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Survivor: Adtech Edition 

 Layoffs, AI, and the Quest for Relevance

The capricious world of online advertising: where the only constant is change, and the recent shifts are as dramatic as a telenovela finale. As 2023 waved goodbye, the industry stood tall, proud of its employment zenith. But as we all know, what goes up must come down.

Enter the stage, the seers of the corporate realm at Davos. A quarter of these crystal-ball gazers foresee generative AI not just changing the game but also clearing the board, predicting workforce reductions north of 5%. This isn't just any old survey; it's a PwC classic, with insights from 4,702 chiefs across 105 countries. The sectors trembling the most? Media, banking, insurance, and logistics, with their eyes fixed on AI's double-edged sword of profitability and potential job cuts.

But the story takes a twist. Not everyone's sold on this AI-induced upheaval. Nearly half are skeptics, doubting any significant impact from AI's sorcery. This sets the stage for a narrative of conflict and contrast within the industry.

2024, the year looming large on the horizon, seems scripted for mass layoffs, particularly in adtech. This grim forecast comes from Resume Builder's survey of over 900 companies, painting a rather bleak picture for the year ahead.

Google, the behemoth of the tech world, has already started trimming its sails. A thousand employees were shown the door, and now the ad sales team is in the crosshairs. Chris Pappas, the voice of Google, talks of restructuring and realignment, but the underlying story is one of downsizing.

Philipp Schindler, Google's senior vice president, in a memo that’s more revealing than intended, points to the Large Customer Sales (LCS) unit bearing the brunt, with the Google Customer Solutions (GCS) team emerging as the new focal point. This isn't a sudden move; remember the layoffs in LCS last October? That was just the overture.

InMobi isn't sitting this dance out either. They're gearing up to bid adieu to more than 100 employees, marking their second round of layoffs in a year. Out of their 2,500-strong workforce, this might seem a drop in the ocean, but each drop creates ripples. They wrap this decision in the language of AI, market evolution, and competitive strategy. Yet, the underlying narrative remains the same – cuts and more cuts.

Spotify, not to be outdone, is playing its own game of corporate 'Survivor'. They're cutting loose 1,500 of their team, a significant 17% of their workforce, with adtech and advertising feeling the sharpest edge of the blade. They join the likes of Etsy and Amazon, who have also been wielding the layoff axe with a heavy hand.

So, what does this all mean? It's a tale of transformation, driven by technological advancements and market pressures. The online advertising industry is at a pivotal point, with AI as the protagonist in this unfolding drama. For those in adtech, it's a time of uncertainty, but also of opportunity. The industry is reshaping itself, and with every shift, new doors open even as old ones close.

2024 is set to be a year of significant change, with companies big and small reevaluating their strategies and workforce in response to the relentless march of technology and market demands. It's a narrative of adaptation, innovation, and, yes, survival. The only question that remains: who will write the next chapter in this ever-evolving story?

Pesach Lattin
Editor-in-Chief, ADOTAT

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👨‍⚖️🤖 In a tech twist, Judge Cason in Georgia keeps OpenAI in the hot seat! Radio host Mark Walters is jazzed to continue his defamation case over ChatGPT's blunder. ChatGPT, usually a know-it-all, goofed up big time, mixing up Walters in a financial scandal instead of sticking to the script about a lawsuit on gun rights. OpenAI's defense? "It's just a bot!" claiming no bad intentions, just a mischievous journalist and a chatbot who couldn't keep its facts straight. But the judge isn't buying the "it's just AI" excuse, leaving OpenAI to ponder if their bot needs a fact-checker buddy. 🤔💻🚨

🕺💡 TikTok's not just for dance moves anymore! Adobe's latest scoop shows a whopping 10% of Gen Z ditching Google for TikTok when they need answers. Millennials, Gen X, and even Baby Boomers are hopping on this trend too. Whether it's whipping up a new recipe, tuning into the latest tunes, DIY hacks, or fashion fixes, TikTok's the new 'Ask Jeeves'. And let's talk video tutorials - 62% of users are all in for these visual guides. Business owners, perk up your ears: video tutorials are outshining traditional search results. Plus, creative content, product reviews, and influencer chit-chat are big hits. If you're not on TikTok yet, you might be missing out on a goldmine of potential customers, especially if your biz is in one of those hot search categories! 🎥🔍

