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The truth about in-house digital video advertising

November 6, 2018 | 30 views

Digital video advertising is mainstream. From the smallest brands, to huge multinationals, digital video has cemented its place in the marketing mix. The reason? It’s never been easier to produce and publish in-house. Whether this is a good thing or not is a matter of artistic debate. However, With US advertisers expecting video advertising to increase from $17.87 billion in 2018 to $29.61 billion in 2022, it’s growing in prominence.

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We have been creating, growing and invigorating brands for over 30 years. It’s what we do all day, every day. And, quite frankly, we love it. Our results and awards suggest others do too.There is no better feeling than seeing the impact of our work on a client’s bottom line. After all, that’s what we are here for. To make a difference. To get results.You won’t find many agencies that consider every aspect of the brand experience. We won’t stop at your communications, we look at the overall experience – from your website and office interior to service design and social media strategies to training your sales team how to talk about your brand, we leave no stone unturned.

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Combat Video Ad Fatigue with Audio Advertising

Article | October 8, 2021

As a marketer, your goal is to create ads that stick in the minds of your audience. You devote extra time and resources to creating memorable graphics, engaging CTAs, and interesting copy that works. You also buy just the right ad spots. But, what happens when your potential customer scrolls right past your ad? Your costly video ad never creates a difference and your campaign fails. Combat this video ad fatigue with audio advertising to effectively influence your target demographic. After the audio content boom driven by podcasts, audio advertising is rising and becoming marketers’ new favorite. Nielsen Catalina Solutions’ 12-month-long study of audio ads on Spotify versus video and display ads found that audio ads were up to 25% more effective than other ad formats. Mostly, audio ads are delivered through podcasts. We’ll dive into this shortly. First let’s look at how audio advertising can influence the buying decisions of your target audience: Audio Advertising: Superpowers Explained Audio advertising uses a broad content category such as background scores, jingles, and branded content apart from audio ads. By fusing audio ads into audio experiences such as ad-supported music streaming or podcasts, marketers can position relevant products and services in front of customers. Here are more of its advantages: Audio Ads Offer Immersive Experience A study done by Lightwave and iHeartMedia showed that one of the biggest benefits of audio advertising was its ability to connect with the audience on a deeper level. Remembering catchy jingles is also a part of this connection. Audio ads communicate emotions, capture the attention of the listeners within seconds and engage them enough to paint a picture in their minds. They achieve this without a big budget or production crew. A strong script and an audio booth are all you need to create an immersive audio ad. They Have a Greater Reach Primarily, audio ads are delivered through podcasts because they can be easily categorized and are widely consumed. According to Statista, almost 60% of all U.S. consumers older than 12 listen to podcasts. Interestingly, 70% podcast listeners do not multi-task while listening to a podcast, so you are catering to alert listeners who might end up retaining your ad (Edison Research). Apart from podcasts, audio ads are also run in locations such as radio, music, and news streams. They Are Insightful and Creative Marketers can use 3D and 8D audio to create soundscapes that offer an immersive experience. Additionally, audio ads create a 1-to-1 relationship. With the help of programmatic advertising, they also collect many layers of data that provide buying insights. Integrating audio ads with voice assistants is a creative approach to entice customers while being interactive. Nars Cosmetics UK used Spotify to offer its customers voice commerce. Upon hearing the ad on Spotify, they could order samples and set up delivery using their smart speakers. Smart Speakers Are Changing the Game Smart speakers are contributing to screen-less moments in American homes. This means your video ad campaigns won’t get the kind of response you expect, but your audio ads just might. The Edison Infinite Dial report found that there is an average of 2.3 smart speakers in each home in the U.S. This number shows that a wide range of people use voice search and will listen to audio ads as a result. Summing It Up Audio advertising drives engagement and conversion through immersive storytelling, catchy jingles, and longer ad retention. It can be a great addition to your digital marketing strategy and refine the way you influence your audience’s buying decisions.

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ADVERTISER PLATFORMS

Power up Your Mobile Ad Campaigns with These Four Tricks

Article | June 1, 2022

Did you know that there are over three billion smartphone users globally? While browsing through varied content, they see ads relevant to things they explore in their downloaded apps and games. In addition, they receive offers through SMS and see banner ads on websites they visit. These ads are a part of mobile ad campaigns specifically targeting a certain demographic. Some examples of mobile ads include carousel ads, image and text ads on Facebook, Snapchat filters and ads, video ads on YouTube, notifications from downloaded apps, ads that play between videos or games, and Instagram Story ads. Why are advertisers so keen on utilizing mobile ad campaigns? Mobile Ad Campaigns Speak the Revenue Language Marketers understand the power and impact of mobile phones on users’ lives. As a result, U.S. marketers spent a record 120 billion U.S. dollars on mobile promotion in 2020. (Statista). Mobile ad campaigns can achieve tremendous results and bring in revenue for you by creating a connection with the user through personalization and by catering to all kinds of online audience on-the-go. “The mobile device has become our communications hub, our diary, our entertainment portal, our primary source of media consumption, our wallet and our gateway to real-time information tailored to our needs. The revolution is now!” - Nihal Mehta, Founding General Partner at Eniac Ventures Mobile Advertising Covers All the Bases Companies engage in mobile advertising for objectives like lead generation, customer retention through new offers, brand engagement activities like contests, and creating awareness about a product or a service. Mobile ads are the preferred channel for advertising because: They are cost-effective Allow geo-targeting Get a quick response Can be easily tracked Let us look at all the tricks that can help you optimize your mobile ad campaigns. Grab the Users’ Attention Imagine mobile users aggressively scrolling on their phones. Your ad should make them stop and grab their attention enough to make them read it. The goals of your ad campaigns should be clear. If you are looking to redirect the user to your website or want them to click on the ad, your campaign execution should align with these goals. Adding Value Through Your Messaging Pushing your message effectively to the user can ensure the success of your campaign. Your text should be crisp and sharp, interesting yet simple to comprehend. Use popular phrases or buzz words to create a connection with the users. Don’t Underestimate Visual Appeal Visual appeal plays a vital role in the way users react to ads. The image size of your ad, the moving flow, and the options for interacting with the ads can impact your ad’s performance. Ensure that you never interrupt your user’s reading flow when they are browsing and that the visuals of your ad are pleasant and appealing to the eye. Remember, Brevity is the Soul of Wit The content of your ad should be impressive enough to make the users engage with it. Users will respond to clear copy, visuals and your message’s simplicity. Furthermore, make sure that your landing pages are bug-free, load quickly and relate to your display ad so that the users can form a tangible connection between them. Wrapping It Up Mobile advertising helps brands remain connected to their customers around the clock while on the move. It is a personalized and flexible type of advertising that can help advertisers understand the lifestyle of targeted customers to offer them just what they need.

