Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech: Recent Episodes
Sharethrough
Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech is a short 3-minute podcast exploring the news in the digital advertising industry. Ad tech is a fast-growing industry with many updates happening daily. As it can be hard for most to keep up with the latest news, the Sharethrough team wanted to create an audio series compiling notable mentions each week.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we coverNetflix considering charging users for sharing passwords, Amazon acquires MGM Studio, Google shutting down Universal Analytics, Amex mixing it up, and a partnership between Adobe and The Trade Desk.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Disney+ introducing an ad-tier, P&G calling for innovation in TV ad buying, a terminated contract between Hulu and Peacock, publishers dropping Google AMP and American Eagle in the metaverse.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we covermeasurement companies reaching for accreditation, iSpot.TV acquiring Tunity, the growth of AVOD, Netflix Games and other gaming passes, and the new Seller-Defined Audiences spec.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we covera QR code ad so good it crashed an app. The Trade Desk taking aim at Google. The Privacy Sandbox making its crawl to Android. Meta underreporting conversions. And Snapchat adding more ads.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we coverthe NewPassID pilot, the IAB’s shocking State of Data report, Google site tags, binge streaming, and Meta’s dispute with the EU.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we coversubscription platforms decline in viewers, Google’s new update, a B2B company advertising during the Super Bowl, Twitter leading the pack, and Facebook trailing behind.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we coverGoogle introducing Topics to replace FLoC, NBCUniversal partnering with iSpot.TV and TikTok, Instacart’s new ad offerings, and a new update for OpenRTB from IAB Tech Lab.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Microsoft’s purchase of Activision-Blizzard. TV networks looking for a new TV measurement partner. Car manufacturers shifting ad spend to their electric vehicle lines. The growing use of search engines that aren’t Google.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Roku’s new CTV feature. Apple’s potential partnership with the MLB. WarnerMedia testing out new measurement partners. More mergers and acquisitions. DTC brands diversifying their media mix.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover NBCUniversal, Nielsen, and Comscore releasing their own measurement platforms. TikTok making its way to waiting room TVs, and more mergers and acquisitions.
Hey there! This is Ari at Sharethrough. In this episode I'll be giving you a 180-second recap of what happened the week of December 13th in ad tech. This will be our last episode of the year, and so, we thank you, our loyal listeners, for your continued support and admiration. We wish everyone happy holidays and a safe and exciting new year. Without further ado, let’s go!
First up, Tubi. The free, ad-supported streaming service grew it’s viewership share to 13% between 2019 and 2021 and is expected to hit $700 million in revenue this upcoming year. Tubi was acquired by Fox last year and leads their digital ad portfolio in revenue. Although Fox keeps a hands-off approach, the company invested a significant amount of funds to grow Tubi, adding 15,000 titles to its content library. While Tubi and Fox are targeting more niche audiences, they’re amongst other AVOD streaming services that have seen an increase in viewership as subscription streaming services decline. (Source: Axios)
Speaking of ad support, Samsung is expanding its ad tools for advertisers. Advertisers can onboard their first-party data sets to plan, buy, and execute their AVOD strategies. With the Samsung Partner Onboarding tool built with data management platform partners, advertisers can predict the scale, reach and frequency of their ad buys for their curated audiences using Samsung’s Audience Insight tool and a combination of first-party and third-party data. Enabling advertisers to optimize their AVOD strategy using consumer insights to increase their ROI. (Source: AdExchanger)
Could it be… another merger?? Yes, Vox Media officially acquired Group Nine. Vox Media’s editorial network owns publisher brands like The Verge, Polygon and Eatery, while Group Nine’s portfolio of publications consists of NowThis, The Dodo, and PopSugar. The merger is one of numerous other mergers and acquisitions that occurred recently, like Buzzfeed acquiring Complex. Vox and Group Nine aim to combine their data and content offering to scale their first-party data available to advertisers, and provide a more privacy-centric contextual understanding of their audiences. The two companies will now cover every supply path in the digital advertising space, from social media, web, to connected TV and everything in between. (Source: Axios)
And while we’re at it, how about one more merger? The contextual intelligence specialist GumGum recently acquired the AI-powered attention measurement platform, Playground XYZ. Playground XYZ measures the amount of time users spend looking at and paying attention to ads using a mix of AI, machine learning, and eye-tracking tools. The merger will provide advertisers more data on attention patterns and the effectiveness of contextual advertising, ultimately lowering advertisers reliance on third-party data. However, the platforms won’t be fully integrated until 2023, just in time for when, if ever, Google removes support for third-party cookies. (Source: AdExchanger)
And last but not least, Twitter is finally catching up to the growing consumer expectations that all videos have captions by adding an auto captions feature to videos posted to Twitter. The Twitter feeds move fast, but the company was one of the last social media platforms to allow users to add auto captions to their videos. The change would also make it easier for users to scroll through their new TikTok-like feed redesign. However, the caveat here is that Twitter users won’t be able to edit the auto captions generated by Twitter. (Source: TechCrunch)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Ari at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. Happy holidays and see you next year!
