| Today's Top Stories | | #1 | Spotify Playlists Open for Sponsors
| | | The online music listening platform is expanding its ad opportunities by beginning to allow marketers to sponsor its owned-and-operated playlists, many of which have millions of followers, Ad Age reports. Brands could already create their own curated Spotify lists, but sponsoring the platform's owned- and-operated playlists makes it easier for them to target audiences. Among the popular Spotify playlists are Monday Morning Commute, Cardio, Power Workout and Teen Party.
Why This Matters: In addition to being able to target audiences by behavior, marketers will be able to reach a large volume of those listeners. The owned-and-operated playlists that Spotify creates generate more than 1 billion streams per week, according to VP, global head of sales, Brian Benedik, who says that the No. 1 playlist, Today's Top Hits, has some 8.3 million followers.
A Take: Ad Age
|
| | #2 | Facebook Shutting Desktop Ad Exchange
| | | The social media platform is planning to shut down its ad exchange, known as FBX, which enables third party ad tech companies to purchase ads on its network. The Wall Street Journal reported that companies like Criteo, DataXu, MediaMath and AppNexus have been buying ads on behalf of marketers through the exchange over the past few years. However, Facebook has been paring down the number of partners eligible to buy ads via FBX and now it wants to shift focus to its own Audience Network through direct deals with Facebook.
Why This Matters: The move is not a huge blow to marketers since most of the FBX partners were working with other exchanges as well and were not necessarily reliant on Facebook ad inventory alone. Antonio Garcia-Martinez, a former Facebook product manager who helped build FBX, says the exchange was hatched back when Facebook first went public and the company was "desperate to boost revenue." Now it may have simply outlived its usefulness.
Three Takes: WSJ | Adweek | Ad Age
|
| | #3 | GroupM's Viewability Rule Too Tough for Sites
| | | The WPP unit, which is comprised of media agencies Mindshare, MediaCom, MEC and Maxus, and controls about one third of global ad spending, two years ago instituted an ad viewability policy more rigid than the definition set by the Media Ratings Council. It demands 100% of the ads be in view in both digital display and video. Digiday spoke with six publishers who are still frustrated by the policy and say the demands are hard to meet and it is costing them ad dollars.
Why This Matters: Despite the complaints, John Montgomery, chairman of GroupM Connect, says the tougher standards have resulted in ad viewability throughout the industry getting better. He says viewability rates are now as high as 55% to 60% across the industry, whereas in 2012, they were around 25%.
A Take: Digiday |
| #4 NPR Expects to Double Podcast Revenue (Adweek)
#5 Alphabet on Top of World Ad Revenue List (MediaPost)
#6 Wired Thinks Https Can Help Fight Ad Blocking (Digiday)
#7 Modi Media Using Innovid to Measure OTT Campaigns (B&C)
#8 Agencies Say Snapchat's New Ratings Will Boost Ad Spending (Digiday)
#9 Dunkin Donuts Returns to 'America's Got Talent' (B&C)
#10 Publisher Says Digital Scale Does Not Lead to Engagement (Digiday)
|
|  | • 53
Percentage of U.S. internet user smartphone owners who found a restaurant online before going there to dine, according to a survey by RetailMeNot. Some 49% also said they browsed a restaurant menu online before dining and 25% made an online reservation at a restaurant.
– Reported by eMarketer |
| | Ratings | Moving 'SVU' Finale Boosts NBC
By Michael Malone NBC corralled broadcast bragging rights Wednesday on a strong Law & Order: SVU, the network tallying a 1.2 rating in adults 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 5 share. ABC and CBS both scored a 1.1/4, then Fox weighed in at 0.9/3 and The CW at 0.8/3. SVU, featuring a shocking death to a veteran in the squad, scored a 1.5, up 25%. Heartbeat did a flat 0.7 and Chicago P.D. closed its season at a flat 1.4. ABC aired the feature film Finding Nemo, which did a 1.3, before the Nashville series finale tallied a 0.9, up 13%. On CBS, The Price Is Right primetime special, feature Amazing Race stars, did a 1.2, then a double run of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders wrapped the season at 1.0, down a tenth from its last airing. Over Fox's way, Rosewood did a 0.8, down 43% from when it had Empire leading out, and the season premiere of Wayward Pines a 0.9. Pines kicked off last season at 1.0 and closed it out at 1.2. CW had the finales of Arrow and Supernatural, both at 0.8. Arrow was flat while Supernatural ticked up 14%. For more, click HERE |
| | Fates & Fortunes | • BETSY LACK was named head of global brand partnerships at Snapchat. She previously spent 8 years as a contributing editor to Vanity Fair before leaving in January. She is married to Andy Lack, NBC News president. • LUCIANA CANI was appointed senior VP, executive creative director of Hispanic agency LAPIZ. She joins from Leo Burnett Lisbon, where she spent 9 years as a creative director. Prior to that, she was art director at several Sao Paulo, Brazil-based agencies, including Leo Burnett, Ogilvy & Mather and Grey. • Brand experience agency Jack Morton Worldwide has promoted six U.S. executives and hired six more in its New York, Detroit and San Francisco offices. Promoted were JOHN HOWARD to executive VP, managing director, Detroit, who was previously executive creative director; TOM MICHAEL to senior VP, group account & strategy director, San Francisco, who was previously a senior strategist; and ETHAN GUNNING to senior VP, executive creative director, San Francisco, from creative director. New hires include: ELIZABETH KRATO as executive VP, director of operations, Detroit; KATE CROTTY as senior VP, account director, events, New York; GARY BAKER, VP, creative director, New York; KRISTY SNOWDEN, senior account director, San Francisco; DAVID HARRISON, senior creative director, San Francisco; and BRIAN THOMPSON, creative director, San Francisco.
|
|
| |  |  |
|  |
| Media Buyer & Planner Today
Editorial Team
John Consoli, Contributing Editor
Phone: 201-314-0424 | Send Email
Jon Lafayette, Business Editor, Broadcasting & Cable
Phone: 917-281-4735 | Send Email
Brian Moran, Managing Editor, Broadcasting & Cable
Phone: 917-281-4708 | Send Email
|
|  |
|  | | |