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Podcast Advertising: A Promising Avenue for Result-oriented B2B Ad Campaigns

Article | November 18, 2021

Marketers in the B2B domain have a multi-channel approach to marketing because they target companies as buying groups. B2B marketers are leveraging podcast advertising with the help of advertisers, creators, and publishers for brand building and generating leads. They leverage up-and-coming avenues of advertising, most of which are a part of digital media channels. One such avenue is podcast advertising. Podcast advertising is emerging as one of the fastest-growing digital media channels for advertising. It is estimated to grow to more than $2.13 billion in 2022, according to a study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PwC. But, what is driving this growth? Engagement. People are finding podcasts more engaging than ever. Consequently, the demand for podcast ads across all categories is growing. Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI): The Rise of Automated Ad Tech Dynamic ad insertion is a form of programmatic advertising that uses first or third-party data. This data comes from the device playing a podcast, a device user agent, the device’s IP address, and what episode is requested, to serve ads to a target demographic. The ad server of the podcast hosting platform decides which ads should be stitched into a particular podcast episode. If done well, the audience will never know the difference between a dynamically inserted ad and a baked-in ad, which is a permanent part of the audio of the podcast. Podcast hosting platforms, advertisers, and publishers adopted DAI because it helps brands win contextual relevance and efficiency through granular advertising opportunities. Through custom audio ads that appeal to the target audience, dynamic or seasonal geo-targeted ads, measurable variables, and performance data, DAI gives advertisers good control over podcast ad campaigns. This control allows them to tailor the campaigns based on the marketers’ demands. DAI is evolving and has great potential in transcription-based targeting using AI and machine learning. It also has greater creative interactivity to make audio ads engaging through voice interactivity, personalization, and mobile phone engagement. A podcast advertising example using DAI would be a brand creating multiple versions of pre-recorded audio ads that are served to target audiences on any podcast that meets the campaign criteria. Podcast Advertising Anchors Digital Marketers for Effective Outreach Edison Research’s Podcast Consumer 2017 report found that:  24% of people between the ages of 18 and 54 listen to podcasts monthly  Listeners are almost evenly split between men and women  Listeners tend to be affluent, mainly educated consumers  In the 25-54 age bracket, monthly listening has grown year over year for the past four years These stats demonstrate the growing market for podcast advertising and a very stable demographic that B2B marketers would want to target. Marketers rely more on podcast advertisers and platforms to tap into the potential of podcasts as a media channel. Here are some of the ways in which podcast advertising can enhance B2B marketing plans and bring in more conversions: Listener behavior expansion− By understanding what kinds of podcasts the target audience listens to, marketers can create ads that appeal to them, and advertisers can help them get the perfect spot for the ad campaign to make it more successful. Pivoting messaging is easier− Using different voiceovers, marketers can deliver the same message but elicit a different reaction from their target audience. Recycling old ad files is also a viable option to save time and resources. Human connection− Hyper-personalized targeted ads relevant to the podcast content create a human connection with the audience and can influence their opinion about a brand. Personal influence− Podcast hosts create a personal influence on the listeners so they keep tuning in to the podcast and even listen to the episodes again after a period. Ads on such podcasts receive stronger engagement and response. Additionally, hosts can also relay brand messages to listeners and influence their buying decisions. Regional marketing− Podcasts are a great way to connect with a target demographic residing in a certain geographical area. Geo-targeting is a boon for region-specific marketing endeavors. Effective storytelling− Podcasts can fuse autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) for immersive storytelling to impress listeners. The continuity and power of an engaging narration keeps the listeners subscribed and attached, ensuring that any kind of advertising on such podcasts can reach a wider audience. Advertisers Are Helping B2B Marketers Generate Revenue According to a forecast by IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), podcast advertising revenue will exceed $4 billion by 2024. Marketers are dependent on advertisers to tap into the podcast advertising potential to generate revenue in the following ways: Demand Generation An estimated 62 million Americans (Source: Edison Research) listen to podcasts, and this number is expected to grow. An interview by a product expert on an industry-relevant podcast can help get leads without wasting any budget on creating awareness, making it cost-effective. It’s no wonder LinkedIn and HubSpot have started their own podcast networks to host business and career-related content. Brand Building & Customer Retention Apart from using podcasts to generate leads, it can also help with brand building. Sponsoring a popular and relevant podcast episode can create a brand’s reputation and trust. It can also help retain existing customers as sponsorships demonstrate a continuous commitment to industry growth and development. Ad Effectiveness 75% of podcast listeners were happy with the purchase they had made from podcast ads (A Study by Voices, the #1 voice marketplace). This goes to show that podcast advertising brings out expected results and conversions without compromising the customer experience or opinion. Podcast as a Medium for Thought Leadership Podcasts are a great medium for B2B thought leadership. They are a free space to express expert industry opinion, talk about the current industry trends, address the pain points of the customers, discuss tech advancements, and create a personal connection with the listeners. Tailored thought leadership content can fuel brand engagement and bring in leads that convert because of brand trust. Feedback gathered through interactive content can help B2B marketers create personalized marketing plans to align their goals with ad campaigns better. Podcast Ads: Taking the First Step Before you step into the world of podcast advertising, make sure you consider aspects like target demographic, podcast ad pricing, industry/brand relevant podcasts, ad purchasing, the reputation of the podcast advertising network, and podcast advertising platforms. Policygenius, a New York-based insurance agency, invested early in podcast advertising through Ad Results Media, an ad agency. Policygenius achieved its ROI goals, and its media spending increased by 10x in two years. You can buy podcast ads directly, through a podcast advertising network, or programmatically. To track the success of your ads, use KPIs like unique listeners, ranking and reviews, subscribers, social sharing, and episode-by-episode metrics. Wrapping It Up Podcasts can be a great advertising avenue for B2B companies to influence their buying groups and create new customers. Its monumental growth as a media channel and its ad revenue over the past couple of years indicate that it is here to stay and should be harnessed for a wider reach and bigger sales numbers. FAQ What is the role of podcast advertising networks? A podcast advertising network is a full-service podcast advertising solution that maintains podcast ad inventory and manages ad campaigns for marketers. How is podcast advertising different from traditional advertising methods? Podcast advertising uses automated ad tech to create dynamic ad campaigns across relevant podcasts, while traditional advertising methods focus on print ads, outdoor billboards, and cable television. Which are some popular podcast advertising platforms? Some popular podcast advertising platforms are Midroll, AdvertiseCast, PodGrid, and Archer Avenue.

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Netflix Opens Doors to Ads After Subscriber Count Takes a Nosedive

Article | May 11, 2022

Netflix Takes an Unexpected Route Popular streaming giant Netflix’s subscriber count plummeted for the first time in a decade. After it announced the loss of 200K subscribers in Q1 of 2022, its stocks dipped more than 35%. In addition, a shareholder recently sued the platform for violating securities law after its subscriber growth reached an all-time low and the stock value crashed, making the picture bleaker. It’s not surprising that the platform had a change of heart about bringing advertising to its platform. The decision puts the platform in the same category as its competitors, HBO Max, Amazon’s Freevee, and Disney+, who want to offer cheaper, ad-enabled content to consumers. It also addresses the company’s issue of slow revenue growth. “Those who have followed Netflix know that I’ve been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription, But as much as I’m a fan of that, I’m a bigger fan of consumer choice.” co-CEO Reed Hastings What Do Advertisers Think? The advertising community had mixed reactions to the announcement. Long commercials are not an option on streaming platforms like Netflix. The ads run only for a few minutes every hour to retain the viewer experience. Despite this, advertisers are excited to target Netflix’s rich audience of over 200 million. There is no clarity on who will sell the ads and how the campaigns will be managed. Only time will tell how Netflix’s move will affect its subscribers and the advertising market. The company will keep ad-free tiers for subscribers who wish to enjoy high-quality ad-free content. It may change its subscription plans to offer low-cost plans with ads and minimize password sharing. There is no set timeline or regions decided for implementing these plans. The company hopes that this “consumer choice” to choose a cheaper plan will revive its subscriber growth graph. What Comes Next? Though Netflix has done the unexpected, it is giving well-established ad-funded broadcasters and streaming platforms a reason to worry. As of now, the potential for a low-cost VOD service equipped with ads is huge for advertisers. Once the plans are introduced, new audience profiles will emerge. Advertisers will want to understand and target them. As an ad platform, Netflix’s performance will only be understood through testing and learning.

