| | Media Buyer & Planner Today | | | | | | | | | #1 Google Agrees to YouTube Metrics Audit | | Google says it will allow the Media Rating Council (MRC) audit its web video platform YouTube, The Wall Street Journal reports. The MRC will audit the way three independent metrics companies – Moat, Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify – collect data to measure the amount of time people spend with ads on YouTube and whether people are actually seeing those ads. MRC will also closely evaluate the technology being used and how it is integrated on the YouTube website and app. Google will also allow the MRC to audit data for ads on non-Google sites that are purchased via Google ad buying platforms – AdWords and DoubleClick Bid Manager. "Our data has to be trusted and comprehensive," says Babak Pahlavan, senior director of product management, analytics solutions and measurement at Google. | | WHY THIS MATTERS: Facebook earlier this month agreed to allow itself open to outside metrics auditing by the MRC and now Google follows. Although Google says its plans to allow the audit were in the works for a while and that it is not a reaction to Facebook. Both Facebook and Google have been criticized for limited access to measurement metrics by only allowing a few third party measurement firms to have access. Meanwhile Bob Liodice, CEO of the Association of National Advertisers calls the audit commitments by Facebook and now Google "a turning point" in the advertiser battle for data transparency. | | A Take: WSJ | | | | #2 NASCAR Hits Skids as Viewers, Sponsors Depart | | With the new racing season set to begin on Feb. 26, NASCAR is struggling to stop a steady stream of live and TV viewer departures, as well as advertiser defections, The Wall Street Journal reports. Since its peak in 2005, NASCAR TV viewership is down 45%, according to Nielsen data reported by Sports Business Daily, and that's twice as large a decline as the NBA from its peak and higher than the NFL decline of 8%. Energy-drink maker Monster Beverage Corp. signed on as name sponsor of the NASCAR racing circuit, succeeding Sprint, but only paid $20 million. That's less than the $35 million NASCAR was asking and way less than the $100 million that NASCAR had as an original goal. NBC and Fox own the TV rights through 2024 and 2022, respectively, and are paying a combined $8.2 billion for TV rights over that period. NBC has talked about moving NASCAR races from Sunday afternoons, where they compete with NFL games, to weekday nights. | | WHY THIS MATTERS: The situation is not good for the broadcast networks who own the TV rights or for advertisers. Declining ratings mean the networks have to charge less for advertising, and while marketers get to pay less, they also reach a depleted audience. As a result, some advertisers have pulled out. | | A Take: WSJ | | | | #3 Turner Launching NBA 'Superpods' | | State Farm has signed up as the first single-sponsor "superpod' advertiser that is a new ad opportunity being offered by Turner Sports, Ad Age reports. This Monday night during the Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks telecast on cable network TNT, State Farm will have one first half, 3-minute commercial pod during which it will replace standard commercial messages with branded content. Three other superpods will air during the game but Turner Sports has not said who they were sold to. State Farm is an official NBA sponsor and one of Turner's largest NBA ad spenders. Turner will run superpods during its Monday night games through March 27. It did not disclose how much State Farm or the other advertisers are paying for the spots. | | WHY THIS MATTERS: This could be a win-win for Turner Sports and marketers. But that's only if the viewers take to the spots and deem them watch-worthy. If the superpods are a hit, Turner can jack up its rates and marketers can perhaps get better viewership and notice than they would with a traditional commercial spot. | Two Takes: Ad Age | Sports Business Daily
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| | 85 | | Percentage of U.S. internet users who say safeguarding their privacy is the biggest factor that influences their loyalty to brands and companies, according to a survey by Accenture Strategy. At the opposite end of the spectrum – only 23% say having an endorsement from a celebrity or a social influencer spurs their loyalty to a brand. | – Reported by eMarketer
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| | 'Bachelor' Rises as ABC Wins | by Luke McCord
ABC won the primetime ratings race Monday with a 1.9 rating/6 share among adults 18-49, according to Nielsen overnight ratings. The Bachelor jumped 4% to a 2.5, while Quantico rose 17% to a 0.7.
NBC and CBS tied at 1.2/4, followed by Fox at 0.9/3, The CW at 0.6/2, Univision at 0.7/2, and Telemundo at 0.6/2.
NBC aired American Ninja Warrior: All Stars for a 1.4, followed by the finale of Timeless at 0.9 (up 29%).
CBS' Kevin Can Wait and Man With a Plan each slipped a tenth to a 1.4 and 1.3, respectively. Superior Donuts fell two tenths to a 1.2, while 2 Broke Girls and Scorpion were flat at 1.2s.
Fox's 24: Legacy continued its downward trajectory with a 1.0 (down two tenths), as did APB with a 0.8—also down two tenths.
The CW's Supergirl lost a tenth for a 0.7, while Jane the Virgin matched last week's 0.4. | |
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| • ANDREW McKECHNIE was named to the newly created position of chief creative officer at Verizon. He will be tasked with opening an in-house agency that will work on repositioning the telecom giant. Verizon will continue working with its outside agencies. McKechnie was most recently global group creative director with Apple Inc., where he oversaw the global marketing communications design team. He has also served as global creative director at Y&R and has held agency positions at BBDO and JWT.
• GREG LYONS was named chief marketing officer for North American beverages at PepsiCo. He succeeds Seth Kaufman who was reassigned to handle several other brands. Lyons has been with PepsiCo since 1999. He was previously senior VP, marketing at PepsiCo. Prior to that was VP of marketing for Mountain Dew and Energy. He also served as VP, marketing at PepsiCo Canada and as marketing director at Frito Lay.
• LEO OLPER was appointed senior VP and managing director at Omnicom Hispanic agency LatinWorks. He was most recently as partner and business development and integration officer at d exposito & Partners. Prior to that he was CEO of Havas Totality, the agency's multicultural unit which he co-founded. He also was CEO Euro Latino for Euro RSCG and senior VP, chief operating officer at Lapiz Leo Burnett. CHRISTY KRANIK was promoted to partner and chief client officer at LatinWorks. She was previously executive VP and general manager. She has been with LatinWorks since 2004. | |
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| | Associate Producer | WBNS 10TV – Columbus, OH, United States
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