A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PREMION

PREMION
LEADING THE EVOLUTION IN LOCAL OTT & CTV ADVERTISING

New Study: 2022 Priorities for CTV/OTT Advertising
84% of advertisers say the value of
CTV/OTT is greater than, or equal to, primetime TV

DOWNLOAD COMPLIMENTARY REPORT

Premion is a 10x Industry Award Winner including
2022 Cynopsis Best of the Best Award for Best Ad Tech Solution

TikTok has launched a new feature aimed at fostering “authentic and spontaneous connections” on the platform. Much like the French social app BeReal, users can capture what they’re doing using their device’s front and back camera, and will be reminded with a daily prompt to share a 10-second video or a static photo.

Uber launched an investigation and contacted law enforcement after employees on Thursday received a message reading, “I announce I am a hacker and Uber has suffered a data breach.” The person who claimed responsibility for the hack told The New York Times that posing as a corporate information technology person, they persuaded an Uber worker to hand over a password that gave access to Uber’s systems.

Google published its version of the 31 new emojis approved by the Unicode Consortium. The new emojis – including a pink heart, a pushing hand, and a jellyfish – are expected to be available by the end of the year on Android and next year on other Google products.

“Community Chats” are headed to Messenger and Facebook Groups, enabling large Messenger groups to organize chats into categories. “We’re building Community Chats as a new way to connect with people who share your interests,” posted Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “More than 1 billion people use Messenger to communicate with friends, and soon you’ll be able to start Community Chats from Messenger as well as Facebook Groups.”

Supermarket chain Wegman’s has shut down its self-checkout app, citing issues with shoplifting. “Unfortunately, the losses we are experiencing prevent us from continuing to make it available in its current state,” said the company in a statement. “We’ve made the decision to turn off the app until we can make improvements that will meet the needs of our customers and business.”

Adobe has entered into a merger agreement to acquire Figma, a web-first collaborative design platform, for approximately $20 billion in cash and stock. “Adobe’s greatness has been rooted in our ability to create new categories and deliver cutting-edge technologies through organic innovation and inorganic acquisitions,” said Shantanu Narayen, chairman and CEO, Adobe. “The combination of Adobe and Figma is transformational and will accelerate our vision for collaborative creativity.”

Walmart shoppers will be able to use their own photos to see how clothing looks on them, with AI technology “Be Your Own Model.” The feature analyzes catalog images of garments to create a dressed image, using neural networks to help determine the different variations of a product.

Testifying before a Senate Judiciary Committee, Twitter’s former head of security, whistleblower Peiter Zatko, claimed a Twitter employee could “take over the accounts of all of the Senators in this room,” adding that “if foreign assets work for Twitter, those foreign assets can also access the data.” While Zatko did not go so far as to accuse the messaging service of ill intent, he said security “has not been prioritized over other projects like increasing revenue and users.” Twitter has characterized Zatko as a disgruntled former employee whose claims are without merit.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk may not want Twitter, but company shareholders want him – or at least they want the $44 billion deal he signed to acquire the company. Although Musk is trying to get out of his contract, including filing an amended countersuit claiming the allegations by Peiter Zatko give him the right to walk away from the merger, Twitter shareholders took the advice of the board and gave the deal a thumbs up.

Planar announced the launch of the Planar Venue Pro VX Series, a family of indoor fine pixel pitch LED video wall displays improving in-camera visual performance for virtual production and extended reality, as well as on-camera visual performance for broadcasters. The series combines high performing scan and refresh rates with high brightness and narrow pixel pitches, making it well-suited for LED XR stages in broadcast, film and video production, as well as live events.

Final call for judges! With an impressive list of candidates competing for the 2022 Model D + IT List Awards, we’re enlisting experts in the Cynopsis community to help determine the best of the best. The Model D awards honors online video content and advertising, while the IT List celebrates those 35 and younger in the digital media industry. Judges should have experience in the business, a passion for excellence, and be available to review applications by September 30. If interested, please email Carley Ashley at [email protected] and include a brief 2-3 sentence description regarding your qualifications for judging.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PREMION

PREMION
LEADING THE EVOLUTION IN LOCAL OTT & CTV ADVERTISING

New Study: 2022 Priorities for CTV/OTT Advertising
84% of advertisers say the value of
CTV/OTT is greater than, or equal to, primetime TV

DOWNLOAD COMPLIMENTARY REPORT

Premion is a 10x Industry Award Winner including
2022 Cynopsis Best of the Best Award for Best Ad Tech Solution

ADVERTISING

The U.S. out-of-home ad market is pacing to surpass 2019’s record year, according to GroupM analysis. “Just looking at our out-of-home numbers in the U.S., we’re definitely expecting it to be back above 2019 levels this year,” said GroupM Global Director of Business Intelligence Kate Scott-Dawkins during her weekly podcast. “And obviously, whether the channel has recovered this year or next year varies by individual market.”

Although Google postponed the deprecation of third-party cookies until 2024, the media industry should be aware that the market has already lost approximately 50-60% of the signal fidelity from third-party identifiers, warns the IAB State of Data 2022 report. “This, coupled with impending changes to the regulatory landscape and potential actions by the Federal Trade Commission, demands an immediate re-evaluation of the ecosystem,” says the report, noting that “the biggest immediate threat to the industry is inconsistent and poorly crafted state-level privacy legislation.” The study looks at how brands, agencies, and publishers are evolving their approach to consumer privacy, as well as working with their internal and external partners to meet consumer privacy expectations.

