Apple removes 18 iOS apps for fraudulent advertising activity

Apple has removed 18 iOS apps after determining they were being used to earn money for cybercriminals by conducting ad fraud. The apps were found to be secretly clicking adverts to earn the attacker cash. While such conduct is not intrusive and may not even be noticeable by the user, it can slow down the device, use more data, and/or drain the battery faster. Security researchers at Wandera discovered 17 of the infected apps which spanned a wide range of categories including productivity, utilities, and navigation. Apple spotted a further app using the same technique. Wandera first noticed dodgy activity originating from a speedometer app on a client’s smartphone. When they investigated it further, it was contacting a command and control server that had been previously identified as being involved with issuing ad fraud orders on Android.

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Marketing Architects Unveils Streaming TV Platform for Performance Marketers

Business Wire | October 10, 2023

Streaming TV advertising is taking a step toward the future. This week, TV advertising agency Marketing Architects launched a new platform for CTV advertisers called Annika Streaming. Based on technology initially developed for linear TV, Annika Streaming buys CTV and streaming inventory more efficiently than current marketplace offerings allow. This enables performance brands to capitalize on streaming’s potential. Annika’s development began six years ago when Marketing Architects built an AI-powered DSP for linear TV. The platform was designed to evaluate custom audience and performance criteria, set it against market trends and historical data, then calculate which media buys will drive the best ROI for individual brands. The result was a linear TV marketplace that delivered premium inventory for TV advertisers without premium price tags. But as viewership shifted to streaming and connected TV, it was essential brands follow consumers to the channel. Unfortunately for performance marketers, streaming’s promise of advanced targeting and measurement capabilities has been overshadowed by its high prices, typically 5-10X higher than linear TV. To close this gap, Marketing Architects spent the last two years building a proprietary streaming capability, bringing the efficient prices Annika achieved in linear into streaming and CTV. Now, Annika Streaming solves some of the biggest challenges for performance marketers on the channel. Pricing: Annika Streaming obtains rates significantly more efficient than industry-leading third-party DSPs. These are achieved through a data-driven approach that benefits streaming publishers and advertisers alike. Targeting:The platform offers several layers of contextual, geographic, and dayparting targeting capabilities, plus retargeting. Distribution: Annika is fully integrated with dozens of streaming publishers and buys inventory available on Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Firestick, and smart TVs. Measurement: With Annika, advertisers get access to multiple measurement models running in parallel, including IP address tracking and holdout groups for incrementality testing. Marketing Architects clients had first access to Annika Streaming, which they are currently using to complement linear TV campaigns. The platform is available to select new brands starting this week. Learn more by visiting marketingarchitects.com/streaming. About Marketing Architects Marketing Architects is an All-Inclusive TV agency that rebuilt the traditional agency model to help brands drive profitable growth. Founded in Minneapolis, Marketing Architects has spent 25 years building homegrown technology to solve TV's pricing, measurement and scale challenges. For more information, please visit www.marketingarchitects.com.

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Ad Tech and Martech

VIOOH & Yahoo Partner to Explore the Value prDOOH Delivers Within Multichannel Campaigns

ExchangeWire | October 17, 2023

Today, VIOOH, the leading premium global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform in partnership with Yahoo Advertising has released a whitepaper examining the potential outcomes of including programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) within multi-channel campaigns. As outlined in VIOOH’s annual State of the Nation report, a key request from advertisers is to understand how prDOOH fits within multi-channel campaigns, and how to best measure its impact. Analysing a series of case studies, the report outlines the best way for advertisers to maximise multi-channel campaign impact through the inclusion of prDOOH. Findings indicate that prDOOH’s inclusion in multi-channel media plans can drive more attention, boost engagement, and improve overall campaign effectiveness. Two key outcomes are clear: 1: Including prDOOH in a multi-channel media plan adds incremental value to the return on investment (ROI) of the digital media mix due to the priming effect - DOOH plays an important role in preparing consumers for conversions during re-engagements on other channels. 2: prDOOH as a channel can boost offline outcomes in terms of sales and footfall as a result of its ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics and flexibility as a programmatic medium. The report also outlines how advertisers can optimise targeting, increase brand awareness, and drive consumer behaviour offline and online by leveraging the strengths of both broadcast and digital channels to deliver ROI. Helen Miall, CMO at VIOOH said, This whitepaper has been prompted by a significant increase in demand for prDOOH from advertisers, and a desire to understand how it can best be used alongside and within multi-channel campaigns. This report highlights its potential for delivering effective campaigns across upper and lower funnel tactics, and how prDOOH can be successfully combined with individual media to drive campaign effectiveness. Alice Beecroft, senior director, global strategy & partnerships at Yahoo said, “In today’s digital media landscape, programmatic digital out-of-home provides advertisers with the crucial ability to adapt in real-time. This adaptability is essential for effectively engaging their audience within a comprehensive omnichannel campaign. The results in the whitepaper show how prDOOH as part of the digital marketing mix drives incremental value where a connected bridge is formed with other channels to reach consumers wherever and whenever it matters most.” About VIOOH VIOOH is a leading premium global digital out of home supply side platform. Launched in 2018 and with headquarters in London, VIOOH’s platform connects buyers and sellers in a premium marketplace, making OOH easily accessible. Led by a team of digital OOH and programmatic tech experts, VIOOH is pioneering the transformation of the OOH sector, championing its role in enhancing omni-channel digital campaigns through the use of programmatic capabilities and data. VIOOH currently trades programmatically in 19 markets, with more to follow.

