PayPal Doubles Down on Ads - With 400M Shoppers in Tow 📲

Plus: Meta's AI boosts catalog ads, BuzzFeed gets into retail media, and tariffs cloud Prime Day strategy.

Welcome to the latest edition of Katalys Connect - your shortcut to the latest in performance marketing! [Read time: 4 minutes] What's in this issue? Each week we pack the latest trends, actionable insights, and industry breakthroughs into a quick read - ensuring you're not just keeping up, you're staying ahead. Monetization: Explore how BuzzFeed is turning content into commerce, Meta is cracking down on spam, and Google faces a major antitrust reckoning over its ad dominance. Growth: Learn why brands are embracing Substack for deeper storytelling, how Meta's dynamic ads are driving conversions, and what looming tariffs mean for ad budgets. Future of Commerce: See how ChatGPT is becoming a personalized shopping assistant, PayPal is scaling programmatic with shopper data, and Amazon's Prime Day could test post-tariff demand. ⭐ Katalys Featured Program   CBD, Done Differently • BATCH sets a high bar in the CBD space with premium, full-spectrum products crafted from organically grown hemp and extracted by expert formulators. With standout potency and eco-conscious appeal, it's a boutique brand your audience can trust. Who they are: BATCH began as a state testing facility under Wisconsin Hemp Scientific, and today they manufacture for top national CBD brands,  as well as their own line - locally made, lab-tested, and rooted in chemistry and community. Why join: Promote a trusted CBD brand with full-spectrum oils, gummies, pet products, and more. With strong product quality, a wellness-first approach, and approved traffic across content, social, display, and sponsored content, it's easy to scale. Affiliates - Ready to promote a high-integrity CBD brand that stands out?  Sign up for Katalys and apply to join. Brands - Looking to boost your brand's performance? Reach out to get started! 💸 Monetization Buzzing for Commerce • BuzzFeed's new partnership with Shopsense AI plans to seamlessly integrate AI-driven product recommendations into its content, tapping into the lucrative retail media market. BuzzFeed will launch AI-powered product carousels and sponsored modules within articles, enhancing user experience by providing relevant shopping options directly related to the content.. Shopsense's Commerce Operating System will dynamically update product selections based on inventory and promotions, promising a smooth shopping experience for BuzzFeed's 71 million monthly visitors. Spam Reach Reduced • Facebook is tightening its grip on spammy content by reducing the reach of offending accounts and revoking their monetization eligibility. Meta's new policy targets accounts that share spammy content, aiming to enhance user experience and content quality on the platform. The initiative includes a crackdown on fake engagement tactics and impersonation, ensuring a more authentic interaction environment. Google's Antitrust Reckoning • This month, a U.S. District Court ruling confirmed Google's monopolistic practices in the open web display advertising market, highlighting significant implications for publishers and competitors alike. The ruling emphasizes a critical gap in U.S. antitrust law regarding digital advertising, revealing the need for clearer regulations to prevent companies from exploiting their dominant positions. As legal proceedings continue, the focus will shift to determining effective remedies to curb Google's anticompetitive behavior, with potential structural changes being advocated to ensure a fair marketplace. 📈 Growth   Tariff Turbulence Ahead • The U.S. digital advertising sector is showing early signs of a slowdown, potentially exacerbated by impending tariffs impacting specific industries and international budgets. Initial indicators in April suggest that growth within the U.S. digital ad market is slowing, raising some concerns among major players. Analysts warn that upcoming tariffs could further strain advertising budgets, leading to reduced spending from brands, specifically in the auto, travel, fashion, and online-spending industries. Substack Offers Deeper Connections • Brands are increasingly leveraging Substack to craft narrative-driven newsletters that engage consumers beyond traditional sales tactics. Unlike conventional promotional emails, these newsletters focus on storytelling, offering insights into the brand's ethos, behind-the-scenes content, and personal reflections from founders and team members. Substack is emerging as a vital platform for brands looking to establish a deeper connection with their audience, transforming how they communicate and market their products. Dynamic Ad Boosts Sales • Meta's latest enhancement to Advantage+ Catalog ads introduces dynamic overlays, empowering advertisers to make their promotions more eye-catching and effective. Advertisers can now add customizable labels for current prices, sale prices, discounts, and free shipping directly onto product images, designed to attract attention in busy feeds. Leveraging Meta's AI, the platform can automatically select and display the most effective overlay options, ensuring that ads resonate with target audiences. 🚀 Future of Commerce   ChatGPT's Shopping Revolution • OpenAI is transforming the online shopping experience with new features in ChatGPT Search, enhancing product discovery in a personalized, conversational manner. ChatGPT will now provide tailored product suggestions including product images, descriptions, and reviews directly within chats, streamlining the decision-making process without the clutter of traditional ads. These shopping features are rolling out to all ChatGPT users, including Pro, Plus, Free, and logged-out users, positioning OpenAI as a serious competitor in the search engine landscape. PayPal Goes Programmatic • PayPal is expanding its advertising strategy by launching programmatic ads, leveraging extensive shopping data to target consumers beyond its platform. PayPal Ads, which debuted just six months ago, will now offer programmatic advertising across other publishers' websites, enhancing its reach in the digital advertising space. With access to shopping data from 30 million merchants and 400 million shoppers, PayPal aims to provide advertisers with unique insights that rival traditional social networks. Prime Day Returns • Amazon's Prime Day is set for July, but potential tariff hikes could affect consumer spending during the event. Despite looming tariffs that may increase product prices, Amazon is proceeding with its annual Prime Day, optimistically anticipating strong consumer interest. This year's event will be pivotal as it tests the resilience of consumer demand in a fluctuating economic landscape, making it a crucial time for brands to strategize their marketing efforts 👍 Was this valuable? We strive to deliver engaging, high-value content to you weekly. Did we hit the mark? 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