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ADVERTISER PLATFORMS

Useful Advertising Tips That Will Boost Your eCommerce Business

Article | October 8, 2021

As a marketer, your goal is to create ads that stick in the minds of your audience. You devote extra time and resources to creating memorable graphics, engaging CTAs, and interesting copy that works. You also buy just the right ad spots. But, what happens when your potential customer scrolls right past your ad? Your costly video ad never creates a difference and your campaign fails. Combat this video ad fatigue with audio advertising to effectively influence your target demographic. After the audio content boom driven by podcasts, audio advertising is rising and becoming marketers’ new favorite. Nielsen Catalina Solutions’ 12-month-long study of audio ads on Spotify versus video and display ads found that audio ads were up to 25% more effective than other ad formats. Mostly, audio ads are delivered through podcasts. We’ll dive into this shortly. First let’s look at how audio advertising can influence the buying decisions of your target audience: Audio Advertising: Superpowers Explained Audio advertising uses a broad content category such as background scores, jingles, and branded content apart from audio ads. By fusing audio ads into audio experiences such as ad-supported music streaming or podcasts, marketers can position relevant products and services in front of customers. Here are more of its advantages: Audio Ads Offer Immersive Experience A study done by Lightwave and iHeartMedia showed that one of the biggest benefits of audio advertising was its ability to connect with the audience on a deeper level. Remembering catchy jingles is also a part of this connection. Audio ads communicate emotions, capture the attention of the listeners within seconds and engage them enough to paint a picture in their minds. They achieve this without a big budget or production crew. A strong script and an audio booth are all you need to create an immersive audio ad. They Have a Greater Reach Primarily, audio ads are delivered through podcasts because they can be easily categorized and are widely consumed. According to Statista, almost 60% of all U.S. consumers older than 12 listen to podcasts. Interestingly, 70% podcast listeners do not multi-task while listening to a podcast, so you are catering to alert listeners who might end up retaining your ad (Edison Research). Apart from podcasts, audio ads are also run in locations such as radio, music, and news streams. They Are Insightful and Creative Marketers can use 3D and 8D audio to create soundscapes that offer an immersive experience. Additionally, audio ads create a 1-to-1 relationship. With the help of programmatic advertising, they also collect many layers of data that provide buying insights. Integrating audio ads with voice assistants is a creative approach to entice customers while being interactive. Nars Cosmetics UK used Spotify to offer its customers voice commerce. Upon hearing the ad on Spotify, they could order samples and set up delivery using their smart speakers. Smart Speakers Are Changing the Game Smart speakers are contributing to screen-less moments in American homes. This means your video ad campaigns won’t get the kind of response you expect, but your audio ads just might. The Edison Infinite Dial report found that there is an average of 2.3 smart speakers in each home in the U.S. This number shows that a wide range of people use voice search and will listen to audio ads as a result. Summing It Up Audio advertising drives engagement and conversion through immersive storytelling, catchy jingles, and longer ad retention. It can be a great addition to your digital marketing strategy and refine the way you influence your audience’s buying decisions.

Read More
ADVERTISER PLATFORMS

Combat Video Ad Fatigue with Audio Advertising

Article | June 1, 2022

Did you know that there are over three billion smartphone users globally? While browsing through varied content, they see ads relevant to things they explore in their downloaded apps and games. In addition, they receive offers through SMS and see banner ads on websites they visit. These ads are a part of mobile ad campaigns specifically targeting a certain demographic. Some examples of mobile ads include carousel ads, image and text ads on Facebook, Snapchat filters and ads, video ads on YouTube, notifications from downloaded apps, ads that play between videos or games, and Instagram Story ads. Why are advertisers so keen on utilizing mobile ad campaigns? Mobile Ad Campaigns Speak the Revenue Language Marketers understand the power and impact of mobile phones on users’ lives. As a result, U.S. marketers spent a record 120 billion U.S. dollars on mobile promotion in 2020. (Statista). Mobile ad campaigns can achieve tremendous results and bring in revenue for you by creating a connection with the user through personalization and by catering to all kinds of online audience on-the-go. “The mobile device has become our communications hub, our diary, our entertainment portal, our primary source of media consumption, our wallet and our gateway to real-time information tailored to our needs. The revolution is now!” - Nihal Mehta, Founding General Partner at Eniac Ventures Mobile Advertising Covers All the Bases Companies engage in mobile advertising for objectives like lead generation, customer retention through new offers, brand engagement activities like contests, and creating awareness about a product or a service. Mobile ads are the preferred channel for advertising because: They are cost-effective Allow geo-targeting Get a quick response Can be easily tracked Let us look at all the tricks that can help you optimize your mobile ad campaigns. Grab the Users’ Attention Imagine mobile users aggressively scrolling on their phones. Your ad should make them stop and grab their attention enough to make them read it. The goals of your ad campaigns should be clear. If you are looking to redirect the user to your website or want them to click on the ad, your campaign execution should align with these goals. Adding Value Through Your Messaging Pushing your message effectively to the user can ensure the success of your campaign. Your text should be crisp and sharp, interesting yet simple to comprehend. Use popular phrases or buzz words to create a connection with the users. Don’t Underestimate Visual Appeal Visual appeal plays a vital role in the way users react to ads. The image size of your ad, the moving flow, and the options for interacting with the ads can impact your ad’s performance. Ensure that you never interrupt your user’s reading flow when they are browsing and that the visuals of your ad are pleasant and appealing to the eye. Remember, Brevity is the Soul of Wit The content of your ad should be impressive enough to make the users engage with it. Users will respond to clear copy, visuals and your message’s simplicity. Furthermore, make sure that your landing pages are bug-free, load quickly and relate to your display ad so that the users can form a tangible connection between them. Wrapping It Up Mobile advertising helps brands remain connected to their customers around the clock while on the move. It is a personalized and flexible type of advertising that can help advertisers understand the lifestyle of targeted customers to offer them just what they need.

