In this week’s Week in Review: As the industry heads to Cannes, Criteo gets a GDPR fine, Omnicom goes all out on AI, and RTL announces new programmatic partnership for addressable inventory.
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French Data Regulator Fines Criteo €40 Million Over GDPR Breach
France’s data regulator, the CNIL, this week hit French ad tech business Criteo with a €40 million fine for five breaches of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The CNIL’s decision has been reviewed by all other European data controllers, and all agree with the decision.
Firstly, he CNIL says that Criteo failed to verify with its partners whether users had given consent to use of cookies for tracking, meaning that in some cases Criteo deployed cookies even where the user hadn’t consented. Secondly, it did not make it clear to users exactly how data would be used, using vague and broad terms. Thirdly, when users requested to access any data which Criteo held on them, it did not send back all of the appropriate data. Fourthly, when users withdrew their consent and requested that Criteo delete their data, Criteo stopped showing targeted ads, but didn’t delete their personal data. And lastly, Criteo hadn’t agreed all appropriate terms with some of its partners, leaving some GDPR obligations not delegated to either party.
Omnicom Continues AI Push with Google and Microsoft Deals
Omnicom went on an AI offensive at Cannes this week, announcing two new major deals with Google and Microsoft to leverage their AI technology.
The Microsoft partnership deploys the latest Open AI GPT models within Omni Assist, a new capability deployed within Omnicom’s company-wide data and insights platform Omni. Omnicom describes Omni Assist as a “virtual assistant providing insights, notifications, and recommendations across every step of the workflow of the Omni open operating system, from audience development to planning, activation, measurement, and optimisation”. The agency group says it will vastly accelerate some parts of the business workflow, saying that discovery will take minutes, rather than days.
The Google deal will similarly see Google Cloud’s AI technology deployed within Omni, but here the focus is more on creative output. Google’s text-to-image model Imagen will be used within Omni, allowing Omnicom agencies to develop high quality images using text prompts. Here, Omnicom says that Google’s tech will combine with Omni’s data insights to create custom images and then define, activate, and measure the impact.
RTL Partners with The Trade Desk to Enable Programmatic TV Buying
RTL AdAlliance and The Trade Desk announced a partnership at Cannes on Monday, enabling programmatic buying on connected and linear TV. The deal will allow advertisers to use The Trade Desk DSP to purchase ads on RTL’s video marketplace, and on broadcasts in Austria, France, Germany and Spain.
Programmatic advertising for linear and addressable TV is currently limited, posing barriers to the kind of cross-border campaigns that European broadcasting groups such as RTL seek to enable in order to compete with international streaming services. This partnership will allow advertisers to buy inventory across more than four markets, which the companies call the “first step towards integrated programmatic TV buying.”
“Broadcast TV remains an integral part of the European media landscape,” said RTL AdAlliance deputy CEO and CDO Dr Oliver Vesper. “HbbTV-based linear addressable TV has greatly innovated TV advertising over the past years in Europe. Now we can add the programmatic offering at scale — our goal is to establish a complete programmatic TV solution.”
The Week in Tech
Advertisers Waste $20 Billion Each Year on Low-Quality Inventory, Finds ANA
Brands could save at least $20 billion each year by avoiding low-quality inventory, according to an Association of National Advertisers (ANA) report released on Monday. The study found that advertisers spend $13 billion annually on clickbait and made-for-advertising (MFA) websites, which is 15 percent of their total ad spend. “Advertisers prioritise cost over value, sometimes to their own detriment,” said the report. “They chase cheap CPMs … However, in the media world not all inventory and not all impressions are equal. Common sense should tell buyers that not all ‘cheap’ inventory is ‘quality’ inventory.”
Magnite Launches Audience Products Suite Magnite Access
Sell-side platform Magnite has launched a suite of omnichannel audience products called Magnite Access. The suite includes Magnite’s DMP (data management platform), Storefront (used to activate first- and third-party data), Match (for matching data sets) and Audiences (cross-publisher segments packaged by Magnite). “Magnite Access ensures we are well positioned to provide our clients with omnichannel audience products across multiple formats, such as streaming and display, as well as multiple demand sources,” said Magnite CPO Adam Soroca.
