Mass resignations ensued after Twitter owner Elon Musk sent a letter last week to employees saying those who did not agree with his vision should quit by 5p on Thursday. “We will need to be extremely hardcore,” he wrote. “This will mean working long hours at high intensity.” Musk gave employees a choice: agree to commit to a workaholic lifestyle, or resign and receive three months’ severance. At least 1200 chose the latter, according to The New York Times, even after Musk softened his stance on banning remote work. As #RIPTwitter trended, Musk tweeted, “The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried.”

Twitter changed its policy on new accounts, imposing a 90-day waiting period before users can subscribe to the new Twitter Blue plan and get verified. “We may also impose waiting periods for new accounts in the future at our discretion without notice,” said the company.

Donald Trump’s Twitter account reappeared on Saturday evening, after 51.8% of respondents to a poll posted by Twitter owner Elon Musk voted to reinstate the former president. Over 15 million votes were cast (“though there’s no guarantee that the poll wasn’t manipulated by the same bots that Musk has spent the past several months railing against,” noted The Atlantic.) Asked about a possible reinstatement, Trump, who was banned from the platform after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, said Saturday afternoon, ”I don’t see any reason for it.” Instead, Trump said he will stay with his platform, Truth Social, which he said had better user engagement and is doing “phenomenally well.”

Apple is facing a lawsuit over its data collection policies. In a proposed class action lawsuit, plaintiff Elliot Libman alleges that Apple’s privacy assurances are in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The suit follows a report that found Apple was tracking consumers in its mobile apps, even when they had configured their iPhone privacy settings to disable tracking.

Snapchat has partnered with Adidas for a FIFA World Cup feature that lets users virtually dress their Bitmoji in the official home football kits of their team. Which is just one way Snap is getting in the game. Snapchat Discover will publish highlights, match analysis and behind the scenes content during the tournament, and on Spotlight, Snapchat’s in-app entertainment platform for user-generated content, users in the US can submit Snaps for a chance to win cash prizes.

Add Roku to the tech companies laying off workers, citing current economic conditions. The company is cutting 200 jobs in the US, or 7% of its workforce. The action “will allow us to focus our investments on key strategic priorities to drive future growth and enhance our leadership position,” said a statement from Roku.

In response to “information overload,” Google has introduced conversation summaries in Google Chat for messages in Spaces. When these summaries are available, a card with automatically generated summaries will be shown as users enter Spaces with unread messages. The feature is enabled by Google’s abstractive summarization model, Pegasus, which generates concise summaries for chat conversations, and is currently available to select premium Google Workspace business customers. “We are excited to apply state-of-the-art abstractive summarization models to help our Workspace users improve their productivity in Spaces,” said Mohammad Saleh, Software Engineer, Google Research, Brain Team, and Yinan Wang, Software Engineer, Google Workspace – who, apparently, are just getting warmed up. They add in a blog post, “While this is great progress, we believe there are many opportunities to further improve the experience and the overall quality of summaries. Future directions we are exploring include better modeling and summarizing entangled conversations that include multiple topics, and developing metrics that better measure the factual consistency between chat conversations and summaries.”

Young consumers are more engaged with entertainment of all kinds, according to Hub’s new “Battle Royale” study, which looks at Americans’ sources of entertainment. While people under 35 have an average of 8 entertainment platforms they say are “must have” sources, among those 35 and over, the number is 4.9 sources. Other highlights include:
· The younger demo is less dependent on video: gaming and social media comprise almost half the total entertainment sources used by those under 35.
· Those 35+ are much more video focused: 5.3 video sources, vs. 2.1 social media platforms and 1 gaming source.
· 85% of young consumers say social media platforms are a must have – higher than any other category. Those 35+ are most likely to say major SVODs (70%) or reading (70%) are a “must have” source of entertainment.
· Social media platforms are making inroads on occasions normally reserved for premium video entertainment. Social media is the top choice among men and women of all ages when they have 10-15 minutes to spend on entertainment.
“The competition between streaming providers has monopolized the TV industry spotlight in recent years,” said Jon Giegengack, principal at Hub and one of the study authors. “But among young people, things like gaming and social media are a bigger competitive threat. There are young people who are as likely to spend 2 hours on TikTok as they are watching a TV show. These behaviors may not change with age, and it’s important for media companies to anticipate where their audiences will be in the future.”

