DTC brands ditch walled gardens for better metrics

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DTC brands ditch walled gardens for better metrics

The shift to third-party measurement: DTC brands are moving away from Meta and Google metrics, opting for third-party firms like Measured, Triple Whale, and Rockerbox. This shift is driven by distrust, economic pressures, and privacy changes.

Growing trend: Michael Lisovetsky of Juice reports a 30-40% adoption rate of third-party measurement in the past year. Katya Constantine of DigiShopGirl Media notes 10-15% of clients have made the switch since late last year.

Meta’s decline: Meta’s Advantage+, once promising, has disappointed. Third-party firm Measured found its performance lacking, leading brands to seek more reliable metrics.

Cost efficiency: With Meta's CPMs doubling, brands turn to cheaper channels like TikTok. Third-party tools help eliminate inefficient spending on retargeting and branded search campaigns.

Economic strategy: Facing economic pressures and rising ad costs, DTC brands use third-party tools to be strategic and avoid unnecessary expenses.

Balanced Approach: Combining surveys, platform data, and last-click attribution provides a clearer picture. Ankur Goyal of Coterie suggests a balanced approach for informed decisions.

DTC brands are leaving walled garden metrics behind, using third-party measurement for better control and accuracy in digital advertising.

Google's AI Overviews: shaking up e-commerce search

Google’s AI overviews are transforming ecommerce search visibility by showcasing product data from non-ranking sources. An analysis by Bartosz Góralewicz, founder of Onely, reveals critical impacts:

• 16% of ecommerce queries now return an AI overview.

• 13% of search volume in ecommerce involves these overviews.

• 80% of sources in AI overviews don’t rank organically.

• Ranking #1-3 gives only an 8% chance of being featured in AI overviews.

Accelerated product experiences: SEO consultant Aleyda Solis notes Google’s shift to an “accelerated” product experience, bypassing traditional category pages and reviews to deliver immediate product information via AI overviews.

Traffic impact and strategy: Solis provides a spreadsheet to help retailers analyze the potential traffic impact of AI overviews. Góralewicz predicts Google will expand these overviews to high-cost queries once ads are enabled.

Implications for marketers: AI overviews disrupt traditional SEO, as visibility is now less dependent on organic rankings. However, this shift presents new opportunities:

• Optimize product data: Ensure product details are tailored for AI overviews.

• Audit exposure: Use Solis’s framework to understand and prioritize optimization efforts.

Bottom line: Google’s AI overviews are redefining ecommerce search strategies. Marketers must adapt by optimizing product data and leveraging new tools to maintain and enhance visibility in this evolving landscape.

4 tools Skims uses to supercharge growth

1. Klaviyo: Personalized email campaigns that drive engagement and sales.

2. Attentive: Instant SMS marketing for higher conversion rates.

3. Snowplow: Deep data insights for smarter decisions.

4. Kustomer: AI-driven customer service for quick resolutions.

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