Media Buying

DirecTV wants to cut over the air out of the picture: A new “No Locals” discount is an attempt to stave off the inevitable decline of linear TV.

Meta revamps Advantage+ with creative optimizations to boost ad engagement: The company is leaning into two trends: Video consumption and performance marketing dollars.

YouTube requires AI content disclosure to combat misinformation: It’s a crucial move in the genAI era, affecting everything from brand safety to election integrity.

LinkedIn's new thought leader ads enable content sponsorship beyond employees: The shrewd move leans into B2B marketing’s strengths.

Big Tech (Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft) will attract nearly two-thirds of US digital ad dollars this year, according to our October 2023 forecast.

Reddit introducing native ads ahead of IPO: The platform must balance improving engagement with maintaining user trust and platform integrity.

“Out-of-home (OOH) is cost-effective. It's measurable. It's targetable. You can be hyperlocal with it,” said founder and CEO at Quan Media Brian Rappaport. It’s also growing. US OOH ad spend will increase by 6.5% this year, reaching $9.51 billion dollars, according to our October 2023 forecast. But an added benefit is OOH’s potential to create organic impressions on social media.

Big Tech is responsible for some of the most popular online destinations among consumers. Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet-owned Google will attract almost two-thirds of US digital ad dollars in 2024, according to our forecast.

71% of teen YouTube users use the platform at least once per day, while 58% of teen TikTok users do the same on TikTok, according to October 2023 data from Pew Research Center.

Google's SGE threatens to cut publisher traffic by up to 60%: The evolution could push the industry toward innovative revenue strategies and partnerships.

Consumers most often see healthcare ads on TV: But healthcare and pharma brands must consider other factors—such as which channels patients most trust for health ads—before determining where to allocate their marketing spend.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how all the different TV terms fit together, to what degree subscription revenues are moving from pay TV to streaming, who's winning the "digital pay TV" race, and how the new sports streaming service from Fox, ESPN, and Warner Bros. Discovery could change everything. "In Other News," we talk about what a new sponsor logo placement from the WWE will look like and how the US ad market is getting on to start the year. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Ross Benes.

Meta could benefit significantly if TikTok left the US: A House vote looms, impacting national security and social media dynamics.

Apple tests AI-powered ad buying: Its tool focuses on App Store ads and allows advertisers to set budgets and cost per user before automatic placement.

The future of TikTok’s content creators, advertisers, and 170 million users remains uncertain as the bill moves to the Senate. TikTok’s loss could be Meta’s and Google’s gain.

Advertisers and exchanges still aren’t free of the made-for-advertising plague: Watchdog’s latest report tears into MFA sites’ prevalence on ad exchanges and retail media networks.

Meta’s smart glasses winning streak: It has developed a useful, affordable product that people can wear in public. The latest AI integration could make them a magnet for tourists.

X debuts on smart TVs to rival YouTube, leveraging high-profile collaborations for a notable pivot: Musk's strategy faces quality hurdles.

Its TikTok Photos app could attract and engage users, potentially becoming Instagram’s top competitor in photo sharing. But a TikTok ban could delay competition.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why TikTok might not actually be a social media platform, how much young people use it to search for things, and whether TikTok Shop is ruining TikTok. "In Other News," we talk about the battle between Threads and X (formerly Twitter), as well as whether Snap distancing itself from social media will work and start a trend. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.