Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here.
Harmonization
Chinese tech companies are looking to create their own alternatives to Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS operating systems, which dominate the mobile market. On Wednesday, Huawei launched its own self-developed operating system – HarmonyOS – across a slew of devices, including smartphones. The new offering is part of a move to differentiate its operating system from Android and iOS and break free of some of its restrictions. The Chinese Advertising Association, for example, recently rolled out CAID as a stand-in for the IDFA that was designed to circumvent Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency framework on iOS 14. Still, Huawei’s new operating system will have to deal with the reputational fallout from US sanctions in 2019, which cut Huawei smartphones’ access to Google Android updates. Huawei announced on Wednesday that many of the company’s older phones will be able to upgrade to HarmonyOS. CNBC has more.
In Focus?
Connected TV’s (CTV) cookieless environment has offered a reprieve for marketers. Still, Digiday reports that the air around CTV’s identity landscape is far from crystal clear at the moment. CTV’s ad infrastructure is still in its infancy. No one really knows what type of identifier will be best suited to the market. In place of the third-party cookie, IP addresses identify individual households and connect their associated devices. But similar privacy concerns to the ones that have claimed the third-party cookie are likely to curtail the IP address’s future usage. Meanwhile, alternate identifiers – including The Trade Desk-backed, now open-source Unified ID 2.0; LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution; and OpenAP’s OpenID – have emerged to fill CTV’s identity picture. But at the moment, the view is pretty foggy. Read on.
Ads To The Max
WarnerMedia – soon to be renamed Warner Bros. Discovery – is going through some major changes since being spun out of AT&T last month and merged with Discovery. But the big question for many television consumers is: “What does this mean for HBO?” For now, it’s all business as AT&T had planned. HBO Max introduced a $9.99 per-month ad-supported tier (compared with the $14.99 ad-free option). According to the new HBO Max advertiser portal, current ad offerings include pre-roll videos, pre-roll bumpers and mid-roll bumpers. The company also teases new solutions in the works right now; a branded discovery option to reach people scrolling for a show and ads during pause breaks.
But Wait, There’s More!
Mobile gaming platform Skillz has struck a deal to acquire DSP Aarki for $150 million as it looks to create an esports advertising platform. [Seeking Alpha]
Comscore and Spiketrap have launched a new cookieless targeting solution for gaming audiences. [release]
Etsy is buying social shopping app Depop for $1.6 billion in a bid to woo Gen Z shoppers.[Business Insider]
Amazon’s annual Prime Day will take place June 21 and 22, returning to its normal summertime slot after the company postponed the event last year due to COVID-19. [CNBC]
Pride in authenticity: Increasing visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. [CampaignUS]
GroundTruth has introduced geo-contextual and audience targeting for OTT/CTV. [Martech Series]
Neustar and ActionIQ have teamed up to advance three critical capabilities: identity resolution, data enrichment, and omnichannel activation. [release]
Content recommendation engine RevContent has sold its assets to Star Mountain Capital, a specialized asset management firm focusing exclusively on the lower middle-market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. [MediaPost]
You’re Hired
DoubleVerify has tapped Mimi Wotring to lead publisher sales and client services. [release]
VMLY&R has appointed Sean Rooney to the newly created role of chief science officer. [Adweek]
Johannes Leonardo has hired Julia Neumann as chief creative officer. [Ad Age]
Vivaldi Group has appointed Chris Halsall as senior partner. [release]
