#contextual targeting

[mfilterit]

Target with Confidence: Contextual Ads & Brand Protection

Contextual ad targeting is the best strategy for mass advertising as it delivers ads based on what a user is currently engaged with. Thus, brands can serve appropriate ads by breaking down keywords, themes, and overall content of a webpage. This works great in improving user experience while increasing the conversion rate. Most important with contextual targeting is that brand safety has to involve relevance, meaning that the ads must appear alongside suitable content. It avoids all possible instances of communicating inappropriate or sensitive subjects to the market in association with the brand. It enables a positive brand image with effective communication to the target audience.

[gezginajans]

Google Ads Bağlamsal Hedefleme (Contextual Targeting) Nedir?

Bağlamsal hedefleme, reklamların, bir web sayfasının içeriği ve anahtar kelimelerine dayanarak gösterilmesi stratejisidir. Google Ads bağlamında, bu özellik, kullanıcının ilgisini çekebilecek içeriklere uygun reklamları otomatik olarak sunar. Örneğin, bir yemek tarifi blogunda "mutfak aletleri" reklamı gösterildiğinde, bu bağlamsal hedeflemenin bir sonucudur.

Bağlamsal Hedeflemenin Temel Mantığı

Bağlamsal hedeflemenin temel mantığı, web sayfalarındaki içeriklerin reklamlarla uyumlu hale getirilmesidir. Bu yöntem, dijital reklamcılığın daha doğal ve etkili bir şekilde çalışmasını sağlar. Örneğin, bir sayfanın ana konusunu belirlemek için Google’ın algoritmaları, içerikteki anahtar kelimeleri, başlıkları, görselleri ve hatta videoları analiz eder. Bu analiz sayesinde, en uygun reklamlar otomatik olarak belirlenir ve o sayfada kullanıcıya sunulur.

Anahtar Kelimelerin ve İçeriklerin Önemi

Bağlamsal hedeflemede en kritik unsur, içerikte kullanılan anahtar kelimeler ve bu kelimelerin web sayfasının genel bağlamıyla olan ilişkisidir. Google, sayfa içeriğindeki kelimeleri tarayarak bu kelimelerle en alakalı reklamları seçer. Örneğin, bir yemek tarifi sitesinde "fırın" kelimesi öne çıkıyorsa, fırın markalarının veya mutfak aletleri satan firmaların reklamları gösterilir.

Anahtar kelimeler ne kadar spesifik ve doğru seçilirse, bağlamsal hedefleme o kadar başarılı olur. Bu nedenle, içerik üreticileri ve site sahipleri, sayfa içeriğini optimize ederken doğru anahtar kelimelerle çalışmayı ihmal etmemelidirler. Anahtar kelimelerin kullanıcı niyeti ile de uyumlu olması, reklamların tıklanma oranını doğrudan etkiler.

Reklam Verenler İçin Avantajları

Reklam verenler için bağlamsal hedeflemenin en büyük avantajlarından biri, reklamların daha doğal bir şekilde sunulmasıdır. Kullanıcılar, ilgi duydukları konularla alakalı reklamları gördüklerinde bu reklamlar daha az müdahaleci görünür ve böylece reklamlar, spam gibi algılanmaz. Aynı zamanda, bu strateji sayesinde reklam verenler, yanlış kitleye reklam gösterme riskini minimuma indirirler.

Bağlamsal hedefleme ile hedef kitleye ulaşmak daha kolaydır çünkü reklamlar, doğrudan ilgili içerikle uyumlu olarak gösterildiği için kullanıcının ilgisini çekme olasılığı yüksektir. Bu da daha yüksek tıklanma oranları ve daha iyi bir yatırım getirisi anlamına gelir. Özellikle dar bütçeli reklam kampanyaları için bağlamsal hedefleme büyük bir avantaj sunar, çünkü her tıklama daha fazla değer yaratabilir.

Doğru İçeriğe Ulaşmanın Yolları

Doğru bağlamsal hedefleme yapmak, doğru içerik analizine dayanır. Google Ads bu süreci kolaylaştırmak için reklam verenlere içerik kategorileri, anahtar kelimeler ve sayfa temaları gibi çeşitli hedefleme seçenekleri sunar. Bu seçenekler sayesinde, reklam verenler, reklamlarını daha etkili bir şekilde yönlendirebilir ve içerikle en alakalı kitleye ulaşabilirler. Reklam kampanyalarını düzenlerken, içeriğin bağlamını anlamak ve bu bağlam üzerinden hedeflemeyi şekillendirmek büyük önem taşır.

Google Ads İçerisindeki Bağlamsal Hedefleme Nasıl Çalışır?

Google Ads içerisindeki bağlamsal hedefleme, gelişmiş algoritmalar ve yapay zeka kullanarak çalışır. Bu sistem, reklamların en uygun içeriklerle eşleşmesini sağlar ve kullanıcıların ilgisini çeken reklamlara daha fazla maruz kalmalarını amaçlar. Google, sayfa içeriklerini analiz ederken yalnızca metinlere değil, sayfadaki görseller, videolar ve hatta kullanıcı yorumlarına bile dikkat eder. Bu detaylı analiz süreci, reklamların daha doğru ve etkili şekilde sunulmasına olanak tanır.

İçerik Analizi ve Alakalı Reklamlar

Google Ads, web sayfasındaki içeriği analiz ederken, sayfanın genel temasını, anahtar kelimeleri ve kullanıcıların ilgisini çekebilecek diğer unsurları göz önünde bulundurur. Örneğin, bir kullanıcı bir spor makalesini okurken, sayfadaki anahtar kelimelerle alakalı spor malzemeleri veya fitness ekipmanları reklamları gösterilebilir. Bu analiz, içerikle doğrudan bağlantılı reklamların sunulmasını sağlar ve reklamın kullanıcı için daha anlamlı hale gelmesine katkıda bulunur.

Algoritmalar ve Yapay Zekâ İlişkisi

Google Ads bağlamsal hedeflemenin ardında yatan teknoloji, yapay zekâ ve gelişmiş algoritmalarla güçlendirilmiştir. Google’ın algoritmaları, web sayfalarındaki metinleri, görselleri ve videoları tarayarak, hangi reklamların sayfa ile en uyumlu olduğunu belirler. Bu süreçte, yapay zekâ, kullanıcının neyle ilgilendiğini tahmin edebilmek için geçmiş verileri ve içerik bağlamını bir arada değerlendirir. Böylece, reklamların doğru içerikle eşleştirilmesi ve kullanıcı deneyiminin iyileştirilmesi sağlanır.

Bağlamsal Hedefleme ile Davranışsal Hedefleme Arasındaki Farklar

Bağlamsal hedefleme ve davranışsal hedefleme, dijital reklamcılığın iki farklı stratejisidir. Bağlamsal hedefleme, kullanıcının o anki ziyaret ettiği web sayfasının içeriğine dayanarak reklamları sunarken, davranışsal hedefleme, kullanıcının geçmiş davranışları, gezinme alışkanlıkları ve tıklama geçmişine dayanır.

Kullanıcı Davranışları vs. İçerik Uyumluluğu

Davranışsal hedefleme, kullanıcının önceki arama ve tarama alışkanlıklarına göre belirlenen reklamları gösterirken, bağlamsal hedefleme, o anki sayfa içeriğine odaklanır. Örneğin, bir kullanıcı daha önce "koşu ayakkabıları" araması yaptıysa, davranışsal hedefleme sayesinde koşu ayakkabısı reklamları görmeye devam edebilir. Ancak, kullanıcı bir moda blogunu ziyaret ettiğinde, bağlamsal hedefleme devreye girer ve o moda içeriğiyle uyumlu reklamlar gösterir.

Reklam Performansı Üzerindeki Etkiler

Her iki stratejinin de performans üzerinde farklı etkileri vardır. Davranışsal hedefleme, kullanıcının geçmişteki davranışlarına dayandığı için kişiselleştirilmiş bir deneyim sunabilir; ancak, bağlamsal hedefleme daha doğal ve rahatsız etmeyen bir reklam deneyimi sunar. Bağlamsal hedeflemede, kullanıcı, içerikle doğrudan ilgili bir reklam gördüğünde, bu reklamın daha anlamlı ve alakalı olduğunu düşünür ve tıklama olasılığı artar.

