AT&T-Time Warner Merger Motivations Explored; Facebook Sets Its Sights On TV Budgets

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Addressing The Merger

Is the pending AT&T-Time Warner merger an addressable TV play? The companies’ CEOs told investors the combined entity will leverage troves of consumer data for marketers, The New York Times reports. According to Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan, more data in the addressable ecosystem will drive down prices while offering better frequency capping, retargeting and measurement. “I don’t think it’s going to be a magic silver bullet, but I do think a combination like this is going to accelerate better, more data-driven TV ads,” he said.

TV, Watch Out

Shocker: Facebook has its eye on television budgets. It claims that campaigns on its platform touch an additional 5% of people who aren’t reachable on TV. A Facebook-commissioned Nielsen study analyzed the reach of 25 campaigns on Facebook and TV over 2014 and 2015 and found that one in six people – mostly millennials – were only exposed on Facebook. But Facebook isn’t trying to steal media budgets from broadcast, or so it would claim. Rather, it’s looking to prove that digital is key to a healthy media mix. More at The Drum.

Can’t Take Flight

Twitter will shutter looping video app Vine just four years after buying it for $30 million, Adweek reports. Brands have been moving away from the platform since late 2015, as its nonexistent advertising model made other social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat more attractive and effective. Vine’s desktop website will live on so users can download videos they’ve made in the past. Safe to say, it’s been a rough day (or month, or year) for Twitter. More.

Programmatic Presents

Brands spend the most during the fourth quarter. AppNexus’ data scientists shared tips for advertisers seeking to connect with holiday shoppers. Buyers should bid aggressively on inventory they know performs well, since it’s in short supply. But they should ramp down spend between Dec. 22 and 31, when CPMs remain high but conversion rates taper off. Meanwhile, buyers who don’t care about reaching holiday audiences should concentrate spend in early November, when CPMs start to rise. Or they can buy in early January, when CPMs (but also conversions) plummet. More tips.

But Wait, There’s More!