General Motors will become the first brand to integrate with NBCUnified, the first-party data and identity platform that unites NBCUniversal’s consumer touchpoints into a scaled offering for marketers within One Platform. GM’s integration with NBCUnified is made possible through its media agency partner Carat, and leverages the agency network’s partnership with NBCUnified. “Leaning into more sophisticated addressable media opportunities, like the one we’re announcing here with NBCU and Carat, gives us a leading-edge in connecting with consumers today,” said Heather Stewart, General Director, Global Media & Marketing Services, GM.

Eighty-six percent of retailers agree that first-party data is a core pillar for their app strategy going forward, as the advertising industry transitions away from cross-web and cross-app identifiers, according to a report from Kantar and Google. Nearly all retailers reported that their mobile app was a “crucial and valuable channel” and that their app users were “more loyal and have a higher lifetime value.” The report also found and further outlines three key strategies for success: prioritize omnichannel functionality to meet customer needs; build first-party data by fostering deeper customer relationships; and invest in app promotion to drive usage and engagement.

Consumers are watching more full video ads than ever, according to Integral Ad Science’s latest Media Quality Report. Both desktop video and mobile web video saw completion rates increase worldwide when compared to H1 2021, while drop-off rates decreased across both environments. In particular, ad completion rates for mobile web improved twice as much in absolute annual terms when compared to desktop. Other findings include:
· There is a Point of Diminishing Return for Viewability. The achievement of 100% viewability is not the optimal way for marketers to measure success. Targeting higher viewability with pre-bid segments may lead to increased quality impressions, but the report found that marketers pushing for total viewability KPIs can risk compromising scale and elevate cost, thus reducing ROI.
· Non-Optimized-Ad-Fraud Rates Rose 10 Times Faster than Optimized. The first half of 2022 saw invalid traffic increase across all formats and environments. Optimized against ad-fraud (with anti-fraud protection) averages rose worldwide between 0.1 and 0.4 percentage points annually. Campaigns without anti-fraud protection saw fraud rates increase 10-times faster, with a 1.0 percentage point jump for desktop video and a 3.8 percentage point increase for desktop display.
· Contextual Targeting Offers the Best Cookieless-World Solution. With third-party cookies being phased out, the latest MQR predicts that methods such as contextual targeting will be the most privacy-friendly and effective method for advertisers to reach the right audience at the right time to drive desired outcomes.

Ad tech provider diDNA has released an improved version of its video monetization solution. The new solution uses a custom rules engine designed to quickly drive incremental revenue increased, and automation that allows publishers to quickly implement, test, and iterate on the functions needed to improve performance.

MiQ announced a new partnership with private equity group Bridgepoint. As part of the partnership, Bridgepoint will support MiQ’s existing management team to deliver the next phase of programmatic media solutions, with a focus on continued international expansion and client growth.

Tremor International, a CTV advertising company, has closed its previously announced acquisition of Amobee, the advertising platform. “We are pleased to complete the strategic Acquisition of Amobee, which we anticipate will increase our global market presence, significantly enhance and expand our technology capabilities, add new linear TV capabilities and cross selling opportunities, and enrich our growth and competitive positioning within the industry,” said Ofer Druker, CEO of Tremor International.

STREAMING

Fuse Media FAST channel Fuse Beat has rebranded to Shades of Black. “The rebrand to Shades of Black aligns the channel more closely with its brand mission, which is to celebrate the multifaceted Black experience and impact on our culture,” said Fuse Media Chairman & CEO, Miguel Roggero. “In little more than a year since its launch, the channel has connected strongly with audiences, growing each month to its highest viewership yet this past August.”

Netflix will feature “news, never-before-seen footage, trailers, and first looks” at Tudum, its second annual free virtual fan event on September 24. In addition to previewing shows from Korea, India, Japan and more, there will be peeks at hits like “The Crown,” “Bridgerton.”

MotorTrend’s automotive series and specials are now available to customers in the U.S. in the Apple TV app. “The availability of MotorTrend in the Apple TV app is the latest step in our distribution goal of making MotorTrend’s premium streaming video content catalog available to fans on all major platforms,” said Mark Jocson, VP, Digital Partnerships and Distribution.

Insight TV announced the launch of the recently rebranded Insight TV lifestyle channel, INFAST, on PLEX. “Plex is a fantastic platform as it allows viewers to access INFAST online and from most devices, making it ideal for our Millennial and Gen-Z audiences who value convenience,” said Natalie Boot, VP Media Sales & Insight TV Studios US.

Global demand for real-time engagement technology in the second quarter increased by 63% when compared to the same period last year, Agora. Interest in interactive livestreaming, in particular, is supporting growth. “Real-time engagement technology enables developers to quickly and easily build these experiences,” said Tony Zhao, founder and CEO of Agora. “We are seeing more developers try to meet this opportunity globally, which is contributing to RTE adoption, and we expect that trend to continue.”

Tubi has announced the launch of its FIFA World Cup FAST Channel, featuring highlights and analysis from this year’s competition as well as content from past FIFA World Cup tournaments. Every FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match will be available for free on-demand and programmed into the channel as replays. Special FOX Sports Digital content will also appear on the channel in the lead-up to the tournament.

Cinedigm has struck a new deal with college sports, news and entertainment streamer, Vidgo. Vidgo becomes the first virtual MVPD to agree to distribute Cinedigm’s flagship streaming service, Cineverse, which will feature a lineup of FAST channels plus films and TV series on demand. Vidgo plans to launch Cineverse this Fall.

Cynopsis Team