Google Ads'te Bağlamsal Hedefleme Nasıl Ayarlanır?

Google Ads'te bağlamsal hedefleme kurmak oldukça basittir ve reklam verenlerin, içerik kategorilerine ve anahtar kelimelere dayalı stratejiler oluşturmasına olanak tanır. Bu bölümde, Google Ads'te bağlamsal hedeflemeyi nasıl ayarlayabileceğinizi adım adım açıklayacağız.

Anahtar Kelime Seçimi

Bağlamsal hedefleme stratejinizin başarısı büyük ölçüde doğru anahtar kelime seçimine bağlıdır. Reklam verenler, hedeflemek istedikleri içerik türü ile uyumlu anahtar kelimeleri belirlemelidir. Örneğin, bir bilgisayar markası, teknoloji blogları ve teknoloji ile ilgili sayfalarda görünmek için "laptop", "oyuncu bilgisayarları" gibi anahtar kelimeleri hedefleyebilir.

Google Ads arayüzü, anahtar kelime seçimi konusunda önerilerde bulunur ve hangi kelimelerin en çok arandığını gösterir. Bu, reklam verenlerin daha iyi hedefleme yapmalarına yardımcı olur.

İlgili Yazı: Google Ads Anahtar Kelime Planlayıcı Nedir ve Nasıl Kullanılır?

İçerik Kategorileri ve Bağlam Seçenekleri

Google Ads, reklamların yerleştirileceği içerik kategorilerini seçme fırsatı sunar. İçerik kategorileri, reklamların hangi tür sayfalarda görüneceğini belirler. Örneğin, bir fitness markası, sağlık ve spor kategorilerindeki sayfalarda yer alacak reklamlar oluşturabilir. Ayrıca, Google Ads'te belirli web siteleri veya YouTube kanalları gibi hedeflemeler de yapılabilir. Reklam verenler, bu seçenekleri kullanarak içerikle en uyumlu alanlarda reklamlarını gösterebilirler.

Bağlamsal Hedefleme Neden Etkili Bir Stratejidir?

Bağlamsal hedefleme, reklamların kullanıcıyla daha doğal bir şekilde buluşmasını sağladığı için etkili bir strateji olarak kabul edilir. Kullanıcılar, ziyaret ettikleri içerikle doğrudan bağlantılı reklamlar gördüklerinde, bu reklamları daha anlamlı bulurlar ve reklama karşı olumlu bir tutum geliştirirler.

Kullanıcı İlgisi ile Uyumlu Reklamlar

Bir kullanıcı, bir içerikle alakalı reklam gördüğünde bu reklamı daha ilgi çekici bulur. Örneğin, bir kullanıcı "ev dekorasyonu" ile ilgili bir blog yazısı okurken, sayfanın üst kısmında ev dekorasyon ürünlerine yönelik bir reklam gördüğünde, bu reklam onun için daha cazip hale gelir. Çünkü bu reklam, kullanıcının o anki ilgisini doğrudan yakalar ve içeriği destekler.

Daha Yüksek Tıklama Oranları

Kullanıcı ilgisiyle doğrudan uyumlu reklamlar, tıklama oranlarını (CTR) olumlu etkiler. İçerikle alakalı reklamlar, daha fazla dikkat çektiği için kullanıcıların bu reklamlara tıklama olasılığı yüksektir. Tıklama oranlarının artması, reklam verenlerin dönüşüm elde etme şansını da artırır.

Google Ads Bağlamsal Hedeflemenin Avantajları

Bağlamsal hedefleme, yalnızca kullanıcı deneyimini iyileştirmekle kalmaz, aynı zamanda reklam verenler için de birçok avantaj sunar. Bu avantajlar, özellikle bütçe kullanımı ve reklam performansı açısından önemlidir.

Reklam Maliyetlerinin Düşürülmesi

Bağlamsal hedefleme, reklamların daha doğru kitlelere ulaşmasını sağladığı için, gereksiz tıklamalar azalır. Bu da reklam verenlerin daha düşük bütçelerle daha iyi sonuçlar almasını sağlar. Reklamlar, sadece ilgili içeriklerde göründüğü için, yanlış hedefleme kaynaklı bütçe israfı önlenir.

Yüksek Kalite Puanı ve Dönüşümler

Google Ads’te bağlamsal hedefleme, yüksek kalite puanı elde etmek için etkili bir stratejidir. Google, kaliteli içerik ve kullanıcıya uygun reklamları ödüllendirir, bu da daha düşük maliyetlerle daha yüksek dönüşüm oranlarına yol açar. Reklamın alakalı olması, kullanıcı deneyimini iyileştirirken, dönüşüm oranlarını artırır.

Bağlamsal Hedeflemenin SEO ile Olan Bağlantısı

Bağlamsal hedefleme yalnızca Google Ads kampanyalarının başarısını artırmakla kalmaz, aynı zamanda SEO stratejileri ile de güçlü bir bağa sahiptir. İçerik ve reklamların birbiriyle uyumlu olması, kullanıcılara daha doğal bir deneyim sunarken, bu uyum SEO açısından da faydalıdır.

Anahtar Kelime Yoğunluğu ve Relevans

Bağlamsal hedefleme, SEO stratejileriyle paralel çalıştığında, içerikte kullanılan anahtar kelimelerin yoğunluğu ve anlamı büyük önem taşır. Google Ads, bağlamsal hedeflemeyi sağlamak için içerikteki anahtar kelimeleri analiz eder. Bu süreç, SEO açısından da önemlidir çünkü aynı anahtar kelimeler, arama motorlarında üst sıralarda yer almak için gereklidir. Yani, iyi optimize edilmiş bir içerik, hem SEO hem de bağlamsal hedefleme açısından çift yönlü fayda sağlar.

Sayfa İçi Optimizasyonun Önemi

Sayfa içi optimizasyon, bağlamsal hedeflemenin etkinliği için kritik bir rol oynar. İçerik ne kadar iyi optimize edilmişse, bağlamsal hedefleme o kadar doğru olur. Anahtar kelimeler, başlık etiketleri (H1, H2, H3), meta açıklamalar ve görsel alt metinleri gibi SEO unsurlarının doğru kullanılması, reklamların daha alakalı bir şekilde sunulmasını sağlar. Ayrıca, sayfa içi optimizasyon, kullanıcının ilgisini çeken reklamların daha yüksek bir tıklanma oranı elde etmesine yardımcı olur.

Bağlamsal Hedefleme Stratejileri

Google Ads’te başarılı bir bağlamsal hedefleme stratejisi geliştirmek, reklam kampanyalarının etkinliğini artırmanın anahtarıdır. Doğru stratejiler kullanılarak, hem reklam performansı artırılır hem de kullanıcıların deneyimi iyileştirilir.

İçerik Üzerinden Doğru Hedefleme

Bağlamsal hedeflemede en önemli strateji, içerikle uyumlu reklamlar oluşturmaktır. Reklam verenler, hedefledikleri içeriğin türüne uygun anahtar kelimeler ve içerik kategorileri seçmelidir. Örneğin, bir teknoloji firması, teknoloji haber sitelerinde görünmek için teknoloji ile ilgili anahtar kelimeler kullanabilir. İçerik türüyle uyumlu reklamlar, daha fazla tıklama ve daha yüksek dönüşüm oranları sağlayacaktır.

İlgi Alanlarına Göre Bağlamsal Seçimler

Reklam verenler, kullanıcıların ilgi alanlarını da göz önünde bulundurarak bağlamsal hedefleme yapabilirler. Google Ads, içerik kategorileri seçerken ilgi alanlarına göre filtreleme seçenekleri sunar. Bu seçenekler, kullanıcının ziyaret ettiği sayfanın içeriğine uygun reklamlar sunulmasına yardımcı olur. Örneğin, moda ile ilgilenen bir kullanıcı, moda bloglarında ve e-ticaret sitelerinde moda ürünlerine yönelik reklamlarla karşılaşabilir.