Dramatic increases in provisioned speeds are continuing to shift the broadband landscape, according to the Q3 2022 edition of the OpenVault Broadband Insights report. Using data aggregated from OpenVault’s broadband management tools, the 3Q22 OVBI shows a continued increase in gigabit tier adoption, as well as migration of subscribers to speeds of 200 Mbps or higher. Fifteen percent of subscribers were on gigabit tier plans in 3Q22, an increase of 35% over the 11.4% figure in 3Q21, and the percentage of subscribers on plans between 200-400 Mbps doubled to 54.8% from 27.4% in 3Q21. At the end of the third quarter, only 4.7% of all subscribers were provisioned for speeds of less than 50 Mbps, a reduction of more than 50% from the 3Q21 figure of 9.8%. Gigabit tier subscribers are up more than 600% since the third quarter of 2019. “This trend is impacting bandwidth usage characteristics, with faster growth in power users and median bandwidth usage,” notes the report. “Faster speeds are fueling greater consumption that may be reflected in the need for greater capacity in the future.”

PEAK3, an IoT and edge pathway solution focused on building businesses utilizing the ATSC 3.0 broadcast spectrum, has debuted. The IP-based ATSC 3.0 standard brings together over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting, the internet, and additional use cases. “The ability to extract data and deliver data from disparate devices at the edge has created a bottleneck that needs to be solved in the coming decade,” said CEO Alp Sezen. “ATSC 3.0 data delivery over the air will be a critical asset in accomplishing this goal, especially with the exponential growth of edge devices that have proliferated. ATSC 3.0 can scale with this growth, providing one-to-many connectivity.”

Sharon Tal Yguado, most recently Head of Genre Drama at Amazon Studios, has launched gaming company Astrid Entertainment. “I love developing rich worlds and watching millions of people engage and build communities around them,” said Tal Yguado. “We are seeing a new generation that wants something different. They enjoy walking into evocative worlds that give them freedom, let them hang out with their friends, explore, discover and create their own stories.”

OneFootball is launching a new series of digital collectibles called “Footballer’s Journey.” The platform has partnered with 11 players to tell their stories on the events and experiences that turned them into soccer/football stars, delivered in comic book-style over four chapters each. There are seven players whose journeys will be released this winter, with first chapters launching on December 15 (priced at $29 per pack).

Virtualness, a mobile-first platform designed to help creators and brands navigate the world of Web3, has secured over $8M in seed funding. The fundraise was led by Blockchange Ventures, and joined by Polygon Ventures, F7 Ventures, Micron Ventures, Oceans Ventures, Neythri Futures Fund, Carolyn Everson, Randi Zuckerberg, Nusier Yassin (Nas Daily), Nikki Farb, and Stacy Brown-Philpot, among others. Upon launch in early 2023, authenticated creators and brands will use the platform to design, mint and showcase branded digital collectibles; easily share across their social media channels; directly interact with their fans and community; enable unique experiences; and unlock new channels for monetization.

2023 Best of the Best Awards

Set yourself up for 2023!

You have set the bar higher than ever before and worked hard to set yourself up for success in the new year. Best of the Best Awards features 45 different categories and celebrates the brightest shining stars in the media industry, bringing recognition to outstanding campaigns, contents, and initiatives. Don’t miss out on your chance at this esteemed accolade…

ENTER NOW

ADVERTISING

Eighty-one percent of advertisers are satisfied with addressable TV advertising, up from 72% who said so this same time last year, according to research from Go Addressable and Advertiser Perceptions. Key insights include:
· 96% of those using the medium today said they are buying from either AVOD, programmers, OEMs or MVPDs.
· 77% of marketers who have used the medium said they are satisfied with the measurement solutions available for addressable TV.
· 41% of marketers not currently using the medium plan to incorporate it in 2023, up from 25% who said so this same time last year.
· 37% of those currently using addressable advertising said they plan to increase their ad spend in it in 2023.
The findings come as a survey of the Go Addressable group reveal that the industry initiative has helped to enable a monthly average of 53 billion linear advertising minutes.