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover the agreement between Roku and Google for YouTube. Criteo and IPONWEB potentially teaming up to create an “anti-Google machine”. Snapchat is driving social commerce with AR. Ralph Lauren entering the Metaverse. And the ad market is growing beyond expectations.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Yahoo and NBCUniverse’s CTV ad-buying deal. Meta is forced to sell GIPHY by the UK’s competition watchdog. Google’s changes to affiliate links and publishers’ search rankings. The decline of Black Friday. Subscription services stall in new growth.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover TikTok expanding its TV footprint. How Roku will offer more original content. Spotify adding more podcasts. Subscription services are offering deep discounts. Consumers are shopping online more.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Apple’s sneaky ad buys. Buzzfeed and Yahoo partnering up. Snapchat’s new ad formats and AR announcement. Niantic’s vision for the future of the metaverse. And Yelp’s new ad offerings.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Facebook changing ad targeting options and controls. Ecommerce brands are rising thanks to connected TV and streaming services. Smart TV manufacturers make greater profits on ads. Print publishers expanding their digital platforms. Tencent shares its own visions for the metaverse.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Microsoft taking corporate into the metaverse. Facebook discontinuing data betas. TikTok and Pinterest on the TV. Zoom introducing ads for the first time. And consumers prioritizing efficiency and engagement from their ads.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Facebook’s new name change to match its future endeavours. Google removing YouTube from Roku devices. Roku now offers advertisers more insights into its user data. Firefox announced it’s slow rollout of privacy changes. And Google’s un-redacted lawsuit revealing it’s intentional slowdown of competitor’s ads.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover how Apple Search Ads is coming out on top thanks to their App Tracking Transparency update. Google Chrome’s latest update allows users to reduce the amount of identifying info given to websites. Smart TV manufacturers are creating walled gardens with their CTV data, as they ramp up their own ad businesses. Supply chain issues are causing price hikes, yet companies like P&G continue to hike their digital marketing investments. And lastly, Basis (formerly known as Centro), may be gearing up for an IPO as it confidentially submitted a draft registration.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover how Facebook will count users with unlinked Facebook and Instagram accounts as two separate people. Supply chain issues forcing brands to either cut their ad spend or change their marketing strategy. Android’s new approximate targeting options give users more privacy over their location data. DoorDash now delivers ads as a way to leverage user data to turn a profit. And lastly, how Google is banning climate change misinformation, in a new editorial stance towards news curation.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover 2 major incidents involving Facebook, Zeta’s acquisition of Apptness, Youtube’s plans to make video ads more shoppable, Criteo’s latest assessment of FLoC, and a case of tracking UK users’ data without consent.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Google’s new data-driven attribution solution for conversion, TikTok passing a billion monthly users, Google’s plans to improve web based searches with AI, Zoom abandoning their acquisition deal with Five9 and Australia’s legal push to halt Google’s growing power in Ad Tech.
This week in Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech we cover Google’s plans for to offer users greater ad transparency, the rise and profitability of getting into the ad business for non-traditional ad businesses, Wall Street’s interest to investment in streaming, Flashtalking’s launch of Video+ and Opera’s new self-serve ad platform.
Hey there! This is Lauralyn & Vanessa at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of September 6th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
On Wednesday, food delivery app DoorDash filed a lawsuit against New York City over a new law that is set to go into effect in December. The law in question would require food delivery companies, including GrubHub and UberEats, to share their customer data with restaurants. DoorDash claims the law is unconstitutional and infringes on consumers’ privacy, while also allowing restaurants to be able to leverage the information gathered from its platform in direct competition against it by marketing to consumers themselves. Tensions between regulators and food delivery companies are already at an all time high, following another lawsuit filed by the 3 aforementioned companies against New York last week, when regulators introduced a bill to add emergency fee caps to services. With privacy matters top of mind, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the end. (Source: CNBC)
Apple has announced they will be releasing IOS 15 on Monday, September 20th. The update. The update is in line with Apple's commitment to bolstering consumer privacy and tracking transparency, with the promised features of Mail Privacy Protection; the obfuscation of IP addresses and Private Relay. Although the update and its features have been anticipated, news of the release is still cause for concern amongst marketers and app developers, considering they are still working through the last round of privacy changes with iOS 14.5. (Source: AdExchanger)
Facebook announced on Thursday their plans to introduce a new product line to make ads more personal without infringing on consumer privacy. The platform is currently testing marketing automation, paid & organic tools to ameliorate business to consumer interactions and improve the customer experience overall. In what it quotes to be “the next era of personalization”, Facebook’s aim is to bridge the gap between businesses & consumers for more meaningful interactions to take place, without having to resort to targeted advertising.
