1. In-game advertising is one of the most effective forms of advertising, according to new research from Lumen Research and Anzu.io. The study found that in-game ads produced extremely high levels of attention, with players viewing in-game ads for 2.9-seconds vs. Lumen's 1.5-second benchmark. This is a significant finding, as it shows that in-game ads are not only more effective than traditional forms of
advertising, but also have the potential to reach a wider audience. In addition to the high levels of attention, the study also found that in-game ads led to a significantly higher level of brand recall and awareness. This is likely due to the fact that in-game ads are more immersive and interactive than other forms of advertising, making them more memorable for players. Overall, the findings from this study show that in-game advertising is an incredibly effective way to reach gamers and promote
brands.
2. Contextual targeting has long been an essential piece of the digital advertising ecosystem, driving performance for advertisers and creating better experiences for consumers. GumGum, the contextual-first global digital advertising platform, has now broken the $1 billion ad spend milestone, which goes to show that contextual is in the front runnings to be the ultimate universal targeting method for a cookieless age.
This is a huge feat for the company and a big win for the contextual targeting community as a whole. We sat down with Scott Swanson, GumGum's SVP of Global Revenue Operations, to learn more about this achievement and what it means for the future of contextual advertising. Here's what he had to say: "To achieve this milestone is a testament to the power of contextual advertising. It's always been an effective way to reach target audiences, but as cookies crumble and methods like GDPR come into
play, it's becoming even more essential. We're thrilled to have reached this milestone and look forward to continued success in the years to come." Congratulations, GumGum! We can't wait to see what you do next.T
3. You know what they say: the hotter the take, the cooler the person posting it. But before you go and post that super-duper scalding hot take on social media, ask yourself: is it thoughtful? Is it just attention-seeking?
Does it add anything of value to the conversation? If you can answer yes to all three questions, then by all means, post away! But if your hot take is more on the vapid side, you might want to reconsider. After all, why waste your time and energy on something that's not going to make a positive impact?
That's not to say that all hot takes have to be serious and thought-provoking. If you can make people laugh with your take, even better! But at the end of the day, a truly
successful hot take is one that gets people talking. So as long as your hot take is able to do that, you're golden. (SparkToro)
4. It's no secret that influencer marketing is on the rise. In fact, the influencer market is set to grow to $15 billion by the end of 2022. This rapid growth is due in part to the fact that influencer partnership marketing is rapidly becoming one of the most effective means of achieving brand goals and driving
revenue. As a result, we're seeing great investment from affiliate marketing agencies in their influencer arms. These agencies are realize that influencers have a powerful impact on potential customers, and they're working hard to develop relationships with them. We can expect to see even more growth in the influencer market in the years to come. (performancein)
5. Google is on a roll! They've just announced three major improvements to their single, reusable tag that will make it easier to set up, manage, and measure. The first improvement is a tag coverage summary, which will help you see whether Google tag has been correctly
implemented and which pages aren't tagged. The second improvement is analytics and ads integration, which will make setting up conversion management easier and quicker. And last but not least, CMS integration will allow you to implement Google tag in your content management system without making changes to web code. This is all very exciting news for anyone who relies on Google tools for their business. So go forth and conquer, my friends! Google is making it easier than ever
before.
6. AliExpress, a global retail online marketplace and part of Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA), is expanding its market share across the globe with the help of Similarweb (NYSE: SMWB), a leading digital intelligence company. Similarweb's platform enables AliExpress to discover new referral traffic sources, evaluate their performance and scale affiliate partnerships on a country-by-country basis. In addition, Similarweb provides
AliExpress with insights into the behavior of global e-commerce shoppers, allowing the company to tailor its offering to meet the needs of its customers. With Similarweb's help, AliExpress is well positioned to continue its expansion into new markets and solidify its position as a leading player in the global e-commerce landscape.
7. According to a recent study, 90% of consumers consider online advertising helpful in finding products and
promotions. That's a pretty staggering statistic, considering that just a few years ago, online advertising was considered little more than a nuisance. So what's changed? Well, for one thing, businesses have gotten a lot better at targeting their ads. Thanks to advances in data collection and analysis, businesses can now identify potential customers with much greater accuracy. As a result, ads are now more likely to be relevant to the user, making them more likely to be clicked on and
acted upon. In addition, the proliferation of mobile devices has made it possible for people to view ads even when they're on the go. With so many people now carrying around smartphones and tablets, businesses have a very captive audience for their messages. All of these factors have combined to make online advertising more effective than ever before.
8. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said this week he has decided to go through with a $44 billion
purchase of Twitter after all, despite his recent attempt to back out of the deal over concerns about fake accounts. "I just realized that Twitter is something I need," Musk said in a statement. "It's like oxygen." Musk had previously said he was concerned about the platform's "bot problem," but he appears to have been convinced that the benefits of owning Twitter outweigh the cost of cleaning up fake accounts. "I'm confident that we can solve the bot issue," Musk said. "And if we
can't, then I'm sure somebody else will." The purchase is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
9. Vizio Ads, the smart TV advertising-sales platform, has announced that it has finished making upfront TV advertising "commitments" totaling $200 million. This is for inventory to be placed for the TV season starting October 1, 2022 and running through September 30, 2023. Vizio says that this is a record amount for the company
and reflects an increase of more than 50% over last year's upfront commitments. "This underscores the continued momentum of our platform and the confidence that marketers have in our ability to deliver results," said Vizio president Kristin Palmer in a statement. "We're looking forward to another successful TV season." Vizio's ad platform uses data from millions of opt-in viewers to target ads to specific demographics. The company says that its technology ensures that ads are only shown to
viewers who are interested in the product or service being advertised. Vizio also offers advertisers the option to target ads based on viewer behavior, such as whether they have recently purchased a product or searched for information about it online. With its record-breaking upfront commitments, Vizio is clearly positioned as a major player in the smart TV advertising space. And with its targeted ad platform, it is poised to deliver results for marketers looking to reach a specific
audience.
10. Casey Bloys has been promoted from chief content officer to chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max, reporting directly to WBD CEO David Zaslav. Bloys will be responsible for all aspects of HBO and HBO Max's programming, including original series, movies, sports, documentaries, and specials. He will also continue to oversee the development and production of Warner Bros.'s direct-to-consumer offerings. This is a big
promotion for Bloys, who has been with Warner Bros. since 2016. He has shepherded some of the company's most successful shows, including "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld." With his new title, Bloys will have an even bigger role in shaping the future of Warner Bros.'s TV business.
11.Burger King is in an interesting predicament. The brand has been struggling to keep up with its fast food competitors, and its most recent attempt at rebranding
itself - the "Whopper Detour" campaign - was met with mixed reviews. Now, Burger King is launching a new brand positioning and campaign that recenters the brand around its classic "Have it Your Way" messaging. This is a smart move on Burger King's part, as the "Have it Your Way" slogan is one of the things that sets the brand apart from its competitors. However, it remains to be seen whether this new campaign will be able to connect with consumers on an emotional level. Only time will
tell if Burger King's new campaign will be successful.
12. Performance marketers have traditionally been reluctant to explore the world of out-of-home advertising. And with good reason: by and large, the industry was slow to adapt to the digital landscape. A global pandemic that forced most of the world inside didn't help much, either. After all, who wants to buy a billboard that nobody is going to see?
But things
are changing. The out-of-home industry is starting to catch up with the times, and performance marketers are starting to take notice. With advances in technology, out-of-home advertising is becoming more targeted, more measurable, and more effective. And as more people emerge from their homes after months of lockdown, they're bound to notice all those billboards that performance marketers have been buying up. So don't be surprised if you start seeing more performance marketers diving into the
world of out-of-home advertising in the near future. (adweek)
13. A new study has found that consumers are ready for web3, but don't think brands are good at it. The study, conducted by the research firm Forrester, found that only 22% of consumers
believe that brands are good at web3. This is despite the fact that 83% of consumers say they are interested in using web3 technologies such as blockchain and virtual reality. So what's holding brands back? According to the study, it's a lack of trust. Only 19% of consumers trust brands to use web3 technologies in a way that is safe and secure. This is a major concern for brands, as trust is essential for building relationships with customers. However, the study also found that consumers are
willing to give brands a second chance if they fail to meet their expectations. This suggests that there is room for brands to improve their web3 offerings, if they are willing to invest the time and resources necessary to build trust with consumers.
14. DoubleVerify this morning unveiled the DV Attention Lab, a new attention-based measurement service its positioning as an alternative to third-party cookie-based targeting. The
service, which uses in-depth attention data to measure ad exposure and engagement, has Mondelez International as its charter client. "The launch of DV Attention Lab comes at a time when the industry is looking for solutions to the challenges posed by the loss of third-party cookies," said DoubleVerify CEO Wayne Gattinella in a statement. "DV Attention Lab provides a people-based solution that is privacy-safe, accurate and actionable." The service will use data from DoubleVerify's AdSafe Media
monitoring platform, which employs a combination of proprietary technology and human review to detect and prevent ad fraud. In addition, it will leverage data from Sovendus, a provider of online promotional offers. The result, DoubleVerify claims, is "the most comprehensive view of ad exposure and engagement available in the market."