Digital

A recent article on the Harvard Business Review site attempts to answer the question, what makes a brand successful in the digital age? The answer is that they focus on users not buyers. Sorry, I am not buying that.  by Nigel Hollis

In the latest episode of eMarketer’s “Behind the Numbers” podcast, we continue our conversation about digital health initiatives, looking at some of the innovative services and devices that tech companies are working on to improve healthcare.

Another year older and wiser, and the digital advertising industry shows few signs of slowing down. To understand the current landscape and get a sense of what lies ahead, we dug deep into industry data as well as the Marin Advertising Index—which represents billions of dollars of annual ad spend on the Marin platform.  By Brian Finnerty

Among other key findings, half of respondents (50%) cited “insufficient supporting technology” as a primary obstacle in their ability to gain value from their data initiatives, while roughly one-third (32%) said that technology would play a vital role in leading their data initiatives this year. Of particular note, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology were frequently cited as innovations that would likely command more time and attention in 2018.

At the annual IAB Leadership Meeting today, Unilever CMO spoke of the company’s commitment to “responsible” platforms, content and infrastructure, and also conveyed that it will support partners such as Facebook and Google as they invest in improving their platforms. Commentary was somewhat contrary to prior press reports which indicated that Unilever may take a harder line on digital media, much as CPG peer Procter & Gamble did at the same event last year.  By Brian Wieser – Senior Research Analyst – Advertising / Pivotal Research Group

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released “Blockchain for Video Advertising: A Market Snapshot of Publisher & Buyer Use Cases,” an in-depth whitepaper that uncovers strong use cases for blockchain technology in digital video advertising, with a focus on over-the-top (OTT) advertising.

Data breaches. Machine-based decisions. The rise of the robots. In an increasingly digital world, do you trust the data and analytics that underpin your most critical business decisions?  Trust is now a defining factor in an organization’s success or failure. Indeed, trust underpins reputation, customer satisfaction, loyalty and other intangible assets. It inspires employees, enables global markets to function, reduces uncertainty and builds resilience.

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) announced the appointment of Geraldo Arriaga as Vice President, Digital Media Sales of SBS, LaMusica App. In this role, Geraldo will spearhead all of the Company’s digital revenue efforts at the national scale, while working directly with all Digital Sales Managers,Sales Management and divisions in each one of our markets. Mr. Arriaga will ensure SBS’s Digital Media programs are fully integrated into the network’s growing “Original Content Strategy.”

BEN hires Maria Teresa Hernandez as Vice President of Client Development to lead multicultural business development

“El Dodo” is The Dodo’s First Non-English Language Edition and the World’s Only Spanish Language Animal-Focused Digital Channel

Every day, people watch billions of videos.  By Arielle Kimbarovsky

Adtaxi released the results of its Super Bowl Viewership and Consumer Streaming Trends Survey, an in-depth look at how consumers nationwide will be watching the Super Bowl, as well as an examination of their digital streaming habits more broadly. Although movies and television series still dominate the streaming world, there are important opportunities for digital advertisers to reach consumers while viewing major sporting events—namely through social media.

There has never been a more exciting— or a more complicated— time to be in the OTT business. With new virtual MVPDs (vMPVDs) and even social media players like Facebook and Twitter entering the already-crowded over-the-top space, understanding the changing OTT market has never been more important.  Our latest white paper, 8 Trends Shaping the OTT Space, sheds light on some of the key trends crucial to understanding how this market is evolving.

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Nielsen released their second year findings of its “Digitally Engaged Food Shopper” study.  Building on the joint research findings issued in 2017, this second set of insights examines what food and beverage manufacturers and brick-and-mortar retailers need to do to ready themselves for the rising digital grocery landscape, identifying six digital imperatives for omnichannel success.

Most digital strategies don’t reflect how digital is changing economic fundamentals, industry dynamics, or what it means to compete. Companies should watch out for five pitfalls.  The processing power of today’s smartphones are several thousand times greater than that of the computers that landed a man on the moon in 1969. These devices connect the majority of the human population, and they’re only ten years old.

In this report, Chick Foxgrover, 4A’s EVP of creative technologies and innovation, shares his perspective on this year’s CES conference — including key take-aways for agencies, insights on voice technology, VR, smart homes, and more.

OK, I admit it. Every now and again I talk to myself, usually under moments of stress or excitement. And it occurs to me that with the advent of voice-first technologies digital designers, advertisers and researchers could get a whole new set of insights into how people experience their content. Of course, they might not always like to listen to what people say.  by Nigel Hollis

Two consumer behaviors are driving brands’ ability to gain insights into purchase behavior: the rise of pre-shopping research on products, and the adoption of ecommerce. Even as in-store buying remains far and away the preferred method to purchase groceries, the insights gained through digital touchpoints are helping consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands shape the new customer journey.

H Code Media announced the launch of a new division called H Code Studio—a full-service content studio combining the identity of a brand, the storytelling of a production house, and the scale of a digital platform.

The idea of going cashless isn’t too far off, especially with giants like Starbucks and Amazon already taking the leap.