Internet advertising continues to rise, and do the disputes around them. Popular social media platforms offer a list of paid social media campaigns and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. How these ads work can depend on what a particular platform offers. 
For instance, with Instagram, sellers can create a cost-per-impression (CPM) bidding model. The cost per click can vary, but a brand can cap the click price at around $100 a month. Brands can use Instagram’s different services like image ads, Stories, Carousel ads, Collection ads, Explore, Shopping, and Reels ads. Each model can appeal to specific audiences.
This platform is just one example. Instagram is owned by Facebook (Meta). And if you’d like to know, Tiktok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance Ltd, with a handful of U.S. companies holding interest. But today, we are talking about YouTube, which could be considered a unique situation. YouTube is a behemoth of a video platform with over two billion users, and it is owned by Google.
YouTube is today’s “mini-TV.” An encyclopedia of video content you can pull up in seconds. Miss the nightly news? Search for your local stations recent clips on YouTube. Want to watch the “move of the year” that the L.A. Rams pulled off? Or figure out how to cook a turkey properly on Thanksgiving morning? YouTube is the site! Just about any topic under the sun can be found there. And along with each video is a specific audience to advertise to.
The “Television in Your Pocket” Can Cause Advertising Confusion
Google’s YouTube advertising rules change constantly. Ads can be used via Google Ad Manager, an AdSense auction, and other YouTube sources. Content and ads are matched for relevancy to get a brand the best reach for their dollars. The platform has also made new efforts to keep advertisers from harmful or unrelated content. Refining these efforts are always in action in the background. And in recent years, YouTube has expanded into the podcast sphere. A new environment with its’ own advertising opportunities and challenges.
The YouTube advertising structure is simple. There are two pricing offers: cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-view (CPV). Buyers can target their audience by demographics, audience segments, and personal status (educated, married, homeowner, employed). They also can target “Affinity Audiences,” which includes view engagement, search history, and viewing behaviors. The type of videos people watch can create a solid path to a specific product. To learn more about what’s new with YouTube Advertising, here’s a Hubspot article: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/youtube-video-advertising-guide
With over two billion users, the power of Google, and worldwide reach, there are plenty of opportunities for misbehavior and consumer confusion.
Attorneys: Fighting a Legal Battle Over YouTube Ads? An Expert Witness Can Help!
With progress and success comes litigation. There are disputes around YouTube ads happening with Google, between companies, and among individuals.
It’s common to unintentionally violate the Fair Use rules, which allow copyright-protected material to be used without permission under certain circumstances. These rules are complicated with many grey areas. A brand could unintentionally violate the rules and need legal support to prove their innocence. Also, intentional efforts can create false advertising to divert viewers from one brand to another for financial gain. Buyers can find many strategies to violate the terms of service to their advantage.
Wherever your case falls in a legal argument, you need an expert witness for YouTube ads. This means you need an expert witness in Google Ads, too (https://www.jasonmcdonald.org/adwords/)! I teach, write books, support companies, and speak about Internet Advertising. I can help find the evidence and show the direct links to support intentional or unintentional online advertising fraud on YouTube and other platforms.
Most jury members might have personal experience with YouTube. They watch it frequently or may even have a channel, like me: https://www.youtube.com/@jmgrp. A juror might know how to buy an ad on the platform, but they don’t understand how these ads work.
Whether it’s copyright infringement, false advertising, manipulated ad viewing, or anything related to YouTube advertising or organic reach, I can write the script and bring the facts to your court case! Contact me to discuss your case (https://www.jasonmcdonald.org/about/).
