Welcome to this week’s edition of Katalys Connect – your shortcut to the latest in performance marketing!
[Read time: 4 minutes]
What’s in this issue? Each week, we pack the latest trends, actionable insights, and industry breakthroughs into a quick read – ensuring you’re not just keeping up, you’re staying ahead.
- Monetization: Explore how publishers are navigating threats to revenue from AI-powered email platforms, shifting Google algorithms, and Honey’s defense of its affiliate practices.
- Growth: See how Reddit, TikTok, and Roblox are rewriting the ad playbook — from immersive formats to streamlined SMB tools — to capture attention in a crowded digital landscape.
- The Future of Commerce: Discover how GenAI, new tariffs, and Amazon’s in-app checkout are reshaping the way consumers shop and how brands plan for the next wave of ecommerce.
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💸 Monetization
Honey Co-Founder Hits Back • Ryan Hudson, co-founder of Honey, firmly refuted allegations of manipulation and commission theft of his former company during a recent Reddit AMA, emphasizing the integrity of their practices.
- Hudson clarified that Honey’s use of vanity codes was designed to enhance creator attribution and not to mislead users, asserting that all codes offered were equivalent to publicly available discounts.
- He addressed the claim of stealing affiliate commissions by offering examples where both the creators and coupon distributor were compensated under a multi-touch attribution model.
Google Update Uncertainty Looms • Publishers are left uncertain about the impact of Google’s March 2025 core update on their search traffic and visibility.
- The latest core update follows a series of changes in 2024 that significantly affected publishers, particularly news and product review sites, leading to decreased search visibility.
- With Google planning more frequent updates, experts warn against knee-jerk reactions, urging publishers to wait, watch, and stick to long-term best practices.
AI Disrupts Email Landscape • As Google and Apple enhance their email platforms with AI features, publishers face potential disintermediation similar to what occurred in social media and search engines.
- Google and Apple now control nearly 90% of the global email market and are implementing AI to improve consumer experiences, which could undermine traditional email engagement for publishers.
- The evolution of email infrastructure, once appealing for its simplicity, is at risk as advanced AI capabilities threaten to alter the way consumers interact with email content.
📈 Growth
Immersive Ad Revolution • Roblox and Google are launching a new video ad format that integrates seamlessly into gaming environments, creating engaging advertising experiences for users.
- The partnership will utilize rewarded video ads, up to 30 seconds long, providing in-game benefits while maintaining user engagement.
- With 85.3 million daily active users, primarily aged 13 and older, this collaboration allows advertisers to effectively reach a hard-to-engage Gen Z audience through non-disruptive, contextually relevant ads.
TikTok’s Ad Strategy Shift • TikTok is aggressively courting advertisers amidst ongoing uncertainty about its operational status in the U.S., signaling its intent to remain a key player in the digital advertising landscape.
- TikTok has launched a bold “TikTok is here to stay” campaign and is offering brands multi-quarter ad deals with incentives like early access to beta features, measurement tools, and white-glove support.
- Even as some brands take a wait-and-see approach, TikTok is leveraging its unmatched cultural reputation and Gen Z engagement to emphasize that pausing now could mean missing out on influence and momentum.
Reddit Courts SMBs • Reddit’s latest ad tools remove friction for small and midsize businesses, helping them repurpose content, track conversions, and get up and running fast.
- Advertisers can import Meta campaigns in three steps and access new tools like simplified QA, Events Manager checks, and 1-click Pixel setup to boost targeting and attribution.
- With ad revenue driving 92% of Reddit’s $1.3B earnings, these updates aim to position the platform as a real alternative to Meta and TikTok for intent-driven performance marketing.
🚀 Future of Commerce
Perplexity’s Smart Shopping • Perplexity.ai teams up with firmly to turn its answer engine into a seamless shopping hub, letting users discover and buy without ever clicking away.
- firmly’s one-click integration brings real-time inventory, checkout, and shipping into Perplexity, giving merchants reach without the tech hassle.
- Built around user behavior, the experience blends GenAI, trust, and personalization – with retail just the start as travel, wellness, and more gear up next.
Amazon’s Buy For Me Bet • Amazon is testing a “Buy for Me” button that allows users to purchase products from third-party websites directly within its app, streamlining the online shopping experience.
- The feature utilizes Amazon’s Nova AI system to securely handle payment information, enabling users to complete purchases without leaving the app.
- Currently available to a limited user base in the US, the “Buy for Me” feature is being tested with select brands, with plans for future expansion.
Tariff Turmoil Ahead • Public e-commerce tech companies are facing significant operational challenges due to new import tariffs, leading to stock declines and supply chain uncertainties.
- Major players like Amazon and Shopify are grappling with a 10% blanket tariff on imports, with specific duties as high as 46% on goods from Vietnam, affecting pricing strategies and consumer costs.
- Analysts predict a fundamental shift in sourcing and delivery strategies as companies reorient their operations to manage rising costs and mitigate the impact on consumer spending and digital marketing demand.
