- March Madness — And AdnessI've been scratching my head, trying to understand those Homes.com spots starring Heidi Gardner and Dan Levy. ... read more
- Kentucky Passes Privacy Bill That Exempts Pseudonymous DataIf enacted, Kentucky's privacy bill won't require companies to allow people to opt out of a common form of online ad targeting. ... read more
- Cox Wants SCOTUS To Intervene In Battle With Music CompaniesCox wants the Supreme Court to decide whether internet service providers are responsible for copyright infringement by subscribers. ... read more
- Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years For Cryptocurrency Fraud In FTX ScandalSam Bankman-Fried, former CEO and co-founder of FTX, was sentenced to 25 years for his role in defrauding users of his collapsed cryptocurrency exchange. ... read more
- LinkedIn Tests TikTok-Esque Video FeedIn adopting a short-form video feed, LinkedIn is following the lead of other social platforms while also attempting to broaden its appeal to a new generation of professionals. ... read more
- Amazon, Google, Microsoft Infuse AI Startups With CashCash infusions will pay off in revenue for some of the largest tech companies running ad businesses. New Street Research estimates that generative AI will represent 21% of Amazon Web Services revenue in 2025. The ... read more
- Be Scared, But Don't Be FooledThe JIC's clarifying statement focuses on "transparency around transactional readiness," but has nothing to do with the quality, validity or relevance of a proposed advertising currency metric. ... read more
- WHY Horizon Just Promoted Its Human Intelligence ChiefScott Lukas, who joined the agency months ago, succeeds WHY Group Founder Sheri Roder, who is leaving Horizon. ... read more
- Sans McDaniel: What Do MSNBC, NBC Really Need Now?What should we make of the turnaround with Ronna McDaniel - and how has this affected loyal viewers of MSNBC and other news networks? ... read more
- Magna Upgrades Again, Boosts Outlook On Strengthening Economic IndicatorsThe IPG Mediabrands unit increased this year's U.S. ad forecast nearly a point to +9.2%, and 2023's final estimate up more than two points to +5.7%. ... read more
- Internet Users Want Sustainability Standards For Digital AdsThe Acceptable Ads Committee is calling for the ad industry to raise awareness among consumers related to the impact of digital ads. It will require broad collaboration among ad industry organizations. ... read more
- Zimbabwean Mobsters Come To New Orleans In AMC's 'Parish'AMC is promoting the six-part "Parish" as a "high-octane" thriller, which makes sense given the show's emphasis on driving skills. ... read more
- Selling The BibleTrump's selling of "the only Bible endorsed by me!" is too on-the-nose as self-satire to satirize. ... read more
- Apple Defeats Antitrust Case Over Crypto PoliciesSiding with Apple, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the company conspired with Venmo, Cash App, and Google Pay to block decentralized cryptocurrency apps from the app store. ... read more
- Meijer Expands Media Network, Deepens Data SharingDerek Steele, group VP of customer marketing, explains the regional grocery chain's strategy -- including adding new functions to both on-site and off-site ads. ... read more
- Is S4 Capital In Play?"We have received no credible offer for the board to consider," S4 Capital chief Martin Sorrell said on an earnings call today, which followed the firm's release of its full-year 2023 results. ... read more
- To Continue To Grow, Ad Industry Needs InnovationBrands and agencies should be looking to innovate on new ways to deliver a message in a format that is less interruptive and more relevant. ... read more
- Court Revives Claims Against Apple Over Phishing AppAn appellate panel said Section 230 doesn't protect Apple from all claims relating to a phishing app that was developed by a third party. ... read more
- Experian, InfoSum Introduce Cleanrooms For AutomotiveLauren Wetzel, COO of InfoSum, looks at implementation of data clouds for advertising in a completely different way - focusing on speed in a partnership with Experian. ... read more
- Sports League Equity Partner Deals For ESPN? Chapek Says It Doesn't Need ThemWhile Chapek believes extra cash from a minority deal would be a good thing, he says it's better for ESPN to grow into a one-stop navigation for all things sports. ... read more