🍪🕵️‍♂️ GA4's like the cool new kid on the block, mixing up the old cookie jar with a dash of future tech! It's tracking users like a pro, doling out unique _ga cookies to every visitor like exclusive VIP passes. Want a sneak peek? Dive into the User explorer, where you'll find every digital footprint neatly lined up. But hey, it's not just about collecting data – GA4's playing nice with privacy rules, making sure everyone's data is as safe as a secret diary. So, whether you're a data geek or a privacy ninja, GA4's got something for everyone. 🚀📊💾

🇮🇹🍰 Chiara Ferragni, Italy's selfie queen and influencer extraordinaire, finds herself in a sticky situation sweeter than Christmas cake. Her partnership with Balocco for a charitable pandoro cake – priced at a hefty €9 – promised donations to a children's hospital but crumbled under scrutiny. Turns out, the hospital got a pre-campaign €50,000, while Ferragni pocketed over €1m. Italy's anti-trust body wasn't amused, slapping fines on both Ferragni and Balocco. Amid apologies and a pledge to donate €1m to the hospital, Ferragni's empire is wobbling, losing followers and big clients faster than a cake loses its icing. This tale's moral? Even influencers can't sugarcoat a half-baked charity scheme. 📉🤳✨

📉 Starting today, Meta's ad game is changing: they're dialing back on detailed ad targeting options. 🎯 The full list of axed categories is still under wraps, but health, race, and ethnicity are on the chopping block. 🚫 Details are scarce, but we're all ears for more info. 🤔 Ads using these soon-to-be-gone targeting options have until March 18 to run their course. ⏳ Then, it's update time! Why the big change? Meta's aiming for a more ethical, discrimination-free ad world, stepping away from super-specific targeting. 🌍🕊️ Their solution? Leaning into automated options like Meta Advantage+ audience, promising better ad performance. 🤖📈 This shift might just be the start of a bigger trend towards systematic display options in the ad industry. Stay tuned! 📻👀 #MetaShift #AdEvolution

🎬📉 VideoAmp, once buzzing with optimism, is now dialing down its energy levels. 2023 saw them as a top contender in alternative TV ad measurement, but the heat of market competition is causing some cracks. 🛠️ Last week, they bid farewell to 20% of their team and waved goodbye to their CEO, Ross McCray, with board member Peter Liguori stepping up as the interim boss. This layoff wave follows a 10% cut just five months earlier. 🐢 Behind the scenes, VideoAmp's alternative TV currency business isn't sprinting as fast as the headlines suggested. Mostly making dough from client campaigns, the company's finding it tough to stay afloat without this financial lifesaver. 💸 With cash burning fast and revenue projections trimmed, layoffs became inevitable, an insider spilled to AdExchanger.

Elf Cosmetics is blending beauty with mystery in their latest glam caper 🕵️‍♀️🎥. "Cosmetic Criminals," a 15-minute mockumentary, takes us on a wild ride through a true crime-style tale of a makeup thief and a house full of shady suspects 💄🔍. This isn't your average YouTube flick; it's hitting the big screens in AMC theaters, setting the stage for Paramount’s "Mean Girls" adaptation 🍿🎬. You can also stream this beauty whodunnit on Amazon Freevee – talk about making a dramatic entrance into the world of cosmetics and crime! 🤩🎉

Disney's streaming dreams are looking a bit like a roller coaster ride 🎢 in the world of direct-to-consumer (D2C) business. The Magic Kingdom's 2023 forecast? A not-so-magical $2.5 billion loss 💸, despite some pixie dust efforts to trim the deficits. MoffettNathanson Research points out that when Disney's D2C is stacked against Netflix's glittering past performance, with over $20 billion in revenue, Disney is still lagging in the trend race 🐢🚀. Flashback to 2019: Netflix was basking in a sunny $20.2 billion revenue with a cozy $2.6 billion positive cash flow, strutting a 13% profit margin 🌞💰. Meanwhile, Disney is playing catch-up with a projected negative 13% profit margin on $19.9 billion in revenue for 2023, though slightly up from last year's 19% margin dive 📉.

