Hey there, eComm legend. 

While you've been watching those tariff forecasts with one eye and your ad costs with the other, running an online store just got interesting. As DOJ attorneys strut into court like they're hosting the next season of Law & Order: Ad Tech Unit, Google's advertising empire is finally getting a reality check (your margins just perked up), AI is turning single product shots into full catalogs for nickels, and Alibaba just dropped a sourcing solution that might be your tariff escape hatch.

Here's what matters: From reshaping how you'll buy ads to slashing your product photography costs to finding tariff-friendly suppliers, this week's updates aren't just noise – they're your battle plan for keeping those margins healthy in 2024. While your competition is still trying to outspend each other on ads, you're about to work smarter. Let's dive in.

In today’s agenda:

1) Google hoarded ads, DOJ mad mad.

2) Your store products + AI model = 5¢ 💃🏻

3) Skipping tariffs: Accio from Alibaba 🪄

4) BigC(ommerce) & BigG(oogle) team up

— Alex

1) Google hoarded ads, DOJ mad mad

Google used to help you find cat videos, now the tech giant is at the center of a legal battle that could redefine how digital advertising operates. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) just threw a major curveball with an antitrust lawsuit targeting Google’s ad tech dominance. For old times’ sake, play Keyboard Cat while reading this bullet point.

The Plot: The DOJ's case is simple: Google isn't just playing in the digital advertising sandbox - they own the sandbox, sell the shovels, run the concession stand, and charge admission. Through clever acquisitions like DoubleClick (vintage 2008), they've built an advertising kingdom that would make Mad Men's Don Draper switch to tech.

Google’s Defense: Talking of sandboxes, Google’s response feels straight out of playground logic: “But have you seen Amazon lately?” They’re pointing at competitors like a kid justifying why everyone else stays out past curfew. It didn’t work with my parents—let’s see how it flies with the DOJ.

The Stakes: If Judge Brinkema sides with the DOJ, Google might have to break up its ad tech empire. The DOJ, if successful, seeks the divestiture of, at minimum, the Google Ad Manager suite: the marketplace that gives brands the ability to create and manage ad units and track ad campaigns and lets publishers sell ad inventory. The ripple effects could transform digital advertising from a one-stop-shop into something more like a digital farmers' market - more options, and possibly better prices.

The Aftermath: Whatever happens, this case will reshape how ads chase you around the internet. Advertisers (🫵 YOU) could see their costs drop, publishers might finally get a bigger slice of the digital pie, and users... well, users will still probably need to clear their cookies regularly.

The verdict's coming soon, but there could be appeals extending into 2025. Keyboard Cat switches to a minor key.

Sources: nytimes.com, digiday.com, thecurrent.com, hklaw.com 

2) Your store products + AI model = 5¢ 💃🏻

Pinning clothes on a single model is obsolete. Kling.ai just dropped a game-changing feature that lets you instantly generate full-body poses and new backgrounds. Tools like these are popping up, but a lot of them have been “meh”. With this new virtual model tech, you show your products on different body types for just 5¢ per image.

How It Works: Upload your product shots to Kling.ai, and the AI creates hyper-realistic images of your clothes on various virtual models. That dress on five different body types from three angles runs 75¢ total. No photo shoots, no scheduling headaches, just instant results.

Make it Move: Static photos are soooo 2024. Click “Bring to Life” and Kling.ai turns outfits into dynamic videos, showing garments in action for an additional 35¢. Think of a model twirling, walking, or just looking like they stepped out of a runway show. I’m seriously mind blown.

Making Money: Start with your most-returned items. Generate views on different body types, showing multiple angles. Your customers see exactly what they're getting, and your return rates drop. Use these images in email campaigns and social ads to target customers with models that match their body type.

Quick Start Guide:

• Upload your bestseller images on Kling.ai

• Generate different body types and angles

• A/B test against your current photos

• Scale what converts

P.S. In the time it took to read this, you could have generated enough images to fill a catalog. Just saying... 🤷‍♂️

Sources: kling.ai 

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3) Skipping tariffs: Accio from Alibaba 🪄

Finding suppliers kinda feels like trying to assemble IKEA furniture blindfolded. Well, Alibaba's new Accio platform is here to turn that headache into a "why didn't this exist before?" moment.

Picture This: You're sipping your third coffee of the day, desperately searching for reliable suppliers of US-shipping press-on nails to avoid those sweet tariffs coming up. Instead of diving into the rabbit hole of endless tabs and questionable websites, Accio's B2B Sourcing Engine does the heavy lifting. Just throw in a picture or description, and boom – it's like Google Maps for products, but without the "you have arrived at your destination" while staring at an empty lot (happened to me once in an Uber; surprisingly, I'm still alive).

Wiki Waikiki: The real showstopper is the Accio Page, a wiki that knows more about products than your cousin who won't stop talking about their dropshipping empire. It taps into Alibaba's network of 50 million businesses – that's roughly the population of Spain (wish paella was coming with it though).

Draw Me An Electric Scooter: And then there's the Accio Agent, your new best friend in procurement. It's like having a personal assistant who actually remembers your coffee order AND keeps track of your shipments.

Fast Track: The numbers speak for themselves: businesses using Accio saw a 40% boost in purchase intent. So whether you're hunting for trendy gadgets or bulk orders of rubber ducks (hey, no judgment here), Accio makes it feel less like a wild goose chase and more like a smooth shopping spree. It's bringing the "easy button" to B2B sourcing, minus the infomercial vibes.

Welcome to the future of procurement – where finding suppliers is less "needle in a haystack" and more "yeah, I can do this in my pajamas."

Sources: alibaba.com 

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* Executive Cheat Sheet

• Ad Tech: The software and tools used to deliver, target, and measure digital advertising campaigns.

• Antitrust: Laws and regulations that prevent companies from creating monopolies or unfairly dominating markets.

• Product Attribution: The process of adding detailed characteristics and information to products in your catalog.

• Purchase Intent: A measurement of how likely a customer is to buy a product based on their behavior and interactions.