The hottest Advertising Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Tim Cook’s Apple Has Been Meta’s Best Friend. Completely By Accident.

Big Technology • 10007 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Social media Augmented reality Advertising Messaging Market Impact
  1. Apple's Tim Cook unintentionally became a key asset for Meta through various business moves.
  2. Apple's Vision Pro launch helped boost Meta's mixed reality efforts by establishing it as a category.
  3. Apple's ad tracking restrictions unintentionally harmed Meta's competitors, giving Meta an advantage in the advertising space.

Judgment Day Has Arrived for the Journalism Business

The Honest Broker • 30220 implied HN points • 07 May 23
💼 Business Journalism Media Subscription Advertising AI
  1. Media platforms struggling with advertising rely on gimmicky clickbait strategies that eventually fail.
  2. Subscription-based models are becoming successful in journalism, shifting the focus back to quality writing.
  3. AI-generated articles, the latest gimmick in media, reduce writing costs but sacrifice quality and are doomed to fail.

Notes for an Essay on Buses

The Commonplace • 513 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Observation Personal Essay Memory Advertising
  1. The process of creation can be as interesting as the final product, with notes and early drafts often more compelling than explanations by artists.
  2. Observing people in everyday settings like bus stations can lead to intriguing insights and reflections on societal trends and human behavior.
  3. Writing about familiar topics, like daily bus commutes, can unlock unexpected memories, moments, and connections that spark creativity and thoughtful contemplation.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

It wasn’t Vice’s business model that sank it

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 449 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
💼 Business Media industry Advertising Venture Capital Revenue streams Startups
  1. High overhead costs and failure to control expenses can lead to the downfall of media companies, not just their business models.
  2. Diversifying revenue streams beyond advertising can be beneficial for media companies to sustain themselves.
  3. Establishing reasonable burn rates and controlling expenses are crucial for the long-term success of media companies.

What I learned in year three of Platformer

Platformer • 4461 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
💼 Business Journalism Tech Platforms AI Advertising Industry
  1. Platformer has experienced significant growth in subscribers over the past year, thanks to various factors like talented staff, impactful stories, and the Substack recommendations engine.
  2. The broader tech media ecosystem is facing challenges with layoffs and diminishing vitality, prompting journalists to consider the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to independent journalism.
  3. Platformer's plans for the future include expanding the team with new hires, experimenting with newsletter ads, and potentially supporting independent journalism through investments or grants.

Suture Software's Bludgeons 'n' Braggarts

Computer Ads from the Past • 384 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Vintage Advertising
  1. The post shares a parody ad from the past, highlighting the humor in mistaking it for a real ad at first glance.
  2. It mentions the addition of a direct messaging feature on Substack, encouraging readers to engage by suggesting products for coverage.
  3. The content focuses on 'Suture Software's Bludgeons 'n' Braggarts,' offering a playful look at computer ads from the past.

A Hug In A Bottle?

The Unpublishable • 7999 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Advertising Social Issues
  1. Marketing in the beauty industry can sell the idea of a 'hug in a bottle,' focusing on consumerized experiences.
  2. Beauty advertisements can influence our perception of self-care and impact how we view physical manipulation for spiritual fulfillment.
  3. Industrialized beauty norms may contribute to feelings of disconnection, loneliness, and low self-esteem.

Notebook: Bad News Day

Book Post • 628 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
📰 News Journalism Local news Media industry AI Advertising
  1. Recent years have seen a significant decline in journalism, with many major news outlets facing layoffs and cutbacks.
  2. Local news has been especially hard-hit, with many newspapers closing down, leaving 'news deserts' in over 200 counties.
  3. The rise of artificial intelligence is also impacting journalism, with AI tools changing how news is consumed and altering the media landscape.

AI slashes ads by boosting intention (+ weekly update)

12challenges • 171 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Advertising Data Innovation Digital marketing
  1. Our intentions can get diluted through different stages like Action and Input before resulting in something happening on a computer.
  2. The use of AI can boost intention by translating inputs into more aligned results and increasing confidence in actions.
  3. AI can help shrink the 'Crapgret Zone' where ads reside by improving intention alignment and reducing unintentional consumption of ads.

