1.In a recent article entitled “Netflix and Other Streaming Platforms Are Embracing Ads—but Will the Advertisers Love Them,” Wall Street Journal reporter Suzanne Vranica took a critical look at the streaming advertising landscape. NBCUniversal President and Chief Business Officer Krishan Bhatia didn’t take too kindly to the piece, and penned a lengthy response
criticizing the WSJ’s coverage. (READ WHAT HE SAID)
2. Remember the last time you ordered food to
be delivered to your doorstep? Chances are good that it was through DoorDash, the food delivery platform that has been absolutely dominating the conversation—and the market share—in recent months. So who is responsible for this meteoric rise to prominence? That would be Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, DoorDash’s first chief marketing officer. Let’s take a closer look at his story. (READ BIO ON ADOTAT)
3. Netflix has long been the go-to streaming service for those who want to watch TV shows and movies without commercials. However,
the company announced earlier this year that it would be introducing a new ad-supported tier in an effort to bring in more revenue. While some advertisers were initially on board with the new plan, many are now jumping ship and instead choosing to buy ads on Netflix’s competitors, like Amazon and Disney. So, what’s behind this mass defection? READ THE STORY HERE
4. German sportswear company Adidas has ended its partnership with American rapper Kanye West (AKA Yeezus, AKA Ye) following a
string of hateful anti-Jewish remarks made by the rapper. The move is set to have a negative impact on Adidas’ net income of up to $246 million in 2022, due to the high seasonality of the fourth quarter. However, many are wondering whether or not this is the right move for Adidas, and if the company will be able to repair its image after partnering with such a controversial figure. READ FULL STORY ON ADIDAS
5.While Stephenson’s
vision of the Metaverse is still some way off, we are starting to see the development of “partial” or “closed” metaverses operated by companies such as Facebook (with Oculus), Microsoft (with Minecraft) and Amazon (with Twitch). Why are we building Partial Metaverses?
6. In a survey of U.S. adults conducted Monday, a majority of consumers believe that the ad industry should be held liable for its role in helping fossil fuel companies greenwash their reputations and/or obstruct climate action. At a time when the ad industry is coming under fire from regulators, advocacy groups and grassroots organizations for helping fossil fuel companies greenwash their reputations and/or obstruct climate action, a majority of consumers
believe it should be held liable for that role. That's the finding of a survey of U.S. adults conducted Monday by Pollfish for MediaPost.
7. In a historic move, Warner Bros. has announced that filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran will lead DC’s film, TV and animation efforts as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios — a newly formed division at Warner Bros. that will replace DC Films. The unprecedented move, in which
a top director will assume a top executive post, marks the end of a months-long search by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to replace Walter Hamada, who departed the studio last week.
8. New Jersey-based NFL Films is known for its award-winning documentaries and motion pictures about the National Football League. Now, they’re setting their sights on Hollywood. Under the leadership of CEO Steve Ketover, NFL Films is looking to partner
with Hollywood studios to produce feature films and TV shows based on the stories of the NFL, its players, and its fans according to Insider.com The idea is simple—to use the stories of current and past players as a way to bring viewers into a world they already know well through their love of football. “These are classic stories that can be told in different ways,” Ketover told Insider.com. “We want to make sure we tell them right." (FULL STORY)
9.Brad Gerstner, the founder and President of Altimeter Capital, is calling for major changes at Meta. In a letter published today, he argued that the company has “drifted into the land of excess.” He pointed out that Meta's stock price has dropped by 55% over the past 18 months, noting that this decline in share price mirrors a loss of confidence in
the company rather than just a bad mood on Wall Street. (READ FULL STORY)
10. Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) today announced the appointment of Kathleen Saxton as Chief Marketing Officer, effective January 1. In this new position,
Saxton will be responsible for marketing Omnicom’s award-winning capabilities and its omni-channel solutions for global enterprise clients, building on the Company’s success in this area. (READ FULL STORY)
11. Amazon Studios
is losing another one of its head honchos. Marc Resteghini, the head of series development and an eight-year veteran at Amazon Studios, is leaving the company. Sources tell THR's Lesley Goldberg that head of TV Vernon Sanders is restructuring his ranks. Resteghini has played a major role in the company’s originals, having developed and overseen production on such series as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jack Ryan, Patriot, The Terminal List and Underground
Railroad among others.
12. Apple is forcing all app developers to use Apple's in-app purchases feature for social media boosts and promoted posts. This means that if you want to boost your post, you'll now have to pay for it with actual money, instead of just clicking a button. The same goes for promoted posts: you'll be paying the app developer directly, rather than paying Facebook or Twitter.
13. Google, Microsoft, and Spotify's ad revenues are up—all except for Youtube.Google's total advertising sales increased to $54.5 billion from $53.13 billion the previous year. That's a good thing! But it wasn't as good as analysts were expecting, so their stock is down.Microsoft's search and news advertising revenue increased by just 16% over the previous year. Also good! But not great, so they're also down in stock price. Spotify's ad-supported Revenue grew
19% year-over-year to €385 million. That's fantastic! But it didn't grow as much as expected, so their stock is down too.
14. Meta's new IP reporting API for Brand Rights Protection tool will help you find and report content from brands that are stealing your content in a matter of minute. The API is available now in Meta's PRX brand protection platform and allows users to search for infringing content by uploading a text string or
image, then generate a report. This new feature is part of Meta's continued efforts to make IP protection easier for marketers and ensure they can keep their brands safe from unauthorized use.
15. We love Twitter. We really do. It's a great place to find out what's going on in the world, connect with friends and family, or just relax and read a few good jokes. But there are some things about this platform that we're not all that fond of.
First off: Twitter is losing its most active users. According to internal documents shared with Reuters by an anonymous source, the number of people who have stopped using the platform has more than doubled in just one year. Meanwhile, porn use is growing at an alarming rate—more than twice as fast as it did last year—and people are spending more time watching it than ever before.
16. UPS has followed the lead of its chief competitor,
FedEx, in announcing that rates for its Ground, Air and International services will increase by an average of 6.9 percent effective Dec. 27, according to the company’s website. Furthermore, UPS announced higher accessorial charges effective on the same date, including for residential deliveries, packages requiring additional handling, and deliveries to…
17. In Talkdesk's research, consumers anticipate improved
customer experience (CX) in the metaverse. 51% expect service to be superior, while 32% believe an immersive, real-time experience will cause less frustration and anxiety than a call center. This shows that there is optimism about a virtual community that fosters positive relationships and connections.