🎬 Netflix's ad-supported plan is booming with 23 million MAUs, a big jump from 15 million! 📈 Amy Reinhard, the ad chief, shares that 85% of these users are actively streaming for over 2 hours monthly. 🕑 Launched at $6.99/month in November 2022, this plan is a key strategy after Netflix faced subscriber drops in early 2022. 📉 By Q3, it's already 30% of new sign-ups in 12 countries, marking a turnaround for the streaming giant. 🌍 Netflix is focused on growing this user base while keeping content and ads engaging. 🎥👀 #NetflixAdsOnTheRise #StreamingStrategySucces

📱 Gen Z and News: Digiday+ uncovers Gen Z's (born 1997-2012) preference for social media over traditional news sources. 🌍 51% of younger Gen Z get news from social feeds and messaging, with Instagram and similar platforms being key. 📲 A Reuters study shows 39% of 18-24-year-olds use social media as their main news source. News orgs are adapting with platform-specific content. 💬 Christina Capatides of CBS News emphasizes the need for brand content to mimic creator content. TikTok is a major news source for 32% of U.S. adults under 30, says Pew Research. 📊 Lulu Chiang of ABC News highlights the trust Gen Z places in social platforms for news. (SOURCE)

🚫📱👎 "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!" TikTok Ads, take note: Non-skippable ads might just be your downfall. Users crave control, with 73% more engaged when they can skip and 56% more likely to watch with that freedom. A MediaScience study reveals half the ad impact happens in the first 2 seconds. Forcing views? Not a click-winner. Test it, but listen to your data—it speaks volumes! 📊👥💡

🏈📈 The NFL's 2023 season scored big with a 7% hike in TV viewership and a slight uptick in stadium attendance, reaching 18.9 million. Every team was on fire, selling over 93% of tickets, a stark contrast to 2021's pandemic slump. Highlight teams: Detroit Lions, basking in their first division win in 30 years, and Washington Commanders, with a 10% jump in attendance under new leadership. Globally, the NFL's game plan includes Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers playing abroad in 2024. It's more than just touchdowns; it's a global sports blitz! 🌎🏟️🎟️

🌟 Joanna O’Connell joins Omnicom Media Group as the first Chief Intelligence Officer for North America! 📈 With a journey that began at Avenue A in 2000, she's now the brains behind navigating the media maze for clients. 🧠 After stints as MediaMath’s CMO, a top analyst at Forrester, and EVP of Innovation at R3, she's back in the agency game. 💼 Ralph Pardo of OMG praises her two-decade expertise in turning market trends into winning strategies. 🏆 Joanna's new mission? To boost OMG's intelligence initiatives and lead projects like the Future Signals series and CASA, shaping the future of advertising identity. 🚀🔮 #MediaMaven #StrategyGuru

🎉 Disney's self-service ad platform, Disney Campaign Manager, is making waves! 🌊 Launched in 2021, it's now supporting 4,200 brands and 1,000 agencies, with 85% being new to Disney Advertising. 🚀 Dentsu's Brad Stockton highlights the platform's appeal in data and tech advancements, offering advertisers more control and agility. 💻📊 With 16,000 campaigns launched, the platform caters to small budgets (starting at $500) and allows targeting by location, demographics, and more. 🎯 Coming up: Disney+ and ESPN+ ad spaces will join the platform, spreading its magic globally! ✨🌐 

🎭 Big news in the media world! Shane Ankeney, a bigwig at Havas Media since 2015, has called it quits, spilling the beans on LinkedIn. 📣 Meanwhile, Havas Media's doing some musical chairs, promoting Greg Walsh and Greg James, but mum's the word on Shane's exit. 🤫 A Havas insider hints at more shake-ups, but keeps it hush-hush. 🤐 Shane, a 2020 MediaPost All Star and veteran of the ad game since the '90s, is teasing a "next chapter" but keeping it mysterious. 📖 And here's a twist: Havas' website still shows Shane and some other long-gone execs as part of the gang. Seems like someone forgot to hit the update button! 🙈🖥️🤷‍♂️

🔍 Plot twist in the corporate saga! Carrie Stimmel, once crowned Head of Global Agencies by X's big boss Linda Yaccarino, seems to have left the building - or at least that's what her LinkedIn profile suggests. 🤔 Previously, Carrie had shared about her son's Jewish heritage on X, and her LinkedIn bio boasts a 'Strong commitment to DE&I' (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion). 🌍✨ Seems like there's more to this story than meets the eye! 🕵️‍♀️💼👀