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AD TECH AND MARTECH

4 Ways to Create Engaging Video Content For Advertising

Article | November 18, 2021

Marketers in the B2B domain have a multi-channel approach to marketing because they target companies as buying groups. B2B marketers are leveraging podcast advertising with the help of advertisers, creators, and publishers for brand building and generating leads. They leverage up-and-coming avenues of advertising, most of which are a part of digital media channels. One such avenue is podcast advertising. Podcast advertising is emerging as one of the fastest-growing digital media channels for advertising. It is estimated to grow to more than $2.13 billion in 2022, according to a study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PwC. But, what is driving this growth? Engagement. People are finding podcasts more engaging than ever. Consequently, the demand for podcast ads across all categories is growing. Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI): The Rise of Automated Ad Tech Dynamic ad insertion is a form of programmatic advertising that uses first or third-party data. This data comes from the device playing a podcast, a device user agent, the device’s IP address, and what episode is requested, to serve ads to a target demographic. The ad server of the podcast hosting platform decides which ads should be stitched into a particular podcast episode. If done well, the audience will never know the difference between a dynamically inserted ad and a baked-in ad, which is a permanent part of the audio of the podcast. Podcast hosting platforms, advertisers, and publishers adopted DAI because it helps brands win contextual relevance and efficiency through granular advertising opportunities. Through custom audio ads that appeal to the target audience, dynamic or seasonal geo-targeted ads, measurable variables, and performance data, DAI gives advertisers good control over podcast ad campaigns. This control allows them to tailor the campaigns based on the marketers’ demands. DAI is evolving and has great potential in transcription-based targeting using AI and machine learning. It also has greater creative interactivity to make audio ads engaging through voice interactivity, personalization, and mobile phone engagement. A podcast advertising example using DAI would be a brand creating multiple versions of pre-recorded audio ads that are served to target audiences on any podcast that meets the campaign criteria. Podcast Advertising Anchors Digital Marketers for Effective Outreach Edison Research’s Podcast Consumer 2017 report found that:  24% of people between the ages of 18 and 54 listen to podcasts monthly  Listeners are almost evenly split between men and women  Listeners tend to be affluent, mainly educated consumers  In the 25-54 age bracket, monthly listening has grown year over year for the past four years These stats demonstrate the growing market for podcast advertising and a very stable demographic that B2B marketers would want to target. Marketers rely more on podcast advertisers and platforms to tap into the potential of podcasts as a media channel. Here are some of the ways in which podcast advertising can enhance B2B marketing plans and bring in more conversions: Listener behavior expansion− By understanding what kinds of podcasts the target audience listens to, marketers can create ads that appeal to them, and advertisers can help them get the perfect spot for the ad campaign to make it more successful. Pivoting messaging is easier− Using different voiceovers, marketers can deliver the same message but elicit a different reaction from their target audience. Recycling old ad files is also a viable option to save time and resources. Human connection− Hyper-personalized targeted ads relevant to the podcast content create a human connection with the audience and can influence their opinion about a brand. Personal influence− Podcast hosts create a personal influence on the listeners so they keep tuning in to the podcast and even listen to the episodes again after a period. Ads on such podcasts receive stronger engagement and response. Additionally, hosts can also relay brand messages to listeners and influence their buying decisions. Regional marketing− Podcasts are a great way to connect with a target demographic residing in a certain geographical area. Geo-targeting is a boon for region-specific marketing endeavors. Effective storytelling− Podcasts can fuse autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) for immersive storytelling to impress listeners. The continuity and power of an engaging narration keeps the listeners subscribed and attached, ensuring that any kind of advertising on such podcasts can reach a wider audience. Advertisers Are Helping B2B Marketers Generate Revenue According to a forecast by IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), podcast advertising revenue will exceed $4 billion by 2024. Marketers are dependent on advertisers to tap into the podcast advertising potential to generate revenue in the following ways: Demand Generation An estimated 62 million Americans (Source: Edison Research) listen to podcasts, and this number is expected to grow. An interview by a product expert on an industry-relevant podcast can help get leads without wasting any budget on creating awareness, making it cost-effective. It’s no wonder LinkedIn and HubSpot have started their own podcast networks to host business and career-related content. Brand Building & Customer Retention Apart from using podcasts to generate leads, it can also help with brand building. Sponsoring a popular and relevant podcast episode can create a brand’s reputation and trust. It can also help retain existing customers as sponsorships demonstrate a continuous commitment to industry growth and development. Ad Effectiveness 75% of podcast listeners were happy with the purchase they had made from podcast ads (A Study by Voices, the #1 voice marketplace). This goes to show that podcast advertising brings out expected results and conversions without compromising the customer experience or opinion. Podcast as a Medium for Thought Leadership Podcasts are a great medium for B2B thought leadership. They are a free space to express expert industry opinion, talk about the current industry trends, address the pain points of the customers, discuss tech advancements, and create a personal connection with the listeners. Tailored thought leadership content can fuel brand engagement and bring in leads that convert because of brand trust. Feedback gathered through interactive content can help B2B marketers create personalized marketing plans to align their goals with ad campaigns better. Podcast Ads: Taking the First Step Before you step into the world of podcast advertising, make sure you consider aspects like target demographic, podcast ad pricing, industry/brand relevant podcasts, ad purchasing, the reputation of the podcast advertising network, and podcast advertising platforms. Policygenius, a New York-based insurance agency, invested early in podcast advertising through Ad Results Media, an ad agency. Policygenius achieved its ROI goals, and its media spending increased by 10x in two years. You can buy podcast ads directly, through a podcast advertising network, or programmatically. To track the success of your ads, use KPIs like unique listeners, ranking and reviews, subscribers, social sharing, and episode-by-episode metrics. Wrapping It Up Podcasts can be a great advertising avenue for B2B companies to influence their buying groups and create new customers. Its monumental growth as a media channel and its ad revenue over the past couple of years indicate that it is here to stay and should be harnessed for a wider reach and bigger sales numbers. FAQ What is the role of podcast advertising networks? A podcast advertising network is a full-service podcast advertising solution that maintains podcast ad inventory and manages ad campaigns for marketers. How is podcast advertising different from traditional advertising methods? Podcast advertising uses automated ad tech to create dynamic ad campaigns across relevant podcasts, while traditional advertising methods focus on print ads, outdoor billboards, and cable television. Which are some popular podcast advertising platforms? Some popular podcast advertising platforms are Midroll, AdvertiseCast, PodGrid, and Archer Avenue.

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SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING

Netflix Opens Doors to Ads After Subscriber Count Takes a Nosedive

Article | May 11, 2022

Netflix Takes an Unexpected Route Popular streaming giant Netflix’s subscriber count plummeted for the first time in a decade. After it announced the loss of 200K subscribers in Q1 of 2022, its stocks dipped more than 35%. In addition, a shareholder recently sued the platform for violating securities law after its subscriber growth reached an all-time low and the stock value crashed, making the picture bleaker. It’s not surprising that the platform had a change of heart about bringing advertising to its platform. The decision puts the platform in the same category as its competitors, HBO Max, Amazon’s Freevee, and Disney+, who want to offer cheaper, ad-enabled content to consumers. It also addresses the company’s issue of slow revenue growth. “Those who have followed Netflix know that I’ve been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription, But as much as I’m a fan of that, I’m a bigger fan of consumer choice.” co-CEO Reed Hastings What Do Advertisers Think? The advertising community had mixed reactions to the announcement. Long commercials are not an option on streaming platforms like Netflix. The ads run only for a few minutes every hour to retain the viewer experience. Despite this, advertisers are excited to target Netflix’s rich audience of over 200 million. There is no clarity on who will sell the ads and how the campaigns will be managed. Only time will tell how Netflix’s move will affect its subscribers and the advertising market. The company will keep ad-free tiers for subscribers who wish to enjoy high-quality ad-free content. It may change its subscription plans to offer low-cost plans with ads and minimize password sharing. There is no set timeline or regions decided for implementing these plans. The company hopes that this “consumer choice” to choose a cheaper plan will revive its subscriber growth graph. What Comes Next? Though Netflix has done the unexpected, it is giving well-established ad-funded broadcasters and streaming platforms a reason to worry. As of now, the potential for a low-cost VOD service equipped with ads is huge for advertisers. Once the plans are introduced, new audience profiles will emerge. Advertisers will want to understand and target them. As an ad platform, Netflix’s performance will only be understood through testing and learning.

