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Archive: Jun 2022
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Be interesting

Edition #373 CBC retains its branded content division, Twitter notes and on being interesting. One big thing Cannes was back this week! David Berkowitz jammed on a take on Anti Canne (whilst he attended). As did Sir Martin. We didn’t go this year, the simple equation was that when we calculated a per head cost, it was double last time we attended. Ouch. That’s not to say it’s not worth it, but where else could that money go to work more effectively? What if that went into the product. Etc etc. We can rationalize these decisions but I bet for many, reconnecting with peers and getting inspired, was worth it. And not necessarily tangible. Maybe next year for us. Now no one likes to be surprised, especially when it comes to data. And for our own data I’ve built a muscle memory over time so can see when things shift. So when something jumps out I pay attention to it. One of the analysis we have been doing is looking at earned impressions but also earned attention. Seeing not just drives clicks but what drives engagement. For us, LinkedIn is driving an outsized quality of traffic. But we don’t really do anything on LinkedIn, so it’s messages, profile visits etc. Word of mouth and higher intent is driving that quality. So, do I rush and to do more LinkedIn? Well, maybe, but my ROI right now is pretty unbeatable. Maybe best to focus on the things which create that word of mouth. And take some of the gravy. That’s Steve Bryant’s riff this week on creating interesting stuff. Give it a peek, you won’t regret it. Notable stories this week Twitter launches Notes. Why your brand’s content is sooo boring. What good narrative strategy looks like. Semafor launches. CBC can keep its controversial branded content division. Why limited-time brand activations rule in Roblox - for now. Chipotle is an early winner. How will brands measure ad performance in the Metaverse? Twitch ad update offers some streamers big money, others pocket change. NBCU is the exclusive reseller for Apple News and Apple Stocks in the UK. GroupM & iSpot quantify CTV impression overcounts. And Netflix meets with Google to discuss its ad business. Twitter partners with Shopify to bring merchants products to Twitter. And is bringing Branded Likes to the platform. Google News gets a redesign. Walmart to enable product purchases via Roku. [Long read] ‘Wallets and eyeballs’ how eBay turned the internet into a marketplace. Deals/M&A Tremor International in advanced talks to buy Amobee. Campaign of the Week How to make foil-packet Chicken Fajitas. Food Network with Do Good Chicken. Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
June 24, 2022
Xero + TheGuardian
Xero + TheGuardian
Commentary

Always on

Edition #372 Why tv’s are always on, TheAthletic gets bundled and Twitter product drops. One big thing For many set top boxes, they’re on all the time. And if they’re tuned into a channel, even though the tv is off, chances are that viewership is being counted. Which leads to over counting. Even OTT apps can continue to play after you turn the tv off. This means at least $1b worth of ads are being played to no one each year. This is why viewability for the web was invented, to ensure that ads were shown in view of the customer. Makes sense. However for tv, the existing roll out of set room boxes and lack of universal standards make the implementation of a similar type solution challenging. We saw a few weeks back that NBCU is experimenting with multi ad and content on screen. Initially this may seem a bit grim, but is it an improvement over the ad break? And everyone’s tv is a lot larger than they used to be. Maybe that yields enough to drop one or two ad breaks per hour. I’ll be curious to see how it goes. With all this, the backbone or thread is that measurement enables product innovation. Getting those right things captured in your metrics, helps push things forward. Notable stories this week Twitter tests product drop alerts with Home Depot. Is your TV still playing ads when it’s turned off? WaPo to keep software business. Google offers to let ad rivals place YouTube ads in EU antitrust probe. CheckMyAds starts a campaign to get Fox News removed from exchanges. TheAthletic to be added to the NYT subscription bundle. Publishers like Gannett are using micro-surveys to amass audience data. IAB updates guidelines for measuring 3D ads for the metaverse. Includes things like, what’s the minimum viewing angle for an ad. Bidtellect partners with D&B to deliver ads to key decision makers. A revisit of Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans, The Rise of the Internets Creative Middle Class. Deals/M&A Ad agency Mekanism acquired. Campaign of the Week 10 questions you should ask your advisor this end of financial year. Xero with TheGuardian. Like the format, simple and high utility for the reader.   Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
June 17, 2022
Commentary

Out and about

Edition #371 Green media, BBC to launch marketplace for content and Tom Brady raises $50m. One big thing Getting out and about is fun. Those first few reconnects after covid. What I’m seeing is that more senior people are off to conferences, juniors are off to meetups and everyone else is somewhere in-between. Now it used to be the juniors would go to the conferences to hang and learn and really absorb the industry. So it feels like a bit of a disconnect, that the remote working when everyone comes back, only seems to agitate. This then feels like opportunity, to bring both groups back together. Which is where marketing teams can help, creating events that whole teams can come to, whether that’s affordability, style or event, or just subtle positioning. The old StartupWeekends, the UnConferences, the hackathons. What does this have to do with content & media? Well, it’s where we’re all going to meet the next new partner for that project. Or that new collaborator. Whether someone will challenge our thinking. Which I think is a good thing. Notable stories this week Sharethrough launches its first green media products. How this TikTok creator makes $20k/month. BBC to launch BSP in partnership with Vuulr, a marketplace for licensing their shows. European Baby Brand Bugaboo makes its first US-focused social media and content play. Hubspot is pushing into video. Spotify CEO teases major push into audiobooks. 12-Step Brand and Content Framework. Google Slides link. Another Google Slide deck, Brand Building on Social Media. Deals/M&A Tom Brady & Michael Strahans, Religion of Sports raises $50m. CreativeX raises $25m Series B. PepperContent raises $14.3m to enter US. Contentoo acquires Contentbox. Campaign of the Week DinoTracker from Department of Prehistoric Wildlife, as part of Jurassic World launch. @DinoTracker on Twitter. ^ Extending this to native placements across publishers would be the kicker in the execution of this strategy.   Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
June 10, 2022
Commentary

Good Wine

Edition #370 On what we can learn from what makes a good wine. Educational branded content and Stranger Things. One big thing One sip leads to another. Whilst away I read Cork Dork and in answering the question of what makes a good wine. Paul Grieco of Terroir fame would answer that one sip leads to another. The first leads to the second and the second leads to the third. As I lay there in the Mexican sun, I thought that’s a brilliant little analogy. If someone enjoys it they reach for more. Such an idea could bring a lot of simplicity to marketing teams. Instead we dive for more. What else should we be looking at. Over intellectualizing it. Rather than simply going, is the consumer coming back for more. I liked it and thought it was worth sharing. Notable stories this week How Front Office Sports is leveling up its branded content business through educational courses. Lessons on readability for marketing content. Ed Norton talks media measurement. Deals/M&A Substack drops fund-raising efforts as market sours. The charts showing Creator Economy investments this year. Campaign of the Week Leaving a legacy: how to give a gift that lasts beyond your lifetime. Guardian with Cancer Council. Continue reading

Ben Young
Ben Young
June 3, 2022