Google Ads'te Bağlamsal Hedefleme ve Reklam Performansı

Bağlamsal hedefleme, reklam performansını artıran önemli bir faktördür. Doğru içerikle eşleştirilen reklamlar, kullanıcıların ilgisini çekme olasılığı daha yüksek olduğu için daha iyi sonuçlar verir. Bu da reklam verenlerin daha fazla dönüşüm elde etmesini sağlar.

Tıklama Başına Maliyet (CPC) Üzerindeki Etkiler

Bağlamsal hedefleme, tıklama başına maliyetin (CPC) optimize edilmesine yardımcı olur. Reklamlar, ilgili içeriklerde gösterildiğinde, daha fazla tıklanma potansiyeline sahip olur. Bu, CPC'nin düşmesine ve bütçenin daha verimli kullanılmasına yol açar. Doğru içerikle eşleşen reklamlar, kullanıcılar için daha anlamlı olduğu için gereksiz tıklamaların önüne geçilir.

Dönüşüm Oranları ve Geri Dönüş (ROI)

Bağlamsal hedefleme, reklamların dönüşüm oranlarını artırmada kritik bir rol oynar. İçerikle uyumlu reklamlar, kullanıcının dikkatini daha fazla çektiği için tıklama sonrası gerçekleşen dönüşüm oranları da artar. Bu da reklam verenler için daha yüksek bir yatırım getirisi (ROI) anlamına gelir. Reklamlar, yalnızca tıklama almakla kalmaz, aynı zamanda kullanıcıları harekete geçirir ve satın alma, form doldurma gibi eylemleri gerçekleştirme olasılığını artırır.

Bağlamsal Hedeflemede Yapılmaması Gereken Hatalar

Başarılı bir bağlamsal hedefleme stratejisi oluşturmak için kaçınılması gereken bazı yaygın hatalar vardır. Bu hatalar, reklam performansını olumsuz etkileyebilir ve hedef kitleye ulaşmayı zorlaştırabilir.

Yanlış Anahtar Kelime Seçimi

Bağlamsal hedeflemede en sık yapılan hatalardan biri, yanlış anahtar kelimelerin seçilmesidir. Reklam verenler, hedefledikleri içerikle uyumlu olmayan anahtar kelimeler seçtiğinde, reklamlar yanlış içeriklerde görünebilir ve bu da tıklama oranlarını düşürür. Ayrıca, yanlış anahtar kelime seçimi, bütçenin gereksiz yere harcanmasına ve reklamların başarısız olmasına yol açabilir.

Bağlamın Reklamla Uyumlu Olmaması

Reklamın içeriğe uygun olmaması, kullanıcı deneyimini olumsuz etkileyen bir başka yaygın hatadır. Örneğin, sporla ilgili bir sayfada ev dekorasyonu ile ilgili bir reklam göstermek, kullanıcının ilgisini çekmez ve reklam boşa gider. Bağlamsal hedefleme, içeriğe dayalı olduğu için, reklamların sayfanın teması ile tam olarak uyumlu olması önemlidir. Bu uyum sağlanmadığında, reklamın etkisi azalır ve tıklama oranları düşer.

Bağlamsal Hedefleme için En İyi Uygulamalar

Bağlamsal hedefleme stratejinizi en iyi şekilde optimize etmek için bazı uygulamalara dikkat etmeniz gerekir. Bu uygulamalar, kampanyanızın başarısını artırmanıza yardımcı olacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimelerin Sürekli İzlenmesi

Bağlamsal hedeflemede kullanılan anahtar kelimeler, sürekli olarak izlenmeli ve optimize edilmelidir. Reklam kampanyanızın performansını izleyerek, hangi anahtar kelimelerin daha iyi sonuç verdiğini belirleyebilir ve stratejinizi buna göre ayarlayabilirsiniz. Google Ads, bu konuda detaylı raporlar sunarak, hangi kelimelerin daha fazla tıklama aldığını gösterir.

Reklam Metinlerinin İçeriğe Uygunluğu

Reklam metinlerinin, gösterildiği içerikle uyumlu olması büyük önem taşır. Kullanıcılar, içerikle ilgili reklamlar gördüklerinde bu reklamları daha çekici bulurlar. Bu nedenle, reklam metinlerinizin, içerik temasına uygun olduğundan emin olun. İçerikle uyumlu reklam metinleri, tıklama oranlarını artırır ve kullanıcıların reklama karşı daha olumlu bir tutum sergilemesini sağlar.

Bağlamsal Hedefleme ile Rekabet Üstünlüğü

Bağlamsal hedefleme, doğru kullanıldığında, rekabet avantajı sağlayan güçlü bir strateji olabilir. Bu strateji, özellikle niş pazarlara ulaşmak ve fark yaratmak isteyen markalar için büyük faydalar sunar.

Niş Pazar Segmentlerine Ulaşmak

Bağlamsal hedefleme, markaların niş pazar segmentlerine daha kolay ulaşmasını sağlar. İçerik odaklı hedefleme sayesinde, belirli bir ilgi alanına sahip kullanıcılarla buluşmak mümkün olur. Örneğin, vegan yaşam tarzına odaklanan bir marka, vegan yemek tarifleri sitelerinde bağlamsal hedefleme yaparak, tam olarak aradığı kitleye ulaşabilir.

Hedeflenen İçeriklerle Fark Yaratmak

Bağlamsal hedefleme, markaların içerik aracılığıyla farklılaşmasına olanak tanır. Doğru içeriklerle eşleşen reklamlar, kullanıcının ilgisini çekerek marka algısını olumlu yönde etkiler. Bu, özellikle rekabetin yoğun olduğu sektörlerde markaların öne çıkmasını sağlar.

Sonuç: Bağlamsal Hedeflemenin Dijital Pazarlamadaki Önemi

Bağlamsal hedefleme, dijital pazarlamada hem kullanıcı deneyimini iyileştiren hem de reklam verenlerin bütçelerini daha verimli kullanmalarını sağlayan etkili bir stratejidir. Doğru içeriklerle eşleşen reklamlar, hem daha fazla tıklanma hem de daha yüksek dönüşüm oranları getirir. Kullanıcıların ilgi duydukları içeriklerle uyumlu reklamlar gördüklerinde, bu reklamları daha anlamlı buldukları ve olumlu tepki verdikleri bir gerçektir. Sonuç olarak, bağlamsal hedefleme, dijital pazarlamada başarılı bir reklam kampanyası yürütmek isteyen herkes için vazgeçilmez bir araçtır.

[contextualadvertising]

Exploring the World of Cookieless Video Ads

Navigating the Uncharted Territory of Cookieless Video Ads

The advertising industry is undergoing a transformative shift with the impending demise of third-party cookies, a fundamental tool for tracking user behavior and delivering targeted ads. This change is bound to have a significant impact on the video advertising industry, which relies heavily on cookies for effective campaign execution. 

The Cookie Conundrum Third-party cookies have long been the backbone of digital advertising, enabling advertisers to track users across websites and devices, creating detailed profiles of their interests and preferences. This information was then used to deliver personalized ads, increasing the likelihood of conversions. 

However, concerns over user privacy and the growing popularity of ad blockers have led to a decline in cookie acceptance rates. In response, major browsers have announced plans to phase out third-party cookies entirely. 

The Rise of Cookieless Video AdsAs the cookie era draws to a close, the video advertising industry is scrambling to adapt and find new ways to reach and engage audiences. Cookieless video ads, a category of ads that can be delivered without relying on third-party cookies, are emerging as a promising alternative. Cookieless video ads utilize a variety of techniques to identify and target potential viewers, including:

Contextual targeting: Placing ads alongside content relevant to the user's interests or browsing history.

First-party data: Leveraging data collected directly from users, such as email addresses or website registrations, to create audience segments.

Device identifiers: Using unique identifiers associated with specific devices, such as mobile advertising IDs, to target users across platforms.

Navigating the Cookieless Future

As the digital advertising landscape continues to evolve, advertisers must adapt their strategies to succeed in the cookieless future. Here are some key recommendations: 

Invest in first-party data collection: Building a robust first-party data strategy is crucial for understanding your target audience and delivering personalized ad experiences.

