YouTube's international content ambitions

Welcome to the first Wednesday of March! We’re almost through Q1, so let’s keep going.

Multi-language Audio on YouTube Makes Content International

YouTube rolled out its multi-language audio (MLA) feature to creators last week, making it easier to upload dubbed videos for international audiences. YouTube built the technology to support multi-language audio tracks in-house, but creators will need to hire third-party dubbing providers to create the audio tracks. After YouTube piloted the feature with MrBeast and a handful of other creators, they’ve “found that creators testing multi-language dubbed videos saw over 15 percent of their watch time coming from views in the video's non-primary language.”

Although YouTube is currently concentrating on MLA for longform video, YouTube Shorts will be able to use the feature soon, meaning advertisers may be able to get in on the tool next. Verdict’s out on a timeline for this, though.

Reaching a wider demographic without creating a whole new advertisement is any marketer’s dream. Because YouTube owns the technology, advertisers would most likely only have to pay for the audio tracks or cut YouTube a slightly larger revenue share.

Despite the Economy, Some CEOs Maintain Marketing Spend

This economic downturn could be different than most. For one thing, CEOs are maintaining or increasing their ad spend instead of drastically cutting (although, some still are—we’re looking at you, crypto and automotive industries). Big brands like Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz, Unilever, and Colgate are all either increasing ad spend or staying consistent. And although Procter & Gamble cut media spending over the last quarter, they’re allocating more money to advertising overall.

If you’re in an industry or company where your CEO is thinking of slicing your marketing budget or ad spend, try your best to defend it.

First, map your marketing directly to revenue to convey how your campaigns are generating dollars. Second, come up with low cost ways to get the word out and take advantage of free or low cost channels.

Sponsored by Masterworks

A Banksy got everyday investors 32% returns?

It may sound too good to be true. But thousands of investors are already smiling all the way to the bank, thanks to the fine-art investing platform Masterworks.

Masterworks has built a track record of 11 exits, the last 3 realizing +10.4%, +35.0%, and +13.9% net returns even while financial markets plummeted.

But art? Really? Okay, skeptics, here are the numbers. Contemporary art prices:

• outpaced the S&P 500 by 131% over the last 26 years

• remained stable through the dot-com bubble and ’08 crisis

Offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip the waitlist to join now.

See important Regulation A disclosures.

Around the Web

• Wondery scooped Spotify’s former head of global podcast sales for its head of podcast ad revenue.

• The Federal Trade Commission labeled artificial intelligence as a “marketing term” and primed for misuse.

• Snapchat and Meta is adopting generative AI for social.

• Pete Davidson—and his mom—will promote Smartwater Alkaline with Antioxidant.

• Drones bring marketing to the sky for brands like Candy Crush and the NBA.

Just Can’t Get Enough

The Venus and Jupiter conjunction. The two brightest planets will be nearly touching in tonight’s night sky.

• Look west shortly after sunset to see Jupiter on the left and Venus on the right.

• This marks the beginning of meteorological spring—take that, Punxsutawney Phil.

Are you planning to watch Venus and Jupiter kiss tonight, or are you working overtime hours to protect your marketing budget? What are your thoughts on easily-made multilingual ads? Reply and let us know your thoughts!

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you Friday!