- LinkedIn, Samba TV, Amazon Expand Alternative Ad Solutions For First-Party Data OptionsLinkedIn Ads plans to roll out a solution this week to automate dynamic tracking without browser cookies. Adobe has announced its Real-Time CDP Collaboration that links to Amazon Web Services Clean Rooms, allowing marketers to ... read more
- GroupM Unveils Bespoke Women's Sports MarketplaceThe marketplace, which will double client spending on women's sports, will launch with this year's 2024-25 upfront negotiations, and is being backed by Adidas, Ally, Coinbase, Discover, Google, Mars, Nationwide, Unilever, Universal Pictures and others. ... read more
- Marissa Mayer Capitalizes On Mundane To Drive AI Photo-Sharing AppDemonstrating how AI can benefit all types of businesses, former Google exec and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has launched a photo-sharing and event-planning app, which has some across the internet scratching their heads. ... read more
- JIC Clarifies Role Vis A Vis MRC, Unveils Streaming Certification ProgramThe statement, which includes a quote from the MRC's George Ivie, says JIC certification is intended to work in tandem with MRC accreditation, not in competition with it. ... read more
- S4 Capital Loses Ground, Organic Revenue Declines 4.5%The firm also indicated that growth is not expected to return in 2024 and shares on the London Exchange took a hit of more than 11% on the news. ... read more
- Last Supper In Poland: Hulu Series About Jews In WWII Hits HomeWhat can we learn from the experience of the Jews in Eastern Europe when the gravity of the German onslaught and occupation became understood and escape routes began to close? ... read more
- Ad Market Expands 10.4% In FebruaryFebruary was the 11th consecutive monthly expansion, and the first double-digit growth in nearly two years. Smaller ad categories grew at twice the rate of the top 10. ... read more
- NBC News Drops McDaniel Following MSNBC, NBC OutcryNBC News has decided to drop Ronna McDaniel, the controversial former chair of the Republican National Committee, as a new on-air commentator following immediate, widespread criticism and backlash. The news came four days after NBC ... read more
- Anybody Have A Job For A Former Romney?MSNBC's Rachel Maddow compared Ronna McDaniel's hire to putting a mobster to work in a district attorney's office. ... read more
- TikTok Ban Receives Broad Support, Except From Gen ZDemocrat and Republican voters are in favor of a ban - one of the few issues that shows bipartisan support. ... read more
- Ousted Arena Group CEO Files A $40 Million SuitRoss Levinsohn says he was never given a reason for his December firing. ... read more
- Ousted Arena Group CEO Files A LawsuitRoss Levinsohn says he was never given a reason for his December firing. ... read more
- Judge Sides With Google And Apple In Battle Over Search Partnership"Google's dominance in the search and search advertising markets alone is insufficient to allege that Google and Apple are engaged in a horizontal antitrust conspiracy," U.S. District Court Judge P.Casey Pitts wrote. ... read more
- CTV Ad Frequency Soars 80% In 2 Years: ReportThe frequency of ad messages for CTV continues to increase -- rising 80% over the last two years per household over the life of a brand campaign, according to Innovid, in an analysis of its ... read more
- Will Microsoft Drop Bing Brand For A More Integrated Copilot Search?Microsoft has been pushing to integrate generative AI into all its products. The executive changes made across the company in the past week suggest bigger changes are afoot. ... read more
- Can Programmatic Advertising Be Inclusive?While diversity, equity, and inclusion seem to have fallen out of favor in some areas, DEI continues to thrive in others. ... read more
- Microsoft Bing Search And Microsoft Advertising Lead Steps Down, ConfirmedWith a push into AI, would Microsoft rebrand Bing to Copilot? Mikhail Parakhin is stepping down from his role as the head of Bing Search and Microsoft Advertising, but is unclear whether he will transition ... read more
- Meta Can't Dodge Online Taxpayers' Privacy ClaimsMeta must face claims that its tracking code gathered taxpayers' sensitive financial information from online tax filing sites. ... read more
- We SHOULD Know Better — But We Don'tBe careful of the bias that causes us to overestimate our ability to do things we're not very good at -- and keeps us from asking others for input. ... read more