Uberall, provider of hybrid customer experience (CX) solutions, has launched a creative campaign, “Journeys to Customer Joy with Bric & Pin,” showcasing the need for location-based businesses to adapt to a hybrid customer journey. The campaign – featuring “real guy” Bric and “digital muse” Pin – will also help Uberall drive awareness for the availability of its Hybrid Customer Experience Platform in both North America and the EMEA region. “As consumers, we’ve all had journeys with location-based businesses that surprised and delighted us by bringing together the best of both online and offline worlds. But we’ve also had the opposite experience,” said Alyssa Trenkamp, VP Brand Marketing and Communications at Uberall. “Bric and Pin were created to emphasize the importance of consumer experiences that just work.”

DoubleVerify, a software platform for digital media measurement, has launched DV Authentic Brand Suitability and DV Custom Contextual solutions on the LinkedIn Audience Network. DV Authentic Brand Suitability helps advertisers avoid unsafe and unsuitable content before placing a bid.

Viamedia has been selected to manage ad sales for National Content & Technology Cooperative member Adams Cable Service, expanding Viamedia’s representation in the Wilkes Barre-Scranton DMA.

News media platform Fintech.TV announced a partnership with Katz Digital Video to exclusively represent the domestic sales of Fintech.TV’s advertising assets, including streaming inventory and sponsorship opportunities. “Adding technology investment content to our ecosystem of audio, video and digital offerings further establishes Katz as a one-stop-shop for brands to reach diverse audiences with unparalleled scale,” said Mark Gray, CEO of Katz Media Group.

Ninety-three percent of media experts believe quality spend by supply-side platform is important for evaluating supply path performance, according to Integral Ad Science’s new report, “Constructing Your Quality Path.” The study unveils how media experts use SPO in their digital marketing strategies and how they expect media quality to impact the future of SPO. Key findings include:
· 69% of media experts consider quality spend when making path optimization decisions
· 53% of media experts would benefit from third-party platforms centralizing DSP data sharing
· 52% of media experts would benefit from more guidance for how to interpret performance metrics
· 49% of media experts would benefit from more automation for using insights through pre-bid segments/optimization
“Advertisers are pushing for greater transparency into their programmatic buys and want to ensure that they are getting quality inventory from their ad spend,” said Yannis Dosios, Chief Commercial Officer, IAS. “Widening access to programmatic has caused the same ad inventory to be offered through multiple paths, resulting in increased complexity for advertisers. This is where Quality Path Optimization (QPO) comes in.”

MEASUREMENT

NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships announced innovations through the four pillars of One Platform: Data & Identity, Activation & Automation, Ad Innovation and Measurement – and set a date for its next developer event. Since its One22 conference in March, NBCU said it has expanded its partnerships, and rolled out more capabilities offering advertisers new scale and precision targeting, activation and automation technologies, new data and currency options. One23, NBCU’s next event, will be held on February 16, with a newly expanded format. “We created One21 to introduce One Platform as the bridge between NBCUniversal’s iconic media and advanced technology capabilities, and One22 showcased how we brought One Platform to market with our universe of partners,” said Krishan Bhatia, President & Chief Business Officer, Global Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “As One Platform continues to scale, One23 will lean into a new level of collaboration.”

NBCU also announced a “Currency Council,” with over 10 advertisers – including General Motors, PepsiCo, State Farm, Wayfair, T-Mobile – committing to use alternate currencies for at least part of their ad spend with NBCU. “By joining us on The Currency Council, these brands will have a front row seat to new currency and will be able to improve the management of their investments and prepare their organizations for new models and workflows ahead,” said Kelly Abcarian, EVP, Measurement & Impact, Advertising & Partnerships, in a blog post. “Together with our clients, we’ll continue to evaluate these new currencies, establish new ways of transacting, and operationalize improved workflows throughout the planning, buying, and posting processes. This comprehensive approach to embracing new currencies is designed to make adoption easier, faster, and possible at scale.”