Adobe Advertising Integrates Adelaide’s Attention Metrics
Attention measurement firm Adelaide has partnered with ad tech company Adobe Advertising on two solutions, both available within Adobe’s DSP. InstantAU enables advertisers to measure media quality, by applying Adelaide’s attention measurement tags to campaigns and creatives. Attention-based prebid segments are grouped according to media placement quality, allowing advertisers to select where to focus their budgets. “We’re excited to offer advertisers a new way of measuring the value of an impression and more opportunities to prepare for cookie deprecation,” said Adobe Advertising head of product Greg Collison. “Combined with connected advertising, InstantAU and AU-based pre-bid give advertisers a better understanding of the connection between consumer attention to ads and business outcomes.”
Yahoo Introduces Yahoo Backstage to Connect Advertisers to Publisher Inventory
Yahoo has unveiled a supply path optimisation (SPO) solution called Yahoo Backstage, designed to offer Yahoo DSP advertisers a direct path to curated publisher inventory. Over 100 publishers have signed on to Yahoo Backstage, according to the company, including A+E Networks, Dotdash Meredith, Newsweek, Raptive and The Arena Group. “We are laser-focused on meeting the evolving industry need, and are excited to offer advertisers a direct line to our premium publisher partners,” said Yahoo CRO Elizabeth Herbst-Brady. “With trusted publisher relationships and Yahoo’s owned and operated content, we are best positioned to provide advertisers with the most unobstructed supply path, ensuring they achieve the greatest possible results.”
IAS Brings Measurement Tools to Facebook & Instagram Reels
Meta is adding ad measurement tools from Integral Ad Science (IAS) to Facebook and Instagram Reels, as part of an expansion of the companies’ existing partnership. The roll-out gives advertisers transparency into the performance of their campaigns on Reels, according to the partners. “With more than 140 billion Reels played daily, smart marketers have already been placing advertisements on Reels and now they have even more measurement insights into which of their ads are being seen and driving results,” said IAS CCO Yannis Dosios.
ID5 Teams Up with The Trade Desk for Cookieless Addressability
ID5 is partnering with The Trade Desk with the aim of improving addressability in cookieless environments. ID5’s identity graph will enable advertisers on The Trade Desk platform to leverage ID5’s cookieless ID. “Clients are aware of the missed opportunity related to third-party cookies and MAIDs deprecation, and have become more demanding of their partners,” said ID5 CEO and co-founder Mathieu Roche. “They want solutions that enable them to seamlessly reach audiences, activate data and measure performance while respecting data protection standards. This is exactly what this partnership aims to enable.”
Twitter Seeks Brand Safety Partners, Faces Fines for Hate Speech in Australia
Twitter is seeking brand safety partners in order to win back the trust of the advertising industry, the company revealed at Cannes. Sales chief Chris Riedy tweeted that Twitter plans to give advertisers “more control and transparency on the context in which their ads serve”. He said the social media firm is reviewing solutions from Zefr, IAS, DoubleVerify and Unitary. Also this week, Australia’s online safety regulator said one-third of all complaints received about online hate concern Twitter. The watchdog has given the company 28 days to explain its handling of hate speech or it will face fines.
As part of this new RFP process, our teams will review more solutions from Brand Safety & Suitability providers such as @ZEFRinc, @integralads, @doubleverify and @UnitaryAI.
— Chris Riedy (@chrisriedy) June 20, 2023
MiQ Applies Legacy Media’s ESG Data to Publisher Inventory
Programmatic specialist MiQ has announced a partnership with ESG data firm Legacy Media. MiQ has scored thousands of domains using Legacy’s ESG data, allowing advertisers to buy inventory that addresses their sustainability objectives. “As consumers grow more conscientious about the impact of what they buy, brands need to continue to adapt to this increasing demand,” said Deborah Rosenthal-Davies, head of solutions at MiQ. “We’re excited to partner with Legacy to take this market leading data, connect it with our granular view of the programmatic supply chain, and use our data science and analytics capabilities to transform it into accessible programmatic segments and measurement opportunities for our clients.”