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We have been creating, growing and invigorating brands for over 30 years. It’s what we do all day, every day. And, quite frankly, we love it. Our results and awards suggest others do too.There is no better feeling than seeing the impact of our work on a client’s bottom line. After all, that’s what we are here for. To make a difference. To get results.You won’t find many agencies that consider every aspect of the brand experience. We won’t stop at your communications, we look at the overall experience – from your website and office interior to service design and social media strategies to training your sales team how to talk about your brand, we leave no stone unturned.

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Instacart Announces New Shoppable Video and Display Advertising Products, Driving Inspiration, Discovery and Purchase

Instacart | May 30, 2022

Instacart today announced two new advertising solutions that bring together the best of inspirational storytelling and action: shoppable video ads and enhanced shoppable display ads. These new formats expand Instacart's ad product suite with inspiring experiences to give brands a more immersive way to storytell, engage and drive sales. Shoppable video and shoppable display enable CPG brands to shorten the user journey from awareness and product discovery directly to purchase – all within one rich media unit. Advertisers can now promote engaging, targeted, creative content to consumers as they shop from their favorite retailers on Instacart. Dove, Mondelēz International, PepsiCo and S.Pellegrino are among the first CPG brands to pilot Instacart's shoppable video and shoppable display products. "Advertisers choose Instacart because we've built a platform with high-intent consumers, unparalleled scale of retailers, and closed-looped measurement, all of which drives meaningful results for our brand partners," said Ali Miller, Vice President of Ads Product at Instacart. "We designed our new shoppable ad products to create more brand storytelling opportunities for CPGs, help them inspire and reach new and existing consumers, and ultimately drive sales in a singular unit. We see that these kinds of shoppable rich media experiences resonate with consumers as well, as we're bringing more discovery and inspiration to the online shopping experience. We're grateful to work with brand partners who have been excited to innovate with us and incubate these formats along the way to drive maximum impact." Instacart's new shoppable video ads will equip brands to combine the powerful storytelling capabilities of video creative with an in-line set of shoppable products to shorten the path from discovery to purchase. Advertisers will be able to fuel brand affinity with rich stories, motion and audio, and inspire bigger baskets with seamless add to cart functionality. Throughout the pilot, Instacart will test and learn alongside its CPG brand partners to determine best practices and inform what the shoppable video product looks like when it is available to all brands in Instacart's self-service portal, Ads Manager, later this year. Building on the early success of its inaugural display ads product, Instacart has created a new, iterative, shoppable display product to inspire basket building through discovery and purchase. This new shoppable display format is a CPG brand's contextual 'pop up shop' on Instacart and enables them to reach the right consumer at the right time to drive consideration and bigger baskets – without disrupting the shopping experience. The engaging new format features brand imagery coupled with direct add to cart functionality; brands are able to pin a bundle of items that inspires complementary purchases, innovation, and drives routine purchases. More than 40 CPG brands have piloted the shoppable display product, which will be generally available to all brand partners in Ads Manager later this summer. Dove first partnered with Instacart Ads in 2017 with sponsored product campaigns, and expanded as an early pioneer with shoppable display for their "Nourish Your Beauty" campaign. "Across all our Dove campaigns, we tell real, thoughtful stories of beauty as a source of confidence, not anxiety, that our audience can authentically connect with and that inspire the next generation," said Leslie Miller, Marketing Director on Dove. "At the same time, we are constantly looking for innovative platforms to engage with our audience. Working with Instacart Ads has enabled us to try new tools that do just that. Testing Instacart's new shoppable display and shoppable video ads have equipped us to inspire even more people with our brand storytelling and seamlessly drive purchases as they shop on Instacart." "Partnering with Instacart helps us stay ahead of the curve when it comes to inspiring and engaging consumers along their shopping journey," said Emily Frankel, SVP, eCommerce Marketing Head at PepsiCo. "Partnering with Instacart helps us stay ahead of the curve when it comes to inspiring and engaging consumers along their shopping journey," said Emily Frankel, SVP, eCommerce Marketing Head at PepsiCo. "Multiple PepsiCo brands have joined the Instacart video and display pilots to test and learn. Shoppable display has proven to be an effective way to drive first-time purchase of our products via the Instacart platform, and while we're just getting started with shoppable video, we look forward to continuing our work to give consumers a compelling omnichannel experience." "We're thrilled to partner with Instacart. Online grocery shopping is critical to our long-term growth strategy and we are excited to create a richer experience for our consumers as they shop for our beloved brands." - Wesley Saraceni, Senior Director of Marketing Digital Commerce at Mondelēz International. Instacart's new shoppable video and shoppable display products expand the company's robust advertising tool kit and help CPG brands of all sizes deeply engage with consumers directly at the point of purchase. Now, advertisers have even more choices and touchpoints to inspire consumers throughout the entire shopping journey. The new shoppable video and display products, alongside the company's flagship sponsored product offering, brand pages and suite of display ad solutions, equip brands on Instacart with comprehensive full-funnel marketing capabilities to reach valuable consumers at the point of purchase and drive effective, measurable outcomes. Instacart today offers self-service and managed ad services for more than 5,000 CPG brands. Instacart also partners with industry-leading API partners that have built campaign management and optimization applications leveraging the Instacart Ads API. About Instacart Instacart is a leading retail enablement platform that works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. Today, Instacart partners with more than 800 national, regional and local retail brands to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. Millions of busy people and families turn to Instacart to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and more than 600,000 Instacart shoppers pick, pack and deliver orders for customers on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power e-commerce, fulfillment, in-store, ads and insights for retailers across the U.S. and Canada. Hundreds of retailers partner with Instacart to power their e-commerce experiences across the Instacart App and their own white-label sites and solutions. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com. For anyone interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, visit https://shoppers.instacart.com/.

