Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
AOL Divided
AOL’s business has long been divided between its premium content and ad tech divisions. Ad Age reports the latter may be winning out amid a management shakeup. The org changes are meant to seize on AOL’s “biggest growth opportunities,” a spokesman told Ad Age in an email. An unnamed source chimes in, “[AOL is] doubling down on programmatic and video so it does raise the question, if you’re not in those two areas at AOL, what are you doing?” Read it.
YouTube As Negotiating Chip
Google may be wielding its super-desirable YouTube inventory as a cudgel to drive adoption of its ad tech products, according to Digiday’s John McDermott. Citing unnamed sources, McDermott reports, “Google wanted Mondelēz to use DoubleClick Bid Manager, Google’s demand-side buying platform, instead of competitor TubeMogul, to execute the YouTube transactions as part of the deal, and it was using YouTube’s TrueView pricing system as leverage.” The negotiation eventually led to a deal where the snack giant’s YouTube spend would be split between platforms.
Scout Master
Scout Media promoted Ramsey McGrory to president of sales and publishing for the company, a media network focused on men’s sporting. McGrory is the former CEO of AddThis, prior to which he led Right Media. “Like many premium publishers, programmatic is new for Scout, but I think it goes well beyond the simple non-guaranteed inventory strategy or reach extension,” McGrory told AdExchanger when he was hired just five months ago. “I believe programmatic means the fusion of technology and data to deliver great ad, content and commerce experiences for consumers.”
Timberland Reboots
Timberland is using data science to reinvent its product design and marketing globally, The Washington Post reports. “The company says that the cornerstone of the comeback has been a two-year customer study in which it collected data from 18,000 people across eight countries,” according to the Post. “Timberland was able to diagnose its problems and to zero in on its ideal customer — an urban dweller with a casual interest in the outdoors.” More.
Platinum Data
Havas is teaming up with Universal Music Group for consumer data mining. The so-called Global Music Data Alliance aims to find correlations between musicians, listeners and brands, and to apply those insights to advertising.The move mirrors Warner Music Group’s partnership with interactive media company Interlude, announced in December. “Arguably, this is an indication of a positive trend towards more ‘scientific’ management of music activities,” Bernstein Research analyst Claudio Aspesi tells the Financial Times.
You’re Hired
- Former Cadreon Exec Lambertus Joins Mobile Video SSP Vdopia – MediaPost
- TBWA Adds Agency Vet Rob Schwartz As CEO Of New York Office – Adweek
But Wait! There’s More!
- Hearst Repackages Content To Deliver Premium Audiences At Scale – The Drum
- For Ad-Tech Biz, NY Is the Place To Be – Crain’s via Ad Age
- Facebook Execs Discuss CES, Trends In Tech And Ads – Inside Facebook
- The Emerging Science Of Human-Data Interaction – MIT Technology Review
- Advertisers To Get A Glimpse Of Apple Watch Promise, Challenge – Reuters
- Tube Centrex Aims To Build Video Apps For YouTube Stars, Luxury Brands, And Others – TechCrunch
- 2015 Programmatic Predictions – MediaPost
- Firing Marissa Mayer Fom Yahoo Would Be A Huge Mistake – Jason Calacanis via LinkedIn