(Source: AdExchanger)
Following up on our mention of the rise of mobile gaming last week, it appears more and more esports companies are cashing in on the opportunity. According to an article featured in Digiday, esports companies are leveraging Snapchat to reach mobile gamers - particularly Gen Z and Millenials audiences. In addition to reaching 293 million daily active users on average, Snapchat also has 30 million users monthly engaging on their Snap Games app. As it stands, Snachat has launched 60 new games and shows for esport companies to engage with these audiences. (Source: Digiday)
Earlier this week, TransUnion officially acquired Nestar in a deal for 3.1 billion. Since 2019, TransUnon has been acquiring several companies to fulfil their goal of becoming the “go-to provider of identity solutions” in the industry. By leveraging Neustar’s OneID platform, TransUnion aims to build off it to improve targeting and connect identity solutions. No decision has yet to be made regarding a rebrand or presumed name change. (Source: AdExchanger)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Lauralyn & Vanessa at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Cassie & Frank at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of September 6th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
First up we have some potentially big news in the battle for attention online. Data from app monitoring firm App Annie suggests that Android users in the U.S. and UK now spend more time watching videos on TikTok than they do on YouTube. Although YouTube is much bigger than TikTok in terms of Monthly Average Users, YouTube is certainly aware of the threat of TikTok, especially since they recently rolled out the TikTok-knock-off: YouTube Shorts. (Source: BBC)
Business Insider reported that Amazon is planning to release its own line of smart TVs in the US as early as this October. The TVs would be powered by Alexa and run on the Fire TV operating system built into them. What’s even more interesting is that they would likely cost less than other major TV manufacturers. The move would further improve Amazon’s CTV ad offering, featuring better measurement via Automated Content Recognition. On top of that, their new product would likely offer better attribution for TV watchers that are signed into their Amazon account. (Source: Business Insider)
US lawmakers sent an official letter to the Attorney General to investigate the secret Google and Facebook bidding arrangement codenamed “Jedi Blue.” The lawmakers allege that Google cut a deal with Facebook to ensure Facebook would not create a competitive header bidder out of the fear that this move would threaten Google’s monopoly on ad exchanges. In exchange for shutting down their planned header bidder, Google guaranteed Facebook a certain win rate and user-level data if they routed bids through Google’s server. The agreement even included a provision that suggested executives at both companies were aware they might be violating antitrust laws. (Source: AdExchanger)
Identity solutions are not gaining traction in the ad tech industry. Providers have been struggling to get partners on board, and with Google’s recent cookie extension, things are not looking so good. CEO of pop culture website Ranker, Clark Benson, stated in an article by Digiday that they would currently be testing multiple identity partners had the announcement not taken place. The news takes the pressure off many publishers, but has the reverse effect on identity providers who have been working hard to find solutions over the last year. On the other hand, advertiser demand for ID solutions has been completely absent, most likely because third-party cookies still exist, and remain the best way to target their audiences. Let’s hope the extension helps publishers and advertisers make better decisions and plan ahead for the real deadline. (Source: Digiday)
Mobile gaming is on the rise globally. This phenomenon, partly fueled by the pandemic, saw an increase of 12% between 2019 and 2020. According to an article featured in Digiday, mobile gaming popularity is expected to continue to rise in the near future, with the majority of its users in Asia. In fact, 87% of gamers in SouthEast Asia regularly play mobile games, versus 60% in North America & Europe. The reality is that first-time phone owners are only getting younger, opening up a brand new targeting segment for marketers. Needless to say, it would be a good idea for advertisers and agencies to keep an eye out for this growing trend in mobile gaming. (Source: Digiday)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Cassie & Frank at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Andrew & Brooke at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of August 23rd in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
Fresh off its multibillion dollar IPO, DoubleVerify completed its first acquisition of their fellow ad-verification competitor based in Berlin called Meetrics. The move was an effort by DoubleVerify to quickly expand its presence in the EMEA region. This type of ad tech consolidation is expected to continue with the recent flurry of fundraising through IPOs and SPACs. (Source: Adweek)
Speaking of which, Freestar, who recently acquired Chocolate, the header-bidding for mobile apps company, completed another acquisition this week of fellow publisher ad management company Sortable. The deal is said to expand Freestar’s inventory by 30% to almost 1,000 publishers. Expanding their scale makes it easier for DSPs and SSPs to seamlessly form data partnerships with many publishers at once, which is especially important to the scale and effectiveness of identity solutions. (Source: AdExchanger)
Who doesn’t love those tireless, aggressive cookie notification pop-ups? Over the last year, this has become the reality in the UK, and the response hasn’t been so great. The enforcement of privacy regulations set by GDPR has recently prompted the British government to call for new data protection laws that aren’t so intrusive. And it’s not just pop-ups that are cited as an issue, but also pointless bureaucracy and heavy compliance costs. Furthermore, earlier this year, Google said it would not remove third-party cookies in Chrome without the approval from the UK’s respective consumer privacy and antitrust regulatory agencies. However, if the UK takes less limiting actions on the use of third-party cookies, this could completely alter Chrome’s plans to deprecate the third-party cookies next year. (Source: AdExchanger)
Continuing the trend of modern sites focusing their monetization on native ads, Reddit rolled out a new native unit called “Conversation Placement.” The ads are placed between the original post and the start of the comment section, a section where they’ve previously never allowed ads to run. Reddit is notoriously careful about rolling out any new ads to their advertising-averse user base and spent a year testing the ads with a select group of advertisers before fully rolling it out.