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DISPLAY ADVERTISING

InMobi and Anzu Announce Preferred Programmatic In-Game Ad Partnership for Asia-Pacific Region

Anzu, InMobi | April 11, 2022

InMobi, a leading provider of content, monetization, and marketing technologies that help businesses fuel growth, today announced a partnership with Anzu.io, the world’s most advanced in-game advertising solution. The move means InMobi can now provide its advertisers with direct access to Anzu’s premium mobile programmatic inventory across the globe, in addition to first-look access to in-game mobile supply in Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Anzu’s award-winning in-game advertising solution allows programmatic advertisers to run their banner and video ads via blended yet highly viewable IAB-compliant ad formats that sit on 3D objects like roadside billboards, stadium banners and buildings. The ads are designed to complement the gameplay, respecting gamers, and in many cases, making the gameplay experience more realistic. Anzu’s technology is integrated with a full suite of third-party trusted vendors, including HUMAN for fraud detection; Comscore, Lumen, Nielsen for brand lift measurement; and Kochava for data enrichment. Anzu and Moat have also just enabled the first-to-market viewability measurement for in-game ads meaning InMobi’s advertisers can now request in-view metrics when programmatically running in-game ads. “I’m excited that this partnership with InMobi will help many more APAC advertisers experience the huge opportunity that in-game advertising presents, '' says Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO, Anzu. “I’m excited that this partnership with InMobi will help many more APAC advertisers experience the huge opportunity that in-game advertising presents, '' says Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO, Anzu. “InMobi’s expertise and vast advertiser network, combined with their knowledge of the APAC landscape, will help supercharge our solution within this market. There are more gamers in APAC than anywhere else in the world, and our solution will help brands to reach them in a non-disruptive, brand-safe way that compliments the gaming experience.” InMobi’s direct connections with top demand-side platforms across the globe, combined with direct supply to Anzu’s global inventory, enable advertisers to access these ad experiences through optimized supply paths. Access to Anzu’s inventory will help InMobi offer scale across a huge number of mobile games spanning multiple genres, allowing advertisers to reach engaged players within immersive environments. “InMobi’s preferred in-game advertising partnership with Anzu, co-funded by the world’s largest advertising agency WPP, allows our clients to seamlessly connect with gamers through integrated, non-disruptive ads,” says Kunal Nagpal, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Publisher Platform and Exchange at InMobi. “This partnership is beneficial to all parties, with new features and the goal to drive connections between consumers and brands with Anzu’s premium technology.” In addition, game developers partnering with InMobi will be able to take advantage of all the benefits that using Anzu’s SDK presents, which is already used by leading game developers including Ubisoft, MyGames, and Sir Studios, to monetize their titles with in-game ads that open up new reliable revenue streams, complement the gameplay, and work alongside other monetization models and solutions. Additionally, InMobi will help gaming publishers tap into global premium demand and seamlessly expand into in-game ad monetization to generate incremental revenue through both standard formats and in-game ads through a single platform. Ms. Ly, Commercialization Manager for Amanotes, one of South East Asia’s most popular mobile publishers, said: “We have two main goals, to continually improve the user experience and grow our business. Ensuring we keep an equal balance between both can be challenging. Anzu allows us to accomplish both of these goals simultaneously. Their in-game ad placements put gamers first and bring a sense of realism to our experiences while allowing us to establish a consistent and reliable revenue stream to help grow our business. The ads also work great alongside the other monetization methods we have in place.” Mobile gaming has sustained strong momentum from the initial surge at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with new mobile game downloads 45% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This growth hasn’t been restricted to younger users only; eMarketer estimates that in the United States alone 163 million people—nearly half the population—play mobile games, breaking the traditional ‘gamer’ stereotypes marketers may have had in the recent past. About Anzu Anzu is the most advanced in-game ad solution for mobile, PC, console, and Roblox. Anzu’s in-game ads put players first and help advertisers reach audiences programmatically in a non-disruptive and highly engaging way. A patented 3D ad tracking engine, the first to bring viewability measurement in-game with Oracle Moat, and partnerships with trusted AdTech vendors make Anzu the preferred in-game advertising partner for advertisers worldwide. Anzu helps game developers monetize their titles with ad placements that complement the gameplay, resulting in reliable revenue streams. The sole officially licensed in-game ad provider for Xbox, the first ad platform to become Unity verified, and with a self-serve dashboard that provides complete control over ad placements, Anzu is the preferred in-game ad monetization partner for developers worldwide. Backed by WPP, Sony Innovation Fund, NBCUniversal, HTC, Bitkraft, and other prominent investors, Anzu has raised $37M to make advertising in games better. Better for brands, better for game developers, and better for gamers. Learn more. About InMobi InMobi is a leading provider of marketing and monetization technologies. With deep expertise and unique reach in mobile, it is a trusted and transparent technology partner for marketers, content creators and businesses of all kinds. InMobi’s mission is to power its customers’ growth by helping them engage their audiences and build meaningful connections. Its affiliated businesses – Glance, an unconsolidated subsidiary that offers a lock screen-based content discovery platform and video platform Roposo – help InMobi create new content and commerce experiences in a world of connected devices. InMobi is headquartered in Singapore, maintains a large presence in San Francisco and Bangalore and has operations in New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai, Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul, Tokyo, London and Dubai. To learn more, visit inmobi.com.

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MOBILE ADVERTISING

PubMatic and IAB Europe Reveal the State of Online Video Advertising Today and Predictions for the Year Ahead

PubMatic, IAB Europe | March 17, 2022

PubMatic (Nasdaq: PUBM), an independent technology company maximising customer value by delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, in partnership with IAB Europe, today released an industry report titled “The State of Online Video Advertising in Europe”. The report highlights media buyers’ appetite to continue to increase investment in video advertising, in particular connected TV (CTV). Over 140 online video buyers from agencies and advertisers across 31 European markets took part in the survey-based research generating key insights such as: On average, digital media buyers are investing 36% of total ad spend in video advertising (excluding TV formats) The most frequently bought video advertising is mobile web with one-quarter of media buyers investing more than 61% of their digital budget in this channel Two-thirds of digital buyers are investing in CTV, albeit at a lower percentage of the total budget. “Media buyers are excited about the potential of CTV advertising as it offers a cost-effective way to reach audiences that are viewing far less traditional TV. This is appealing to big brands, while also opening an opportunity for smaller brands to invest in TV advertising without the big price tag attached to linear TV,” said Hitesh Bhatt, senior director, CTV/OTT, EMEA at PubMatic. “Media buyers are excited about the potential of CTV advertising as it offers a cost-effective way to reach audiences that are viewing far less traditional TV. This is appealing to big brands, while also opening an opportunity for smaller brands to invest in TV advertising without the big price tag attached to linear TV,” said Hitesh Bhatt, senior director, CTV/OTT, EMEA at PubMatic. The study also found that when media buyers find the same programmatic video inventory available via multiple sell-side platforms (SSPs) - which is often the case - almost half say performance KPIs are the most important factor in deciding which SSP to work with. This is followed by cost (26%) and data activation (16%) “This focus on KPIs as a deciding factor in SSP selection highlights the importance of maximising audience addressability – a known driver of better performance. Combining brand and publisher-owned first-party data, and independent ID solutions help better predict consumer behaviour and thus maximises the size, and accuracy of addressable audiences across the open web,” said Bhatt. “Today, A/B testing different addressability strategies is one of the best ways to establish which partners can deliver the best performance. Early tests show that a portfolio approach delivers the best performance,” said Bhatt. The deprecation of third-party cookies has changed buyers’ approach to online video advertising in browser environments, however, despite previous reliance on third-party cookies, programmatic remains strong with two-thirds of respondents allocating the majority of budget to programmatic channels. The key to driving more revenue into digital video will be solving a lack of cross-screen measurement cited by 46% as the biggest barrier, and 57% actively seeking more measurable formats. Despite measurement being a significant challenge, almost one-quarter (23%) of digital media buyers are planning digital campaigns as cross-screen including TV in that definition. Marie-Clare Puffett, senior manager, marketing & industry programmes, IAB Europe commented on the research: "IAB Europe and PubMatic's The State of Online Video Advertising study provides a view into the direction of travel in Europe for this growing advertising market. The findings will help advertisers, publishers and the broader digital advertising industry plan ahead, and make the most of the opportunities on offer. This report shows that advertisers view online video as a strong channel for brand building. However, there are also clear concerns around cross-device targeting that will need to be addressed for the value of online video advertising to be realised in full. Given the aptitude for innovation in the digital advertising sector, I have every confidence these concerns will be overcome and online video will continue as an important channel for brand building."