- Adobe Launches Real-Time CDP Collaboration With Partner NBCUniversalAdvertisers and publishers will have an expanded tool for real-time collaboration to support first-party data as cookies disappear from major web browsers. ... read more
- Trump Media Company Begins Trading With 'DJT' TickerAt presstime, shares were trading up nearly 20% from this morning's opening. ... read more
- Is It Time For A GARM For AI?Trade groups like the ANA and the WFA are accelerating their role educating the ad industry's use of AI. Now would be a good time to take a more proactive self-regulatory stance, too. ... read more
- A Year After Leaving Mindshare, Amanda Richman Lands At MicrosoftThe long-time media agency chief confirmed she was hired by Microsoft Advertising to lead its global media sales team. ... read more
- Your TV News Network Needs Casting And Drama: What's The Story Arc?Should your favorite TV news network be "casting" for certain paid contributor roles? If you need the drama, then yes. ... read more
- The Ad Game Shifts Budgets To Game AdsWhile the game advertising market still has some blurry lines, ad execs say it has become as easy to plan and buy as other digital platforms such as CTV, online video, and social media. Increasingly, ... read more
- Horizon's Night Market Taps IPG's MusiThe data and analytics vet will serve as Chief Business Officer responsible for driving Night Market's expansion. ... read more
- Lovey-Dovey, Game-Playing Hosts Reflect Late-Night ChangesA lovefest between two late-night foes on NBC's "Password" is the latest evidence that late-night TV is not the competitive war zone that it once was. ... read more
- March Madness Has Best Viewing Ever Through First 5 Days, Averaging 9MNCAA "March Madness" averaged 9.0 million viewers across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV for the first 5 days -- the best results ever for the tournament for that period, according to the NCAA. ... read more
- Kate's Transparent Bravery Is Lesson Tor The FirmThe video of Kate showed an incredibly strong woman dealing with the worst reality that life could bring her as a mother of three young children. ... read more
- Kate's Transparent Bravery Is Lesson For The FirmThe video of Kate showed an incredibly strong woman dealing with the worst reality that life could bring her as a mother of three young children. ... read more
- Brands Can Now Advertise On Snapchat's AR FiltersSnapchat is launching "Sponsored AR Filters," a new ad option that allows brands to target the social media app's 414 million daily active users via augmented reality filters. ... read more
- Spotify Rolls Out Educational Video Programming In UKSpotify is expanding its focus beyond music streaming, podcasts and audiobooks to include educational resources for in-app learning. ... read more
- Florida Restricts Teens' Use Of Social MediaJudges have blocked similar laws in Arkansas and Ohio. ... read more
- Meta 'Pay Or Consent' Model In EU Being Investigated For ViolationsThe European Union, which is testing a new digital law, recently announced investigations into Apple, Google, and Meta for potential violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). ... read more
- Clinch Becomes First Ad Server To Integrate Privacy IdentityClinch has integrated The Trade Desk's Unified ID 2.0 into its platform, becoming the first client-side ad server to incorporate the privacy-focused identity solution built for the open internet. ... read more
- Trump's Troubled 'Truth'The story of how Truth Social has arrived at a moment to become a public company seemingly overnight is a complicated financial journey -- but one worth unpacking. ... read more
- Hate Speech Watchdog Defeats Musk Suit Over Critical Reports"This case is about punishing the defendants for their speech," U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer wrote in an opinion issued Monday. ... read more
- Hate Speech Researchers Defeat Musk Suit Over Critical Reports"This case is about punishing the defendants for their speech," U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer wrote in an opinion issued Monday. ... read more
- Hop-On Jet Services Hops To PMGSemi-private charter air carrier JSX tapped PMG for both media and creative. A brand refresh is poised to roll out. ... read more
- Do Advertisers Dream Of Electric Sheep?"We've reached a tipping point where AI has shifted from a nice-to-have to a must-have for marketers," says long-time ad exec and consultant David Berkowitz. "As these technologies continue to advance and more marketers build ... read more
