May 2025

Jul 1

Smart Media Moves: From 🪤Google Ad Traps to ⚽World Cup Buys and 📻Radio Wins

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July 2025

As we work our way through the month of May, we want to pause and raise a glass to a new addition to our client roster—let’s just say it’s got the craft, the color, and the character to turn heads this summer. Read on to find out what we’re concocting. Also in this issue, we’re unpacking the hidden budget traps baked into Google Ads, the early media scramble around World Cup 2026 (with our hometown right at the center), and why smart planners still know how to work a radio clock.

inSight

Dallas is About to Go Global

Inventory is already moving for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Dallas will be at the center of it with several matches, including the semi-final, to be played at AT&T Stadium. Media buyers must plan accordingly.

Hosting a massive global event like this in the US is a tremendous marketing opportunity. We unpack what’s selling fast, what’s being overlooked, and how to secure your brand’s place in the spotlight.

Understanding Radio Dayparts

There’s a reason experienced media buyers still carve out budget for terrestrial radio. When you understand how to break down dayparts and align creative with listener behavior, radio becomes more than a legacy channel—it’s a tactical asset. This article explains how to make radio work for you in 2025.

How to Avoid Google Ads Budget-Blowing Booby Traps

Google Ads isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as intended. But who it’s working for is the real question. This article breaks down the platform defaults and automated “help” features that quietly siphon off budget and undermine strategy.

Google is continually working to make their ad platform easy to use, but those efforts don’t always equate to what is best for the advertiser’s budget. Relying too heavily on Google’s defaults and suggestions can be costly. If you manage paid search, this is not optional reading.

Welcome, Conniption Gin!

We’re proud to welcome Conniption Gin by Durham Distillery to The Ward Group roster. Just in time for the dog days of summer, Conniption’s award-winning lineup brings a bold splash of creativity to the craft spirits scene.

We are very excited to be working with the excellent team at Conniption. They have outstanding products with an incredible story and a unique brand that we look forward to helping grow.

Keep an eye out—Conniption Gin is coming soon to the top of a SERP near you.

Go ahead. Have a Conniption.

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