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AD NETWORKS

Instacart Announces New Shoppable Video and Display Advertising Products, Driving Inspiration, Discovery and Purchase

Instacart | May 30, 2022

Instacart today announced two new advertising solutions that bring together the best of inspirational storytelling and action: shoppable video ads and enhanced shoppable display ads. These new formats expand Instacart's ad product suite with inspiring experiences to give brands a more immersive way to storytell, engage and drive sales. Shoppable video and shoppable display enable CPG brands to shorten the user journey from awareness and product discovery directly to purchase – all within one rich media unit. Advertisers can now promote engaging, targeted, creative content to consumers as they shop from their favorite retailers on Instacart. Dove, Mondelēz International, PepsiCo and S.Pellegrino are among the first CPG brands to pilot Instacart's shoppable video and shoppable display products. "Advertisers choose Instacart because we've built a platform with high-intent consumers, unparalleled scale of retailers, and closed-looped measurement, all of which drives meaningful results for our brand partners," said Ali Miller, Vice President of Ads Product at Instacart. "We designed our new shoppable ad products to create more brand storytelling opportunities for CPGs, help them inspire and reach new and existing consumers, and ultimately drive sales in a singular unit. We see that these kinds of shoppable rich media experiences resonate with consumers as well, as we're bringing more discovery and inspiration to the online shopping experience. We're grateful to work with brand partners who have been excited to innovate with us and incubate these formats along the way to drive maximum impact." Instacart's new shoppable video ads will equip brands to combine the powerful storytelling capabilities of video creative with an in-line set of shoppable products to shorten the path from discovery to purchase. Advertisers will be able to fuel brand affinity with rich stories, motion and audio, and inspire bigger baskets with seamless add to cart functionality. Throughout the pilot, Instacart will test and learn alongside its CPG brand partners to determine best practices and inform what the shoppable video product looks like when it is available to all brands in Instacart's self-service portal, Ads Manager, later this year. Building on the early success of its inaugural display ads product, Instacart has created a new, iterative, shoppable display product to inspire basket building through discovery and purchase. This new shoppable display format is a CPG brand's contextual 'pop up shop' on Instacart and enables them to reach the right consumer at the right time to drive consideration and bigger baskets – without disrupting the shopping experience. The engaging new format features brand imagery coupled with direct add to cart functionality; brands are able to pin a bundle of items that inspires complementary purchases, innovation, and drives routine purchases. More than 40 CPG brands have piloted the shoppable display product, which will be generally available to all brand partners in Ads Manager later this summer. Dove first partnered with Instacart Ads in 2017 with sponsored product campaigns, and expanded as an early pioneer with shoppable display for their "Nourish Your Beauty" campaign. "Across all our Dove campaigns, we tell real, thoughtful stories of beauty as a source of confidence, not anxiety, that our audience can authentically connect with and that inspire the next generation," said Leslie Miller, Marketing Director on Dove. "At the same time, we are constantly looking for innovative platforms to engage with our audience. Working with Instacart Ads has enabled us to try new tools that do just that. Testing Instacart's new shoppable display and shoppable video ads have equipped us to inspire even more people with our brand storytelling and seamlessly drive purchases as they shop on Instacart." "Partnering with Instacart helps us stay ahead of the curve when it comes to inspiring and engaging consumers along their shopping journey," said Emily Frankel, SVP, eCommerce Marketing Head at PepsiCo. "Partnering with Instacart helps us stay ahead of the curve when it comes to inspiring and engaging consumers along their shopping journey," said Emily Frankel, SVP, eCommerce Marketing Head at PepsiCo. "Multiple PepsiCo brands have joined the Instacart video and display pilots to test and learn. Shoppable display has proven to be an effective way to drive first-time purchase of our products via the Instacart platform, and while we're just getting started with shoppable video, we look forward to continuing our work to give consumers a compelling omnichannel experience." "We're thrilled to partner with Instacart. Online grocery shopping is critical to our long-term growth strategy and we are excited to create a richer experience for our consumers as they shop for our beloved brands." - Wesley Saraceni, Senior Director of Marketing Digital Commerce at Mondelēz International. Instacart's new shoppable video and shoppable display products expand the company's robust advertising tool kit and help CPG brands of all sizes deeply engage with consumers directly at the point of purchase. Now, advertisers have even more choices and touchpoints to inspire consumers throughout the entire shopping journey. The new shoppable video and display products, alongside the company's flagship sponsored product offering, brand pages and suite of display ad solutions, equip brands on Instacart with comprehensive full-funnel marketing capabilities to reach valuable consumers at the point of purchase and drive effective, measurable outcomes. Instacart today offers self-service and managed ad services for more than 5,000 CPG brands. Instacart also partners with industry-leading API partners that have built campaign management and optimization applications leveraging the Instacart Ads API. About Instacart Instacart is a leading retail enablement platform that works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. Today, Instacart partners with more than 800 national, regional and local retail brands to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. Millions of busy people and families turn to Instacart to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and more than 600,000 Instacart shoppers pick, pack and deliver orders for customers on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power e-commerce, fulfillment, in-store, ads and insights for retailers across the U.S. and Canada. Hundreds of retailers partner with Instacart to power their e-commerce experiences across the Instacart App and their own white-label sites and solutions. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com. For anyone interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, visit https://shoppers.instacart.com/.

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DISPLAY ADVERTISING

InMobi and Anzu Announce Preferred Programmatic In-Game Ad Partnership for Asia-Pacific Region

