Welcome to another episode of The Toolkits Show, the podcast making sense of the major themes, trends, and developments shaping the business of content.
In this week’s episode:
- Does Google’s ad tech hurt publishers? That’s one of the key questions that’ll be explored over the next few weeks, as one of the most critical antitrust trials in U.S. history gets underway. The Department of Justice’s second antitrust suit against Google accuses the company of monopolizing the online advertising market, and then as the case unfolds, the company’s historical impact on publishers will become clearer. Meanwhile, Trade Desk-owned The Current is covering the trial more cohesively than many trade publications, offering a glimpse of a future where the lines between media and marketing continue to blur.
- Ads are coming to Amazon Rufus. Amazon’s Rufus chatbot, which marries content, commerce and generative AI, will now have ads. Sponsored ads could start appearing in placements for Rufus, reports Adweek.
- Espresso is now available free for students. The Economist has made Espresso, its short-form daily news app, available for free to university and high school students worldwide, in an effort to shore up loyalty and support from a valuable younger cohort.