1.With its recent expansion into the world of 3D advertising, Roblox is turning itself into a portal to branded experiences. The gaming platform has already begun testing ads that appear as 3D portals, inviting users to step inside and explore virtual environments created by brands like Coca-Cola and Chipotle.
And while some might see this as a cynical attempt to cash in on the popularity of augmented reality, it could actually be a clever way to get users interacting with brands in a more immersive way.
Of course, only time will tell if this ploy pays off for Roblox. But in the meantime, we can all enjoy the spectacle of watching brands try to one-up each other in the virtual world. Who knows, maybe we'll even see a return of those pesky Roblox ads
that used to pop up every time you logged in. In any case, it'll be interesting to see how this all unfolds.
2. Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), the retail media business of The Kroger Co., now includes video and CTV inventory after the expansion of its private programmatic marketplace. The move signals not only Kroger's interest in capturing a bigger piece of the addressable TV and video pie, but also its belief that
more marketers will look to use first-party data for these types of buys. It also comes as more retailers build out their own in-house advertising capabilities to compete with Amazon. For instance, Walmart is reportedly working on a new video streaming service that would feature original content and ads targeted to individual customers based on their purchase history. As for Kroger, the grocer has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to using data for marketing purposes. The company has
been collecting shopper data through its loyalty program for years and has used it to inform everything from in-store signage to customized coupons. Now, with the expansion of KPM, Kroger is able to extend that reach to video and CTV advertising. And given the retailer's immense reach — it's the second largest grocery chain in the U.S., with 2,800 stores — it's likely that other marketers will take notice.
3. Pinterest today (Sept. 12)
launched its latest campaign, “Don’t Don’t Yourself." The push markets the social media platform as accepting and ambition-driven, free of self-censorship and negativity. In a series of videos, people are shown self-censoring themselves in real life situations before being encouraged to "don't don't" themselves. The effort is aimed at driving growth among users 25-40 years old, who are more likely to be in the workforce and have children but may not feel like Pinterest is for them.
Pinterest hopes the campaign will show these users that the platform can be used for more than just crafting and wedding planning. The videos feature relatable situations like a woman self-censoring herself from saying she's good at her job or a mother self-censoring herself from asking for help. In each case, the person is encouraged to "don't don't" themselves and be their true selves on Pinterest. The campaign includes broadcast, digital and social elements, and will run through the end of
the year.
4. YouTube has announced some new features coming to Creator Studio that will provide more data on what your audience is interested in. The new analytics options will show you how your viewers are interacting with different topics across the app, based on their search and engagement activity. This is great news for content creators, as it will help us to better understand our
audience and produce videos that they actually want to watch. In addition, the new features will also allow us to see which topics are trending on YouTube, so we can produce videos on those topics before they get too popular and oversaturated. All in all, these new analytics options are a great way for YouTube to help content creators better understand their audience and produce more engaging videos.
5. Comscore has inked a local TV deal
with Fox Television stations. This is a really big deal because it means that Fox now has access to Comscore's significantly larger data sets which will help improve local linear TV advertising. This is a great move by Comscore as they continue to dominate the measurement space. It will be interesting to see how this affects the local TV landscape.
6. Amazon's proposed $1.7 billion acquisition of iRobot Corporation -- parent company
of automatic vacuum cleaner Roomba -- is a threat to privacy as well as competition, advocates say in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). “There is no more private space than the home. Yet with this acquisition, Amazon stands to gain access to extremely intimate facts about our most private spaces that we would never willingly share with the world’s largest retailer,” the letter says. The letter was signed by eight consumer and privacy groups, including the ACLU and
Electronic Frontier Foundation. It argues that the acquisition would give Amazon an unfair competitive advantage and poses a serious threat to consumer privacy. Amazon has not commented on the letter.
7.BNetflix has partnered with French video game company Ubisoft to create three new mobile games that will be exclusive to Netflix subscribers. The new games will be based on the popular Valiant Hearts, Mighty Quest and Assassin's Creed
universes. This is a major coup for Netflix, as Ubisoft is one of the leading developers of AAA video games. The partnership will allow Netflix to tap into Ubisoft's large fan base and create new experiences for subscribers. It also highlights the growing trend of convergence between the gaming and streaming industries. With more and more people consuming entertainment content on their mobile devices, it makes sense for companies like Netflix and Ubisoft to team up and create new ways for people
to enjoy their favorite franchises.
8. John Oliver took a critical look at the Law & Order franchise on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight. Oliver argued creator Dick Wolf “wants people to like” the “good guy cops” and so has created a fictional universe that “instead of depicting a flawed system riddled with structural racism, the show presents exceptionally competent cops working within a largely just system.” Oliver said this is
despite the fact that, in reality, “study after study has shown that police are more likely to stop and frisk black and brown people even though white people are just as likely to be carrying drugs.” Oliver noted that while Law & Order has been on the air for 30 years, it has never once featured a police shooting of an unarmed black man, which he called “a staggering oversight for a show that purports to represent reality.” Despite this criticism, Oliver concluded by saying that he still
loves the franchise and will continue to watch it.
9. Facebook's new Pseudonymised Data Identifiers (PFBIDs) are a mouthful, but the concept is simple enough. Basically, every time you post something on Facebook, the site will create a unique URL for that post using a combination of your FBID and a timestamp. This will help to prevent unauthorized scraping of sensitive data like email addresses and mobile phone numbers. So, if you're
concerned about your privacy on Facebook, the new PFBIDs should give you some peace of mind. But if you're not, well, at least you can impress your friends with your knowledge of Facebook's inner workings.
10. OOH ad spending is getting back to where it once belonged. Prior to the pandemic, OOH was steadily growing, which was impressive for a medium still primarily rooted in traditional ad buying. In 2019, OOH ad spend grew 7.5% to
reach $8.65 billion. But it has not hit that level of spending since. The pandemic caused a dip in spending, as advertisers pull budgets and put a halt on many campaigns. But now that vaccination rates are rising and life is slowly returning to normal, OOH is poised for a comeback. In the first quarter of 2021, OOH ad spending increased 5.8% compared to the same period last year. And experts predict that OOH will continue to grow in the coming months, as pent-up demand for travel and events
leads to more outdoor activity and more opportunities for brands to reach consumers with OOH advertising. So if you're looking to get back into the swing of things with your marketing campaigns, don't forget about OOH! It's an essential part of any well-rounded marketing mix.
11.As anyone who's been on the internet for more than five minutes knows, there's no such thing as a free lunch. But up until now, there have been plenty of free apps.
That might be about to change, however, as Meta is considering launching a subscription service for its apps.
Of course, whether or not this will actually happen is still up in the air. Meta has been hinting at it for awhile now, but has yet to take the plunge. And it's easy to see why they might be hesitant. After all, why would people pay for something that they can get for free?
There are a few possible reasons, however. First of all, subscription services tend to be more
reliable than free apps. They're also usually better supported, with more frequent updates and bug fixes. And finally, let's be honest: people are generally willing to pay for things that they consider to be valuable.
So will Meta's subscription service be a success? Only time will tell. But it's certainly an interesting development worth keeping an eye on.