(Source: AdExchanger)
Tiktok is making it easier than ever for brands to work with its influencers. The company’s all-new Tiktok Creator Marketplace allows partners to tap into their first-party data, giving them access to audience demographics, growth trends, best-performing videos and real-time campaign reporting such as views, likes, shares, comments, and more! On top of that, advertisers can bring this data back into their own platforms to improve their own insights. (Source: Techcrunch)
Another week, another massive CTV fraud scheme is uncovered. This time ad measurement and verification company Method Media Intelligence (or MMI) uncovered a CTV fraud scheme they named “RapidFire,” that had been costing advertisers about $20 million per month. RapidFire is technically different from other bot-based CTV fraud schemes because of how it “spoofs” CTV inventory across a number of apps, IP addresses and devices. MMI said the solution to fixing these types of schemes is for the industry to move away from relying on IP addresses to verify CTV measurement and for DSPs to better enforce the IAB’s app-ads.txt tool that is supposed to reduce this type of fraud. (Source: AdExchanger)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Brooke & Andrew at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Vanessa & Lauralyn at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of August 23rd in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
This week, mobile app platforms Liftoff and Vungle announced their intention to merge. Together, the two companies will form the largest independent mobile growth platform on a global scale. The combined company will reduce their marginal cost of production and boost efficiency on both the buy and sell side of their in-app ad spending. With this change in place, they will also be better equipped to handle the problem of tracking, specifically given the obstacles faced for apps on Apple devices. The deal is expected to close by the end of September.
(Source: Business Wire, Digiday)
Tech company TopDevs & recruiting company Noirefy have filed an amended complaint in their class action lawsuit to LinkedIn; originally filed last year. The two companies are calling foul over inflated metrics that are causing advertisers to pay for fake clicks, stating LinkedIn is violating the California consumer protection laws in the process. After dismissing their claims - with the judge citing a lack of “specific facts” - the new complaint gives examples on specific ad campaigns Noirefy ran where the “misrepresented ad metrics” provided by Linkedin affected the former’s ability to make “informed business decisions” on its digital strategy. (Source: MediaPost)
Vizio ads made headlines this week after it closed its upfront deal for 2022, securing $100 million with brands and agencies. The company’s success is due to its growing direct advertising business, increased by the rise in CTV advertising and Smart TVs. Vizio also benefits from Inscape’s audience content recognition technology; this offering alone puts them in demand with many agencies and brands. (Source: AdExchanger)
A GDPR suit from UK citizen Hugo Elliott against ad tech company PubMatic was dismissed earlier this week by a US judge in court. The claim alleged that PubMatic violated GDPR by tracking Elliott over the web - as well as others across England & Wales. Despite the outcome, the case remains “the first time that a British or EU citizen brought a suit against an American company in a US court based on GDPR.” (Source: AdExchanger)
After the federal court dismissed its original suit back in June, the FTC has since re-filed its antitrust case against Facebook this week. The FTC maintains that the social giant’s aquistations of Instagram & WhatsApp further its claims that Facebook is currently operating as a monopoly in social networking, and have since bolstered their revised suit with new supporting evidence. Facebook countered by mentioning the existence of other competitors in the space, such as TikTok, Twitter & Youtube. However, the FTC claims they stand apart, insisting that content on such platforms aren’t directed at specific individuals but the broader public - whereas Facebook’s content is aimed amongst families and friends. (Source: AdExchanger, The New York Times)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Vanessa & Lauralyn at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Cassie & Frank at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of August 16th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
On Wednesday, Comcast & Viacom announced they will be partnering to launch a European streaming service called “SkyShowtime” next year. After news broke out last month of the two companies' upcoming partnership, this latest announcement solidifies their intention to fill the gap from a lack of “streaming appetite” in Europe. However, the two companies still fall behind in subscribers compared to streaming giants like Netflix, Disney and Amazon. (Source: CNBC)
After initially launching a partnership in 2019; DoubleVerify & MoPub announced they will be expanding their partnership this week with a move to empower marketers and promote transparency. The two companies will be extending DV’s fraud protection capabilities across MoPub’s exchange, ensuring quality inventory & increasing performance.
(Source: MarketScreener)
There’s trouble on the horizon for Buzzfeed. In preparation to go public, the company’s main investor NBCUniversal expressed frustration over the deal, according to the Wall Street Journal. The deal valued at $1.5 billion is said to be lower than its initial valuation, with NBCU set to lose money as it stands. (Source: AdExchanger; Wall Street Journal)
Following their IPO in February, Viant has plans to capitalize on CTV with CEO Tim Vanderhook claiming it is their largest and fastest growing channel to date. The company has already earned a “year-over-year increase of 66% to 54 million” and is anticipating to earn 210 million in the next year. (Source: AdExchanger)
Digiday reported that Google has been quietly meeting with top-tier publishers to discuss Privacy Sandbox. Until recently, publishers were largely left out of the conversation, with industry players criticizing Google’s monopoly over the decision making process as a whole. Since March, representatives from about 20 publishers have been meeting monthly with Chrome engineers and execs to discuss tech and implementation. Compared to discussions held in the W3C which are “too technical”, these monthly meetings are said to provide a more accessible setting which encourages engagement on the part of publishers to share ideas freely.
