1. iGB Affiliate has entered into an exclusive data partnership with the DeepCI.com affiliate intelligence platform. DeepCI.com (Deep Competitive Intelligence) describes itself as "a unique affiliate website intelligence platform" that aims to help affiliate programs make more money from existing affiliates and automate routine tasks. The DeepCI
affiliate traffic dashboard, updated monthly, shows the total casino and sports betting traffic and the highest-positioned operator brands in every global market tracked by the platform, as well as the top affiliate sites in every regulated and grey territory. This data is accompanied by commentary from DeepCI on significant changes in the numbers and the factors driving these. Riaan de Jager, founder at DeepCI.com, commented: "We are extremely excited about this partnership with iGB
Affiliate and the market exposure that it will afford us. Our in-depth data on affiliate websites and competitive igaming brand intelligence are unique and we look forward to sharing our monthly market insights on the iGB Affiliate platform."
2. Meta has decided to lift the two-year suspension on Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts, but has implemented new measures to prevent him from committing the same offenses that led to the
suspension. Trump was suspended from Facebook and YouTube after the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, due to concerns about his potential to incite further violence. Twitter, on the other hand, banned Trump outright, but new owner/CEO Elon Musk recently reinstated his account. Trump has yet to start posting again on Twitter, but reportedly plans to do so soon, and may also limit his involvement with his own social site, Truth Social, which has garnered significantly fewer
followers than his Twitter account. As a result of Meta's decision, Trump, who has announced his candidacy for president, will be able to run ads on his Facebook and Instagram pages, which have about 34 million and 23 million followers respectively.
3. According to a MediaPost analysis of 12 months of data from Standard Media Index’s U.S. Ad Market Tracker, the 2022 U.S. ad market expanded by a little more than 3%. The analysis is a
simple, unweighted average of monthly year-over-year percent changes during 2022 and does not account for actual monthly ad-volume differences. An explicit annual analysis expected to be released by SMI soon will give a clearer picture. SMI's data is derived from actual invoiced media buys pooled from the 12 largest agency companies, both holding companies and independents, and is weighted more toward big national advertisers and agencies. The growth rate is marked lower than the most recent
consensus of the major agency holding company forecasting units' estimates for 2022 ad-spending growth, which was 9.8%.
4. To compete for scarce Web3 talent, giant multinational agency holding company Publicis Groupe is going to where the talent is in the metaverse and using a big red phone, dubbed the "Metaphone," as an on-ramp to its recruiting team. According to Publicis Groupe Benelux Chief Creative Officer Eduardo Marques,
the talent that will shape the metaverse is already inside it. The Metaphone may be depicted as an outdated rotary dial phone, but it serves as a way for Web3 talent to use their avatar to walk into it and "leave the virtual world for an instant to show their talent in the real world."
5. Apple's latest ad showcases how its technology can make daily tasks such as parenting, waking up in the morning, and navigating easier, and it is noteworthy for
featuring almost entirely people with disabilities. According to a 2021 Nielsen study, only 1% of prime-time TV ads show someone with a disability, despite the fact that more than 60 million adults in America live with one. Brands have been taking steps to incorporate disability representation and accessibility in their marketing efforts, such as Slick Chicks' campaign featuring adaptive athlete Jamey Perry, Diageo's inclusive design training program for marketers, and Tide's version of
its 2021 Super Bowl ad with audio descriptions. Josh Loebner, global head of inclusive design at Wunderman Thompson, suggests that the marketing industry should prioritize accessibility through policy change, advocacy, workforce recruitment, and end-to-end commitments in 2023. He also emphasizes the importance of leaders focused on accessibility, accountability and taking conversations beyond compliance and towards creativity.
6. According to
a study by Similarweb, the fastest-growing news channel in America is not a traditional investigative site, but instead a website called Forever Mom, which features advice for mothers. The study also revealed that another parenting site, ParentMood, also experienced strong growth, leading to speculation that the COVID baby boom may have contributed to this success. However, sites reporting global news and crisis zones also performed well, with traffic in general up 748.2% on the top 10
sites. The top 10 sites and their growth rates include Forever Mom (1316.3%), liveuamap.com (911.3%), worldtravelling.com (731.1%), eurasiantimes.com (707.8%), parentmood.comwordsa.com (513.2%), tododisca.com (487.8%), cowboystatedaily.com (462.4%), theaviationgeekclub.com (438.9%), and theappear.com (419.2%). The study is done annually.
8. During Tesla's quarterly analyst call on Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk addressed concerns about the
potential impact of his Twitter presence and controversial comments on the Tesla brand. He stated that the size of his Twitter following, currently at 127 million, is evidence of his popularity and that the net value of Twitter is "gigantic" for companies. Musk also highlighted Tesla's fourth quarter earnings, which showed a 37% increase in revenue to $24.3 billion and a 49% increase in operating income. He also provided an update on the production of the highly anticipated Cybertruck,
which is set to begin in mid-2023 and ramp up in quantity in 2024. Tesla shares were slightly up in after-hours trading following the earnings report.
9. Former Neiman Marcus executive John E. Koryl will be taking on the role of CEO at luxury goods reseller The RealReal in February, the company announced on Wednesday. This move follows the departure of founder Julie Wainwright as CEO and from the company's board in June 2022. Rati
Sahi Levesque, the company's President and COO and Robert Julian, the CFO, acted as co-interim CEOs during this period and will now return to their previous roles. Koryl, who has experience in digital growth and omnichannel strategy, most recently led the digital organization at Canadian Tire Corporation as President of CTC Digital. As The RealReal looks to control expenses and address a pending convertible debt crunch, shares of the company rose by around 4% on
Wednesday.
10. On Monday, Serta Simmons Bedding, the Georgia-based mattress company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, owned by Advent International, stated that the move is intended to reduce its debt and enable it to continue making "critical investments" in its business and brands, while also paying down debt. CEO Shelley Huff said, "We are taking steps to strengthen our financial position. After the
conclusion of this process, we will have a stronger financial foundation to drive profitable growth and continue delivering the high-quality, innovative products that our company is known for." As consumers may cut back on spending on discretionary items such as mattresses and home goods due to the uncertain economic environment, it is important for companies like Serta, who account for nearly 20% of annual bedding sales in the US, to take proactive measures to improve their financial
standing.
11. VeraViews, a platform for transparent and auditable invalid traffic prevention, has announced the addition of Hoopla Digital as a demand partner. Hoopla Digital specializes in branded solutions across online video, display and mobile, and works with leading brands to create immersive brand experiences across devices. This partnership will help VeraViews expand its demand sources and continue to add clients to its ad
stack. VeraViews' Proof of View technology records ad campaign data and stores it immutably and transparently on its own open ledger, allowing for valid engagement and eliminating fraud. This news follows VeraViews' recent verification as an Amazon Ads Partner, inclusion on the IAB Global Vendor List, and the hiring of several senior team members.