- Goodway CEO Calls For Reboot Of Programmatic Ad FraudWaste in programmatic is an opportunity to take the competitive advantage, explains Goodway Group CEO Jay Friedman. ... read more
- Goodway Group CEO Calls For Reboot Of Programmatic Ad FraudWaste in programmatic is an opportunity to take the competitive advantage, explains Goodway Group CEO Jay Friedman. ... read more
- On 'Nova,' The Science And Ramifications Of AIThose interested in learning the science behind today's artificial intelligence will be well-served by this week's episode of "Nova" on PBS. ... read more
- Wieser Revises '24 Upward, AgainWieser cites the continuing improvement of the U.S. economy, including an upward revision for the expansion GDP by nearly a percentage point, approaching +5%. ... read more
- '24 Box Office Down 9% To Date, 'Frozen Empire' Warms Moviegoers UpThrough nearly three months of 2024, Comscore says the domestic theatrical movie box office is down 9% to $1.47 billion. ... read more
- Walmart-Backed Ibotta Launches Experiential Campaign As It Files For IPOIbotta, known for helping brands provide cashback deals to consumers, launched a experiential campaign as it prepares to take the company through an IPO. ... read more
- Walmart-Backed Ibotta Files IPO, Launches Experiential CampaignIbotta, known for helping brands provide cashback deals to consumers, launched a experiential campaign as it prepares to take the company through an IPO. ... read more
- Reddit Share Price Fell Slightly To $46 On FridayThe price had topped out at $50.44 during the opening day on Thursday. ... read more
- Read Takes 2023 Salary Hit After Tough Year For WPPThe pay cut reflects the tough year that WPP had in 2023, when both reported and organic revenue growth were less than 1%. The technology and digital services category proved to be a drag on ... read more
- Senators Push To Declassify Information About TikTok"It is critically important that the American people, especially TikTok users, understand the national security issues at stake," Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) say in a letter asking the Director of National ... read more
- Cable Lobby Presses FCC To Allow Pay-Per-Byte BillingUsage-based billing "equitably ensures that consumers who use goods or services the most pay more, without having to raise prices for all consumers across the board," the lobbying group NCTA argued to the FCC. ... read more
- 'Broke Don' Beats 'Bloodbath' Quip In This Week's News CycleThe week ended on a financial up note for Trump, who stands to make billions in stock following the merger of his social media company with another publicly traded company, though he technically can't sell ... read more
- Apple In Talks With Baidu, Showing Need For AI AssistanceApple is talking with Baidu execs about the use of its generative AI technology in iPhones and other devices. ... read more
- The Not-Too-Distant Future Of GAI TV Spots: Read My Test Drive3DExcite's Tom Acland demoed the system's AI-generated spots for Hyundai's IONIQ 6 to me in real-time. It's just the beginning. ... read more
- Maybelline's Mindy Kaling And The 'Ma'am' QuestionThis ad's concept and writing are fresh and funny, while clearly hitting a nerve. Even women in their 20s and 30s complain about being mistaken for a "ma'am." ... read more
- Trump Media Co. Completes SPAC Merger, Stock Begins Trading DownwardTrump is estimated to have nearly 80 million shares of the merged company's stock, which were trading down nearly 9% to $39.10 per share in late morning trading. ... read more
- Omnicom's TCA Wins NA Media AOR For Ferguson EnterprisesThe decision, which followed a competitive pitch involving several major holding company agencies, comes as the company looks to expand its media efforts focusing on full-funnel campaigns. ... read more
- O'Leary's Plan To Buy TikTok Would Likely Not Include The AlgorithmsThe plan is to raise $30 to $40 billion just for the brand and its users. O'Leary said that if he buys "this asset, the day I switch over, I will turn TikTok China into ... read more
- ARF Day 2: Regulation, Privacy, Toxicity And 'Impressions'Due to privacy regulations, compliance and loss of data signals, the cost of marketing has risen significantly. Consumer welfare has also been "harmed" via reduced search yield and higher un-targeted prices. ... read more
- COMvergence: WPP's Wavemaker Is 2023 Media Agency Pitch KingThat includes new business and retentions. Excluding retentions Publicis Media's Spark Foundry was first, followed by OMD and Hearts & Science. ... read more
