The Big Story

Netflix’s Big Move Into Advertising: What It Means for Marketers

Netflix first introduced its ad-supported tier in late 2022, marking a major shift for the platform that once prided itself on being completely ad-free. Now, it’s taking its advertising business to the next level with the launch of the Netflix Ads Suite (NAS) on April 1. Instead of relying on outside companies to handle its ads, Netflix is building its own system to sell, serve, and personalize ads, ultimately giving more control over how brands reach its audience.

Unlike traditional TV ads that run at set times, Netflix uses viewer insights to serve ads more strategically, similar to how it recommends shows and movies. A major advantage for advertisers is Netflix’s low ad load, meaning fewer but more impactful ads that keep viewer engagement high. This approach could lead to better ad performance and stronger brand recall compared to ad-heavy platforms.

Netflix is also making it easier for brands to buy ads by integrating with Google’s DV360, The Trade Desk, and Xandr, ensuring advertisers can access its premium inventory through familiar platforms. As Netflix VP of Advertising Nicolle Pangis put it, “Our goal is to make it easy to buy Netflix ads. Because we know advertisers and agencies are leaning into fewer and more strategic partners. And obviously, we are very focused on being one of them.”

While Amazon has taken a high-volume, lower-cost approach by automatically adding ads to its content, Netflix is focusing on a premium experience with better targeting and customization options. For marketers, this means that while Netflix ads might come at a premium price, they could also deliver better results.

In short, Netflix is changing the game for streaming ads, offering marketers access to an engaged audience, better data for targeting, and a platform that prioritizes quality over quantity.

Social Updates

TikTok’s Potential Oracle Deal Sparks Debate

President Donald Trump is advancing a deal allowing Oracle to run TikTok in the U.S., despite a 2024 law requiring ByteDance to fully divest. The deal, which would keep some Chinese involvement, faces strong opposition from Congress’ China skeptics, who argue it violates national security measures. However, the law leaves the final decision to the president, making it difficult for lawmakers to challenge Trump’s actions. While some legal experts believe Oracle shareholders could sue, any challenge would likely come after the deal is finalized. Meanwhile, Trump has extended deadlines and allowed TikTok to remain online, despite legal requirements for its ban. Congress may ultimately pass legislation retroactively approving the deal rather than challenging the administration’s decision.

Meta Explores Separate App for Reels

Instagram is reportedly considering launching a standalone Reels app to compete more directly with TikTok. The move is part of Project Ray, a Meta initiative aimed at improving content recommendations and increasing the presence of longer, three-minute Reels videos in the U.S. With TikTok facing a potential ban and briefly removed from app stores, Meta has been aggressively trying to attract creators, even launching Edits, a rival to TikTok’s CapCut. It’s still unclear if Reels would remain integrated within Instagram, but a separate app would create a more TikTok-like experience with dedicated short-form video scrolling. Meta has tried this before with Lasso, a TikTok competitor that launched in 2018 and shut down in 2020. The success of this new strategy will depend on whether Meta can make Reels feel distinct from Instagram and convince users to choose it over TikTok.

LinkedIn Adds Calendly Integration for Seamless Meeting Scheduling

LinkedIn has partnered with Calendly to make scheduling meetings easier for Premium users. This new integration allows visitors to book appointments directly through profile buttons, reducing friction in the lead-generation process. Since LinkedIn introduced custom profile buttons, over one million users have adopted them, leading to a 25% increase in profile views. For marketers, this update creates a direct conversion path, helping turn profile views into real business opportunities. By eliminating the need for back-and-forth scheduling, professionals can focus more on building relationships and closing deals. Sales teams, recruiters, and business owners can benefit by making themselves more accessible to potential clients and partners. As LinkedIn continues to invest in seamless networking tools, marketers should take advantage of these features to help better connect with their audiences.

Digital Updates

Google Rolls Out First Major Algorithm Update of the Year

This month, Google announced its rollout of its March 2025 core update, the first major algorithm update of the year, which is expected to take up to two weeks to complete. Like past core updates, this one aims to improve search results by surfacing more relevant and high-quality content. While Google has not provided specific recovery steps for sites negatively affected, it reiterates that creating helpful, people-first content remains key to ranking well. Past updates have led to significant ranking shifts, so website owners should monitor traffic and performance. Although some recovery can occur between updates, major changes are usually seen after another core update. This update follows the December 2024 core update, which was the last major algorithm change.

Cleaner Ad Buying: Learnings from the 2025 Green Media Summit

At the recent Green Media Summit, industry leaders from Yahoo, StackAdapt, and FreeWheel discussed how they’re making digital ads more sustainable by reducing wasted data, improving efficiency, and using AI responsibly. As programmatic advertising has grown, so has its environmental impact, with excessive data processing leading to higher energy consumption. One major issue is ad duplication, where a single ad opportunity can generate hundreds of bid requests, increasing energy use. This is especially a problem in Connected TV (CTV) advertising, where multiple ad platforms may unknowingly compete for the same placement. To fix this, companies are streamlining supply chains, reducing redundant bidding, and using direct-to-publisher deals to cut unnecessary steps.

For marketers, these changes mean more efficient ad buying with less wasted spend. Fewer duplicate bids mean brands aren’t unknowingly driving up their own ad costs, and direct publisher deals offer more transparency and control over where ads appear. AI-driven automation can also reduce manual work, freeing up time for campaign strategy rather than logistics. However, since AI requires a lot of energy, brands will need to find a balance between improving efficiency and reducing their environmental impact.