(Source: Digiday)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Cassie & Frank at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Ben and Vanessa at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of August 9th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
Earlier this week, Integral Ad Science announced they’ve acquired CTV ad platform Publica for $220 million. The deal expands Integral Ad Science’s CTV capabilities for both publishers and advertisers. Together, they will also be introducing the “industry's first CTV verification solution for global invalid traffic”. (Source: tvtech)
Fraud in CTV? Recently, Double Verify reported shutting down a scheme in CTV dubbed “SmokeScreen”. The scam takes control of users’ screens to generate fake ad impressions even when they’re not in use, running up what Doubleverify predicts up to millions for advertisers affected. The scheme seems to be targeting external CTV devices particularly, although Double Verify has declined to say which devices have been affected. (Source: AdExchanger)
There’s a new update in the privacy sandbox rollout towards a cookieless future! Google has shared the news that they’re potentially going to adopt a topic-based approach for FLoC as opposed to a cohort-based one as originally planned. As opposed to cohort IDs, assigning sites a topic can help advertisers narrow down how ads are targeted. Also, topics can result in a much shorter list of approximately 265 versus 30,000 cohort IDs according to tech Lead Manager for Google’s Privacy Sandbox, Josh Karlin. (Source: Digiday)
Facebook is making good progress on its ongoing effort to respect user privacy. The company will be pivoting its efforts to make ads more privacy-conscious. One of the techniques being explored is called “differential privacy” and involves withholding information on individuals taken from datasets. With looming privacy legislation and giants like Apple & Google taking proactive measures in response, the pressure is on for Facebook to fall in line as well. (Source: The Verge)
Ad-blocker company Eyeo has launched a new DSP this week called “Trestle”. Trestle will make it easier for agencies to work directly with the company, bypassing the need for an intermediary allowing clients to “plug directly into existing campaign infrastructure”. The company, which previously had created the Audience Acceptable Program that helps platforms like Google and Taboola serve ads to ad-blocker users, says Testle will also improve the value of the program. (Source: AdExchanger)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has beenBen & Vanessa at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Lauralyn and Frank at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of August 2nd in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
Two Massachusetts companies filed an antitrust suit against Google; claiming the tech giant cut a deal with Facebook to fix ad rates in-auction to Facebook’s advantage. The suit claims the deal is a direct attempt on Google’s part to “cut off innovation and competition”, thereby violating federal antitrust laws. This isn’t the first time Google’s been accused of manipulating the auction for personal profit, after Texas filed an antitrust case over Google’s alleged secret ‘Project Bernanke’ in December. (Source: AdExchanger; AdAge; The Verge)
As the saying goes, ‘What Goes Up Must Come Down’. After a surge in TV and online streaming throughout the pandemic, platforms are now experiencing a decline in viewership. Roku specifically reported a drop in viewership of approxiately 1 billion hours from Q1 to 17.4 billion in Q2. Despite the drop in viewership, the company is still making groundbreaking revenue, having exceeded the half a billion dollar mark for the first time this year. Overall, trends continue to indicate the rise and dominance of CTV platforms as popularity with traditional TV continues to steadily decline. (Source: AdExchanger)
Twitch, the video live streaming platform, introduced their new ad format called ‘Stream Display Ads’. The format serves to be less disruptive to the user experience by appearing at the bottom or around someone’s stream. This allows users to continue to enjoy watching their content as opposed to pre and mid roll ad formats that pause or interrupt the screen. The platform is also in talks to integrate with Amazon DSP, adding to their programmatic video inventory. (Sources: AdExchanger, AdExchanger)
If you’re in the tech industry, you’ve probably by now heard the term ‘Metaverse’ come up in conversation. CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines last week, following the announcement that Facebook will become a ‘Metaverse company’ in the future. Although hard to define, the Metaverse is said to become a “virtual universe” in Web 3, the next major iteration of the Internet, enabling a future where distributed users and machines are able to interact with data, value and other counterparties. Only time will tell what new and exciting developments lay in store as we branch into this new era of the internet. (Sources: Digiday)
There is no doubt the travel industry took a hit during the pandemic. In an effort to bounce back, Alaska Airlines adapted their digital strategy to use AI and programmatic to target younger travellers who were more likely to travel sooner as COVID rates dropped. The company paused most of their traditional advertising and increased their ad spend towards programmatic to 15%, focusing on digital videos through social platforms to reach those younger audiences. (Sources: AdExchanger)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has beenLauralyn and Frank at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Ben & Cassieat Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of July 26thin ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
According to an article published in AdWeek, Teads had announced its plans to go public earlier this month. However, due to a lack of investor support, the company has halted their plans and has since stated its intentions to potentially launch near the end of 2021 instead. Their initial public offering was anticipated to raise approximately $751 million. (Source: AdWeek)