Nielsen and EDO Integrate Their Data for Mutual Clients
Measurement rivals Nielsen and EDO will integrate their data for planning, buying and outcomes measurement, the companies announced at Cannes. The deal makes Nielsen One audience data available as an input on EDO’s offering for mutual clients; and EDO’s search-based outcomes data available as an input on Nielsen Media Impact planning software. Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney Advertising and IPG’s Mediahub are among the alpha users of the integrated solution.
The Week in TV
Disney to Integrate Google’s Cookie Alternative PAIR
Disney is integrating Google’s identity solution PAIR for buys on Hulu and Disney+, the company announced at Cannes. PAIR allows publishers and advertisers to match first-party data to deliver personalised ads in a cookieless environment. Disney Advertising President Rita Ferro said the solution would be implemented next year, when Google plans to remove third-party cookies from Chrome.
Paramount, Havas and LiveRamp Build Cloud-Based Clean Room
Paramount has announced a clean room integration with Havas Media Group. The clean room uses LiveRamp’s cloud-based data collaboration software, enabling interoperability with other related technology, according to the broadcaster. Previously Paramount and Havas had to send first-party data between Snowflake and LiveRamp, whereas now companies can keep their data in one place, which Paramount hopes will bring in more advertisers.
Frndly TV Comes to Samsung Smart TVs
Live streaming service Frndly TV has launched its new app on Samsung Smart TVs in the US. The arrival brings over 40 channels to Samsung TVs, including Lifetime, Hallmark and The History Channel. “The launch of our app on Samsung Smart TVs, known for their superior quality and innovation, not only amplifies our reach but also enhances the Frndly TV viewing experience and our commitment to providing diverse and accessible content,” said Frndly TV CEO Andy Karofsky.
HBO Shows Could be Coming to Netflix
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is shopping some HBO titles to Netflix, Deadline reported on Tuesday. The report noted that such a deal would mark the first time in almost a decade that HBO shows are available on a rival SVOD service in the US, although they have been shipped to free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services such as Roku and Tubi. WBD CEO David Zaslav has been vocal about the financial need to forego exclusivity in favour of licensing content, and the negotiations could see older library titles farmed out on a non-exclusive basis, meaning they would still be available on the WBD streaming service Max.
US TV Usage Declines Four Months in a Row
Total TV usage in the US has fallen for the fourth consecutive month, according to Nielsen, dropping 4.4 percent in May. Streaming grew 2.5 percent, although the measurement firm noted that the uptick is partly due to an update in how it counts streaming originals on cable set-top boxes. Nevertheless, streaming accounted for 36.4 percent of time spent watching TV in May, with YouTube remaining the most-watched service for the fourth consecutive month.
The Week for Publishers
Publishers and Tech Companies Discuss AI Payments
Major players in the AI space including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Adobe have met with publishers including News Corp, Axel Spring, The New York Times, and The Guardian to negotiate deals relating to how AI tools use news content, the FT reported this week. These talks have raised the idea of publishers being paid a subscription fee in order for their data to be used within AI models.
Vice Media Set for Sale to Fortress Investment-Led Group
Vice Media looks set to be sold to an investment group led by Fortress Investment, as their $225 million offer for the bankrupt company is the only qualified offer, according to Reuters. A bid was originally set for Thursday, but this was cancelled once it was apparent there were no other appropriate bids, and a hearing to approve the sale is now set for today.
Gannet Sues Google
Gannet, a US publishing group which owns USA Today alongside a number of local titles, this week launched a lawsuit against Google accusing it of monopolising the ad tech market, thereby harming Gannet’s business. “Google has monopolised market trading to their advantage and at the expense of publishers, readers and everyone else,2 said Gannett Chairman and CEO Michael Reed in a statement. “Digital advertising is the lifeblood of the online economy. Without free and fair competition for digital ad space, publishers cannot invest in their newsrooms.”
Meta Plans to Block News in Canada After Passage of Online News Act
Canada this week formally passed its Online News Act, a new law which will require online platforms to pay publishers in exchange for sharing their content. Following the passage of the act Meta said it plans to follow through with its previous claims that it would start blocking access to news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada.
