Hewlett Programmatic; WPP Gets A New Chairman

Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.

HP’s Behind The Wheel

HP is on a quest to take control of its programmatic buying and force pricing transparency in its automated dealings, Ad Age reports. HP’s programmatic and media planning business sits with Omnicom, whose Accuen trading desk has come under fire for its lack of transparency. “Hewlett Packard intends to take direct contractual control of their technology partnerships,” the company stated in an RFI, adding that “[f]uture plans include scaling our programmatic deployment across a growing number of marketing programs as well as supporting our ecommerce business geographically.” Also raised in the RFI were concerns about ad fraud and the need to protect data privacy. Read more.

WPP’s New Chairman

WPP named Roberto Quarta as the holding company’s next chairman. Quarta will join WPP’s board on Jan. 1 and officially succeed WPP’s current chairman, Philip Lader, at the annual shareholder meeting in June. WPP chief Sir Martin Sorrel said, “[Quarta’s] experience and background complement and will help develop WPP’s strategy in new markets, in new media, in data investment management and the application of technology and, last but not least, horizontality.” Read on via the WSJ.

YouTube Challenger

The industry’s been waiting with great curiosity for ex-Hulu CEO Jason Kilar to unwrap his Internet-video company, Vessel, and on Wednesday the firm announced deals with a handful of media outlets, including YouTube networks Machinima and Tastemade, the Warner Music Group and select YouTube vloggers. With Vessel, Kilar is betting the company can increase online video ad rates with exclusive premium content accessible through a pay gate. “Early access is valuable,” Kilar told The New York Times. “Consumers very much want and are willing to pay a reasonable amount for early access to content; that allows you to build a great business.” But time will tell if consumers are willing to dish out for sneak peeks.

The Only Media Model?

In an interview with Digiday, media columnist Michael Wolff shares some predictions for digital media in 2015. “There’s going to be a dawning understanding that that’s what digital media is: You’re in the direct-response business,” he said. “The native content business is basically responding to that. How do we get out of this? There’s only one media model that works, and that’s television.” On this point Wolff is bullish, unequivocally adding that “[e]verybody in digital media will be trying to get into the television business.” Read it.

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