Mark Donohue

In an interview with Beet.TV at Cannes Lions 2024, TransUnion EVP of TruAudience® Growth Strategy Matt Spiegel explored how identity resolution plays a crucial role in enabling marketers to reach their target audiences across a heavily fragmented media landscape. “Identity resolution is a fundamental part of being a bold, big marketer,” Spiegel said. To learn more about how identity resolution underpins today’s successful marketing strategies — from planning through measurement — check out the full interview: https://gag.gl/wTQAEk #CannesLion2024 #Marketing #Advertising #Identity

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✅🖥️ Marketplace.org (7/8): “Paramount’s not alone, in the sense that they’re trying to become profitable in the wake of having all of these assets that are not as valuable as they once were,” said media consultant Brad Adgate. It’s not just the decline of broadcast television. It’s the challenge of creating a streaming platform that’s profitable. “It really comes down to content. I mean, I think the biggest challenge that subscriber companies have, like a Paramount+, or Disney+, is not getting subscribers, as much as it is keeping subscribers.” Whether Skydance CEO David Ellison, whose father founded Oracle, can turn things around for Paramount is a wait and see situation. University of Minnesota’s Joel Waldfogel is particularly skeptical about the streaming business. “It’s hard to understand how the bringing tech fairy dust in here fundamentally makes it sufficiently attractive relative to the other streaming services that it’s going to attract a lot of interest,” he said. Subscribers only really want to subscribe to maybe three different streaming services. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video take the top two spots. That makes it a competition for bronze, said Charles Schreger, a New York University professor and former HBO executive. “In order to compete and become third place, you need to combine those services,” he said. ⬇️ #streamingtv #ctv #ott #avod #svod #cordcutting https://lnkd.in/eenMRnZP

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Jounce Media's newly published State of the Open Internet Report explains the industry’s chronic bidstream congestion issue and how to address it. This latest research highlights the trend toward consolidation we are seeing on the supply side and is a must-read.

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✅🖥️ WSJ (7/19): “The streaming company added 8.05MM subs in Q2, compared with 5.89MM net new subs during the same period a year earlier. It expects new customer additions to be lower in the current quarter than the same period last year, when it began limiting password sharing in earnest. Revenue rose nearly 17% year over year to $9.56B in the second quarter, beating the company’s projections. Netflix raised its revenue growth forecast for 2024 to 14% to 15%, up from 13% to 15%. The strong performance is a sign that Netflix’s efforts to change its plan pricing and lineup, limit password sharing and expand the advertising tier of its service are bearing fruit. Netflix continues to lead the pack in streaming as entertainment companies such as Disney and WBD try to balance a decline in revenue and viewership of their traditional TV businesses while investing more in their streaming platforms. It ended the second quarter with 277.65MM customers globally. Netflix on Thursday said it would begin phasing out its lowest-cost, ad-free $11.99 a month basic plan in the U.S. and France. The company made similar moves in Canada and the U.K earlier this year. More than 45% of all sign-ups in countries in which the ad tier is available come from that plan, the company said.In May, the ad-supported plan had 40MM global MAUs, up from 5MM a year ago.” ⬇️ #streamingtv #ctv #ott #avod #svod #upfronts https://lnkd.in/e9su2saE

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"shrinking losses" to only 295M from a 511M loss -- look at all that revenue though - 1.87 BILLION Lots to work with #advertising #revenue #streaming #profit #Business #Loss #bundle During the latest quarter, the company hit 71 million Paramount+ streaming subscribers worldwide, up from 67.5 million Paramount+ customers at the end of its fourth quarter, with 3.7 million customers added during the past three months. "And the studio shrunk its streaming loss to $286 million for the first quarter, an improvement over a $511 million loss in Q1 2023. Direct-to-consumer revenue rose 24 percent to $1.87 billion, as advertising and subscription revenues were both up, driven by growth from Pluto TV and Paramount+" https://lnkd.in/ggJYiNwb

