Month: June 2018

About six-in-ten U.S. adults say that the growing racial and ethnic diversity in America makes the country a better place to live.

Pinterest Thursday revealed a new specialty within its Pinterest Marketing Partners program: Creative. Creative joins Advertising, Content Marketing, Audiences and Measurement under the Pinterest Marketing Partners umbrella. Launch partners for the Creative specialty are VidMob, Popular Pays, Social Native, Vidsy, Shutterstock Custom, Quickframe and The Online Studio. Michael Akkerman, head of Pinterest Marketing Partners, said,…

Sometimes, those unexpected moments in life, the amazing, unplanned things that unfold in front of you, are the ones worth remembering. That’s the vibe Heineken is going for in its latest spot, “New Friends.” The ad is the first in the new U.S.-centric “Cheers to the Unexpected” campaign that encourages Heineken drinkers to live in…

Every year, the world’s top marketing professionals gather at the Palais in Cannes, France, where the annual Lions festival is held. In a now-familiar narrative, holding company executives pop corks alongside CMOs and tech titans on yachts rented for $1 million or more as up-and-coming creatives party on the beaches, rubbing elbows with A-list celebrities…

Ah, the many faces of Cannes. Awards. Inspiring talks. Wildly overpriced meals and other things. I remember paying more than $15 one year for a deck of playing cards. What can I say — this
was back in the pre-euro days and the franc seemed like Monopoly money. (Right, math isn’t my strongest suit.) The playing cards? That’s another story.

Anyway, the festival in some
respects is also party central. Lots of companies in attendance throw parties, after parties and even after-after parties. And of course, some of the bars attract attendees (as well as local devotees
of the Cannes nightlife) until the wee hours.

And what’s a party in Cannes without some rose, Champagne or even more potent drink?

Yes, some people have been known to get a
little carried away, and the Interpublic Group issued a memo to the troops this week reminding them in so many words that while it’s a bit of boondoggle, it’s still work, and appropriate
behavior is expected at all times. It was definitely the smart thing to do.

The memo came from Joe Kelly, IPG’s senior vice president, talent. It’s a reminder that IPGers
participating at the festival represent the company at all times. Partying no doubt is part of the celebratory nature of the festival, but it is not an excuse for bad behavior that disrespects
others.

Rather than blather on at length about the memo’s contents, here it is in its entirety:

“We work in a great industry – the people, the work, the places our
business takes us. We interact with smart, creative individuals, whether they’re our colleagues, partners or clients. We spend time with these people in our offices, at conferences and social
gatherings, travel destinations, and via social media.  No matter where we are engaging with each other, however, we must always act responsibly and with the utmost respect for one
another. 
 
Now is a good time to remind ourselves of these obligations, especially on those occasions, like the Cannes Festival, where you are traveling, and away from the
office. Remember that you are representatives of IPG and your agency – and that you should conduct yourself with that idea in mind, knowing that the industry is watching you.
 
When our work is conducted outside the confines of an office environment, there can be a sense that this isn’t quite work or that we can behave differently, especially if alcohol is present.
That is not the case. In any of those situations, our behavior must always adhere to our company’s values and policies. Anything less is never acceptable. If misconduct does occur at a function
at which colleagues, clients, or vendors are present regardless of time or place — please understand that we will need to take action to ensure a respectful and safe environment for everyone. This
action may involve discipline, up to and including termination.
 
All our people – and especially managers – must model appropriate behavior. Employees should
exercise an abundance of caution when it comes to alcohol – remember, the Festival, like other industry events, is a work event, not a party. Everyone, especially managers, has an obligation to
keep an eye out for each other. When someone is overindulging or engaging in inappropriate conduct towards one of our employees, you should intervene. That is true regardless of whether the
person behaving inappropriately is an employee, client, vendor, or anyone else. We likewise expect you to intervene if one of our employees is engaging in inappropriate conduct towards anyone
else. 
 
If you are subject to or observe any inappropriate behavior, you are required to report it promptly to your manager, Human Resources, or the IPG Alertline (+1-800-828-0896). Your report will not result in any negative consequences to you. Just the
opposite – your report benefits the company because it enables us to address the situation in a timely manner and to keep others out of harm’s way.
 
Thank you in advance
for your cooperation in this very important effort.”

One day after AT&T got court approval for its big Time Warner acquisition, Comcast formally made a $65 billion bid for 21st Century Fox’s businesses, which had intended to sell various businesses to
Walt Disney.

Accenture has finally unveiled its media buying plans. If it’s likely to succeed how should agencies respond?

LiveRamp, an Acxiom company, announced an integration with Microsoft to deliver people-based search capability in Bing Ads Custom Audiences for U.S. brands.

NBCUniversal Hispanic Group made its revenue goal $225 million, says the company. Major advertisers that bought in included automotive and beverage marketers — as well as movie studios and technology
companies.

MoviePass — a Netflix-like service for theatrical movie consumers — has seen strong results since it drastically dropped pricing in August 2017 from $50 a month to $9.95. MoviePass is accepted at
more than 91% of theaters across the U.S.