07/11/17: Amazon Prime membership nears 79 million households

Good morning. It’s Tuesday July 11, 2017 and this is your your first early morning Digital briefing!

TODAY’S CODEBREAKER

Time Decay: One of several digital advertising attribution methodologies, Time Decay applies credit to events, or user actions, at increasing or decreasing intervals along a path to conversion. Event values are usually altered based on specific time windows when the events occur.

JUST IN…

Amazon Prime has nearly 79 million U.S. households as members, reports MorningStar. At this rate of growth – up from about 66 million at the end of 2016 –Amazon Prime is quickly closing in on the projected 90 million households that will pay for cable or satellite TV this year, notes Recode.

More from Amazon Prime: New research suggests that brands available through the service are getting priority treatment when people use Amazon Alexa. Seeking a better understanding of Amazon’s algorithm, research firm L2 used Alexa to order some 450 products and determined that an overwhelming number of products suggested tended to be those available to Prime members. Among other things, the findings show that so far, bigger brands are benefitting most from Amazon’s voice assistant.

Facing one of the realities of the high-end VR market, Facebook’s Oculus unit is slashing prices by one-third for the next six weeks. It takes the cost of an Oculus VR headset and two controllers from $598 to $399, about the same as Sony’s PlayStation VR.

Global audience data provider Eyeota is partnering with YouGov to provide an extensive database of consumer opinion and behavior data spanning the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Dubbed the Sundance of video games, the 14^th annual Games for Change is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 2 at Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York City. Games for Change is the leading global advocate for the power of games as drivers of social impact.

The Digital Place Based Advertising Association has a new member: mobile programmatic platform Ubimo.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Calling all digital innovators and inspirers!

The 5^th Annual Cynopsis Digital Model D & It List Awards

celebrates those in online video content and advertising who elevate the industry with their state-of-the-art contributions to branded content, technology, ad campaigns, and original content.

Enter to win this esteemed award and be in good company – Previous winners included: A+E Networks, Anheuser Bush, Food Network, HBO, Omnimedia, MTV, OMD, SONY, PBS Digital Studios and Turner Sports.

Enter NOW (while early rates apply)!

ADVERTISING

Kantar has a new service, Kantar Activate, which provides an integrated approach for building and distributing audiences for addressable advertising, as well as for shopper marketing and CRM campaigns, based upon the actual behavior and attitudes of individuals. Activate uses consumer insights and behavior from across the Kantar portfolio.

PROGRAMMING

With season seven of Game of Thrones set to launch July 16, HBO amped up the excitement by offering a code to download a new Snapchat filter in the GOT newsletter, “Whispers of Westeros.” Users can use the selfie filter to transform into a White Walker, or use a front-facing camera to throw a dragonglass dagger at a White Walker.

Starz is doubling down on streaming content in a big way to attract more children. The network will expand its service’s content library by 40% to nearly 7,700 total selections by year-end. Starz’ new lineup of kids’ shows includes The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat (TV specials), Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, Naruto and Garfield and Friends.

SpongeBob SquarePants: You Bring the Color gives fans a chance to help digitally color new episodes of the show online, and possibly have their versions featured on Nickelodeon in the fall during a special themed week of new episodes. The digital destination has over 50 scenes to color.

The fifth episode of Apple’s “Planet of the Apps” premieres today at 9 p.m. on Apple Music. It features Cheddar developer Jon Steinberg plus the folks behind the apps Poncho and Stop, Breathe, and Think.

RESEARCH

Advertiser spending on print and via programmatic may be down, but things have been looking up for native ads, according to Media Radar. In the first quarter of 2017, 5,000 fewer advertisers purchased ads programmatically than the first quarter of 2016 – a drop of 12 percent year over year. The company said the decline could be related to fears of ads appearing in unsafe environments. Native ad buys increased by 74 percent in the past year to over 5,000, according to MediaRadar, and the demand for native ads has more than tripled since 2015.

Amid all the crazy things happening on airlines of late, some good news has landed. A new study finds that 96% of travelers and 92% of loyalty members surveyed said if they experienced a problem mid-flight that was resolved through in-app customer support, they would likely recommend that airline to friends. The survey was conducted by Radius Global Market Research June 12-13 among adults ages 18+ that explored American travelers’ interest in airline apps and in-app support.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Global creative agency Mcgarrybowen has elevated Kurt Fries to Chief Creative Officer of its Chicago office. He has worked for the agency since 2013. The move comes as Matthew Bull, CCO of the New York office, departs. His role will be filled by U.S. CCO Ned Crowley.

Warner Bros Digital Networks has beefed up its management ranks with the addition of three senior executives. Eric Besner is the new SVP of Business Development. He most recently was Head of Global Acquisitions for Video and Non-Music Audio at Spotify. Greg Salter, formerly a VP at Warner Bros Corporate Business Development & Strategy, becomes SVP, Business and Strategic Planning. Katie Soo has been hired as SVP Marketing, from Fullscreen Media, where she was VP Consumer Marketing.

