Do Facebook and Google’s targeted advertisements really yield results, or are they simply a case of misattribution? Rand Fishkin poses this question in light of various companies’ discoveries that reducing their ad spend didn’t affect sales. He posits that ad networks don’t impact spending behaviour as much as they claim to because they advertise to users that were planning on purchasing the product anyway; however, the fact that people engage with the ads before buying misattributed the sale to the ad. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
