuals pop.
• How to interrupt patterns without turning people off.

Try them on the ads people skipped. You might be surprised how much attention you earn the second time around.

Zoomers and influencers? Name a more iconic duo

Three things online zoomers absolutely love:

Reels, TikToks… and content creators.

Which is why, if you’re targeting zoomers, influencer marketing can be an appealing channel.

But is there any data to back this up? Actually, yes, there is:

It seems zoomers like their creators so much, more than half are likely to buy stuff they recommend.

Meanwhile, people aged 35+ won’t open their wallet that quickly (37%), and shoppers 55 years and older can’t be persuaded by influencers at all (only 10%).

You know what this means.

If you’re targeting Gen Zs primarily, you should include influencer marketing in your strategy. Look for creators your Gen Z audience trusts, and see if you can make a deal.

If you’re catering to an older audience, lean heavily into social proof—ratings, reviews, etc.

If you’d like more stats and tips for selling to zoomers, you’ll find them in our complete Data Story!

TACTICS: Sometimes the biggest wins don’t come from flashy launches, but from small, intentional changes. Like a clearer CTA, or the right trust signals on your landing page. Tactics newsletter sends you one high-impact, low-effort idea weekly, with real-world examples of it in action. Subscribe and become a better marketer for free.*

TIKTOK: … Now lets you schedule posts directly in the app via the post composer. Yes, scheduling tools already exist, but this update is helpful if you’re aiming for specific post times based on audience insights from TikTok Studio… as you probably should be.

AI MARKETING: According to IAB, half of advertisers now use generative AI to create video ads, and another 86% plan to adopt it. Wow—cue the flood of AI videos everywhere. If you’re among the 86%, now’s probably a good time to plan how your content is going to stand out…

SEARCH: 77% of US users treat ChatGPT like a search engine. Nearly one in four prefer it to Google. Meanwhile, 47% of marketers use it for content, and 76% plan to invest in “AI visibility” by 2025. No wonder AI SEO is increasing.

ADVERTISING: Google’s new Gmail ad format is testing rich product listings in the Promotions tab to create a mini shopping experience. It’s basically Demand Gen targeting with Shopping-style layouts. Will users like this “feed” format? Could this extend to YouTube and Discover? So many questions…

GOOGLE: You’ve been able to add your text or WhatsApp number to your Google Business Profile for a while. Now, Google is asking for this info right when you create your profile for the first time. Almost seems like Google is pushing more people to talk to customers by text.

*This is a sponsored post.

What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?

You can find the answer here.

POOLSIDECHAT

Cool tech, (funny) business, lifestyle and all the other things marketers like to chat about while sipping cocktails by the pool.

Wimbledon win? Sweet. Pasta with strawberries? Controversial

Fresh off her historic Wimbledon victory, Iga Świątek shared her favorite dish: pasta with strawberries.

Umm… we beg your pardon?

Some fans are fully on board with this version of pasta. Others call it a culinary crime.

Even Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk got involved and posted a photo of himself eating the dish—which only added more sauce to the fire, if you know what we mean.

Love it or hate it, though, Iga’s taste in food has officially gone global. The dish debate managed to reach 25M people beyond Poland.

If you ask us, when you’re a Wimbledon champ, you’ve earned the right to eat whatever weird combo you want.

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