Award-winning journalist John Solomon joins The Hill on July 10 as Executive Vice President, Digital Video, from Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Circa, where his role was Chief Operating Officer.

Nick Nelson is the new Head of Product Innovation at OWNZONES Media Network. Before founding Technically Creative in 2016, Nelson served four years as Head of Product Creative at Netflix.

TRIVIA

This Chicago-born actor with a rather primitive last name is one of the stars of the new Netflix series Friends From College. (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)

Our Last Trivia Question: Who created the Netflix series The Crown? Answer: Peter Morgan. Kudos to: Stephen Kelley-9 Story Distribution International Ltd./IRL, Andy Pittman-TAMU/TX, Mathew Tombers-Intermat Inc./NY, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/CA, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/CA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/CA, Lorrie Shilling/CA, Aaron Paquette-Screen Engine/ASI/TX, Louis Lewow-Lewow Media Group/GA, Sean McHugh-Open Road Films/CA

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Struggling to connect with consumers?

Newest Strategies for Branded Content Webinar

Take advantage of the opportunity to boost brand awareness by joining us on July 25^th for our Newest Strategies for Branded Content webinar. Learn how to choose the most engaging advertising formats you can implement in specific, niche areas in order to truly grab the audiences’ attention. For only $349 per website, there is no excuse to miss out on the opportunity to make your brand a household name! Click here to sign up NOW!

DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT

About six pounds and six miles. That’s the delivery capacity of drones made by Israel’s Flytrex, whose founder expects to be up and running soon – but not in the United States, where companies like Amazon are trying to surmount regulatory hurdles, as TechCrunch reports. Watch it here.

David Teich
Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

CYNOPSISJOBS – For More jobs, please visit Cynopsis.com

JOB OPENING: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER-DIGITAL CONTENT/Spectrum Networks NY1/NYC: 5-10 yrs digital content leadership exp. Preferred exp with website (re) launch and rebranding process, newsroom exp and a strong track record working with sales/creative/finance to drive a digital strategy forward. Full info/apply HERE http://bit.ly/2uJCnAy (7/20)

JOB OPENING: SR ANALYST DIGITAL ANALYTICS/CNBC/Englewood Cliffs NJ: Collect/analyze user data across platforms (website, app, synd, social platforms) to grow digital audience, better understand user segments, & identify bus. opps. 3+ yrs exp digital analytics &/or data analysis. Full info/apply HERE (7/20)

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/MARATHON VENTURES/NYC: Join team-oriented leader in national direct response TV ad sales. Attention to detail, min. 2-3 yrs experience in TV traffic or sales support required. Wide Orbit a plus. Resumes: [email protected] (7/20)

JOB OPENING: MUSIC PRODUCT MANAGER/Discovery/LA: Resourceful self-starter resp for all digital music asset and metadata mgmt for in-house production library of 110K+ tracks. Extensive exp w/Soundminer req’d. 3+ yrs exp working w/production libraries, pltfrms or TV music dept. Full info/apply HERE (7/20)

JOB OPENING: VP MARKETING & BRANDING/NBCU/NECN/BOSTON: Lead creative svc providing overall creative services, mktg strategy & brand direction to drive viewership for NBC Boston, necn & Telemundo. Min 10 yrs relevant, successful & progressive creative services &/or mktg exp. Full info/apply HERE (7/20)

JOB OPENING: SR RESEARCH ANALYST/TV ONE/SILVER SPRING MD or NYC: Assist Sr. Rsrch, Dir w/interpreting media rsrch results & effectively communicating results. Strong knwlg Nielsen software & 3^rd party systems. BA/BS deg & 2+ yrs rsrch expe @ media co., agency or advertiser. Full info/apply HERE (7/20)

JOB OPENING: SENIOR ANALYST/A+E Networks/NY: engage in audience discovery, data management, & data activation to support addressable media strategy for A+E brands. Full Info/Apply HERE http://www.aenetworks.com/careers/jobs (7/18)

JOB OPENING: MGR CONTENT SVCS/UPTV/ATL: 5 yrs exp. in broadcast envirmt. Exp. managing non-linear content. Working knowledge of prod. ops & proced. Prior exp. managing staff. Familiar w/post prod (tape/digital), editing, transcoding, digital media formats & workflows. Send res: [email protected] (7/18)

JOB OPENING: DATA EVANGELIST/NeuLion/Long Isl: Use SQL+BI tools to own design of analytics dashboards/visualizations/reports. Query+analyze data to produce actionable findings. eCommerce/AdOps experience a plus. Min 3 yrs Analyst role+quantitative/analytical degree. Resume to: [email protected] (7/18)