World’s Biggest News Sites All Saw Audience Slump in May
The world’s top ten biggest news websites all saw year-on-year falls in their total site visits in May, according to Press Gazette’s analysis of Similarweb data. MSN saw the smallest drop at two percent, while the New York Times saw the biggest, with visits to nytimes.com down 30 percent year-on-year.
The Week For Brands & Agencies
Magna Nudges its Ad Spend Forecast Slightly Downwards
IPG media agency Magna released its summer global ad spend forecast this week, forecasting 4.6 percent year-on-year growth in total global ad revenues. This is 0.2 percentage points lower than Magna’s previous forecast at the end of last year, a fall which Magna suggested is lower than might have been expected.
However the picture for TV was rather grim, with Magna forecasting a five percent fall in total TV ad revenues. While CTV and addressable linear ad revenues are growing, these revenues make up too small a portion of total income to counterbalance the fall in traditional TV ad sales.
Forrester Predicts AI Will Replace 7.5 Percent of Agency Jobs by 2030
Between 2022 and 2030, 7.5 percent of US agency jobs will be replaced by AI, according to a report from business researcher Forrester. But while creative generative AI tools are stirring fears that creative jobs will be eroded, Forrester says that creative problem solving roles are likely to thrive in the coming years. Process roles on the other hand stand most likely to be replaced by AI.
Omnicom Launches Omni Commerce
Omnicom this week formally launched Omni Commerce, a vertical application which sits within Omnicom’s Omni insights platform. The new tool unites Omnicom’s commerce-related data and insights from across the agency group’s network, and surfaces it for Omnicom’s agencies and clients, which it says creates “a single, standardised yet customisable view of the commerce journey”. Omni Commerce is powered by data from Omnicom’s portfolio of retail media network partners – including Albertson’s, Amazon, Instacart, Kroger and Walmart – as well as data vendors.
Marcel Resurfaces at Publicis Groupe
Publicis Group ran an outdoor ad campaign at Cannes highlighting Marcel, it’s group-wide AI-based tool designed to break down barriers between agencies, and allow for more efficient use of staff and resources. Marcel, first announced in 2017, drew sceptical reactions from some parts of the industry when it was first announced. But with the industry’s renewed interest in AI, Publicis’ campaign suggested this scepticism was misplaced.
OMG and Albertsons Strengthen Their CTV Partnership
Omnicom Media Group (OMG) and Albertsons Media Collective are expanding their existing partnership focused on integrating retail media into CTV. The new setup sees data from Albertsons, measurement provider VideoAmp, and media businesses including Paramount, NBCU, and Warner Bros. Discovery in a data clean room, powered by Snowflake. This enables cross-partner deduplication, and makes it easier to activate retail data across these partnered channels according to OMG.
GARM and Ad Net Zero Launch Guide to Sustainable Media
The Global Alliance for Responsible Media and Ad Net Zero this week launched a new guide to sustainable media. The guide covers ten areas, from planning through to activation, where brands and media buyers can take quick action to reduce the direct carbon emissions of their advertising activity.
IPA Touchpoints Survey Find UK Consumers Struggling with Cost of Living
The latest IPA Touchpoints survey, which charts consumers’ spending habits, has found that 40 percent of Britons currently aren’t coping on their current salaries, with 60 percent looking for the lowest prices when they go shopping. “As financial burdens increase, halting both our short and longer-terms plans, it is imperative that brands and their agencies are mindful of these challenges and work to understand the role we can play in helping to add value to consumers’ lives at this tough time,” said Josh Krichefski, IPA President and CEO, EMEA & UK at GroupM.
Hires of the Week
Paramount Promotes Lee Sears to EVP, Head of International Ad Sales
Paramount Global has promoted Lee Sears to EVP, head of international advertising sales and integrated marketing. Sears has worked on the Paramount sales team since 2015.
Wavemaker Expands Global Growth Team with Three Appointments
Wavemaker has made three appointments to its Global Growth team: Natalie Yorke becomes Global Growth Partner in the UK; Lynne Reilly joins as Chief Growth Officer in North America; and Natalia Lopez is named Head of Growth for Latin America.
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