Facebook relaunches Atlas for targeted ads

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Facebook has re-launched Atlas – its new ad-serving and measurement platform – allowing marketers to target advertisements across multiple devices. Microsoft sold Atlas to Facebook in 2013 for an estimated $100 million and is offered to advertisers as a way of targeting the social network’s 1.3 billion users. With personal information already used to show contextual ads on individual News Feeds, Atlas now enables Facebook to utilise the same data on behalf of third–party apps and websites.

Up to now, Facebook’s existing ad technology has used cookies to track websites visited by people for ad targeting purposes, though these cookies do not work on mobile devices and are often inaccurate, rendering it a challenge for marketers to track the interests of consumers reliably. Atlas allows advertisers to target ads around ‘Likes’ and interests for third-party websites and apps, anonymously tracking individuals and bypassing the flawed cookie ad-serving and measurement technology.

“Atlas delivers people-based marketing, helping marketers reach real people across devices, platforms and publishers,” says Erik Johnson, Head of Atlas. “By doing this, marketers can easily solve the cross-device problem through targeting, serving and measuring across devices. And, Atlas can now connect online campaigns to actual offline sales, ultimately proving the real impact that digital campaigns have in driving incremental reach and new sales. This valuable data can lead to better optimisation decisions to make your media budget even more effective.”

Global ad company Omnicom is Facebook’s first holding company to sign an agency-wide partnership with Atlas, and clients including Pepsi and Intel will be two of the largest brands to test out the Atlas platform. Initially, Atlas will be used exclusively for ad-serving and tracking, though Facebook has plans to set up Atlas as an ad purchasing platform in the future.

 

Facebook to secure EU approval for WhatsApp bid

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Facebook is set to win unconditional EU approval for its $19 billion offer for mobile messaging service WhatsApp, in a deal that will pit the leading social network against telecom operators. This will be the largest deal in Facebook’s 10 year history, and will give the company a firm foothold in the growing mobile messaging market. US regulators gave the green light for the deal in April of this year, advising WhatsApp to stick with its current privacy practices after the merger, which includes not using users’ personal data for targeted ads.

With the decision unpublished by the European Commission as of yet, the clearance for the bid is stated to be unconditional as the deal will have no anti-competitive effect with the telecoms industry and so concessions are rendered unnecessary. The deadline for the decision has been confirmed as October 3, 2014.

BBM Channels collaborates with Hootsuite

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BlackBerry has announced that BBM Channels – the BBM subscription service – can now be managed with social relationship platform Hootsuite, allowing social media teams to engage with their Channel followers directly from the Hootsuite dashboard. The integration will allow Hootsuite owners to incorporate BBM Channels into their social strategy, leveraging a mobile and highly engaged audience. All users across Hootsuite’s Free, Pro and Enterprise tiers will be able to manage their BBM Channels, and for social media practitioners, community managers and digital marketers, Hootsuite will make it easy to incorporate content from other owned social media channels into their promotional strategies on BBM.

“Managing a brand’s social media presence is a juggling act,” says Matthew Talbot, Senior Vice President, Emerging Solutions at BlackBerry. “Marketers need tools that can help them automate and streamline the management of content across multiple platforms. With Hootsuite, we’ve made it as simple as clicking a button to share posts on BBM Channels to other social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and vice-versa.”

The owner of a BBM Channel can engage directly with their subscribers from the Hootsuite dashboard – posting messages, sharing pictures, sparking discussions, moderating and responding to posts, and sharing other brand-related content. As the community interacts with the content, the dashboard provides real-time analytics to the Channel owner that measure and report users’ activity.

Greg Gunn, Vice President of Business Development at Hootsuite adds, “With the undeniable popularity of messaging apps, brands are looking for ways to join in the conversation. Our collaboration with BlackBerry on the BBM Channels app will empower users to leverage social strategies in real-time across multiple platforms, straight from the Hootsuite dashboard.”

