This edition of the Trend Tracker boasts a whirlwind of social media updates, with Meta making major changes that promise to reshape user engagement and advertising strategies. Instagram, Meta’s subsidiary, unveiled an exciting enhancement to its carousel feature. Meanwhile, Meta's recent decision to eliminate detailed targeting exclusions from its ad platform marks a significant shift aimed at improving ad performance through advanced AI capabilities. X (formerly Twitter) is embroiled in a legal battle with major advertisers, accusing them of orchestrating a boycott that allegedly infringes on antitrust laws. As these stories evolve, SparkShoppe helps you stay informed and up to date. Read on to learn more!

Earlier this summer, Meta officially removed the option of detailed targeting exclusions for advertisers, but this news did not come as a surprise. In January 2024, Meta announced there would be a change coming to its ad targeting exclusions, then in May an accidental message was sent to advertisers detailing that the feature would be removed in its entirety. Although Meta explained that this message was an error and there were no plans to remove the feature, one month later, target exclusions disappeared. It took until late July for the social media giant to finally publicly announce the removal of the feature.

So, why did Meta choose to get rid of detailed targeting exclusions? Detailed targeting exclusionspermitted advertisers to exclude individuals from their ad audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Using the feature, advertisers were able to tailor their ideal ad audience, however, Meta discovered that these exclusions were limiting ad effectiveness over time. 

Meta argues that their ad targeting systems are now more skilled in connectingthe right ads to the right audience at the right time, eliminating the need for these exclusions. In testing, Meta said the median cost per conversion for ad campaigns showed improved results without the detailed targeting option. If their predictions are correct, this update may improve performance for advertisers. 

X Versus Advertisers 

X, formerly known as Twitter, is taking advertisers to court, claiming that a “massive advertiser boycott” deprived the company of revenue and violated antitrust laws. The lawsuit was filed in a Texas federal court last week against the World Federation of Advertisers and its members: Unilever, Mars, CVS Health, and Orsted. 

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