🛒📣 Walmart+ is rolling out the red carpet for "National Quitter’s Day" with a savvy campaign starring TV celeb Andy Cohen, aptly titled “Save Your Resolutions.” 🌟📆 They're cashing in on the day when folks usually ditch their New Year's promises, showcasing how their membership can keep those resolutions alive! 🏋️‍♂️🎨 The campaign, with Cohen leading the charge, links Walmart+'s savings to fun activities like party hosting and road trips. 🎉🚗 It's a social media fiesta too, with TikTok and Meta influencers joining in. 📱💃

🤖🌟 At CES 2024, S4Capital's Media.Monks launches Monks.Flow, a super-smart AI service that's like a marketing wizard's dream! It's like having a digital Dumbledore by your side, weaving AI magic to streamline marketing workflows. 🪄💻 According to Forrester, everyone's ready to hop on the AI train, with execs and workers eager to team up with AI for their tasks. Monks.Flow is like the Swiss Army knife for marketers, slashing costs, breaking down silos, and cranking up business smarts. It's the future of marketing, served up with a side of AI brilliance! 🚀📈🎉

👩‍⚖️🔒 Supreme Court says "Nope!" to X Corp (aka Twitter) in their decade-old tiff with Uncle Sam over spilling the beans on user data requests. 🐦💻 It's been a saga since 2014, with Twitter wanting to dish out deets on National Security Letters and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act orders. The twist? Big tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook played ball with the feds, agreeing to vague reporting. But Twitter, flying solo, cried foul over free speech. Their argument? The First Amendment rights to tell users more about government surveillance. 🦅✊ Both a trial judge and the 9th Circuit said "nah" to Twitter, citing national security. And now, the Supreme Court's silent swipe left leaves Twitter's transparency dreams grounded. 🚫📄🕵️‍♂️

🎥📉 Josh Chasin, the Chief Measurability Officer of VideoAmp, has left the building, following the recent exit of founder and CEO Ross McCray. Chasin, the former Comscore bigwig, joined VideoAmp aiming to shake up the TV data game. His LinkedIn post today reminisces about his initial advice to McCray: 1️⃣ Dive into the less crowded, more lucrative currency ratings pond rather than jostling in the crowded TV data pool. 2️⃣ Focus on the sell-side (TV/streaming platforms), where the real money's at. Despite VideoAmp getting a thumbs-up as an ad currency by the U.S. JIC and gaining some sell-side traction, they're hitting turbulent times, axing 20% of their workforce amid all these leadership shake-ups. 🌪️📊💼

🌟🤝 At CES 2024, it's a wild west for ad market gurus! Publisher sales leads are zooming in on the event, hoping to get the 411 from marketers and agency execs on how to get them to loosen their purse strings. 🤑🎰 Some are opting for one-on-one chats, while others are going big with swanky dinners and floor tours for the C-suite crowd. Sebastian Tomich from The Athletic is all about "vibe checks" on the ad market's health, while Mike Wong of Bloomberg Media plays it cool with a 75% pre-booked schedule, leaving room for chance encounters. 📅💼 Geoff Schiller from Vox Media, not to be outdone, has packed his CES days with client meet-ups and even The Verge is hosting exclusive floor tours. Over at Axios, they're banking on their AI editorial products to charm clients, even in the fast-paced in-quarter sales cycles. 🤖📈 Amidst all this, Edgar Hernandez from My Code is aiming high, hoping to rub shoulders with 100+ new brand or agency execs. It's a full-on charm offensive out in Vegas, with everyone hoping to turn handshakes into hefty deals! 🎲📊💸 (Digiday)

🌐📊 Samba TV and HyphaMetrics are shaking hands in the ad world's latest blockbuster duo! 🤝📺 Their team-up promises a deep dive into TV and streaming habits, with Samba's big data and Hypha's detailed person-level data creating a superhero-like insight into viewers' likes and clicks. It's like having a crystal ball for advertisers, revealing everything from sitcom laughs to late-night binges! 📡🔮💻 #DataDynamics #AdTechAvengers 🌟

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