JOB OPENING: MGR RESEARCH & ANALYTICS/SPE/NY: Consumer/Industry/Program insights for SPT Research; supports sales, production and distribution across all platforms of television: Network, Cable, SVOD & Synd. Exp. In TV Research, Nielsen & MS systems. Resume & cover HERE (7/14)

JOB OPENING: VP, CULTURE & CREATIVE INSIGHTS/VIACOM/VELOCITY/NYC: Lead cross-disciplinary working teams dedicated to dvlpng specific project deliverables.10+ yrs consulting, strategy, rsrch, mktg/advertising (acct mngmnt or brand plan’g w/5 yrs mngmnt exp.) Great interest for mentoring jr employees. Full info/apply HERE (7/14)

JOB OPENING: INTEGRATED MKTG MGR/ONE SOLUTION /NYC: Work on strategic/creative dvlpmnt/mngmnt of revenue-generating mktg solutions for clients. Respond to RFP, RFI and general Sales Requests. Min 5-7 yrs at agency media co or sales/mktg organization w/cross-platform exp. Radio exp a +. Full info/apply HERE (7/14)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR AD SALES MARKETING/Discovery/LA: Lead Ad Sales Marketing team, managing concept through execution of Auto/Studio/Tech custom solutions, sponsorships, and value earned marketing opportunities across all platforms. Must have proven managerial experience. 8-10 yrs mktg exp. APPLY (7/14)

JOB OPENING: AD SALES ASSISTANT/Crown Media Family Networks/NY: Provide support to Ad Sales by working W/Acct Execs to srvc clients. Including sales orders, move requests and media schedules. Detail oriented w/orgnzt’l skills to keep efficient work sched. BS or 2 yrs exp. req. Full info/apply HERE (7/13)

JOB OPENING: SR AD SALES PLANNER/SBGTV/NYC: Provide support for all aspects of the ad sales process. A team-player mentality & ability to work under pressure meeting deadlines for clients a must. BA deg & min 2-3yrs Sales exp related field or industry req’d. Media math skills a must. Full info/apply HERE (7/13)

JOB OPENING: SR DIRECTOR MARKETING/NBCU/NYC: Lead strategic development & mgmt. of division wide initiatives & tent pole events. Full info/apply HERE (7/13)

JOB OPENING: SUPERVISING PRODUCER/PRODUCERS/NYC: Exp producing live video in high-pressure environment, searching for trending topics in real time, scripting, booking, overseeing mult segments in hour-long show. News/current events focused role. Short-term in NYC kicking off early July. Email resumes HERE (7/13)

JOB OPENING: VP PRODUCTION/Bounce/ATL: Sprvse all operational aspects of orig prod; draft prod plans & scheds; oversee MMB budgets throughout prod. Oversee all audit req’s; provide notes on prod concepts Min 7 yrs TV prod req’d; advance knwlg of Movie Magic Budgeting & Scheduling. Email resume to [email protected] (7/13)

JOB OPENING: DEVELOPMENT REALITY TV EXEC: LA-based reality producer seeking dev exec. Must have 2-3 years reality development, casting or agency experience, strong written and verbal communication skills, and understanding of network brands. Send resume and references to [email protected] (7/13)

JOB OPENING: COOR., CONS MKTG & ADV/Showtime/NYC: Assist team in development and execution of mktg campaigns for SHO Series/Docs/Events. 1-2 yrs con mktg and/or ad agency exp req. Passion for TV & digital a must. Apply HERE (7/13)

JOB OPENING: MGR, PROGRAMMING RESEARCH/IFC TV/NY: 5+ yrs TV rsrch exp. Prod in-depth aud analyses to help IFC create the most compelling scheduling & promo strategy. Identify effective platforms/prgrms for promo placement (incl cross-ntwrk barter), leveraging ratings, demographic, etc. Full info/apply HERE (7/12)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/MARATHON VENTURES: Opportunity to join fast-growing, team-oriented leader in national direct response TV ad sales. Must combine complex data analysis with strong sales skills and attention to detail. Resumes: [email protected] (7/12)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/MUSIC CHOICE/NYC: Resp for day-to-day ad sales research support, generate and distribute audience usage data via Nielsen/ComScore as well as custom ad-hoc audience reports and ad effectiveness studies. BA degree, minimum 3 yrs applicable experience. Direct Job Post: HERE (7/12)

JOB OPENING: DIRECT RESPONSE AD SALES ASSISTANT/Crown Media Family Networks/NY: Provide sales support to the Director, Direct Response and Direct Response Team. Process media buys/revisions, sending pre and post logs, and updating account info. BS req. Apply HERE (7/12)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: MARKETING INTERNSHIP/Long Is City: For established fine art shipping co. to work on mktg initiative; mng mktg lists/ database contacts. Knowledge of e-mail blasts, MS off, CRM programs. Stipend for commuting + lunch. Skills must inc: Photo Shop & PP. Cvr/res: HERE (7/12)