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CMO TLDR: Your Weekly Marketing Brief

Weekly Digest - August 22, 2025

CMO TLDR: Meta, Yahoo’s FAST Break, and Who's Testifying Against Google

Metrics Under the Microscope

Meta Accused of Inflating Ad Metrics and Bypassing Apple Privacy Rules

A former Meta product manager testified at a London employment tribunal that the social media giant inflated its "Shops Ads" performance metrics by up to 19% by using gross rather than net sales figures, misleading advertisers about the true effectiveness of their campaigns. Samujjal Purkayastha also alleged that Meta secretly tracked user activity across websites without permission, violating Apple's 2021 privacy requirements that explicitly demand user consent. Meta dismissed the claims as "routine commercial matters" and said it's actively defending against the proceedings, though the case highlights ongoing scrutiny over the company's advertising practices following Apple's privacy changes that cost Meta an estimated $10 billion in revenue.

Marketers Demand ROI Proof as Creator Spending Faces CFO Scrutiny

Advertisers are shifting away from vanity metrics like follower counts and engagement rates to focus on hard business outcomes such as customer acquisition and revenue attribution as creator marketing budgets come under increased financial scrutiny. Companies like Bombas are now measuring return on ad spend and finding that creator content effectiveness depends more on driving actual conversions than follower engagement, with some brands seeing 5.3 times higher returns from creator campaigns compared to traditional YouTube advertising. The pressure to prove ROI has sparked new measurement approaches, with agencies partnering with firms like Kantar for predictive testing and developing AI-powered scoring systems to evaluate creator effectiveness before campaigns launch.

Yahoo's FAST Break

Yahoo Sports Launches FAST Channel as Streaming Ad Inventory Tightens

Yahoo launched a 24/7 free ad-supported streaming channel called Yahoo Sports Network, featuring over 60 hours of original programming weekly, focused on fantasy sports analysis and commentary rather than live game broadcasts. The move capitalizes on surging demand for connected TV advertising inventory, with FAST platforms like Pluto and Roku now commanding 5.7% of total TV viewing and premium sports ad slots becoming increasingly scarce as costs rise due to supply constraints. Yahoo's strategy of building around its established fantasy sports audience and partnerships with creators like Kevin Durant's Boardroom offers advertisers new inventory in the coveted sports category without the expensive rights fees associated with live game coverage.

The remedy phase of Google's ad tech antitrust trial begins September 22 with testimony from current and former Google employees, publishers, competitors, and experts as the DOJ seeks penalties ranging from forced divestiture of Google's ad tech assets to banning the company from self-preferencing its own services after a judge found Google guilty of operating illegal monopolies in April.

Macy's will become the first major retailer to test Amazon's retail media technology in a Q4 pilot that lets advertisers buy Macy's sponsored product ads through Amazon's console, potentially threatening intermediaries like Criteo while expanding Amazon's already dominant ad business into competitor territories.

WPP Media won Mastercard's $180 million global media account after a competitive review, ending the financial services giant's decade-long relationship with Dentsu-owned Carat and marking a significant victory for WPP following recent high-profile account losses, including Coca-Cola and Mars.

Spotify is doubling down on podcast advertising despite ad-supported revenue falling roughly 1% year over year to $523 million in Q2, launching programmatic podcast inventory buying and exploring video podcast opportunities as the streaming giant seeks to prove it can drive conversions beyond brand awareness campaigns.

The rise of “rage bait” content designed to provoke and monetize consumer outrage has sparked debate in the ad industry. Brands are navigating the fine line between leveraging emotional engagement and avoiding backlash, with implications for campaign strategies and consumer trust.

Key Article Takeaways - TLDR

  • The new CTV play is content. Yahoo once squandered its enviable position as both a top digital publisher and an ad tech player with its own SSP and DSP. Now, investing in sports content gives it a clearer path to premium inventory. The Trade Desk, long insistent on independence, may find this a model worth emulating.