Notes from the work · Tag

#owned-channels

A small town main street where three tall toll booths stand in front of a row of storefronts, a gym, a spa and a salon, while beside them a narrow garden path with no booth leads straight to a studio's front door, a small glowing magenta figure walking along it

Three companies take most of the ad money. Here is how to test your dependence.

eMarketer forecasts that Google, Meta and Amazon will take 62.3% of worldwide digital ad spending in 2026. Part 9 of Who Keeps Score: what the filings show, what one iPhone setting did to Meta, and how a local business can measure its own reliance.

David SteelOctober 24, 20267 min read

A salon's front window where an old paper notice taped to the glass has a newer notice pinned over one corner, while inside a stylist's own booking book sits open on the counter

Playbooks · Who Keeps Score

Google changed its Gmail ads promise. Here is the wording, old and new.

In 2017 Google said consumer Gmail would not be used for ads personalization. On October 16, 2026 it added an opt-in exception. Part 2 of Who Keeps Score: what the new wording says, what it does not say, and where your best offers should live.

David SteelOctober 24, 20266 min read

A row of brass mailboxes outside a small fitness studio where each envelope sticking out of a slot is blank, while a single sealed ledger sits safely on the studio's own front desk inside

Playbooks · Who Keeps Score

Amazon stopped saying what you bought. Read the email it sends now.

In July 2026 Amazon's order emails stopped naming products. Part 1 of Who Keeps Score: what changed, what Amazon says, what it has not said, and what your own booking emails should carry.

David SteelOctober 24, 20268 min read

See your own locations in it.

Book a walkthrough with David Steel. Bring last month's lead count and one location you are worried about.

Book a walkthrough See the eight tools