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✅🖥️ New York Times (6/22): “Streaming has long been hailed as a promising business, because companies like Netflix can add additional subscribers at little extra cost. The more paying subs a service has, the more the company’s costs can be spread out over a large base, lowering the cost per sub. But those want lots of options, and the costs of making enough programming can be enormous. As a result, a streaming service’s profitability depends in large part on how many paying subs are needed before those TV shows and movies become cost-effective. There was a time when industry execs hoped that number might be as low as 100MM. But now the consensus among many of the executives interviewed is that the number is at least 200, and possibly more. “If you’re going to be a full entertainment service with live sports and tent-pole blockbusters today, 200MM is a number that can give you the scale with the hope for growth over time,” Amazon (execs have) said. Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO until 2022, also agreed that 200 was the number that meant “you’re big enough to compete.” Netflix has reached that, and then some, with about 270MM paying subs. Moreover, those pay an industry-leading average of more than $11 per month. Netflix is highly profitable, with operating margins of 28 percent. In the first quarter of 2024, Netflix reported revenue of $9.4B, and $2.3B in net income. No one else comes close. Disney and Amazon are the only other streaming services with more than 200MM subscribers.” ⬇️ #streamingtv #ctvadvertising #avod #svod #ott #fast #upfronts

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We're moving into a more open world. This article is an interesting analysis of the transformative power of AI and the importance of being transparent about its use. The study discussed here found that transparency from advertisers builds trust and also generates positive brand equity. Given the fact that advertisers have adopted AI much faster than consumers, this means that the onus is now on brands to communicate properly to build and maintain consumer trust. And it's important to note that transparency not only builds trust with consumers but also ensures ethical use of data and algorithms. #Transparency #EthicalAI #DigitalMarketing #EthicalAdvertising

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Perhaps you noticed media costs increasing on some key digital platforms leading up the Presidential Debate.... well you are not alone! Check out our summary and POV on what to expect and what you can do as election season continues to heat up. #media #mediaplanning #agency #analytics https://lnkd.in/g83jUYmA

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A welcome reminder on the limitations of programmatic advertising despite its incredibly widespread use. The lack of transparency regarding where ads are displayed and the quality of placements remains a significant issue. Also, programmatic platforms may not always ensure brand safety, with ads appearing alongside inappropriate or harmful content. On top of that, relying solely on programmatic channels can limit the control advertisers have over ad placements and targeting parameters. And this is before we get to the demise of the 3rd party cookie. Interesting article to read and not surprised Bloomberg switched to a clean, direct-sold model. #DigitalAdvertising #Programmatic #Monetisation #OnlineAdvertising

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In this new CTV explainer, I take a closer look at SPO. As streaming audiences continue to lean into AVOD and FAST services, the volume of addressable CTV inventory will continue to grow. This growth takes place at a time when SSPs are looking to build buy side capabilities, and DSPs sell side offerings. This means those on the buy side will be able to buy CTV through a number of programmatic routes offered by DSPs, SSPs and Ad Servers, making it much easier for ad buyers to get their ads onto the biggest screen in the household, but first, they need to understand their buying paths. #CTV #Streaming #AVOD #FAST #Programmatic #AdTech

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Programmatic advertising is evolving, and closing the gap between DSPs and SSPs is crucial for connecting with diverse audiences. As we work to fine-tune campaigns that match cultural sensitivities and preferences in this dynamic market, we face both challenges and opportunities. To address these, building strong partnerships and closely collaborating with buyers and media providers is key to achieving success. Many thanks to Portada for the opportunity to share our perspectives on minority media strategies.

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Busy week in the industry ahead of Cannes 🇫🇷 Roku Exchange will provide more signals advertisers want. The line between programmatic and direct buys is getting blurrier. 📺 Go Louqman Parampath! Oracle is shutting down its ads business. If you’re not 100% in the media business, the rapid changes in the privacy world pose too great of a risk. ❌ Seedtag acquires Beachfront! Contextual signals are super important for CTV, not just environments that rely on cookies. 🌐 LiveRamp RampID is now integrated into Nielsen ONE! Comprehensive measurement requires interoperability. 📊 Experian launches an onboarding business. If anyone can shake up the onboarding business its Experian! 💼 Shout out to old colleagues Kimberly Gilberti Adam Kobus ❤️ Albertsons Media Collective TV Launch. Another RMN expands to CTV where higher CPMs and additional inventory are a catapult for growth.  🚀 And this is only a snapshot of the news 🤯

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Today, we announced a partnership with Walmart Connect. Our goal? Streamline the process by enabling advertisers to plan, purchase, and evaluate campaigns against data sets crucial for their business growth through programmatic activation. Brands have the opportunity to engage with Walmart's shopper segments through Disney's premium content, creating a powerful synergy for advertisers. Dive deeper into how this can transform your advertising strategies and drive business outcomes in the latest from AdExchanger and Adweek #RetailMedia #Advertising #Streaming #DataInsights #Innovation https://lnkd.in/gDdPg98M https://lnkd.in/gGbV7fm6