Explore contextual targeting: Contextual targeting offers a privacy-friendly approach to reaching relevant audiences based on the content they are consuming.

Use new technologies and measurement methodologies: Stay informed about emerging technologies and measurement solutions specifically designed for the cookieless environment.

Collaborate with industry partners: Work with technology providers and data partners to develop effective cookieless video advertising solutions.

The Road Ahead: The transition to a cookieless world will undoubtedly pose challenges for the video advertising industry. However, by adapting new technologies, fostering transparency, and prioritizing user privacy, advertisers can adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape, continuing to deliver engaging and effective video ad campaigns that resonate with audiences. 

[wonder-worker]

people really do not know what they're talking about when it comes to Elizabeth Woodville's social status, huh?

[fiapple]

literally, i love nami so much, you do not even understand. you cannot begin to fathom.

[beetrans]

tags from @klapollo:

#everything about this is making my head spin its so cartoonishly rancid#the way they call it 'most-popular' like omg this mean man lamenting genocide is bullying BLUEY and our FAVORITE EPISODE we LOVE BLUEY#fuck offffffff

literally insane to me how you can shove military propaganda in a show for actual preschoolers and that's considered fine but god forbid you find it weird or sad or else someone will pen a whole article discrediting the horrors millions are going through because having dog soldiers in the cartoon for 3 year olds is more important

[faultyconscience]

I used to have a proper headcanon about what happened to Remus’s parents and how they died but I forgot tbh.

[hannahsheppardsblog]

existing beer brands social media

I find cloudwater brew inspirational as they have found a unique way to market their beers unexpectedly and in a very contemporary manner. for example they sell mini casks, glassware and beer in wine shaped bottles.

their logo and name is ineteresting beause they depict rain water which connotes fresh, clean and helthy which is opposite to what beer is. it suggests this beer might be healthier and cleaner for your body which ties into the aspect of my research which found people are looking for healthier ways to enjoy alcohol.

I find the design of the bottles inspirational because they feel clean and conside yet energetic and exciting though the use of the sans serif typeface and bright colours. this packaging has inspired the labels i designed, because they have made the designs feel contemporary.

[socialmediamarking]

Maximizing Business Reach: The Power of LinkedIn Marketing and Contextual Ad Targeting

In today’s digital age, effective marketing strategies are essential for businesses to reach their target audience and achieve growth. Two key techniques that have gained prominence in the realm of digital marketing are LinkedIn Marketing and Contextual Ad Targeting. In this informative blog, we will explore the nuances of these strategies, their benefits, and how businesses can leverage them to enhance their online presence and drive conversions.

LinkedIn Marketing: Leveraging a Professional Network

LinkedIn has evolved from a professional networking platform to a robust marketing tool for businesses across various industries. With over 700 million users globally, LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity to connect with professionals, showcase products or services, and establish thought leadership within specific niches.

One of the primary advantages of LinkedIn Marketing is its ability to target a highly relevant audience based on factors such as industry, job title, company size, and geographical location. This targeted approach ensures that marketing efforts are directed towards individuals who are likely to be interested in the offerings, increasing the chances of engagement and conversions.

LinkedIn offers several marketing solutions tailored to meet different business objectives:

LinkedIn Company Pages: Creating a compelling Company Page allows businesses to showcase their brand, share updates, post job openings, and engage with followers. Optimizing the Company Page with relevant keywords and high-quality content can improve visibility and attract potential customers.

LinkedIn Ads: The platform offers various ad formats, including Sponsored Content, Sponsored InMail, and Text Ads, allowing businesses to promote content, generate leads, and drive website traffic. LinkedIn’s targeting options enable advertisers to reach decision-makers and influencers within their target industries effectively.

LinkedIn Groups: Participating in or creating LinkedIn Groups related to specific topics or industries can foster community engagement, facilitate discussions, and establish credibility as a knowledgeable resource. Sharing valuable content and insights within groups can attract attention and drive organic traffic to the business.

LinkedIn Analytics: Utilizing LinkedIn’s analytics tools provides valuable insights into the performance of marketing campaigns, audience demographics, engagement metrics, and conversion tracking. Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) helps in refining strategies and optimizing campaign effectiveness.

By leveraging LinkedIn Marketing effectively, businesses can enhance brand visibility, generate leads, nurture relationships with prospects, and ultimately drive revenue growth within a professional and targeted environment.

Contextual Ad Targeting: Relevance at its Core

Contextual Ad Targeting is a digital advertising strategy that focuses on delivering ads to users based on the context of the content they are consuming. Unlike traditional demographic targeting, which relies on user data such as age, gender, or location, contextual targeting considers the keywords, topics, and themes of the content being viewed by the user in real-time.

The key components of Contextual Ad Targeting include:

Keyword Relevance: Ads are matched to web pages or content based on the relevance of keywords. For example, a fashion brand’s ad may appear on a blog post about the latest fashion trends.

Content Category: Ads are aligned with specific content categories or topics, ensuring that they resonate with the interests of the target audience. Categories can range from technology and finance to travel and lifestyle.

Real-Time Placement: Ads are dynamically placed on websites or platforms where the content contextually aligns with the ad’s message, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.

Relevance: Ads are shown to users who are actively interested in relevant topics, leading to higher engagement rates and improved campaign performance.

Brand Safety: Advertisers can choose to display ads only on contextually appropriate and brand-safe content, reducing the risk of association with undesirable or controversial content.

Cost-Effectiveness: Targeting based on content context can result in more efficient ad spend, as ads are delivered to users with a higher likelihood of conversion, thereby maximizing ROI.

Personalization: By aligning ads with the interests and preferences of users based on their current context, advertisers can create personalized experiences that resonate with their target audience.

However, it’s essential for advertisers to ensure that their ads align seamlessly with the content context and provide value to users to avoid appearing intrusive or irrelevant.

Maximizing Impact: Integrating LinkedIn Marketing with Contextual Ad Targeting

While LinkedIn Marketing and��Contextual Ad Targeting are distinct strategies, integrating them can amplify the impact of marketing campaigns and enhance overall effectiveness. Here are some strategies for maximizing results through integration:

Targeted Content Syndication: Repurpose high-quality content from LinkedIn, such as blog posts, articles, or case studies, and distribute them through contextual ad networks. This approach ensures that the content reaches a broader audience aligned with specific interests or topics.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Combine LinkedIn’s account targeting capabilities with contextual ad targeting to create personalized ABM campaigns. Deliver targeted ads to decision-makers within key accounts while leveraging LinkedIn for relationship building and engagement.

Event Promotion: Use LinkedIn Events to promote webinars, conferences, or industry events to a targeted audience on the platform. Complement this with contextual ads on relevant industry websites or publications to increase event visibility and registrations.

Lead Nurturing Sequences: Develop tailored lead nurturing sequences on LinkedIn, such as Sponsored InMail campaigns targeting specific segments. Follow up with contextual ads featuring relevant content or offers to further engage prospects and move them through the sales funnel.

Cross-Platform Remarketing: Implement cross-platform remarketing strategies by retargeting LinkedIn engagers with contextual ads on other platforms. This reinforces brand messaging and increases touchpoints with potential customers across their online journey.

By integrating LinkedIn Marketing with Contextual Ad Targeting, businesses can create cohesive, data-driven marketing strategies that leverage the strengths of both approaches. This synergy enhances audience targeting, content relevance, and engagement, ultimately driving conversions and maximizing ROI.

Conclusion: Harnessing the Power of Targeted Marketing

LinkedIn Marketing and Contextual Ad Targeting represent sophisticated yet accessible avenues for businesses to connect with their target audience, drive engagement, and achieve marketing objectives. Leveraging the professional networking capabilities of LinkedIn alongside the contextual relevance of ad targeting empowers businesses to deliver personalized, impactful experiences that resonate with prospects and customers.

As digital marketing continues to evolve, embracing innovative strategies that prioritize relevance, personalization, and audience targeting will be key to staying competitive and driving growth in an increasingly dynamic landscape. By harnessing the power of targeted marketing through platforms like LinkedIn and contextual ad networks, businesses can unlock new opportunities, amplify brand visibility, and foster meaningful relationships with their audience.

