Be in The Know
▶️ YouTube tests an AI search mode.
👻 Snap launches AI Sponsored Snaps for conversational ads.
💼 LinkedIn expands Event Ads beyond its own platform.
🔋 Meta announces a solar-power project to offset AI initiatives.
🎨 Adobe relies on Firefly to win over creators.
Cheaper Clicks Aren’t Always Better
Rising cost-per-click can actually signal improving campaign quality rather than declining performance.
With smart bidding, we’re no longer paying for clicks indiscriminately, instead bidding on the likelihood of conversion. Algorithms evaluate signals like intent, behavior, and context, and then bid more aggressively for users who are more likely to convert.
As a result, higher CPCs often mean you’re winning auctions for the most valuable prospects, not wasting spend.
Cheap clicks are often cheap because they’re low intent, ignored by competitors, or tied to irrelevant queries.
Here’s what to know:
- High CPC can indicate high intent. You’re paying more to reach users closer to conversion.
- Smart bidding prioritizes value, not volume. Algorithms optimize for outcomes like conversions or revenue.
- Low CPC can signal poor traffic quality. “Leftover” clicks often don’t convert.
- Business economics matter more than click cost. Metrics like CPA and ROAS are more meaningful than CPC alone.
- Context is critical. High CPC is good only if conversion rates and profitability follow.
- And there are limits. High CPC becomes a problem when it exceeds the value of a customer or reflects inefficiencies.
Head to Search Engine Journal for more on the high CPC paradox.
Q for You
How concerned are you about the environmental impact of AI?
Audiense
Audiense is an audience intelligence tool that analyzes large volumes of social data to reveal interests, behaviors, cultural affinities, and even personality traits.
Its segmentation engine groups audiences based on shared characteristics and relationships instead of filters.
Then, these segments are enriched with insights like media consumption, influencer affinities, and online habits.
You translate all of this into personas, targeting strategies, and content decisions.
Now Streaming
Catch up on Season 2 of The Daily Carnage Show:
- Spirit Airlines 2.0: Will It Fly? (11:08)
- Major Platform Updates (8:17)
- Nike Runs into Controversy (12:19)
- Transgressive OOH (18:45)
- Your Brain on AI (12:33)
- Meta, McDonald’s Mukbang, and The OpenAI Mess (14:41)
- Ethics in the AI Era (18:33)
🎙️ Now streaming on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.
Sponsor The Daily Carnage
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“Open rate was nearly 50% and CTR was relatively high, especially considering this newsletter’s audience was likely being exposed to our event for the first time.” — Adweek
Hop on our 2026 sponsorship calendar to get your content in front of 25,000 marketers.
Book a $99 Classified ad instantly, or ask us about our custom sponsorship packages tailored to your campaign objectives.
Dark Mode
Plenitude’s “Dark Mode Ads” by LePub is a game-changer for OOH (hopefully).
The campaign focuses on reducing the energy consumption of digital out-of-home advertising without any changes to physical infrastructure.
By redesigning ad creatives with predominantly dark color palettes, Plenitude was able to lower the electricity needed to run LED screens by up to 74%.
And now, they’ve introduced a system that allows other brands to adapt their campaigns to the same format.
r/TheDailyCarnage
Weigh in on The Daily Carnage Subreddit:
- The Daily Carnage Show Ep 2.7 Discussion: “What are your thoughts about Spirit 2.0, the crowdfunded effort to purchase Spirit Airlines? Can the Green Bay Packers model be applied to a brand like Spirit? Will Spirit 2.0 change how we think about the end of brands we love?”
Ads from The Past
Jelly Belly, 1993