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Ad Tech and Martech

InMobi Forges Global Partnership with Ad Net Zero to Further its Commitment to Sustainable Advertising Practices

CMSWire | September 15, 2023

InMobi, a leading provider of content, monetization and marketing technologies that help businesses fuel growth, today announced its strategic partnership with Ad Net Zero, the climate action program with the mission to accelerate the decarbonization of the advertising industry. This collaboration underscores InMobi's resolute commitment to sustainability, aligning with Ad Net Zero's mission to revolutionize the advertising landscape through decarbonization initiatives spanning ad production, distribution, and publication. The global advertising industry is at a critical juncture, as it grapples with the environmental impact of its operations. Recent statistics underscore the urgency of the issue, with the internet’s greenhouse gas emissions comprising approximately 4% of the global total – surpassing even the aviation sector. Notably, the energy required to serve one million ad impressions is equivalent to the carbon produced by manufacturing 2.4 million plastic straws. Recognizing the growing importance of sustainability in business decisions, InMobi has taken a proactive step by aligning itself with Ad Net Zero. As a leader in the ad tech industry, InMobi recognizes the significance of demonstrating sustainability efforts to both its existing clients and potential partners. A recent Deloitte survey highlights that 98% of consumers believe brands are responsible for contributing to a better world, and a considerable portion of consumers prefer to be patrons of sustainable brands. By joining forces with Ad Net Zero, InMobi embarks on a journey to align with the organization's five-step plan, designed to minimize the carbon footprint of advertising: Reduce emissions from advertising business operations Decrease emissions stemming from advertising production Diminish emissions from media planning and buying Lessen advertising emissions from awards and events Harness advertising's potential to drive behavioral change InMobi's dedication to sustainability extends beyond rhetoric to measurable action. InMobi Exchange, powered by Microsoft Azure which boasts of complete carbon neutrality, stands as a testament to its commitment. Furthermore, data gleaned from the Microsoft Azure Impact Emissions Dashboard showcases InMobi's impressive emission reduction metrics: InMobi's emission factor ranks within the top fifth percentile compared to average server emission factors Server usage demonstrates a remarkable 80-90% higher green efficiency compared to alternative on-premise solutions, even high-efficiency ones Direct SDK integrations, paired with machine learning, have driven emission reductions of up to 30% "InMobi's partnership with Ad Net Zero symbolizes our dedication to ushering in a more sustainable era for the advertising industry," states Kunal Nagpal, Chief Business Officer at InMobi. "We are proud to stand alongside fellow tech companies and agencies, united in the pursuit of a greener, more responsible future. By fully embracing Ad Net Zero's comprehensive plan, we are steadfast in our commitment to minimizing our environmental impact while advancing the power of advertising." "Ad Net Zero is thrilled to work with InMobi as they support more sustainable advertising solutions, contributing to our collective global impact. InMobi’s commitment is another significant step toward an eco-friendly future for the industry,” says John Osborn, Director of Ad Net Zero in the U.S. InMobi’s partnership with Ad Net Zero follows its global sustainability commitment to Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), where InMobi is undergoing a 24-month goal validation process, at the end of which InMobi will commit to ambitious Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reduction targets in line with SBTi sector guidelines and the GHG Protocol standards. InMobi also continues its partnership for the second year with Givsly, the leading purpose driven B2B marketing solution, and shared the stage with Givsly, Dentsu, and IPG Brands at Cannes Lions 2023 to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and the path that can be taken for a sustainable ad tech stack. Recently, InMobi served as the primary audience partner in AdTechCares’ campaign with Project Drawdown, a nonprofit organization working to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. AdTechCares is a 501 (c)(3) organization that leverages ad tech to combat misinformation and keep humanity well, and InMobi is a founding member. 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. About Ad Net Zero Ad Net Zero is a climate action program to help the advertising industry tackle the climate emergency by decarbonizing ad operations and supporting every industry to accurately promote sustainable products and services. Originally founded by the UK Advertising Association in partnership with the IPA and ISBA, Ad Net Zero launched its 5-point action plan in the UK in November 2020 and has since gained over 100 UK supporters. The action plan aims to achieve net zero emissions in ad development, production, and media placement, as well as use advertising’s positive influence to help shift consumers towards more sustainable behavior. Its first non-UK territory launched in Ireland in June 2022, followed by a global roll-out at Cannes LIONS 2022. In February 2023, Ad Net Zero launched in the US, supported by the 4A’s, ANA and IAB, where it now counts over 70 supporters. Ad Net Zero has widespread backing from across the industry and proudly counts support from the world’s six biggest agency holding groups, media owners, tech companies, advertisers, and independent creative and production agencies. For more information, please visit www.adnetzero.com.

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