MarketingDojo #106: 🍟 Same monopoly vibes: fries & ad tech🤖
Google's monopoly, Wendy's slipping into DMs, Answer Engine Optimization and more.
This issue is a bit off script.
Between the Good Friday break, a packed work trip to Malaysia, and my daughter turning 11 (and taller than me), I realised I've been spending too much time in front of my laptop.
So, I have gathered 5 things that caught my eye with a lighter dash of commentary.
The format's lighter, but the scrolls are still worth it.
Also, do not miss the P.S section, which has the potential to make you chuckle.
I will see you in your inbox in my original format next week.
#1: Google Is A Monopoly (Again).
This is serious stuff. A second for Google in the year (After Search).
A U.S. federal judge just ruled that Google illegally monopolised key parts of the online ad tech stack—specifically its publisher ad servers and ad exchanges.
The court didn't hold back. The judge called out Google's exclusionary behaviour for hurting not just competitors but also publishers and consumers. This is now the second time Google's been found to be monopolistic (the first was in search).
Next up: Google will appeal. But there's now a real possibility that parts of its ad business could be split up.
#2: SEO Who? Say Hello to AEO.
Answer Engine Optimisation—AEO if you're in a hurry. It's what happens when ChatGPT meets SEO.
With ChatGPT and other LLMs now showing website links directly in chat, search and AI are starting to blur. AEO is all about making your content the answer, not just another blog post packed with keywords.
Super interesting shift. The founder of Graphite.io explains it with the nuance it needs. Here's the link. You've got 45 minutes.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Is The New SEO / Five Percent
Link: https://graphite.io/five-percent/aeo-is-the-new-seo
#3: Views Are Lies
A few weeks ago, I opened YouTube and a Short started playing instantly—no tap, no scroll, just autoplay. It felt more like TikTok than YouTube.
Turns out YouTube is testing autoplay with a subset of users. And they've quietly made another change: a view now counts the moment a Short starts playing. No minimum watch time, no engagement needed.
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube—they all count views the moment a video plays, whether you watched it for two seconds or didn't even notice it.
It's an inflated number. And making content seem more successful than it is.
This piece by The Verge calls it out perfectly: "Views are lies."
#4: Wendy's Snapped. And It Worked.
Wendy's recently partnered with Snapchat to try something different: Sponsored Snaps.
Not another banner. Not a filter. This was a chat-style ad—dropped straight into your inbox like a message from a friend.
One day.
52 million views.
A 55% bump in organic followers.
And a 17% lift in brand awareness.
Wendy's sliding into the DMs of Gen Zs is probably pointing towards the future of advertising- native, personal and unserious.
Link: https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/inspiration/wendys-success-story
#5: It's the best time to be a creator. It's the worst time to be a creator.
Patreon's State of Create 2025 report highlights the darker side of the creator economy.
Creators have more tools than ever—but platforms are making it harder to reach the audience they already built.
The "follow" model is fading. Algorithm-driven feeds now decide who sees what.
Here's what that looks like:
53% of creators say it's harder to reach their followers than five years ago.
78% say algorithms dictate what they create, and 75% feel penalized for posting inconsistently.
78% say they feel overworked and pressured to constantly produce short-form content.
Thank you for your time and attention. I will be back with regular programming next week. See you soon.
Regards,
Garima
P.S: 5 Things That Surprised Me
Anthropic, the makers of the Claude LLM, asked job seekers not to use AI in their job applications. (The irony of it all)
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot works at the car factory. It can work tirelessly across shifts and also in the pitch dark! Hyundai owns Boston Dynamics, which has now "ordered" 100s of these.
This skiing competition in Europe took gender pay parity in another direction. Male winners get money. Female winners get shower gel, shampoo and towels (Wait... What!!!🤯)
There's a French fry cartel in the USA. Four firms now control at least 97% of the $68 billion frozen potato market.
A video of a self-driving fridge hitting a self-driving Waymo recorded by a self-driving Tesla. What in the world!!!
What do you think of these?