This year’s upfront deals have snatched almost all premium and programmatic CTV inventory available, leaving buyers worried about how much inventory will be left for buyers this upcoming quarter. As reported in eMarketer, upfront CTV ad spend is anticipated to exceed over $4 billion this year alone. With increased demand and competition, brands with lesser buying power are expected to be most at risk, and will have to become more strategic in order to compete with larger players in the mix. (Source: AdExchanger)
Instagram announced new safety measures to be put in place for younger users on their platform. Notably, accounts will automatically default to private for users under the age of 16. Tiktok also made similar changes earlier this year, increasing safety measures for users under 18 as well as defaulting users between the ages of 13-15 to a private account. In the midst of greater privacy regulations being rolled out, Instagram will also be implementing measures to reduce “unwanted contact from adults”. This latest move will restrict targeting options on “teen’s interests or activity on other apps and websites”, inevitably impacting advertisers wishing to target ads to users in this age group. (Sources: TechCrunch, TechCrunch)
Google Chrome provided a comprehensive timeline of its plans to test their proposals aimed at phasing out third-party cookies, following the announcement of their delay. The revised timeline sets quarterly benchmarks for proposals in its Privacy Sandbox; with FLoC and FLEDGE expected to end its testing phase in Q3 of 2022. Plans to move all of Privacy Sandbox proposals from testing to a transition period are expected sometime in Q4 of next year. (Sources: AdExchanger)
Good news for Peacock! The Comcast-owned streaming service announced they’ve reached 54 million subscribers in Q2. Comcast’s earnings have also surpassed initial expectations, spiking to 34 million. Plans to bring Peacock internationally are already in the works, with Comcast announcing its upcoming availability later this year “to 20 million Sky TV customers in Europe”. (Sources: AdExchanger)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has beenBen & Cassie at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Frank & Vanessa at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of July 19th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
This week, Twitter announced they’ve signed a contract with the Media Rating Council towards evaluating its compliance with brand safety measures for advertisers. The commitment follows fellow platform Faecbook’s own audit which officially kicked off this Wednesday, following its delay in June of this year. (Source: Digiday)
It seems SSPs are changing their strategy once again. Instead of trying to be a preferred partner to advertisers in buying programmatic ads from pubs, SSPs are now focused on becoming the preferred way publishers scale their data to advertisers. This shift in perspective comes on the heels of third-party cookies being phased out, where first-party data will now be in the hands of publishers. Recognizing this shift, SSPs are hoping to carve out a role for themselves in the post-cookie landscape, by facilitating bringing data together for marketers to buy audience segments while adhering to privacy standards set forth. (Source: Digiday)
Latest reports from Axios indicate that AT&T is in a hurry to offload Xandr, formerly known as AppNexus, citing the loss of “ tens of millions” of dollars per year. The report also suggests that InMobi is closest to acquiring it in a deal for less than 1 billion dollars. (Source: AdExchanger)
The Wall Street journal reported that both Comcast and Viacom CBS are in talks of striking up a lucrative partnership together. Looking to expand their streaming services internationally, initial reports indicate a potential acquisition but not a merger between the two telecommunication companies. (Source: AdExchanger)
Big news! Last week, Sharethrough launched their new Dynamic Video Captions for video ads. As reported in MediaPost, the product aims to optimize ad recall and increase engagement. Following the rising trend of auto-caption accessibility, the feature capitalizes on Sharethrough’s commitment to help brands create meaningful engagement and enhance their campaigns by investing in technology that supports the evolution of human video consumption behaviour online. (Source: Mediapost)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Vanessa & Frank at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is MC & Lauralyn at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of June 14th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
This week, Mediaocean announced its plans to acquire Flashtalking for $500 million. The deal follows Mediaocean’s merger with the programmatic buying platform ‘4C’ last year for approx. $200 million. Where 4C first pushed the company into the programmatic landscape, Flashtalking now cements its position by bringing advanced capabilities to marketers and equipping them with better use of “dynamic creative in both the open web and walled gardens”. Following the lucrative deals, the platform is expected to bring in between $100 and 150 million in annual revenue. (Sources: AdExchanger, AdExchanger)
Cookies aren’t the only thing that’s been delayed this year. After failing to suppress hate speech and misinformation on their platform, advertisers organized a collective boycott against Facebook last year, by suspending all paid ads towards the tech giant platform. In response, Facebook publicly committed to an audit to be completed by the MRC by the end of June of this year. With the deadline come and gone, Facebook has decided to postpone the deadline to the end of this year instead. However, with no formal contract signed with the MRC, no specifics for what the audit will entail, nor any reason given for the delay in the first place - how they will be able to meet this new deadline remains unclear. (Source: Digiday)
Promising news for the mobile ad tech market! Verve Group acquired Smaato, a mobile SSP gaming company, for $170 million on Tuesday. With increased competition in the mobile ad tech space, the acquisition cements Verve Group’s position as one of the top global mobile ad exchanges providing brands and agencies with premium inventory, and new tools for ad monetization for publishers. (Sources: AdExchanger, ExchangeWire)
Last Friday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to crackdown on Big Tech for the purpose of “protecting competition in the American economy”. The move follows a series of antitrust scrutiny cases aimed at tech giants in Washington. The order seeks to curb anticompetitive practices, particularly M&A deals among big tech giant platforms. In addition, it seeks to limit the platforms’ ability to hoard consumer data by pushing the FTC to adopt rules and regulations barring them from doing so, while also focusing their efforts towards promoting net neutrality. (Sources: Business Insider, AdExchanger)
Sovrn acquires San Diego-based ad tech platform Proper Media. According to their press release, the combined entity will strengthen its commitment in bringing publishers greater revenue, lowering costs via “high-yielding advertising with insightful unified reporting”. (Source: Yahoo)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been MC & Lauralyn at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Ben and Vanessa at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of June 14th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
A surprising development happened under the radar last Wednesday, when many noticed a new addition on Roku’s latest remote of a well known rival: Apple TV Plus. Although surprising, given the fact no formal announcement of the addition was made, its presence on Roku’s remote comes as no great shock to many who understand Apple’s predicament, given the streaming service has been struggling to retain and increase subscribers since its launch in November 2019. As LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield suggests, the deal is a clear sign that Apple cannot sustainably operate within its walled garden afterall. The move itself also opens up an opportunity for Apple TV to rebrand itself in the market; as a competitive alternative content provider alongside Hulu, Netflix and Disney Plus. (Source: New York Post, AdExchanger)
Earlier this week, Merkle announced they have entered an agreement to acquire LiveArea for $250 million. The integration is meant to strengthen Merkle’s commerce offering to brands, leveraging LiveArea’s customer data platform with brands and retailers. This integration follows a growing trend for companies looking to hone in on customer data and build their commerce integrations, banking on the expansion of the ecommerce market that rose by 30% in 2020. (Sources: AdExchanger, Merkle)
As part of the rollout in their privacy plan, Apple has announced that they plan to obfuscate IP addresses with Private Relay. Since an IP address isn’t the only component that makes up a fingerprint, this initial version won’t deter fingerprinting altogether in the short run. However, it’s still a clear indication that Private Relay’s evolution will only serve to break fingerprinting identifiers in the future, as privacy changes continue down the line. (Source: Digiday)
Big news! Renowned DSP Trade Desk announced its launch of its new UI Solimar, as well as its venture capital ‘TD7’’s first startup investment in Chalice, an ad-buying software powered by AI algorithms. Both announcements serve as moves to further support the sustainability of an independent and open internet. Solimar will act as the DSP’s commitment to “position itself as the ad-buying platform of the open internet” bringing together data onboarding, targeting and measurement. This offers marketers an alternative choice, allowing them to plan campaigns built on KPIs rather than relying on “clicks and reach estimates”. The Trade Desk’s investment in Chalice further supports this mission, given the latter’s reputation of being an outspoken critic of the “one-size-fits-all products” offered by walled gardens such as Google and Facebook. (Source: AdExchanger)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Vanessa and Ben at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This isFrank & Lauralyn at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of June 28th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
Innovid made headlines with its plans to go public with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) last week. Expected to close in the fourth quarter, the deal is valued at approximately 1.3 billion for the TV ad tech company. This move pushes Innovid into a more strategic and competitive spot in the connected tv space over competitor Google’s Campaign Manager, with Innovid’s commitment to invest and focus solely on digital TV. The combined company will be operating under Innovid’s name moving forward. (Source: CNBC)
Google’s latest announcement leaves many in the ad tech community feeling shocked - and downright relieved. Last week the tech giant stated they will be delaying the much anticipated removal of third party cookies by another 2 years. Last week in our podcast, we mentioned the clash between competition regulators in Britain and Google's Privacy proposals. This new delay will allow the CMA more time to properly evaluate Google’s privacy proposals in greater detail. This delay also reprieves many advertisers, publishers and developers who have been scrambling to get ready for the phase out, giving them more time to test alternative solutions. However, the news hasn’t deterred everyone from slowing down. Sell-side platform Magnite, for example, is maintaining the same level of attention and urgency to the demise of third party cookies, going full steam ahead with testing and determined to bring publisher first-party data at scale.
(Sources: AdExchanger 1), AdExchanger 2)
It’s a well known fact that fraudsters profit from a lack of transparency in the advertising supply chain. This week, IAB Tech Lab released their “Supply Chain Validation” tool in an effort to further reduce the risk of fraud within the supply chain. This automated tool aims to allow publishers to validate legit sellers in both ads.txt and seller.json files, saving them time from having to manually check for irregularities and reducing the risk of any human error. (Source: AdExchanger)
Big news for Simpli.fi! Blackstone Group announced its 1.5 billion investment in the DSP on Monday. The investment not only stands to positively impact Simpli.fi’s growth but reinforces Blackstone’s stake in the growing digital advertising market. (Source: MarketWatch)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has beenFrank & Lauralyn at Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Frank & Cassie at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of June 21st in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
Trouble on the horizon: pushback on the latest post-cookie initiative from Google’s Privacy Sandbox was reported this week, as Amazon began blocking Google’s FLoC solution from their sites. Critics suggest the move can be attributed to Amazon’s desire to protect their open first party data, and gain a competitive advantage as concerns over Google’s growing dominance in the post-cookie advertising landscape continues to mount. (Source: ExchangeWire)
Following Apple's release of iOS 15 earlier this month, the company has announced a new privacy feature for email. “Hide My Email” will provide users the option to anonymize their email addresses. In addition, the feature will prevent senders from knowing when users open an email and includes a “pixel-blocking policy” to prevent senders from collecting information. This is one of several initiatives Apple has taken in their ongoing efforts to protect user privacy online. (Sources: AdExchanger, AdExchanger, Apple)
It appears calls for consumer privacy protections are coming from all sides. From key industry players to lawmakers in government, joining the list this week is an international coalition of organizations and experts calling for legislative measures to be put in place to ban “surveillance-based advertising”. The coined term refers to the use of background data processing to collect information and serve relevant ads to consumers, to which the coalition strongly advocates against, claiming consumers don't want to be under surveillance to receive these so-called “creepy ads”. However, if the role of advertising is to fund genuine relevant content to users, and not ‘fake news’, how do we balance the need for privacy online while making sure digital advertising survives in this context? (Source: TechCrunch)
The latest in a string of antitrust cases this year, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) is now taking aim at Apple. Following several complaints citing “anticompetitive practices”, the FCO will focus their investigation to determine if the claim has merit by analyzing Apple’s practices & software in compliance with Germany's updated competition law. (Source: AdExchanger)
Twitter announced the integration of its own DSP ‘CrossInstall’ with MoPub, with the goal of attracting marketers with the promise of increased performance. The integration benefits both parties, gaining the resources needed to increase user acquisition and develop partnerships with app developers in the process. (Source: AdExchanger)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information or to subscribe to these weekly updates, check out the links in our blog. This has been Frank & Cassieat Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!
Hey there! This is Lauralyn and Frank at Sharethrough. In this episode we'll be giving you a quick recap of what happened the week of June 14th in ad tech, in 180 seconds. Let’s go!
The long awaited removal of cookies on Google’s Chrome browser is delayed...for now. The Competition and Markets Authority in Britain has secured commitments from Google to address concerns in their proposals to remove third party cookies. Google will publicly disclose results from testing alternatives to the CMA, while ensuring there will be no preferential treatment to Google's advertising sites and products. The CMA’s decision to accept or reject Google’s proposed commitments would be legally binding and apply globally.(Source: CNBC)
A privacy lawsuit involving New York’s IAB Tech Labs and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties is being brought to court over RTB. At the forefront of the lawsuit, former ad tech insider turned whistleblower Dr. Johnny Ryan argues the RTB system breaches GDPR’s core founding principle to ensure the protection and privacy of personal data. Coupled with the lack of security measures involved in the ad auction process, IAB Tech Lab’saudience taxonomy documents do not limit what companies can do with the information they collect - leaving people’s data vulnerable to outside parties. This latest privacy lawsuit is but one of several litigation pursuits since the GDPR’s inception in 2018. (Source: TechCrunch)
As the deadline for the removal of third-party cookies draws near, a growing sense of identity solution fatigue is settling in for marketers. Having a one size fits all strategy is not sustainable; as suggested in an article published by Digiday, marketers will need to explore and adopt a “rounded, cohesive data strategy” leveraging both probabilistic and deterministic approaches to get ahead of the curve. In addition, performing data audits, developing a stronger first-party data strategy, and working with partners to understand their offerings will be key steps for marketers to cut through the noise and put them in the best position moving forward. (Source: Digiday)
Amazon will be the only DSP able to buy Amazon Fire TV’s SSP inventory. Initially, the plan was to launch the CTV program with both The Trade Desk and dataxu as inaugural DSP partners. Following the acquisition of dataxu by Roku, cutting it out simply made competitive sense but the removal of The Trade Desk killed off its initial intent to create an open programmatic Fire TV platform. As noted in an article posted on Adexchanger, this latest move proves to be another example in the growing dominance of walled gardens in the advertising market. (Source: AdExchanger)
Spotify announced the launch of “Greenroom”; a live audio app to connect creators with their audience. Spotify’s Greenroom is one of several challenging the popular audio app Clubhouse, alongside the first public test of Facebook’s Live Audio Rooms on Tuesday and Twitter’s Spaces launched back in April. Spotify also plans to launch a Creator Fund that will pay audio creators for their work. (Sources: AdExchanger & Variety)
Thanks for tuning in! For more in-depth information, check out the links in our blog. This has been Frank & Lauralynat Sharethrough for our weekly 180 second-recap in Ad tech. See you next week!