Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
When Malware Strikes
Malware was delivered to consumers via a display ad in several European countries, according to multiple reports. NBC aggregates the news and says that, according to one source, “9 percent of visitors to the malicious site through a Yahoo! ad were infected by the malware, which is about 27,000 infections per hour. The first sign of infection dates back to Dec. 30.” Romania, Great Britain and France were apparently most affected. Read more.
Pandora launched its first in-car ads, according to Adweek, and has signed deals with BP, Ford, State Farm and Taco Bell. Pandora has been aggressive about getting its streaming radio service into cars and is now available in nine of the top 10 selling cars. “We are now seizing the opportunity to connect advertisers with a more targeted audience than traditional radio can provide,” said Pandora’s chief marketing officer, Simon Fleming-Wood. Read more.
When Facebook Went ‘Nonsocial’
Buried in a Sunday WSJ story on Mark Zuckerberg’s evolution as a media executive is a description of his eventual embrace of “nonsocial ads” such as retargeting placements and CRM matching. “At the time, it kind of struck me as a crazy idea,” Zuckerberg said, because it seemed to depart from his early vision of enabling word-of-mouth marketing at scale. The rest is history. More.
Pin Detection
Pinterest has picked up visual search and image-recognition startup VisualGraph in a move that further points to future moves in ad monetization, Josh Constine of TechCrunch reports. As AdExchanger reported in November, Pinterest’s partnership with Getty Images (which acquired an image-recognition platform of its own in 2011) gave it access to more verifiable product data. With the number of brands active on its platform, Pinterest looks to be building an imagecentric engine of intent-fueled recommendations. Read more.
CNN Shakeup
CNN President Jeff Zucker and his platform-agnostic view may usher CNN into the digital age, a feature in Ad Age points out. One change Zucker intends to make in 2014 is to tailor videos for the Web and mobile instead of repurposing TV airings. Advertisers still need convincing, though, as some have pulled their ads from the network, citing better CPM rates from Fox and MSNBC. “We never want to give up on breaking news. But the types of programs we do offer will be broader — informational, educational, entertaining. You will see more of that next year, allowing us to broaden the audience and field to advertisers,” Zucker said. Read more.
You’re Hired!
- With Addition of New Executive Leaders and Merger of London Operations, Critical Mass is Poised for More Global Growth – press release
- ESPN’s Lisa Valentino Named Chief Revenue Officer of Condé Nast Entertainment – MediaBistro
But Wait, There’s More!
- CBS Tests Twitter Rules By Placing Film Critic’s Tweet In An Ad – ReadWrite
- Facebook Uses Gauges To Help Advertisers With Targeting – Inside Facebook
- Ex-CEO of Demand Media Joins Raine Group (subscription) – The Wall Street Journal
- Verint to Acquire KANA Software, Transforming the Way Organizations Engage With Their Customers – press release
- YuMe and Gracenote To Advance Synchronized Second Screen Advertising – press release
