Jim Jordan Demands Input From Google About White House ‘Censorship’

“To inform legislative reforms to protect Americans’ civil liberties, the committee must fully understand the extent and nature of the Biden-Harris Administration’s censorship efforts,” Rep. Jim
Jordan (R-Ohio) said in a letter sent to CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday.

Trump’s ‘Strategic Bitcoin Reserve’ Plan Comes With a Twist

Rather than buy bitcoin directly, Donald Trump’s plan calls for holding the US government’s current bitcoin assets in reserve—and creates a separate stockpile for other crypto coins.

How News Networks Are Embracing the Rise of Video Podcasts

Podcasts have long been a popular news and information source, and the various news networks–along with podcast companies like Wondry–have been steadily building their catalogues to meet the growing demand. However, a shift has emerged in the industry: Listeners also want to watch what they’re listening to, which has resulted in podcasts transitioning from an…

Aflac’s Dan Amos Reveals How He’s Successfully Held Onto the CEO’s Job for 35 Years

Dan Amos will be the first to tell you that he never expected to become CEO when he joined Aflac as a sales rep in 1973. He was happy in sales, and good at it. When the supplemental-insurance giant offered him the presidency in 1983, taking that post actually meant a financial step down. “I…

Here’s the Roundup for the Week Ending March 7

Happy Friday to all who celebrate! Soon we will have more daylight and less sleep. Oh, the humanity. Which is better? Do we have to choose? In this week’s edition of stories we didn’t write up for one reason or another, we see the usual turnover at local stations. We also bring you one man’s…

Coca-Cola quietly considers moving its North American media out of WPP

WPP, no stranger to financial strains as of late, is facing another major headache. Though it’s not decided yet, one of its biggest spending advertisers — Coca-Cola — is considering a new partner for its biggest market in North America, according to three sources with knowledge of the account.

If Coca-Cola does opt for a change, Publicis Groupe is the frontrunner to handle its media dollars in North America, which is reportedly worth $620 million in the U.S., according to Comvergence data — but likely closer to $700 million including Canada, according to those sources.

Even if the account were to change, WPP isn’t being shut out entirely. It remains Coca-Cola’s global marketing partner under the OpenX model, which includes media and creative. And while the media account in North America is in flux, those same sources say the region’s creative business is expected to stay put.

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Daily Wire Welcomes Perplexity to Advertise on The Ben Shapiro Show

For years, right-wing political commentator Ben Shapiro has read out the standard 60-second host-read ad, plugging sponsors with the same no-frills efficiency on his podcast. But this year, his audience will hear something new: real-time answers verifying claims thanks to AI search engine, Perplexity. This isn’t your typical ad placement. Instead of a scripted endorsement,…

AI On SMBs’ Top List To Automate Advertising, Marketing

A survey of new small business owners finds 43% will maintain a focus on customer acquisition, 40% will focus on increasing sales and revenue and 29% will work to gain efficiency. The report by
Constant Contact, done in partnership with Ascend2Research, finds that many will look toward AI and emerging automated services the technology support.

Instagram To Take On Discord With Feature That Organizes Chat Communities

As Discord sees steady growth, Instagram is looking to onboard aspects of the platform’s server format into its app with a “Community Chat” feature that would allow Instagram users to organize groups
of up to 250 people.