Lowe MENA helps Unilever attain World Record

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MCN agency Lowe MENA has helped its client Unilever obtain an official Guinness World Record for its Ramadan campaign – with the largest collection of clothes for donation, consisting of 146,411 items for the Comfort and OMO brands.

The Lowe-Unilever team worked on the project from concept to completion, and were on stage during the event to recognise the achievement. Key team members included Sujay Nanavati, Anoop George and Sarah Nassar.

CNN partners with Ericsson for global campaign

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CNN International has been selected by Ericsson for an integrated advertising campaign to promote the tech brand as the forefront in information and communications technology. Launching today, the ‘Tomorrow Transformed’ campaign comprises a series of documentaries which examines how innovations in society and business have been enabled by technology.The focus of Ericsson’s campaign is on brand awareness amongst an upscale audience and creating engagement for its Networked Society initiative.

The segments, airing fortnightly, will be presented by CNN anchor Richard Quest and will air during CNN International’s ‘Quest Means Business’ and ‘News Stream’. A 30-minute special highlighting the most innovative stories from the series will be produced in 2015.

Creative production for the campaign’s advertising spot, billboards, co-branded promotions and online branding have been developed by Turner Commercial Productions, the advertising sales creative solutions division for CNN international.

“CNN is delighted to be the exclusive global platform for this campaign with Ericsson,” says Petra Malenicka, Vice President, Ad Sales, EMEA, CNN International. “‘Tomorrow Transformed’ is an exciting editorial proposition that will engage our viewers in many aspects of innovation. By aligning with ‘Tomorrow Transformed’ and embarking on an integrated spot and digital campaign with CNN, Ericsson will enhance its brand credentials amongst our unrivalled upscale global audience.”

Ola Rembe, Vice President External Communications at Ericsson adds, “We are thrilled about the opportunity to communicate our Networked Society vision. We believe ‘Tomorrow Transformed’ is an ideal concept to rightly associate our brand with the very latest in how industries and societies are transforming through mobility and ICT. CNN is a very attractive media platform for our campaign to reach an engaged and influential audience.”

YouTube to invest in top content creators

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YouTube is to fund content from its most successful creators as part of a global campaign to promote creativity on the network. In a blog post published by the Google-owned platform, YouTube revealed that it will expand support of creative content like Bethany Mota and Epic Rap Battles of History with full-scale marketing and advertising campaigns.

“We’ve seen the fidelity of our videos evolve from the grainy footage of webcams to the crystal clear beauty of 4K,” says Alex Cross, Head of YouTube Originals. “We’ve seen teenagers who began by blogging in their bedrooms emerge as media heavyweights, with passionate followings and shows that draw more fans than similar shows on cable TV… As any creator will tell you, making compelling new content isn’t easy, and we expect to learn a lot through this process. We’ll get our hands dirty. We’ll make some mistakes. Together, we’ll hopefully create some fantastic new content on YouTube. But one thing is certain: there’s no one we’d rather go on this adventure with than our creators.”

YouTube has already increased production support for its top content creators with YouTube Spaces in L.A., Tokyo and London, offering free access to the latest equipment, sets and support, and will soon be launching an additional Space in New York.

Global instagrammers to film #MyDubai Trip series

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12 globally recognised instagrammers are to visit Dubai over the next four weeks to experience the Emirate through the eyes of its residents, each following a tailor-made itinerary created by 12 influential Dubai-based Instagram users. Their experience will collectively form the #MyDubai Trip series, which is being produced in partnership between Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Qabeela New Media.

The selection of 24 instagrammers – globally and Dubai-based – was conducted through two competitions earlier this year, during which 40 international Instagram users and 30 Dubai residents campaigned for votes. The visiting instagrammers will be joined by Mohamed and Peyman Parham Alwadhi, Co-Founders of Qabeela New Media and Co-Hosts of Peeta Planet, and will guide the visitors throughout their #MyDubai Trip.

Featured international Instagram participants include – Garth Pon and Craig Howes from South Africa, Danny Zappa and Paulo Del Valle from Brazil, Christina Santoso and Daris Cahyadi from Indonesia, