07/29/24: Cynopsis Media Tech Update

Monday July 29, 2024

X adjusted its settings so users are automatically opted in to allowing their activity to be shared with AI assistant Grok. “To continuously improve your experience, we may utilize your X posts as well as your user interactions, inputs and results with Grok for training and fine-tuning purposes,” said X’s settings web page. “This also means that your interactions, inputs, and results may also be shared with our service provider xAI for these purposes.” While users can opt out on the web, the data sharing cannot yet be disabled on X’s mobile app.

OpenAI is testing search engine SearchGPT, designed to combine the strength of its AI models with information from the web to offer users “fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources.” The company eventually plans to integrate the tool into its ChatGPT chatbot. “We think there is room to make search much better than it is today,” wrote OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on X.

Meta has released a new open source AI model it touts as “the world’s largest and most capable openly available foundation model.” Llama 3.1 405B is available in more languages and countries and with a new feature that generates images based on someone’s specific likeness. Partners including AWS, NVIDIA, Databricks, Groq, Dell, Azure, Google Cloud, and Snowflake are offering services. “We believe the latest generation of Llama will ignite new applications and modeling paradigms, including synthetic data generation to enable the improvement and training of smaller models, as well as model distillation—a capability that has never been achieved at this scale in open source,” said the company in a blog post.

Google reversed its long-held plan to deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome, explaining in a blog post it will instead “introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing.” The decision does not impact Privacy Sandbox, added Google, saying, “We’ll continue to make the Privacy Sandbox APIs available and invest in them to further improve privacy and utility.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce released new guidance and software to help improve the safety and security of AI systems. The department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology shared three final guidance documents, first released in April for public comment, as well as a draft guidance document from the U.S. AI Safety Institute that is intended to help mitigate risks. NIST is also releasing a software package, Dioptra, designed to measure how adversarial attacks can degrade the performance of an AI system.

The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement and the Television Board of Advertising issued new guidelines for local TV aimed at achieving reliable, stable and accurate post analysis where the projected rating is compared with the measured rating after an ad runs. Recommended guidelines include:
– A four-week aggregation and/or aggregation of units for post analysis – no day/date-based post analysis should be used.
– A 90% posting threshold – which refers to the sensitivity of the comparison between the projected rating and the measured rating.
– A four-week aggregation and/or aggregation of units is recommended for all markets regardless of methodology where variability is 50% or greater.
– Flexibility for special event, one-time programs or tentpole programs such as Super Bowl, Academy Awards and sports playoffs.

Meta removed over 60,000 accounts linked to sextortion scams on Instagram, all based in Nigeria. “Like many crimes, financial sextortion crosses borders, and over recent years there’s been a growing trend of scammers — largely driven by cybercriminals known as Yahoo Boys — targeting people across the internet, both with these and other types of scams,” said Meta in a blog post. Meta identified the “sextorters” during an investigation conducted within the company, and reported attempts to target minors to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Israeli security startup Wiz has ended talks with Google parent Alphabet on a proposed $23 billion deal, according to a Wiz memo. Instead, the company will proceed with its previously stated goal of generating $1 billion in recurring revenue ahead of an initial public offering. “Saying no to such humbling offers is tough, but with our exceptional team, I feel confident in making that choice,” wrote Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport. The deal would have been Google’s largest acquisition ever.

Southwest Airlines is partnering with TikTok creators to offer travel-related content, including a “shoppable flights” program that enables users to book flights through the app. “We’ve seen the power of influence at work with our customers and employees and see the value that comes from our partnerships,” said Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content at Southwest Airlines. “From content creation to distribution strategies, our investment in influencer partnerships helps highlight our carrier’s fun-loving personality and flexible policies on every fare, everywhere. If you can purchase an outfit for a trip on the platform, why not purchase the flight too?” The TikTok booking experience will be offered through October 14.

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ADVERTISING

Sixty-one percent of advertisers using CTV/OTT will increase spending, with an average increase of 21%, according to the new “2024 CTV/OTT Advertiser Survey” released by Advertiser Perceptions and Premion. According to the study, spending increases are being driven by the ability to achieve full-funnel objectives (41%), reach a highly engaged opt-in audience (40%), and precision audience targeting (38%). Among those increasing their CTV/OTT ad spend in 2024, 74% are reallocating budgets from digital, social media, or linear TV, while 26% are tapping into new ad budgets to fuel this growth. The study also finds that 56% of CTV/OTT budgets are now primarily controlled by integrated/hybrid buying teams.

Clinch has partnered with MetaRouter to provide advertisers a cookieless, privacy-compliant solution to track and forward web behavioral events, including click data, from an advertiser’s website to Clinch for decisioning and insights. Both partners said the collaboration means advertisers can collect user signals and events server-side, addressing browser limitations on data while ensuring user privacy is maintained across all technical systems.

Nielsen’s content data business, Gracenote, said its contextual CTV categories will be available on Peer39 partner DSP platforms for the first time, enabling programmatic CTV ad buys. Additionally, Gracenote has tapped Magnite as the first SSP to support and scale these new CTV categories. Publishers including Cineverse, DIRECTV Advertising, Philo, Tastemade and Xumo can enhance their programming with Gracenote Contextual Video Data, which describes individual TV shows and movies to provide more visibility and transparency for media buyers who want additional signals around content.

Viant Technology announced the successful execution of a cookieless advertising test conducted for a major US-based pharmaceutical advertiser. Havas Media Network leveraged Viant’s advanced targeting technology within its DSP to conduct A/B tests against custom audiences from the Havas Media’s Converged Audiences platform, and found the cookieless approach achieved a 100% target audience reach and a 93% unique reach. According to DoubleVerify, the US campaign achieved over 70% viewability and adhered to rigorous industry standards for brand safety from DoubleVerify and Ads.txt.

YouTube ad sales grew 13% year over year to $8.66 billion, reported Alphabet, as the company beat earnings expectations for the quarter with a year-over-year rise in revenue of 14%. “Our strong performance this quarter highlights ongoing strength in Search and momentum in Cloud,” said Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. “We are innovating at every layer of the AI stack. Our longstanding infrastructure leadership and in-house research teams position us well as technology evolves and as we pursue the many opportunities ahead.”

TransUnion announced a new partnership with SafeGuard Privacy that will help streamline marketers’ vetting for compliance when selecting their third-party audience vendors. The companies have developed a new data diligence questionnaire that, when combined with SafeGuard Privacy state law assessments, makes it easier for data providers to share their diligence information and proof of compliance.

33Across, an addressable infrastructure designed for the open web, struck a new partnership with independent supply-side platforms Index Exchange. By integrating 33Across’ data capabilities with Index Exchange’s inventory via Index Marketplaces, media buyers can strengthen their programmatic targeting strategies beyond third-party cookies.

STREAMING

Fiber broadband service provider Brightspeed has reached an agreement with MyBundleTV, launching the latter’s personalized recommendation tool Find My Bundle and its suite of marketing tools and resources to help customers navigate the streaming marketplace. Brightspeed customers also have access to a co-branded version of MyBundle’s recently launched mobile app.

Video streaming in the US market is saturated, reaching 96% or 124 million households and growing just 1% quarter-on-quarter, according to Kantar’s latest Entertainment on Demand data. US households now subscribe to an average of 4 paid streaming services and ad supported video services are driving growth, with AVoD and FAST both growing their user base by 3% in the quarter. SVoD saw its user base decline by 0.6%. Sports are driving growth in streaming, with the fastest growing services including ESPN+ and DAZN, while Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus, and ESPN+ saw the greatest absolute growth in number of subscribers over the quarter. Netflix’s ad-supported tier grew subscribers by 2%, while its ad-free offering shrank 2% quarter-on-quarter.

SPORTS REPORT

WSC Sports, focused on AI-powered sports content technology, has partnered with the American Athletic Conference to increase fan engagement by delivering a more dynamic and personalized experience for AAC fans. The AAC will leverage WSC Sports’ AI technology to automatically create and instantly distribute personalized video highlights for Football, Men’s Basketball, and Women’s Basketball. Digital content can be distributed across various platforms, including social media, the AAC website, and the official AAC app.

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Job of the day

PRODUCER >>
TSR STUDIOS/LOS ANGELES, CA: Help build programming and shows for our digital and social media pages as well as have knowledge of the latest and greatest in social media, and emerging technology. The ideal candidate has a successful background in physical video production and an obsession with storytelling and creating content. You will also develop and edit video content. Full info HERE

ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL LICENSING & DISTRIBUTION
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP
CHARLOTTE, NC
Coordinate and execute asset delivery to content distribution partners and assist with ideation and execution of marketing campaigns with channel partners as well as capture, analyze, and report viewership data. You will also follow and report on industry trends and create weekly programming schedules for FAST channels. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS & LEGAL AFFAIRS >>
SONY PICTURES TELEVISION/CULVER CITY, CA: Sony Pictures Television is seeking a Director of Business & Legal Affairs. The Director’s primary role will be to develop and build deal structures, and analyze, negotiate, and draft various development and production agreements while providing ongoing business affairs counsel for any SPE game shows including Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Full info HERE

LEAD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE >>
CASTIFY.AI/HYBRID: Expand our client base in the digital advertising industry and focus on business development, securing new clients and partnerships, and negotiating contracts with leading advertising brands and agencies as well as experience in the digital advertising sector, showcasing a proven track record of achieving targets and excelling in business development. Full info HERE

PAID SEARCH SPECIALIST >>
AKA NYC/NEW YORK, NY: As Paid Search Specialist, you will be responsible for managing and optimizing paid search campaigns to drive targeted traffic and achieve business objectives. The ideal candidate should possess a strong understanding of search engine marketing (SEM), excellent data analytical skills, and the ability to stay updated on industry trends. Full info HERE

MARKETING ASSOCIATE MANAGER
GSTV
NEW YORK, NY – HYBRID REMOTE
Touch various teams within our group such as Marketing Solutions, Marketing Communications and Design. Our group develops thoughtful marketing and promotional programs alongside our business development team. We collaborate with teams across the organization to develop concepts that meet client needs and then bring the story to life. Full info HERE

MEDIA PLANNER >>
AKA NYC/NEW YORK, NY: Shape and executive innovative multi-channel media plans. Key responsibilities include developing campaign presentations and reporting materials and optimizing campaign performance using Google Campaign Manager. Ideal candidates possess 2-4 years of experience, strong communication skills, and a passion for entertainment. Full info HERE

TV HOST >>
QVC/WESTCHESTER, PA: Credible while entertaining candidate w/exp hosting TV, digital, radio, spokesperson or live events. Masterful storyteller, enthusiastic & a love for products and shopping a must. Must be quick on their feet w/ability to improv & engage as well as have an elevated sense of style. Full info HERE

DIRECT RESPONSE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TV One
NEW YORK, NY – HYBRID REMOTE
Carry out the entire sales process from initial contact to deal close as well as build and maintain exceptional relationships with advertisers and agencies by communicating TV One Network’s values and brand strength. Full info HERE

GENERAL SALES MANAGER
CUMULUS MEDIA
DALLAS-FT. WORTH
Develop, implement, and drive a sales plan that will meet stations’ revenue goals with emphasis on customer-focused selling to direct, new direct, vertical categories, digital, NTR, station features and major account sales as well as work with CEO’s and CMO’s to create strategies that drive revenue and create long term partnerships. Full info HERE

CTV ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE >>
HAYSTACK NEWS/NYNY, LA, CHICAGO: Responsible for developing partnerships to drive strategic and creative solutions for clients also help advertisers build their brands by supporting the world’s most premium news publishers. Full info HERE

PERFORMANCE MARKETING DIRECTOR
AKA NYC
NEW YORK
Serve as a primary point of contact for our clients, cultivating strong relationships based on trust and delivering exceptional service. Collaborate closely to understand their goals, challenges, and market dynamics, providing strategic guidance and insights. Full info HERE

DIGITAL SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE >>
OUTLAWS ENTERTAINMENT/Remote: Looking for a senior level digital seller to drive national, regional and local O&O and 3rd Party Revenue for our Gen-Z targeted video content and entertainment division. Will have access to influencers, a strong creative services team and a multitude of media assets to leverage. Full info HERE

VP OF FINANCE & ACCOUNTING >>
PBS DISTRIBUTION/ARLINGTON, VA (HYBRID): Responsible for strategic financial oversight of the company’s growth and profitability, including all finance, accounting, and treasury operations as well as lead the long-term financial planning process, provide content investment guidance and collaborate with the executive management team to set the vision and achieve goals for revenue. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT REP: MPT NATIONAL CORPORATE SALES
MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION FOUNDATION
REMOTE
Call on current and prospective sponsors, providing high-quality customer service, in a manner consistent with standard industry practice, for the customer/client accounts for which they have cultivated or have been assigned as well as build sustainable, long-lasting relationships with existing clients. Full info HERE

PAID SEARCH SPECIALIST
AKA NYC
NEW YORK
Responsible for managing and optimizing paid search campaigns to drive targeted traffic and achieve business objectives. The ideal candidate should possess a strong understanding of search engine marketing (SEM), excellent data analytical skills, and the ability to stay updated on industry trends. Full info HERE

PAID SOCIAL SPECIALIST
AKA NYC
NEW YORK
Responsible for developing, implementing, and optimizing paid social media campaigns to drive brand awareness, engagement, and conversions. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of social media platforms and data analytics and has a proven track record of delivering measurable results through paid social channels. Full info HERE

PRODUCER/WRITER
TV One
SILVER SPRING, MD – HYBRID REMOTE
Responsible for writing, producing and supervising edit sessions for assigned on-air promos and cross department promotional initiatives and develop and execute ideas for image and brand campaigns. Manage shoots as necessary. Full info HERE

SR. PROJECT MANAGER
TV One
SILVER SPRING, MD – HYBRID REMOTE
Coordinate off-channel marketing and creative services projects, timing, administrative coordination, and processes to ensure that our projects are delivered on time, budget and produce the desired results. You will be the go-to person for everything involving a project’s organization, client communication, planning, and timeline. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR, CUSTOMER ACQUISITION
GOLDEN HIPPO
WOODLAND HILLS, CA (Hybrid)
Golden Hippo is hiring a Director, Customer Acquisition to be responsible for leading a direct response marketing team to test, optimize, and scale new product campaigns. This role will help to identify opportunities and the strategy for overall Customer Acquisition initiatives. Anticipated Salary Range is $131.6k – $175.5k + bonuses. Full info HERE

SR. YOUTUBE ADS SPECIALIST
GOLDEN HIPPO
REMOTE
Golden Hippo is hiring a Sr. YouTube Ads Specialist to lead YouTube media buying. This role is involved in the entire campaign cycle, including creating and testing new ads and targeting options, launching and overseeing campaigns, and scaling budgets while maintaining KPI’s. Anticipated Salary Range is $86.4k – $115.2k + bonuses. Full info HERE

FACEBOOK ADS SPECIALIST
GOLDEN HIPPO
REMOTE
Golden Hippo is hiring a Facebook Ads Specialist to manage Facebook ad campaigns and craft highly converting ad creatives. This role is involved in the entire campaign cycle, including creating and testing new ads and targeting options, launching and overseeing campaigns, and scaling budget. Anticipated Salary Range is $75.7k – $101k + bonuses. Full info HERE

SVP-DIGITAL REVENUE DEVELOPMENT >>
NEXSTAR/IRVING, TX: Work collaboratively with the Broadcast Leadership Team to lead sales strategies across all stations, divisions, and platforms. The role will work with station leadership, the National Sales Organization, and directly with clients to drive optimal revenue opportunities for all of Nexstar’s digital channels. Full info HERE

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF AD SALES >>
HAYSTACK NEWS/NYNY, LA, CHICAGO: Responsible for developing large, meaningful partnerships to drive strategic and creative solutions for clients. You relish the opportunity to help advertisers build their brands by supporting the world’s most premium news publishers. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
INTERSECTION
LOS ANGELES, CA
Drive new revenue for our media around Los Angeles and beyond as well as building relationships with prospects and clients. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DIRECT RESPONSE >>
OPPORTUNITY MEDIA/NY(REMOTE/HYBRID): Seeking an energetic achiever with excellent written & organizational skills for role to assist in growing revenue for dynamic Direct Response Team: required: BA Degree, Min 2 yrs DR Experience. Bilingual (English/Spanish) Wide Orbit Exp a +. Full info HERE

MEDIA COORDIATOR DIRECT RESPONSE >>
OPPORTUNITY MEDIA/NY(REMOTE/HYBRID): Seeking an energetic achiever with excellent written & organizational skills for role to assist in growing revenue for dynamic Direct Response Team: required: BA Degree, Bilingual (English/Spanish) Wide Orbit Exp a +. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
INTERSECTION
SEATTLE, WA
Grow in billings, income, and experience on a team that continues to lead our industry. Take your career to the next level with a company that is transforming cities and delivering on our promises to our clients and to our long-standing Municipal and Transit Authority partners. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
INTERSECTION
PORTLAND, OR
Grow in billings, income, and experience on a team that continues to lead our industry. Take your career to the next level with a company that is transforming cities and delivering on our promises to our clients and to our long-standing Municipal and Transit Authority partners. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, AD SALES >>
FUSE MEDIA/NEW YORK, NY: Support the Ad Sales team by prospecting, selling and expanding the Company’s advertising revenue base. The candidate will have a strong media sales background with a network of industry clients and prospects as well as establish a book of business and exceed pre-established activity and sales quota utilizing CRM tools to document sales activity. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, EAST COAST ADVERTISING SALES
THE ALLEN MEDIA GROUP
NYC (Hybrid)
Responsible for coverage of assigned advertising agencies and clients specifically dedicated to representing AMG linear, digital and streaming platforms. Also grow and maintain existing clients as well as prospect and close new business. Work closely with clients and advertising holding companies ensuring AMG is a ‘must-buy’ for advertisers. Full info HERE

VP/HEAD OF ADVERTISING SALES
FREEBEE
FL/NYC Remote
Lead, manage, develop, and grow Ad Sales teams. Attract and retain the best talent. Work with leadership team to set, achieve, and grow revenue targets across OOH, Digital and Experiential. Instrumental in driving the team to exceed all expectations and goals. 15+ years’ experience in advertising, media, and relevant sales management roles. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FREEBEE
MIAMI
Achieve revenue and growth targets across linear and digital. Identify and execute strategies which result in exceeding revenue targets. Develop and execute effective sales strategies that showcase as well as maximize overall revenues for the overarching National Sales division. 7-10 yrs exp. in advertising, media & relevant sales management roles. Full info HERE

SENIOR AUDIO/VIDEO PROMOTION PRODUCER >>
WHYY/PHILADELPHIA: Produce best-in-class promotional spots, accurately reflecting WHYY’s brand mission, from strategy through management approvals. Write killer scripts for audio and video to engage audiences. Organize promotional spot production schedule for video and audio spots needed for TV, FM, digital and social platforms. 10-15+ years’ experience. Full info HERE

DIGITAL DIRECTOR, NEWS >>
WHYY/PHILADELPHIA: Develop a cogent strategy for developing and publishing WHYY news content across social media and emerging digital platforms. Convey and create SEO, social media and digital best practices in concert with the digital staff with the focus of informing and developing the newsroom’s digital muscles. Five or more years of journalism experience. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT TV
NYC
Represent FETV & FMC to media community via ongoing communications & relationship building. Maintain & develop strong working relationships w/both agencies & internal departments in support of sales efforts. Work w/sales management, pricing & planning to achieve quarterly revenue goals. 5+ yrs media sales exp. preferably in cable TV- agency exp. +. Full info HERE

TV/VIDEO SPONSORSHIP-PRODUCT INTEGRATION SALES REPRESENTATIVE >>
GAME ON MEDIA SOLUTIONS/Remote: Game On Media Solutions is looking for an independent business development oriented sponsorship sales representative. Focus will be on TV/Streaming project opportunities for brands that include product integration and placement. This is an Independent Contractor performance compensated opening. Attractive fees can be earned for closed deals. Full info HERE

BRAND ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/NYC: Full-service communication, strategy, and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, brand, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors, is seeking a Brand Assistant to join the Brand team in our New York office. The Assistant will play an integral role in supporting accounts for a wide variety of Fashion, Beauty, CPG and Lifestyle clients. Full info HERE

TALENT ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/LA: Full-service strategy, communications and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, entertainment and nonprofit sectors. We are looking for a Talent Assistant to a Talent Publicist in Los Angeles. We are seeking enthusiastic candidates who can work in a fast-paced environment, are driven & have strong communication and writing skills. Full info HERE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR NATIONAL POLITICAL SHOW >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Develop and oversee the production of a daily or weekly national political show that covers the most important political news and events of the day. Develop and execute strategies to increase the show’s audience and engagement. At least 5 years of experience as an executive producer for a political show or similar program. Full info HERE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Oversee all editorial and entertainment content, news production and presentation. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the show: producing, writing, and guiding creative. Develop content for the News @ TEN, plan, assign and create production schedules. 7 years of experience as executive producer or show producer. Network experience preferred. Full info HERE