[mfilterit]

Adapt or Fail: Contextual Advertising in a Post-Cookie Landscape

All over the world, the rising concern about data security and user privacy has led to a major transformation in the way online marketing is conducted. Regulations like GDPR rendered cookies less effective, and now the third-party cookies which are the backbone of behavioral tracking for marketers, are being removed by browsers. 

What Is Contextual Advertising?

Contextual advertising is a practice wherein marketers place ads that are relevant to the content of the web pages where they will be shown.

 Contextual Advertising targeting programmatic is not based on cookies, but on keywords or the topic of the website. This is not only going to make targeting more efficient for the marketers, but it will also improve the experience for the consumers as they will not be bombarded with irrelevant and repeat advertising across platforms during their online activities.

Click here to read more about Contextual Advertising.

[canine-economy]

Daisuke’s Death and the Invisible Abuse of “Privileged” Children

tw: extensive discussions of child emotional abuse

Another mouthwashing text analysis before I post any polished art? Shocker. But I really really appreciate the reception on my Swansea post, especially as a new account! This Daisuke-centric analysis is gonna be a quick one (< this was a lie. long read ahead!) but he is a character who resonates deeply personally with me as a victim of childhood abuse that resembled some of his experiences. I do plan on doing a larger analysis of his character, but the abridged version necessary for this piece goes as follows:

Daisuke’s treatment in the narrative—both his implied home life and Jimmy’s taking advantage of him to go into the vent—is another one of this game’s excellent portrayals of normalized (and thus invisibilized) abuse. Children are often cited as one of the most vulnerable classes of people, if not the most vulnerable (I acknowledge that Daisuke is not a child, but Mouthwashing implies that this narrative of his inadequacy has persisted throughout his upbringing and, to this day, he is dictated tasks and lacks independence, treated like a dependent. His youth is also an undisputed feature of his character and, most importantly, the cast treats him like a kid). Children’s dependency on adults and our willingness as a society to accept that the adults in their lives provide the most objective perspective on these young people renders them particularly prone to abuse easily swept under the rug or “justified” by wardens who possess the power to dictate the narrative. Jimmy’s engagement with Daisuke is an extension of the latter’s vulnerability. The co-pilot’s assertion that “he’ll be fine (…) mommy and daddy have him covered” at the birthday party represents a deference to Daisuke’s parents as adequate caretakers who will ensure his longevity and comfort on the basis of their wealth. And we know that Daisuke’s parents think the same—the Q&As reveal that they believe they are doing the best to secure their son a good future. However, the same Q&As indicate that they don’t actually engage with or understand Daisuke’s interests and that their approach to parenting him is entirely understood through their personal beliefs, not those of their son. And Daisuke clearly carries that quite close to his heart. He seems to struggle with identity and acceptance, seeking validation in the form of praise. Daisuke is defined through what he can do for others and not what he independently brings to the table, because that has never mattered where he grew up. The consequences of his parents’ failure to meet his emotional needs ultimately conditioned Daisuke to be perfectly available to be taken advantage of in a corporate setting defined by capitalist attitudes and hierarchies.

While it’s not concrete to say that Daisuke grew up in an emotionally abusive household, it is most important that we cannot dismiss the possibility and that his behavior as the outcome of some obvious degree of neglect is well-aligned with this theory. Moreover, the young man who comes out of that household is easily targeted by Jimmy’s abusive tendencies as a direct result of what he internalizes growing up. Daisuke is apparently financially well-off (contextually we can’t be sure if Daisuke’s family is upper class, middle class, or somewhere in between), and with that comes privilege. Even the way he packs—multiple personalized outfits, entertainment devices, etc—reveal that he’s used to certain comforts and hasn’t yet acclimated to the harsh expectations of companies like the Pony Express. But, especially where young people are concerned, it is all too easy to allow this privilege to act as a curtain between abuse and the outside world. We can acknowledge the privilege that he undoubtedly enjoys and also recognize that it benefits his parents much more than it benefits him as a young person.

Emotional abuse is complex and extremely damaging and Daisuke *does* show symptoms of at least being constantly verbally accosted and emotionally neglected by his parents to the point of permanently warping his sense of self. It also generated his overreliance on authority figures to tell him how to keep himself safe in their world. His mother apparently insulted him to his face (“such a slacker, she said”, and being reprimanded for being too talkative [from the Daisuke teaser]), and a lot of his negative self talk (“total screw-up”, “fuck up”, etc) is reminiscent of how people define themselves by parroting what they are called after internalizing consistent externally-imposed definitions of their identity. While these are not surefire indicators of abuse and I am not willing to diagnose a situation as abusive purely predicated on these factors, the behaviors Daisuke exhibits as a result share many commonalities with those of victims of childhood abuse. In fact, just about every time Daisuke speaks about himself in Mouthwashing, he mentions his failures and his work. It’s not lost on me that the teaser for the whole character is him pondering his mother and how she might not recognize him if he isn’t noisy and obnoxious. He personally puts a lot of stock in their assessment of him as lazy and annoying, but nevertheless tries to accomplish learning through the internship. Furthermore, Daisuke takes on a lot of his mother’s pain, hoping she doesn’t blame herself for the negative things that happen to him (even though in the same scene he reveals that she’s the reason he’s on the stranded Tulpar at all), indicating that he has taken responsibility for the feelings of people in his life even when those people are not his to care for and even bear responsibility for his pain.

Now in young adulthood, Daisuke rarely seems to have any sense of self beyond his parents and his work aside from one-off quips about baseball and babes. It suggests that he has always had to prioritize his parents’ desires growing up to avoid being treated unfairly and even cruelly, stunting his self-discovery. In abusive situations, your understanding of safety and your pursuit thereof are radically impacted and we see this manifest in Daisuke’s continuing willingness to accept those in command as the pinnacle of safety over what one might consider logical, personal acts of self-preservation. He equates safety with obedience, and I contend that that equivalence suggests a lot about how his parents reprimanded deviance from their plans. And not to be that guy, but it is kind of outright cruel to dump your utterly inexperienced teenager-to-early-20-something on a 1 year, no contact, unsafe space voyage in a failing industry knowing that he doesn’t have the necessary skillset yet. That’s what his parents do when they aren’t satisfied with his progress, and it’s intense and disproportionate and alarming! Especially for the dependent! They toss him into the deep end of the corporate machine and insist he learns to swim in such an oppressive, stifling atmosphere. It’s no surprise that he drowns, especially when he himself can’t recognize this as an unrealistic expectation and tackles it with everything he’s got because his parents are theoretically always right about what he needs. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that normalized emotional abuse from the home and how it maps onto a victim’s adult life is a topic Mouthwashing would endeavor to touch on, because visibilizing invisible abuses of power in heteropatriarchal capitalist schemes is arguably the central undertaking of the game.

I don’t think Daisuke has evil parents or anything, rather that what we accept as “good parenting” and “good mentorship” is often negligent with regard to emotional needs and can easily become a source of heavy trauma for the children and mentees if that emotional aspect is stretched too thin in the pursuit of success. Not all abuse is intentional, and the dev Q&As imply that Daisuke’s parents thought they were sincerely investing in his future. They cared, just not in the best way for his wellbeing. Because capitalism emphasizes the individualistic pursuit of success above all else, it’s no wonder that a parent would think that the best thing they can give their kid is an avenue to prosper financially. But in doing so, Daisuke’s parents deny him the opportunity to define himself, to experience agency, and to build up confidence. Effectively, they create a young man so vulnerable to abuse by higher-ups (a manifestation of abuse that is often intentional at the systemic level) that he decides to climb into that vent at Jimmy’s discretion under the pretense that he will make somebody proud. Because that’s how Daisuke has been raised to understand himself and his place—the presumed screw-up boy as a default, making you proud by doing the right thing, who has learned to pursue that achievement to avoid the condescension and disproportionate backlash (e.g. the internship itself) that comes with failure. Everything circles back to his parents’ expectations that he makes for a good worker. When the cocktail knocks Swansea out, Daisuke makes an offhand comment about getting a bad reference—even in the most dire of circumstances, he can’t stop thinking about their capitalistic expectations for his “good” future.

