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Stating The Obvious
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey publicly acknowledged for the first time that the platform did play a role in the riot at the US Capitol on Jan. 6 that left five people dead. The admission came during last week’s Senate Judiciary hearing during which lawmakers grilled Dorsey, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai on everything from insurrection and disinformation to anticompetitive practices. When asked whether social media platforms bear at least some responsibility for the misinformation that contributed to the events on Jan. 6, Dorsey said: “Yes” … but he spread the blame around a bit, too, The New York Times reports. “You also have to take into consideration the broader ecosystem,” Dorsey added. “It’s not just about the technology platforms we use.” Zuckerberg and Pichai did not answer the question directly. Dorsey was later called out by Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York for tweeting a sarcastic poll during the hearing that appeared to mock the simple “yes or no” answers lawmakers demanded, according to Business Insider. Meanwhile, the big tech trio indicated support for updating Section 230, which is the part of the Communications Decency Act that gives the platforms legal immunity for content posted to their sites. One commendation called for by big tech are new rules that would require greater transparency into content moderation policies. Digiday has more on that.
Where It’s At
The podcast space is booming with M&A activity and marketers are starting to pay attention. A new report from Advertiser Perceptions finds that advertisers are increasingly investing in podcasts, according to CampaignUS. Listenership has been growing throughout the pandemic. Of the 205 advertisers surveyed last October, 56% agree the pandemic has made podcast advertising more important, and 63% say they listen to podcasts themselves at least once a week. Meanwhile, 68% value the medium’s level of brand safety as compared with online advertising. Still, metrics are an area of concern. Podcast advertising doesn’t yet deliver robust campaign measurement and reporting. Sixty percent of respondents say they want better third-party verification and two-thirds are dissatisfied with existing measurement … and it’s not likely to improve anytime soon. Podcasts aren’t immune to the phasing out of third-party cookies on the web and tracking changes happening on iOS14.
Planning Stages
With Apple’s IDFA restrictions on the horizon in the coming weeks, ad tech companies and developers are preparing for major disruptions to the $400 billion digital advertising industry. The Wall Street Journal reports that gaming companies, ad tech providers and Facebook are all weighing a variety of responses, including updated payment models, new advertising techniques and notifications for users. Over in China, meanwhile, developers are testing a potential workaround that would continue tracking users in circumvention of Apple’s iOS 14 privacy framework. Some might call it a solution, others – like Apple – would call it an unwelcome workaround – but regardless of what you call it, it’s evidence companies are taking the advent of ATT seriously. “Most people are resigned to the reality of this,” said Eric Seufert, a strategist and consultant who has held several workshops on the matter for developers and ad tech firms. Read on. [Related in AdExchanger: Welcome To Eric Seufert’s Brain, Where It’s All Mobile All The Time]
But Wait, There’s More!
The demand for digital ad services is fueling the growth of S4 Capital, the three-year-old next-gen holding company founded by Sir Martin Sorrell. [WSJ]
How brands should think about the representation of Black women in creative. [Ad Age]
The first half of March Madness is down 18% from 2019. [MediaPost]
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Daily Roundup
Universal Electronics is teaming up with Instreamatic to deliver voice-enabled interactive advertising to smart TV manufacturers and video service providers. [release]
Arity, an analytics company founded by Allstate, claims to have the largest database of driving behavior for targeted marketing. [release]
You’re Hired
Ikea has nabbed agency veteran Linus Karlsson for the newly created role of chief creative officer for product and marketing. [CampaignUS]