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Let’s re-run it back? An interesting and thorough love letter about the rise of FAST darlings Pluto, Tubi and Roku. While analysts have been touting the financial prospects of these platforms (and their acquisitions look better and better with each monthly Gauge report), I remain a little skeptical. Consider: 📺 Article about the stratospheric growth focused on Roku, Pluto and Tubi, all of whom will def be winners. But what of the remaining 16 that provide largely commodified content. How do they separate and get into this top tier that's dominated by YT? There are 5,000 FAST channels across 18 services. Most of these channels, therefore, are replicated across multiple FAST services rendering the platforms undifferentiated. Sounds like the Highlander to me. 📺📺 To wit, the author indicates that "While users may have initially been drawn in by the prospect of a free service, they’re now sticking around because of the quality of content." Really? I am sure that comfort-watching reruns is fine, I am hard pressed to call it transformational. Moreover, 40% of Tubi viewers don’t subscribe to other paid streaming services which means either cable or rabbit ears. (Not sure that is the kind of audience advertisers look at as "premium"). Charter/Comcast/Xumo research indicated 72% of FAST viewers also watch cable or broadcast TV and 86% subscribe to at least one paid streaming service so maybe this isn’t quite the untapped market Tubi’s data suggest. 📺📺📺 What I do appreciate and am bullish about FAST is their ability to super-serve specific audiences with specific content like Korean soaps, telenovelas, surfing and kickboxing (for me), etc., at very low cost. That is smart way to drive viewership instances (if not total viewership minutes) but likely not unique to each service, given the commodification of these deals. https://lnkd.in/gW-ueu7H

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🚀 Exciting insights from Amy, emphasizing the role of data & AI in retail media and how it enhances shopping experiences with real-time personalization. Merging commerce and media has become crucial with AI at the forefront of creating personalized consumer interactions. More insights in the full link to the content below! 💡 #RetailMedia #DataDriven #AI #Personalization #Commerce

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A fair and well researched piece this morning. (No I was not a source.) Buried in it is this line. "though a far cry from reports of Oracle Advertising earning more than $2 billion in 2022" It's fair to wonder how Business Insider, came up with the wildly outlandish $2bb+ figure. My supposition is they talked to a single, misinformed employee and never bothered to verify the number. All of this makes the case for the open internet. A niche publisher, AdExchanger comes to market with a well researched thought out piece where the author James Hercher clearly interviewed multiple sources, verified his facts and presents the reader with a clear picture of the machinations behind the curtain. Meanwhile, the Business Insider pieces seem slapdash, sensational and poorly researched. Ironically one would think the larger, more resourced publication would have higher ethical journalistic standards. The reason I bring this up is 2-fold: ▶ This is a subject I have relatively strong knowledge in. Therefore, I am more able to separate facts from falsehoods. Understanding how poor BI's (pay gated) reporting is on the subject is concerning. In the scope of global life, this is a small story. But it's instructive as to the priorities of the modern newsroom. ▶ Independent publishing, which seems to be, in this case, vastly superior to pay-gated big publishing, is at serious risk with the pending demonetization of Chrome. As someone who has built a career in the industry, it's clear that the goal of maintaining a free, open internet is imperative. Lastly, I would encourage the Business Insider newsroom to take a look at their oversight and practices. I doubt that the individual authors of the Oracle Advertising stories are intentionally publishing false information. There is likely a culture that prioritizes speed over facts and clearly a focus on sensational headlines over thoughtful journalistic integrity. I hope as the business matures they can take a more ethical approach. https://lnkd.in/eR-EMUJ6

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75% of marketers are still relying on cookies to run their campaigns. However, the cookie-less future is coming, and it's coming fast. The general consensus among industry leaders is that there won't be a dominant replacement for a while, meaning marketers should experiment with a variety of alternatives, such as contextual and location-based advertising and person-level graphs. #Cookies #DataPrivacy #FutureOfMarketing

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Soft upfront market in line with ratings erosion and continued shift to digital/programmatic which is forecasted to be 4.9%-6% higher YOY. Will be interesting to see 1) Megatech + Media guide during earnings later this month 2) Ad forecasts pricing in future rate cuts and 3) Scattermarket competitiveness post election. Think moving into 2025 flexibility will be key combined with finding the right balance between mass media 1 to many and targeted tactics 1 to1. #advertising #programmatic #ctv #tv https://lnkd.in/eZiagKcN

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