I find that Daisuke really is such a good subtle portrayal of how parents with resources can get away with emotionally stunting their children because we perceive their ability to put a roof over their heads, food on their plate, etc as adequate parenting and even a privilege for the child when it should be the bare minimum. Jimmy certainly buys into it, and even some of the fandom parrots that, really and truly believing Daisuke is some good-for-nothing kid who doesn’t try hard when all we see is him working, including climbing into the vents to try and help despite not being assigned the work (foam scene, not his death). I find this reception shows how inclined we are to accept those narratives of the privileged child’s inadequacy before we address the parent for not fulfilling a child’s emotional needs, which are just as important if not more than the material.

To wrap this up with a quick discussion of the symbolism of his death in the context of the emotional abuse of children (which is the reason I made this whole post but I can’t talk about this guy without going off): Daisuke getting so badly injured trying to do what’s right is a very physical manifestation of the suffering he was already going through. It is the pain of constantly people-pleasing and of holding it all in when he’s lashed out at. He gets injured at all in the pursuit of appeasing Jimmy and (theoretically) Swansea, both of whom he blindly trusts despite how they treat him because he has always been expected to just adhere to the adults with authority in his life. Being talked down to by them is not new and has never been a reason to question their judgement. Daisuke sees this as a product of his own inadequacy as implied by other people, and not of external cruelty. He was raised not to question the system for fear of repercussions.

Jimmy is perfectly situated to coerce him into a dangerous situation because Daisuke has never been taught to say no. The safest option for a scared child is to trust their mentors, and an adult Daisuke does just that. Even Swansea’s teachings of safety are dismantled by Jimmy’s tactical use of captainhood to break the camel’s back. Authority. Daisuke must always listen to authority. Jimmy knows the vent isn’t safe. Swansea tells him directly and he observes the foam incident (if from a distance). For as much as he acts like he cares about taking responsibility for Daisuke’s safety, his individualistic pursuit of “fixing” things manifests in Jimmy again taking advantage of a vulnerable person on the ship. Jimmy doesn’t reconcile Daisuke’s eagerness to help with lessons on safety like Swansea does, but rather uses it only when it benefits him. Daisuke is taught by his upbringing to accept this kind of treatment—for safety, defer to the leader in the room even if it hurts and you don’t want to do it (just like he didn’t want to be on the Tulpar in the first place).

Then, once the intern is out of the vent and mortally wounded, Jimmy applies the mouthwash (a product to be sold, hauled in the interest of the corporation) to “help” sanitize the wounds. But the sugar content negates medical utility and only worsens the pain. We can interpret this as the application of material privilege, “sweetness”, that wasn’t actually any help at all to solve the deep wounds left by emotional pains. Mouthwash rids you of the bad taste but doesn’t kill all the underlying germs. One could argue further that in this scene, the mouthwash is specifically representative of the Pony Express internship: a rare stepping stone in the corporate hustle gained through privilege and presented as a boon. Like the mouthwash, the internship is imposed on Daisuke to try and “help” him succeed and be better, but it only elevates the pain by irritating the wounds and ends in his agonizing demise. However, this fine-tuned comparison isn’t necessary to my point. I find the broad implications of the mouthwash as an antiseptic immensely representative of parents and caretakers who don’t seem abusive to the outside world but who are actually subversively hurting their children and ultimately conditioning them to be victimized by capitalist attitudes. Our deference to material comforts and corporate opportunities as indicators of wellness renders us blind to where caretakers fail to address the emotional needs of young people. At the end of the day, Daisuke is still killed by the values his parents have instilled in him. It’s always the “captain’s” (literal or figurative) orders that seal the deal and cut off any of his autonomous doubt or dictation (for example, his desire to listen to Swansea and not go in the vent). His parents’ symbolic and saccharine gestures mean very little in the scheme of creating a person who can survive the pressures of the “real world” when malicious actors (JIMMY.) and the capitalist enterprise as a whole bear down on the cracks of an emotionally taxing youth.

A/N: Maybe I’m thinking about all of this too hard, but the beauty of Mouthwashing is that I’m never quite sure that’s the case as this game feels so deliberate. Based on my experiences, I’ve long found this to be a really important analysis to posit and I finally had the time to put it into words. I feel like Daisuke as a symbol is often overlooked by the fandom. He’s enjoyed, yes, but not really broken down like the others are. That diminishing of his importance and his feelings about the situation also feels like a symptom of his age. But that’s neither here nor there—like I said, I believe I could do a much more in-depth analysis of Daisuke as a victim of subtle abuse but this will have to do for now. A lot of my major points have been made, anyway! Perhaps video format would be best for something longer-form. 🌺

[randomness-is-my-order]

for me, nothing at all changes about jiang cheng’s end-of-canon circumstances by the reveal that he distracted the guards that led to his capture by the wens after the lotus pier attack and the reason for it is simple: you can’t be redeemed by something you did before you committed your wrongdoing. the change of character and growth needs to happen after you fucked up. his prior “good” choices/“heroic” acts do NOT make him a better person in hindsight because he went ahead and acted like a piece of shit later on, anyway. it’s like saying a murderer should be pardoned because they saved a bird from dying ten years ago or that they donated to charity that one time, “omg look they had a good heart <3”. even the text treats it like this afterthought, contextually, because by the time any of it would be revealed—it’d have been way too late for anything to change. a history of violence and hate cannot be erased nor reduced by an action taken in good faith (if not good sense) before this history ever began.

redemption happens as a response to your choices in the aftermath of your fuck-ups (or in some cases, the narrative effectively nullifies the wrongdoing itself which leads to a blank slate/redemption; but that is NOT the case with jc), not as callback from the distant past when you were perhaps a less shitty person. many think jc revealing this “secret” would be significant in some way. but... how exactly would you expect wei wuxian to react to this revelation? show gratitude after jc’s choice inevitably led to the loss of his golden core? be happy that his once-buddy cared for him before jc contributed to his death and the death of the wens and the death of countless other innocents? imagine someone once close to you lied and betrayed your trust and say, framed you wrongfully so you got jailed. later, they recount how they kicked your bully in the balls when you were both in school. okay...? how the FUCK does that change anything? you are STILL in jail?

jc’s prior good will means nothing after the bridges he’s burned to the ground, burying them twenty feet under. and he knows this. he knows that revealing the truth will make no dents. wei wuxian won’t have a better view of him just because of it. jiang cheng’s actions do not gain a softer edge. the redeeming action has to come after the tragedies he has helped with and participated in. he’s not magically a better person with this context. he’s just as who he was before. because what we are evaluating his morals on was not his supposed love/care for wei wuxian but his actions. his violence. his hatred that targetted people unjustly. these do not change. these don’t go away. these should not go away. these should not be as easy to go away. that’s all.

[blanska]

I've seen that some people were thinking along the lines of "why does Veilguard make the Antivan Crows seem like the good guys, when this is a fucked up organization who've done and are probably still doing fucked up things?"

I think it's fair to think that BioWare should have shown more of the different sides of the Crows. But I personally don't mind this because to me it makes sense contextually.

Example: in DA:O all we knew about Tevinter that they are the evil blood mages from the evil blood mage country. In DA2 we met Fenris and this point of view was strengthened and it wasn't just a random stereotype anymore, because we've heard from Fenris what they were like. We've seen the effects of their action on Fenris. And we got to meet some of the evil tevinter mages personally. So now Tevinter was the evil tevinter blood mage country that we know more horrible details about.

Then in Inquisition we meet Krem, who is an average tevinter person. And of course it's logical that a country cannot be populated solely by evil blood mages, but we've never seen an average tevinter person before who's just like anybody else. And more importantly we met Dorian. Who is nobility. Yet he is not an evil narcissistic blood mage. He is against that. He criticizes his country and his countrymen harshly. But he also loves his country and tells us about its values and beauties. Suddenly Tevinter is not the evil blood mage country. It's more than that. Now we can see a more positive side of it.

In Veilguard we get to see the struggles of average tevinter people and not a lot of narcissistic nobles surrounded by their slaves. But it does makes sense, because all we do is run around Dock Town and these types of nobles will not be waltzing around in those streets. But now we experience what it must be like to live in the country where the narcissistic nobles, the evill blood mages and good hearted revolutionaries fight for power.

