Mark Read Assumes CEO Mantle At WPP; Amazon Tests Attribution Pixel

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

Read Up

It’s official. After a five-month quest to fill Martin Sorrell’s shoes, WPP Group has named Mark Read as permanent CEO. “He has an intimate understanding of the business, he enjoys very strong internal support, and he has earned the respect and endorsement of our clients with his constant focus on their needs,” the company said. “He has played a central role in many of WPP’s most successful investments and initiatives, and he has deep experience at board and operational level.” Press release. For more, read this analysis from AdExchanger’s Alison Weissbrot. The short version: Read brings knowledge of the consulting business as well as a deep familiarity with WPP’s existing assets. But he also may prove to be a change agent. “If we look back at WPP in five years, we’ll find a different organization,” Read said in a June interview. “It will be simpler to navigate, more data-driven and more technologically competent. Sometimes we need to leave our agency brands at the door and think about the client and less about ourselves.”

Walled Jungle

Amazon is testing an attribution pixel to prove the effectiveness of advertising on and off its site. Advertisers can choose to measure campaigns by page views, purchase rates and sales, Digiday reports. Measurement pixels have been an important tool for Google and Facebook and a crucial part of Snapchat’s programmatic turnaround, so it’s no surprise to see an Amazon version. Google still has an advantage because Google Analytics and its attribution products have such high adoption and are often used now to measure Amazon campaigns. “Owning your own attribution lets you grade your own homework,” says Ben Tregoe, Nanigans’ SVP of revenue. “The reason each platform is intent on having their own attribution system is that they know the other platforms cannot be trusted to properly credit ads outside their own platform.” More.

Digital Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts is investing $100 million with 50 franchise locations to test new store designs geared for mobile and on-the-go orders. It’s an unheard-of move for Dunkin’ Donuts, considering it has no company-owned stores and leaves management costs to franchisees. But the changes may be necessary to keep up with McDonald’s and Starbucks. “The definition of what makes a new investment in a facility profitable and acceptable to a guest is changing,” retail consultant and Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner Mark Godward tells The Wall Street Journal. “The brands that do not exploit their online, mobile and off-premises opportunities appropriately will be at a significant competitive disadvantage. This trend is irreversible.” More.

Leaky Bubble

The makeup and beauty industry is perhaps the most aggressive category with social influencer marketing. There are eye-popping endorsement deals and many social-only content creators now have successful lines of their own. But is this the end of a boom time or just the beginning? “If the influencer bubble hasn’t yet popped, the air is surely leaking out of it slowly,” Vox reports. While there’s good evidence that positive reviews by social influencers drive sales, the beauty influencer landscape is saturated and rife with seedy practices. The FTC released guidance on social influencer disclosures, but they’re easy to ignore for those who aren’t major celebrities, and undisclosed campaigns are more effective (and thus more lucrative). More.

But Wait, There’s More!