Anzu, InMobi | April 11, 2022

InMobi, a leading provider of content, monetization, and marketing technologies that help businesses fuel growth, today announced a partnership with Anzu.io, the world’s most advanced in-game advertising solution. The move means InMobi can now provide its advertisers with direct access to Anzu’s premium mobile programmatic inventory across the globe, in addition to first-look access to in-game mobile supply in Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Anzu’s award-winning in-game advertising solution allows programmatic advertisers to run their banner and video ads via blended yet highly viewable IAB-compliant ad formats that sit on 3D objects like roadside billboards, stadium banners and buildings. The ads are designed to complement the gameplay, respecting gamers, and in many cases, making the gameplay experience more realistic. Anzu’s technology is integrated with a full suite of third-party trusted vendors, including HUMAN for fraud detection; Comscore, Lumen, Nielsen for brand lift measurement; and Kochava for data enrichment. Anzu and Moat have also just enabled the first-to-market viewability measurement for in-game ads meaning InMobi’s advertisers can now request in-view metrics when programmatically running in-game ads. “I’m excited that this partnership with InMobi will help many more APAC advertisers experience the huge opportunity that in-game advertising presents, '' says Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO, Anzu. “I’m excited that this partnership with InMobi will help many more APAC advertisers experience the huge opportunity that in-game advertising presents, '' says Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO, Anzu. “InMobi’s expertise and vast advertiser network, combined with their knowledge of the APAC landscape, will help supercharge our solution within this market. There are more gamers in APAC than anywhere else in the world, and our solution will help brands to reach them in a non-disruptive, brand-safe way that compliments the gaming experience.” InMobi’s direct connections with top demand-side platforms across the globe, combined with direct supply to Anzu’s global inventory, enable advertisers to access these ad experiences through optimized supply paths. Access to Anzu’s inventory will help InMobi offer scale across a huge number of mobile games spanning multiple genres, allowing advertisers to reach engaged players within immersive environments. “InMobi’s preferred in-game advertising partnership with Anzu, co-funded by the world’s largest advertising agency WPP, allows our clients to seamlessly connect with gamers through integrated, non-disruptive ads,” says Kunal Nagpal, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Publisher Platform and Exchange at InMobi. “This partnership is beneficial to all parties, with new features and the goal to drive connections between consumers and brands with Anzu’s premium technology.” In addition, game developers partnering with InMobi will be able to take advantage of all the benefits that using Anzu’s SDK presents, which is already used by leading game developers including Ubisoft, MyGames, and Sir Studios, to monetize their titles with in-game ads that open up new reliable revenue streams, complement the gameplay, and work alongside other monetization models and solutions. Additionally, InMobi will help gaming publishers tap into global premium demand and seamlessly expand into in-game ad monetization to generate incremental revenue through both standard formats and in-game ads through a single platform. Ms. Ly, Commercialization Manager for Amanotes, one of South East Asia’s most popular mobile publishers, said: “We have two main goals, to continually improve the user experience and grow our business. Ensuring we keep an equal balance between both can be challenging. Anzu allows us to accomplish both of these goals simultaneously. Their in-game ad placements put gamers first and bring a sense of realism to our experiences while allowing us to establish a consistent and reliable revenue stream to help grow our business. The ads also work great alongside the other monetization methods we have in place.” Mobile gaming has sustained strong momentum from the initial surge at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with new mobile game downloads 45% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This growth hasn’t been restricted to younger users only; eMarketer estimates that in the United States alone 163 million people—nearly half the population—play mobile games, breaking the traditional ‘gamer’ stereotypes marketers may have had in the recent past. About Anzu Anzu is the most advanced in-game ad solution for mobile, PC, console, and Roblox. Anzu’s in-game ads put players first and help advertisers reach audiences programmatically in a non-disruptive and highly engaging way. A patented 3D ad tracking engine, the first to bring viewability measurement in-game with Oracle Moat, and partnerships with trusted AdTech vendors make Anzu the preferred in-game advertising partner for advertisers worldwide. Anzu helps game developers monetize their titles with ad placements that complement the gameplay, resulting in reliable revenue streams. The sole officially licensed in-game ad provider for Xbox, the first ad platform to become Unity verified, and with a self-serve dashboard that provides complete control over ad placements, Anzu is the preferred in-game ad monetization partner for developers worldwide. Backed by WPP, Sony Innovation Fund, NBCUniversal, HTC, Bitkraft, and other prominent investors, Anzu has raised $37M to make advertising in games better. Better for brands, better for game developers, and better for gamers. Learn more. About InMobi InMobi is a leading provider of marketing and monetization technologies. With deep expertise and unique reach in mobile, it is a trusted and transparent technology partner for marketers, content creators and businesses of all kinds. InMobi’s mission is to power its customers’ growth by helping them engage their audiences and build meaningful connections. Its affiliated businesses – Glance, an unconsolidated subsidiary that offers a lock screen-based content discovery platform and video platform Roposo – help InMobi create new content and commerce experiences in a world of connected devices. InMobi is headquartered in Singapore, maintains a large presence in San Francisco and Bangalore and has operations in New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai, Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul, Tokyo, London and Dubai. To learn more, visit inmobi.com.

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MOBILE ADVERTISING

PubMatic and IAB Europe Reveal the State of Online Video Advertising Today and Predictions for the Year Ahead

PubMatic, IAB Europe | March 17, 2022

PubMatic (Nasdaq: PUBM), an independent technology company maximising customer value by delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, in partnership with IAB Europe, today released an industry report titled “The State of Online Video Advertising in Europe”. The report highlights media buyers’ appetite to continue to increase investment in video advertising, in particular connected TV (CTV). Over 140 online video buyers from agencies and advertisers across 31 European markets took part in the survey-based research generating key insights such as: On average, digital media buyers are investing 36% of total ad spend in video advertising (excluding TV formats) The most frequently bought video advertising is mobile web with one-quarter of media buyers investing more than 61% of their digital budget in this channel Two-thirds of digital buyers are investing in CTV, albeit at a lower percentage of the total budget. “Media buyers are excited about the potential of CTV advertising as it offers a cost-effective way to reach audiences that are viewing far less traditional TV. This is appealing to big brands, while also opening an opportunity for smaller brands to invest in TV advertising without the big price tag attached to linear TV,” said Hitesh Bhatt, senior director, CTV/OTT, EMEA at PubMatic. “Media buyers are excited about the potential of CTV advertising as it offers a cost-effective way to reach audiences that are viewing far less traditional TV. This is appealing to big brands, while also opening an opportunity for smaller brands to invest in TV advertising without the big price tag attached to linear TV,” said Hitesh Bhatt, senior director, CTV/OTT, EMEA at PubMatic. The study also found that when media buyers find the same programmatic video inventory available via multiple sell-side platforms (SSPs) - which is often the case - almost half say performance KPIs are the most important factor in deciding which SSP to work with. This is followed by cost (26%) and data activation (16%) “This focus on KPIs as a deciding factor in SSP selection highlights the importance of maximising audience addressability – a known driver of better performance. Combining brand and publisher-owned first-party data, and independent ID solutions help better predict consumer behaviour and thus maximises the size, and accuracy of addressable audiences across the open web,” said Bhatt. “Today, A/B testing different addressability strategies is one of the best ways to establish which partners can deliver the best performance. Early tests show that a portfolio approach delivers the best performance,” said Bhatt. The deprecation of third-party cookies has changed buyers’ approach to online video advertising in browser environments, however, despite previous reliance on third-party cookies, programmatic remains strong with two-thirds of respondents allocating the majority of budget to programmatic channels. The key to driving more revenue into digital video will be solving a lack of cross-screen measurement cited by 46% as the biggest barrier, and 57% actively seeking more measurable formats. Despite measurement being a significant challenge, almost one-quarter (23%) of digital media buyers are planning digital campaigns as cross-screen including TV in that definition. Marie-Clare Puffett, senior manager, marketing & industry programmes, IAB Europe commented on the research: "IAB Europe and PubMatic's The State of Online Video Advertising study provides a view into the direction of travel in Europe for this growing advertising market. The findings will help advertisers, publishers and the broader digital advertising industry plan ahead, and make the most of the opportunities on offer. This report shows that advertisers view online video as a strong channel for brand building. However, there are also clear concerns around cross-device targeting that will need to be addressed for the value of online video advertising to be realised in full. Given the aptitude for innovation in the digital advertising sector, I have every confidence these concerns will be overcome and online video will continue as an important channel for brand building."

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