So back to the Antivan Crows. In Veilguard their city is occupied by the Antaam. Of course they're gonna fight the invaders. The people of Treviso have different opinions about them in this situation. Some see the Crows as the heroes who fight on their side against their current oppressors, and some actually think that ruled by the qunari might turn out to be a good life. And some of the Crows might care about the people of Treviso, but even if none of them did, they would still fight the Antaam, just like the Thread fights the Venatori in Dock Town. The Antaam took their territory and power. For Rook and the Crows the Antaam is a common enemy, so we automatically see them in a better light. They are allies.

And if we ignore the things that have to do with taking back Treviso, we still don't see the ugly side of the Crows. But who are we meeting? Who are we talking to? We're talking to three Talons, the leaders who want your help in their revolution. They have no reason to tell you fun facts about how they abuse the children they recruit or the adults for that matter. For once they are busy fighting a common enemy instead of each other; that's what they're focused on.

And who joins our team? Antivan Crow royalty. Not just any royalty: the First Talon's personal favorite. I think everyone growing up in the Crows had a fucked up childhood and Lucanis is no exception. But his childhood was way less fucked up - compared to Zevran "son of Nobody" Arainai - because he was privileged af. The possible death of the First Talon's grandsons was propably not a part of their training. Lucanis never had to kill anyone who he didn't think deserved it. Once again probably because he's Caterina's favorite and she knows he likes to take down evil people so she gives him those targets.

So instead of evil tevinter blood mages, the Crows might come across as ruthless heroes of the people. Because we meet them when they are united against Treviso's opressors. We meet the ones who are in charge.and comfortable, the ones who are privileged. And it's fine because we've met Zevran too, who showed us the ugly side of the Crows. And hopefully we'll get to see more sides in the future.

[muzetrigger]

In celebration of Nevermore S2, I feel the need to explain why I’m hoping for more Ada page time/development and why she’s my absolute favorite character, despite the series being absolutely stuffed with quality.

Oh and also why MorellAda is peak. I WILL TAKE NO ARGUMENTS ON THIS POINT.

So yeah, MAJOR SPOILERS Y’ALL

Okay, so when we’re first introduced Ada, she’s a minor antagonist, not just in the sense that she’s not the main villain, but that literally, she’s just kind of an annoyance to both Lenore and Prospero. That being said, shortly after the Labyrinth arc, we see her genuinely impressed with Lenore and trying to make amends.

Now at that point, there’s no real reason for us to believe that Ada is telling the truth. Yeah, she seems like she’s being genuine, but so far, we also know that she’s been playing some social games to get ahead.

That’s where we get this first piece of insight into her character (not actually the first piece but whatever):

Ada chooses caviar as her last meal, despite not liking it, or ever having had it before. She is the only student who doesn’t enjoy her final meal, and that tells us that one, Ada doesn’t know what’s good for her; two, that she probably comes from a lower class background that never would have had access to caviar; and three, that she aspires to that upper class position. She is exactly what Morella would call a “phony” but while her phoniness impacts her social behavior in the ways that Morella criticizes, she’s also lying to herself without even realizing it.

Okay, but that’s a bit of subtle character development, so Red and Flynn hit us with this:

(In case you didn’t hate Montressor already)

This moment is so critical to understanding Ada because it shows that she has absolutely no limits when it comes to proving her worth to other people. Why? Because Ada has no sense of self-worth. She is completely dependent on other people’s thoughts to feel adequate. That’s why she clings so hard to Prospero and Annabel Lee, which makes this preceding exchange even more brutal.

Ada reaches out to Annabel for support, and Annabel ignores her.

Annabel BETRAYS her, and this is going to become something of a running theme for Ada.

Now, of course, Annabel has problems, but this is COLD.

So cold even Prospero is surprised, and this sets up why Ada crumbles so easily, because the one person she thought was her friend at this school, literally her roommate (and we know what happens when you’re not on good terms with your roommate), the person who gave her (fake) love advice, just left her out in the rain.

No one is on her side, not Annabel who’s ignoring her, not Prospero (who is rightly) annoyed with her clinginess, not Will who is supporting Montresor, and certainly not Montresor who is verbally abusing her.

The only person by Ada’s side is Morella, partly because she’s being targeted too, but also because Morella is trying to protect Ada.

(Look at that hug. That is a small puppy trying to cheer up her depressed friend.)

Chapter 39-40 firmly cemented Ada as my favorite character because we get a deconstruction of this preppy, pompous, phony personality into someone with crippling self-worth issues, and I don’t know about anyone else, but I relate HARD to those feelings of inadequacy and needing external validation. Will might be the doppelgänger, but Ada is the one with Imposter Syndrome.

Anyway, now we’re going to have to skip a few chapters, because while the haunted house arc is great, it doesn’t really do much with Ada’s character. We do learn that Ada was almost definitely a servant in her past life because she’s able to navigate the house’s secret passages, and we learn that yes, she’s a romantic who clearly doesn’t understand TPO (time, place, and occasion).

Those details are important to understanding Ada, because they help contextualize why her confidence is so abysmal (servants aren’t to be seen or heard) and why she clings so strongly to ideas of ladyhood and romance (the women she served would certainly have appeared to be more comfortable than her, though I’m sure Lenore and Annabel would disagree).

We also get this feast for the MorellAda shippers:

At this point, it’s implied that Morella has stonewalled dozens of students into Prospero’s death trap, but she makes one exception that she will not stand for, and it’s Ada.

At first, I thought this was a little weird, because why wouldn’t Morella protect Lenore? I mean, she’s the protagonist and clearly treats Morella better, but looking back, it’s telling that Ada is the one who Morella chooses.

Morella’s whole deal is that she wants to protect people, and Lenore isn’t vulnerable, Ada is.

Red and Flynn do a lot of excellent foil work in Nevermore, most prominently with Lenore and Annabel, but the contrast between Ada’s dependence on what other people think of her and Morella’s dependence on what she can do for other people is just another reason why I think MorellAda is so good.

But the real interesting events happen post-house.

Prospero has had it.

Now, was Ada being clingy? Yes.

Was she being totally oblivious to all of Prospero’s signals? Yes.

Did she deserve to be told directly that Prospero was just not that into her? Hell. Yes.

But did she deserve THAT much of a verbal beat down? Probably not, especially keeping in mind that Annabel told her this:

So now that I’ve thrown Annabel under the bus for her hand in this disaster, I want to look at one line from Prospero in particular:

“Nothing you say will make you good enough.”

It’s not the final line of Prospero’s diatribe, but it’s definitely the one that hits the hardest for Ada. She is trying SO hard to play the part of a lady in order to be loved, and she is being told that at a fundamental level, she is inadequate.

And she takes that about as well as someone who’s had this happen to them could:

A hatchet to the stomach’s going to ruin anyone’s day, but we can reasonably infer that the person who axe’d Ada was probably the young master she was serving and was having an affair with, and that he aimed for her stomach to abort any kind of child she might have carried.

Again, we see this theme of betrayal and rejection. Ada might not have been able to be a lady, but in an affair, she might been able to pretend that she genuinely had her master’s affection, even though she was just there at his convenience.

This was foreshadowed all the way back with Ada’s first confrontation with Montressor and it’s a great example of how thoroughly planned Red and Flynn’s writing is (Annabel Lee’s panic attack at Lenore’s death in the Labyrinth and the House Fire is another amazing example).

But, it’s also super traumatic which means we finally get Ada’s Spectre!

First, let me gush about how AMAZING this design is. Just aesthetically, it’s great. But it’s also amazing because of how it showcases so much of Ada’s identity. If you look at the spectre’s skirt, you’ll notice it has two distinct parts, a larger back that mimics a lady’s hoop skirt, and a pleated miniskirt, which wouldn’t be out of place in a skimpy maid costume. In her spectre form, we can clearly see Ada attempting to match a lady’s silhouette but upon closer inspection, we can also see the part of Ada that might have sparked her fatal affair, this symbol of risqué servantile behavior.

