> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nearmedia.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Just Say No to Tracking, SMS-SMB Opportunity, Do Digital Ads Really Work? - URL: https://www.nearmedia.co/just-say-no-to-ad-tracking/ - Published: 2021-02-10T18:56:21.000Z - Updated: 2021-02-10T19:02:38.000Z - Author: Greg Sterling - Tags: News ### Survey: Majority Will Say No to Facebook Ad Tracking Facebook has [begun testing a prompt](https://www.nearmedia.co/foot-traffic-outlook-facebook-counters-apple-prompt-big-tech-promote-bobs/) asking users to embrace ad tracking ahead of Apple's [App Tracking Transparency](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/user-privacy-and-data-use/?ref=nearmedia.co) (ATT) consent requirement. Facebook says opting-in will deliver "more personalized ads" and "support for businesses that rely on ads to reach customers" – the implication is: SMBs. A new TapResearch [survey](https://blog.tapresearch.com/2021/02/03/facebook-user-tracking-poll/?ref=nearmedia.co) found, however, that 56% were hostile Facebook's pitch. Those under 34 were more receptive than other groups. An earlier [survey](https://searchengineland.com/apple-idfa-consent-roughly-60-of-consumers-open-to-persuasion-to-allow-tracking-340390?ref=nearmedia.co) found roughly 60% were open to opting-in if publisher pitches were compelling. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-10-at-5.33.39-AM.png) TapResearch survey of 1,104 iPhone users **Our take:** - About 20% of the audience appears persuadable; however, surveys and behavior are often two different things. - The survey suggests a large percentage of Facebook's iPhone audience, as the company fears, will be lost to ad tracking. - Google is considering a more ad-friendly version of Apple's tracking-consent prompt; but audience modeling will be the way forward for both platforms. ### **SMS Could Be Big for SMBs, Consumers Are Ready** SMS has been an underdeveloped marketing and B2C communication channel for years. According to a [new report](https://www.zipwhip.com/state-of-texting/?ref=nearmedia.co) from Zipwhip, the majority consumers (58%) believe texting is a more effective B2C communication tool than calls or email. Most businesses (70%) are now using SMS for customer and employee communication. But consumers have a particular set of use cases in mind: 1) appointment reminders, 2) shipping updates and 3) discounts on products and services. The guiding principle: deliver value, not spam. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-10-at-10.32.36-AM.png) Zipwhip: The State of Texting 2021 report ****Our take:** - While many SMBs use texting today, there's a meaningful opportunity to more formally embrace SMS for more effective promotion/communication. - Both Google and Facebook continue to promote messaging as a core marketing tool for SMBs; expect even more emphasis going forward. - Messaging is a marketing and feedback tool without a software learning curve for SMBs, which makes it primed for broader adoption. ### When **Brands Turn Off Digital Ads ... Nothing Happens?** Do digital ads drive results? Of course they do. Why then can Forbes [cite](https://www.forbes.com/sites/augustinefou/2021/01/02/when-big-brands-stopped-spending-on-digital-ads-nothing-happened-why/??ref=nearmedia.co) myriad high-profile examples of brands turning off or radically reducing digital ad spend, with seemingly zero impact. Perhaps the most celebrated cases are: P&G [shutting off $200 million in digital spending](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/when-procter-gamble-cut-200-million-in-digital-ad-spend-its-marketing-became-10-more-effective/?ref=nearmedia.co) and Chase [cutting programmatic](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/business/chase-ads-youtube-fake-news-offensive-videos.html?ref=nearmedia.co) reach from 400,000 to 5,000 sites without a business impact or even improved results. The article concludes: bots drive lots of clicks, test and learn and quality matters most. ‌ ****Our take:** - Forbes' insights and recommendations are mostly obvious, but imply a bigger problem: waste (and fraud) online. - Digital advertising has been sold (vs. traditional media) for its precision and accountability. Neither claim is entirely accurate. - Digital media now faces a reckoning on multiple fronts: reduced trust, brand safety issues, consumer privacy concerns and the loss of tools (cookies, mobile ad IDs), with no easy solutions on the horizon. ## Short Takes - Shopify [extends](https://www.wsj.com/articles/shopify-expands-its-checkout-system-to-facebook-and-instagram-11612879201??ref=nearmedia.co) **Shop Pay checkout to Facebook and Instagram**. - Apple Maps adds crowdsourced, **Waze-like [traffic-reporting features](https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/09/ios-14-5-apple-maps-crowdsourcing-accidents/??ref=nearmedia.co)**. - New large screen **Amazon Alexa media player, chat device and smart home controller** [coming](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-09/amazon-plans-wall-mounted-echo-as-smart-home-command-center?ref=nearmedia.co). - **Apple Watch [can "diagnose"](https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/09/mount-sinai-study-finds-apple-watch-can-predict-covid-19-diagnosis-up-to-a-week-before-testing/??ref=nearmedia.co) COVID-19** before any formal testing. - **Foursquare** [makes location data available](https://foursquare.com/article/foursquare-partners-with-snowflake-expands-into-snowflake-data-marketplace/?ref=nearmedia.co) through Snowflake Marketplace. - **Salesforce [declares](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/creating-a-best-workplace-from-anywhere/?ref=nearmedia.co) 9 to 5 workday dead**; long live the 9 to 9 workday. - Mid-market is [where most hiring is](https://adpemploymentreport.com/2021/January/NER/NER-January-2021.aspx?ref=nearmedia.co), though **SMBs add 51K jobs in January**. - Poll: **85% [believe](https://www.axios.com/social-media-radicalizes-people-poll-02fcaaf0-28ee-4242-bd5b-d6a591203e21.html?ref=nearmedia.co) that social media contributes to "radicalization**;" 71% want more government regulation. Please let us know what you think. Email [gsterling@nearmedia.co](mailto: gsterling@nearmedia.co) with suggestions and recommendations.