Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Mission Possible
WPP’s Possible has acqui-hired Marketplace Ignition, a consulting firm that helps clients like Hallmark Cards develop ecommerce strategies specifically for Amazon. As Amazon becomes an increasingly dominating force in advertising, CPG marketers want to capitalize on the platform rather than fight its growth. “In the last 18 months, consumer packaged-goods companies have become less fearful of channel conflict and begun to get more aggressive at selling directly through Amazon,” said Possible CEO Shane Atchison. With Marketplace Ignition, Possible will gain 35 employees with direct expertise in all things Amazon, from developing the packaging and advertising brands place on the site to search optimization. More at WSJ.
Network Effects
Top TV ad sales offices are filling up as the upfront season looms. Comcast promoted Marcien Jenckes to president of advertising last week, and Fox News this week poached former NBC ad exec Marianne Gambelli to be president of ad sales, Variety reports. Some broadcasters waited to place leaders atop their advertising divisions over concerns that a chief ad sales executive may not even be necessary anymore. But with buyers pushing for point people who can confirm deals, that wait-and-see period appears to have run its course.
Purchase Pintent
Pinterest added a feature that identifies real-world objects via smartphone camera, making it easier – theoretically, at least – to surface items that better match a person’s intent. For marketers, who like Pinterest for its unique position in the shopper journey, the feature brings them closer to the bottom of the funnel without interrupting user experience. It’s not hard to see the downstream paid media opportunities in the form of “related products.” As Matthew Lynley writes for TechCrunch, Pinterest “helps its partners track … users throughout the buying cycle, eventually trying to point them to an end-product they may want to purchase.” More.
Creative Destruction
A panel last week meant to feature three brand creative chiefs had a wrench tossed in the gears when two CCOs (Tom Nowak of Best Buy and Michael Fanuele of General Mills) stepped down from their positions. “As brands struggle for a balance between science and creativity – and manage costs accordingly – brand innovation jobs are in an uncertain place,” writes Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. Nowak says “The modern CMO has to be so focused on technology, data and analytics so most CMOs — with all the things they need to know now from a tech standpoint – have even less time than they used to have [to devote to creative and design].” More.
But Wait, There’s More!
- Integral Ad Science Widens Global Brand Safety Solution – release
- Canada Sees AI, Tech Talent Surge Due To US Immigration Hazards – NYT
- Unacast’s Proximity.Directory Q1 2017 Report – release
- The Local News Business Model – Stratechery
- Sharethrough Partners With BrightRoll For Programmatic Native – release
- Worldwide Social Video Ad Spend Levels Off (For Now) – eMarketer
- Vice Teams Up With Kantar To Prove Branded Content Works – Digiday
- Euclid Analytics And AgilOne Offline-Online Retail Data Partnership – release
- Retail Giants Are Losing Search Clicks To Ecom Upstarts – MediaPost
- Radius Opens New Omnichannel B2B Marketing Integrations – release
- Rubicon Project Signs British Telecommunications – Campaign Live
You’re Hired!
- Trusted Media Brands Announces Digital Team Expansion – release
- JEGI Welcomes Kathleen Thomas As Managing Director – release
- SimilarWeb Appoints Stephen Kraus As Chief Of Insights – release
- Lucktastic Appoints Jeremy Strauser As VP Of Product – release
- Nativo Names Rich Rosenzweig VP Of Programmatic – release
- Oscar Rondon Joins Videa As VP Of Product – release