It’s also worth mentioning what ISN’T in the Banshee’s design, her abdomen. Obviously, this might be a reference to the fact that she was killed by a hatchet to the gut, but if we get dark with it (and it’s Nevermore, we can’t not get dark with it), what men traditionally (and unfortunately still do if the 2024 US elections are anything to go by…) value in a woman, her reproductive ability, is absent.

Ada, who places so much importance on what others think of her, is literally is worthless to them. (I want to clarify, I DON’T personally believe that, but from a 19th-20th century male perspective, that tracks.)

We could also read her abdomen’s absence as another attempt for Ada to play into feminine expectations. Because she’s missing her stomach, she has a tight hourglass figure. I don’t personally believe Ada has an eating disorder, but as the last dinner scene clearly indicates, she has a complicated relationship with food and what stigmas are attached to specific cuisines, and unfortunately many people do metaphorically throw away their stomachs to pursue beauty goals like Ada’s spectre does literally.

Stepping away from design, I also love how Ada acts immediately after getting the slightest bit of power.

She is PETTY.

She taunts Prospero (and let’s face it, you cheered. Don’t lie to me!), which I find so interesting because suddenly, Ada is the one giving opinions.

Ada is finally allowed to express herself.

Here, she takes it out on Annabel, which makes total sense. Annabel abandoned her and is the embodiment of what Ada craves outwardly. But Ada also recognizes that she herself is a servant who was forced to serve people like Annabel and denied their comforts because of her status. If Ada hadn’t been a maid, if maybe she had been a noble or a “true lady”, maybe should would have been allowed a romance or allowed to keep her child or at least allowed to live.

The Banshee is such a perfect moment, because until this scene, Ada has bottled up her insecurities and played the part of a loyal lackey and been this “phony”. As a servant, her entire livelihood would have revolved around keeping up appearances (or disappearances) around her masters, but as a ghost, Ada is more genuine than she has ever been.

And that’s so wonderfully displayed by how Annabel defuses the situation:

To the very end, we see Ada being vulnerable. Annabel takes advantage of her insecurities, and as the Banshee, Ada doesn’t try to hide the fact that it devastates her.

If the Montressor moment didn’t guarantee a place in my heart for Ada, Episode 71 definitely did. I’m not going to argue that characters in Nevermore haven’t experienced worse, but I will argue that no character in season one ever gets close to how pathetic and distraught Ada is here.

And what’s so heart-wrenching about this for me is that Ada is aware of how pathetic she is. She knows she’s been acting like an idiot and throwing a tantrum like a child, which is a surprising amount of insight and maturity for someone we have been led to believe is quite frankly an idiot. And yeah, I relate to those feelings of self-loathing and not knowing what to do or even where to start triaging a disaster I made myself.

Now, Montressor takes advantage of this like the abuser he is by swooping in and wooing Ada, but before that, I’m going to rewind like the shipper I am to replay this:

Again, we see Morella trying to help Ada! And obviously, that’s not what Ada needs at that moment, but it’s worth keeping in mind that out of everyone in the lecture hall then, Morella is the first and really only one to reach out to Ada. (Montressor is a manipulator. He doesn’t count.)

Last time skip, I promise!

The end of the Wall arc doesn’t quite reach the highs (or is it lows?) of Ada’s character development, but I’m so excited for what it sets up in season two.

So, Lenore and the gang find where Montressor has Cask of Amantillado’d Duke and they dig their favorite French man out while beating the shit out of our cowboy(?). There’s a ton of great moments (hell yeah, Pluto! Get him!) but the battle really swings in the misfits’ favor when Duke hypnotizes Ada to traumatize Montresor.

One, this is just an amazing display of Duke’s spectre, two, it shows that Montressor has reasons (maybe not great reasons but at least they’re reasons) for being such an asshole, and three, it shows us that mental spectre powers are straight up busted.

We already knew from Prospero that Ada’s fear factor could trap a person inside a vision of their own trauma so realistic they can feel the physical effects of it, but she can also send a man with a broken Fibula into a full blown frenzy, AND Duke’s hypnosis is something even he can’t dispel.

(Does this look like the face of a man who has things under control?)

It also sets up this exchange:

Morella is able to break through Duke’s hypnosis, and she does it without attacking Ada’s insecurities like Annabel did. Now, I’m a hopeless MorellAda shipper, so of course I reading into this, but even then, it showcases how important Morella is to Ada. After all, Morella is basically the only person who has stuck by Ada’s side this whole time.

…At least until this happens:

Morella has had enough of Ada’s excuses, and just like Prospero basically tells her to shove off.

But the painfully ironic part about this is, Ada is telling the truth. This ONE time, it really isn’t her fault. It’s Duke’s.

But Morella won’t let her get a word in and I love how Flynn drew Ada’s face. It’s a different kind of fear than when Ada was groveling in front of Montresor or reeling from Prospero’s rejection. Here, she isn’t afraid of being abandoned by Morella; she’s afraid of losing Morella.

I know that difference might sound REALLY contrived to some people, but in this case, Ada has a way to keep Morella in her life that doesn’t involve debasing herself and believes that Morella will listen to her. For the first time ever, Ada thinks she has a little control over the situation together with a friend, not an enemy. They can talk things out, and that really shows how close her connection with Morella is and how that connection can be the catalyst for Ada to start developing some self-respect.

Except Morella totally shuts her down.

Of course, I’m disappointed that there’s this “divorce arc” but it makes sense in context and it’s healthier for Morella to make a clean break from the posh crew (even though Ada clearly needs her wife more than ever, like come on, don’t leave her in Monstresor’s clutches!)

Speaking of which, I’m much more disappointed with how Ada immediately crawls back to Montresor and Annabel after being chastised. If there’s one thing I have on my season two checklist, it’s Ada learning to have some confidence in herself (and maybe tossing Montresor to the Hunt).

And I really want an apology from Morella and Duke to Ada. Now THAT’S delusional, and I might be the only one who thinks Ada deserves those apologies, because let’s face it, Ada is a wreck, but it would be nice, especially if she gives out the several dozen apologies she owes the misfit crew too, so that she can hang with them and spend more time with her wife Morella.

Anyway, yeah.

I really like Nevermore.

And I really like Ada. I think she’s severely underrated.

Of course I love Lenore and Annabel, and Morella is a precious and badass cinnamon roll, and Duke is so SO cool, and Pluto is cute as hell, and Eulalie is basically manga-Orihime (which is amazing), but there’s something so HUMAN about Ada.

I empathize with her in ways that I just can’t with the rest of the cast because… they’re just too awesome. I have difficulty believing Lenore or Annabel will ever feel something as fundamentally devastating as Ada has. At their core, they’re just stronger people. Ada is someone who needs more support and it’s nice to see those weaker characters treated with the same amount of care as a protagonist who we typically see stumble a lot but ultimately succeed. With side characters, there’s a genuine chance that they fail permanently and that adds so much to Ada’s stakes.

And honestly? I’ll say it. I think a lot of the students had alright lives or even good lives, they just happened to be cut short traumatically. Exceptions for Lenore (obviously) and Pluto (baby, you deserved so much better than your deadbeat dad), possibly Eulalie for having to live through WWII, but you’re not going to tell me that Montresor didn’t have a good run being awful, Duke didn’t have a successful performance career, and Prospero wasn’t a wealthy bastard. But who knows? We haven’t delved too much into the others’ backstories, so I could be very wrong.

Anyway, I guess this was just a very long-winded way of me saying I love Ada because I’m a total girl-failure and also I’m super excited for season two.

[hannahsheppardsblog]

how are current festivals using social media to engage genz:

Boardmasters is another festival targeted towards genZ and millennials, using soacial media as one of their main platforms to provide the target audience with information.

the colour scheme is more subtle and reminiscent of a sunset which ties into the surf focus of the festival and makes it seem less intense than other music festivals. this is because they play more indie music then house or drum and base. this shows m i need to con sider what colours and shades blues music might give off so that i can target it more directly.

One issue with this social media is that a lot of their posts are heavily text and research has shown me that genz wont engage with something that has lots of text on, they prefer to engage in more visual storytelling, so this is something bottled blues social media should do differently.