- Ascential Takes Control Of Hudson MX, Prioritizes Sale Next QuarterStill unclear is how Omnicom might participate, per its earlier deal to acquire Freewheel Digital from Ascential late last year. ... read more
- Havas Unveils Conran Design Group NetworkThe network includes the Conran Desgin Group, founded in 1957 and which Havas acquired in the 1990s and Paris-based branding unit W which has been renamed W Conran Design. ... read more
- JBL's Pivot To Attract Young People On RobloxGuided by social agency GoSpooky, the iconic audio products firm launched the first major brand film on the popular gaming site this week. Close to half a million fans have seen it already. ... read more
- Recent Stories Imply Linear TV Is At Point Of No ReturnThe current era has taken on a kind of "jig is up" quality that seems to preclude linear from ever reversing its losses in viewership and revenue. ... read more
- Paramount+, Peacock See Gains In Super Bowl, Playoff Sign-UpsParamount+ pulled in an estimated 3.4 million in new sign-ups for its streaming service from its Super Bowl promotion. Peacock got 3.0 million from promo/ad efforts around an AFC Wild Card Game. ... read more
- Reddit Rains Cash: IPO Buys Breathing Room For Conde NastShare price hits $50.44 on opening day after Reddit priced it at $34 ... read more
- Lyft Hires Meta Exec As New CMOBrian Irving spent the last three years as CMO and vice president of marketing at Meta Reality Labs. ... read more
- Apple Monopolizes Smartphone Market, Biden Admin Charges"Apple has employed a strategy that relies on exclusionary, anticompetitive conduct, that hurts both consumers and developers," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday morning. ... read more
- Threads Rolls Out Fediverse Beta In The U.S.A day after the preview of what Threads for the fediverse might look like, the beta is rolling out to Threads users in the U.S., Canada and Japan. The beta of the integration will allow ... read more
- How Far Will Google And Microsoft Go To Collaborate?If Microsoft Advertising could provide a Performance Max product with capabilities similar to Google Performance Max in Google Ads, what options would advertisers have? ... read more
- The&Partnership Rebundles With Media Agency mSix To Become 'T&P'The new consolidated agency boasts an organization of 1,900 people working in 45 offices worldwide. ... read more
- Meta Must Face Class-Action By Advertisers Over Inflated MetricsAn appellate panel ruled 2-1 that Meta's advertisers have enough in common to proceed with a class-action over inflated potential reach metrics. ... read more
- Celebrating Comscore's MRC Accreditation For Household TV RatingsFor media measurement to be effective, it not only needs to be accurate, but it needs to be independent, transparent, unbiased and accredited. ... read more
- Reddit Takes Snoo Public In IPO As Stock Pops At OpenA video conveys what Reddit says are the brand's four traits: delightfully absurd, genuinely candid, inherently eclectic, confidently ourselves. Snoo is Reddit's mascot. ... read more
- Reddit Takes 'Snoo' Public As Stock Pops At OpenA video conveys what Reddit says are the brand's four traits: delightfully absurd, genuinely candid, inherently eclectic, confidently ourselves. Snoo is Reddit's mascot. ... read more
- Amazon And Monsters Inc.Creatives take things too far in an Amazon ad showing a monster reacting to the difficulties of streaming platform sign-ins. ... read more
- 2024 U.S. Political Ad Spend To Grow 16% Vs. 2020: AnalystThis year, political ad spend is projected to rise 24% (by $2.2 billion) compared to the midterm election in 2022, when it was $9.0 billion. Over-the-air TV will get the biggest share at $4.6 billion ... read more
- Google Update Standardizes Ad Conversions, Simplifies ReportingGoogle will roll out an update to Google Analytics 4 that standardizes conversion reporting and gives users a consistent view of ad performance across Google Analytics and Ads. ... read more
- Nielsen Begins Measuring Lyft LiftSpecifically, Nielsen will measure both audience estimates and sales lift for the rideshare service's in-app advertising. ... read more
- Elmo Hums For Ad Council, Continues As Champion Of Mental Health SupportElmo and his Muppet friends star in a PSA that focuses on the value that music -- especially humming -- brings to emotional well-being. ... read more