Omnicom Media Group will be the first agency partner to leverage TelevisaUnivision’s Hispanic household data graph, it was announced at the Spanish-language media company’s “Leading the Change” conference on Thursday. TelevisaUnivision’s propriety data graph will integrate with OMG’s identity solution, Omni ID, via privacy-oriented clean room technology to power its targeting, optimization, and measurement for activation across its brands. “At launch we were clear that TelevisaUnivision’s Hispanic household data graph was built for activation, and this partnership with OMG is a critical milestone underpinning our steadfast commitment to ensuring data is inclusive and representative of diverse audiences,” said Dan Aversano, SVP of Data, Analytics and Advanced Advertising at TelevisaUnivision.

STREAMING

The Allen Media Group digital platform Local Now announced the launch of its Jamie Kennedy Channel, which will include a library of comedian Kennedy’s comedy content. While Local Now offers viewers several comedy channels, the Jamie Kennedy Channel is the first one dedicated to one comedian.

American Public Television announced the formation of APT Podcast Studios, which will begin work to launch original podcasts, and partner with existing ones beginning in 2023. “As platforms and technology continue to diversify, it is important for APT to mine new talent for public media, reach new audiences and help increase the success of current podcasts,” said Cynthia Fenneman, President and CEO of APT. “We aim to establish a voice and an expertise that provides added value for audiences and our content catalog.”

Music video network Vevo has partnered with Plex to launch several streaming channels featuring 24/7 linear programming of premium music videos. “Vevo’s music video expertise and past decade of success has positioned us well to strike linear programming deals with leading streaming platforms. This partnership furthers our mission of ubiquity, helping make music videos available via all the platforms that people choose to consume popular content around the world,” said Rob Christensen, SVP, Global advanced TV, Vevo. “Plex is another big free ad-supported streaming TV partner for us. FAST viewing is really taking off because people want relevant, curated content for a more lean-back experience at home. This viewing experience also affords better audience engagement for our advertising partners.”

VlogBox has struck a partnership with Pzaz TV, a media CTV-based platform, to provide CTV content for Pzaz TV key audience groups. “As the Pzaz TV team is constantly innovating and creating an improved market space, we believe the platform is well-positioned to become a leader in its niche. VlogBox partners with high-quality content creators while Pzaz TV concentrates a great deal of its efforts on audience engagement with new programmes, which helps us build a bespoke CTV viewing experience,” said Tetyana Seredyuk, Ph.D., VlogBox’s Co-founder and CSO.

Shopping channels QVC and HSN have launched on The Roku Channel, offering 40 hours a day of live vCommerce programming across both channels. Included are shows such as QVC’s “In the Kitchen with David,” and HSN’s “Gotta See G by Giuliana Rancic.” When live programming is off-air, the channels will run previously recorded episodes.

In more shoppable news, GSTV, the video network at gas stations, and social media food-based brand So Yummy announced the release of a new integration for shoppable video content. Advertisers on GSTV can now introduce new branded content via food recipe content on social media, and users can add ingredients to virtual shopping lists and carts at retailers like Walmart. The 20-second shoppable utilize Flowcode’s direct-to-consumer QR platform and data capabilities, including real-time analytics, geo-location and attribution across screens.

OnlyFans is launching a shopping feature that enables content creators to sell personalized merchandise like stickers, apparel and water bottles via a partnership with ecommerce platform Spring. Creators on the adult entertainment platform can create a Spring account using an online form, design their merchandise and get a link to their store that they can display on their OnlyFans profile.

MEASUREMENT

iSpot has led an investment round in TVision of $16 million to help TVision secure “continued transformation and modernization of accurate person-level measurement.” TVision provides second-by-second data on how people watch TV.

The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement and egta announced that the European Association of Communications Agencies and the World Federation of Advertisers have joined their International Knowledge Exchange. The Exchange, launched earlier this year by CIMM and egta, provides an opportunity for the international media and advertising industries to share insights about the latest measurement innovations, initiatives and solutions in the US and European markets during twice-yearly programmed events.

Havas Media Group has integrated new attention data from Lumen as part of its new Meaningful Media Planner. Lumen’s eye-tracking panels rank and score over 9,000 domains at a format level for the average attention they are likely to deliver. This data is used in conjunction with vetting of domain safety from SSP partners, DSP data, and Havas’ proprietary domain categorization algorithm to create a comprehensive assessment of media placements on metrics such as viewability, attentive seconds, and view rate in relation to domain, device, media type, and format.

Cynopsis Team