Traditional media outlets are under-monetizing their YouTube channels

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 274 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
💼 Business Marketing Monetization Advertising Media Entrepreneurship
  1. Traditional media outlets are not fully utilizing the monetization potential of their YouTube channels, missing out on significant revenue opportunities.
  2. Newsletter advertising has experienced growth despite challenges faced by the larger advertising industry, with brands noting higher engagement and return on investment.
  3. John Oliver's YouTube channel for Last Week Tonight showcases high engagement with fewer videos compared to other late night shows, yet HBO is not directly monetizing it, highlighting a missed opportunity for revenue.

Advertisers won’t be guilted into funding news

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 224 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
💼 Business Advertising Media News Activism Monetization
  1. Advertisers won't easily fund news due to activist campaigns pressuring them to choose where ads appear.
  2. The use of keyword blocklists by advertising agencies has made it difficult to monetize hard news through advertising alone.
  3. Organizations are urging brands to support trusted news sites to ensure journalism is adequately funded, but the path forward is challenging.

#8: How to Blow $250 on Ads For Your Self-Published Book

Shades of Greaves • 412 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💼 Business Self-Publishing Advertising Book Sales Marketing Strategies Data Analysis
  1. The author tried investing $250 in ads for their self-published book but didn't see good returns, highlighting the challenges of advertising for self-published authors.
  2. Despite spending on ads, the author sold very few copies through Facebook and Amazon, underscoring the risk of not getting desired results from advertising efforts.
  3. Data from the failed ad campaigns is seen by the author as a way to learn and refine future advertising strategies, showing the importance of using past experiences to improve future marketing efforts.

The Trade Desk

Business Breakdowns • 334 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
💼 Business Advertising Technology Data Management Market Dynamics Company growth
  1. The Trade Desk helps ad agencies spend their budgets more effectively by providing a platform for optimizing programmatic advertising.
  2. The company focuses on building strong, recurring relationships with buy-side agencies, leading to a high customer retention rate.
  3. The Trade Desk functions as a data management platform, enabling efficient real-time bidding and liquidity in the digital advertising market.

Numlock News: October 24, 2023 • Moon, Scares, Deus Ex Machina

Numlock News • 707 implied HN points • 24 Oct 23
💼 Business Advertising Entertainment Real Estate Social media Research
  1. Author promoted the launch of their new book 'You Are What You Watch' and shared a discount code for purchases.
  2. Jump scares in horror movies have been declining since the mid-2010s, hitting a 20-year low in 2021.
  3. Growth of Korean AI-driven Bible chatbot service used by 20% of Protestant ministers to write sermons.

Corporations Offended By Free Speech Are Happy to Invest In Places Without It

Public • 303 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Free speech Corporations Advertising China Dictatorship
  1. Corporations withdrew advertising from platforms that embraced free speech due to concerns over associating with offensive content
  2. Some companies offended by free speech have no problem investing in countries with repressive speech environments
  3. The trend of corporations prioritizing 'brand safety' over free expression raises questions about their commitment to democratic values

Democrats’ Need To Censor And Spread Disinformation Behind Media War On Elon Musk’s X

Public • 380 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Tech Advertising Business Social media
  1. Media Matters claimed X placed ads next to extreme content, leading to major companies pulling ads from X.
  2. X argued Media Matters manipulated ad placement through fake accounts to create a negative narrative.
  3. Attempts to replicate Media Matters' findings by another source did not show ads next to extremist content on X.

OSD 264: Fully ad-o-matic

Open Source Defense • 38 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
💼 Business Startups Advertising
  1. Simple rules can have significant effects - like how gun retail is limited by the requirement to ship to an FFL, hindering modern advances.
  2. Opportunities arise in niches - focusing on success even within a small niche can lead to overall growth and expansion rather than exclusion.
  3. There is a positive change happening - gun culture is starting to blend into mainstream industries, with more support and interest becoming evident.

Alison.AI analyzes your creative to ensure real conversion

Startup Strategies • 42 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business AI Startup Advertising Funding Technology
  1. Alison.AI, founded by Asaf Yanai and Koby Berkovich, uses AI to optimize video advertising by analyzing competitors' successful creatives. They offer a suite of tools for enhancing the video creation process from ideation to production.
  2. Alison.AI stands out by focusing on video creative analysis, providing data-driven insights for optimizing video ads and streamlining advertising campaign briefs with the SmartBrief feature.
  3. The startup secured a significant $5.1 million pre-seed funding round, with investors like a16z, and has shown impressive growth by analyzing millions of creatives, identifying key features, and working with major companies in the digital marketing space.