M&A 2017: The Year Of Simplifying And Strengthening

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Facebook and Google are no longer the ad tech acquirers they once were, and yet, the M&A landscape of 2017 is littered with their fingerprints. Media companies swallowed one other to add scale and massive amounts of content to stave off the duopoly’s dominance. Just look at Meredith-Time, AT&T-Time Warner and Disney-Fox. AT&T’s bid forContinue reading »



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Hyundai Preps Vehicle 'Personal Assistant'

The automaker will unveil its “Intelligent Personal Agent” during CES 2018 in Las Vegas in January. It will be demonstrated via a connected car cockpit.

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Data And Diversification: How Publishers Survived 2017

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In 2017, many online publications realized that data and revenue diversification could drive success. And not being diversified enough could hurt their business. While many publishers tout their branded content businesses, programmatic provides a reliable, easily scalable revenue stream. Publishers that were programmatic holdouts, avoiding the main way advertisers do data-driven buying, course-corrected this yearContinue reading »



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TV Can Make Attribution More Actionable

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“On TV And Video” is a column exploring opportunities and challenges in advanced TV and video. Today’s column is written by John Whitmore, head of data strategy at TiVo. Measuring campaigns by tying ad exposure to customer conversions, whether they be in-store purchases, car test drives or online site visits, isn’t anything new. However, turning measurementContinue reading »



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MAC Lights Up Programmatic OOH To Drive Footfall In Stores

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MAC Cosmetics wanted to increase footfall to its three most important storefronts in Turkey. The makeup brand buys out-of-home (OOH) inventory on mall displays to drive awareness, but it wanted a less static and more measureable way to target shoppers and get them in store, said Tugba Cetegin, marketing manager at MAC Cosmetics in Turkey.Continue reading »



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Retailers Offer Myriad Returns Options to Retain Customers

After a strong holiday shopping season, retailers are bracing for a flood of returns—and not just at the customer service counter.
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Nintendo Delays Rollout of Larger Switch Game Cards Until 2019

Nintendo told outside game developers it is delaying delivery of 64-gigabyte game cards for the Switch console, meaning gamers may have to wait longer for some data-rich software titles.
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Amazon set to introduce its advertising products to combat Facebook and Google in 2018

As internet advertising revenues increase in US, Amazon is reportedly all set to introduce new advertising products in its portfolio in 2018 as it grows as a force to take on Facebook and Google.

 

CNBC reported that Amazon is planning to sell advertising beyond Amazon sites and products. Amazon is also working with third-party mobile advertising companies such as Kargo to pair advertising on television and on mobile screens.

Other platform experiments have included a focus on e-commerce searches and video products, it is understood.

 

While Amazon has remained quiet about its long discussed plans, it also believed to have bolstered staffing numbers within its advertising team, predominantly within the New York area. 

 

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), internet advertising revenues in the United States totalled $20.8bn in the second quarter of 2017, an increase of 7.4% from the 2017 first-quarter total of $19.4bn and an increase of 23.1% from the 2016 second-quarter total of $16.9bn.

 

Amazon is already on its way to becoming the third force in advertising, making the duopoly an oligopoly. According to eMarketer’s latest digital ad spending forecast, the digital ad ecosystem’s so-called duopoly is now expected to rake in a combined 63.1% of US digital ad investment in 2017, up from eMarketer’s previous prediction that the duo’s total would reach 60.4% in 2017.

 

 

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The World's Most Creative Women: Resh Sidhu, Framestore

In a continuing drive for greater diversity and inclusion in marketing and advertising, a new feature by The Drum highlights conversations with top creative women in the industry. 

All were nominated for The Drum’s global Woman of the Year award at The Drum Creative Awards, sponsored by Facebook, One Minute Briefs and in partnership with Creative Equals. The award is designed to push equality boundaries within the creative industry to spark discussion and action.

From icons and pioneers to prominent creative directors and designers, we asked each of them how diversity creates better work, the positive changes the industry can make, what keeps these creatives going in an ever-changing world and how greater diversity can grow the business.

Leading into the new year, this series will reveal more of The Drum’s global Woman of the Year award nominees.

Today, we speak to Resh Sidhu, digital creative director of VR, MR, AR at Framestore.

From your experience and point of view, how does a more diverse creative team create better work? What have been some examples of that in action? 

It is without a doubt that more diverse teams create better work. The ability to integrate different points of view truly enhances the work and creativity. Different people bringing their unique perspectives help change and challenge the ideas and push the work and thinking into new uncharted territory. Working on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them VR experience with Warners and Google was a brilliant example of a diverse and gender-balanced team. We would not have arrived at some of the ideas and thinking without that.

How are the conversations around creativity, and specific work/projects, different with a more gender-balanced team?

It’s all about perspectives, right? Different people from all cultures allows for more exciting and challenging conversations rather than seeing things from one side. Unless you have experienced something or understood life from another person perspective how can you possibly understand it or see the world from a different view? Until we hear some else’s reality and opinion on a subject we tend to think what we know is right – when we are open to ideas from all POV’s it opens the creative possibilities.

What changes around inclusion should the entire industry embrace today?

There needs to be a fundamental shift in mindset and culture with agencies and businesses as a whole, we need to see more women leaders and mentors to help foster and encourage a business that embraces diversity and encourages gender balance – it is no longer just about ticking boxes.

With all of the issues women face in this the creative sector, what keeps you in the industry?

Why would they stop you? My background, ethnicity or gender has never been an issue for me. If you fall down at the first hurdle in your career because it’s hard or a struggle then you will never achieve your goals. Women have adapted to the industry and we are chipping away at it, breaking down the norms and creating new ways of working. 

Will greater diversity in the industry ultimately save/grow it?

We must be fearless in pursuing our passions and goals and the challenge is to build a network of strong women and men around you – who can support, inspire and guide you. We have to be the change we want to see in the industry and the world.

The Drum Creative Awards puts creativity back in the spotlight and flies the flag for creativity during the digital revolution. These global awards are open to advertising agencies, design consultancies, digital agencies, production companies, marketing agencies, PR and more.

To register your interest for 2018, go to the event website.

This years awards were sponsored by: Facebook Creative Shop and One Minute Brief and partnered with: Creative Equals.

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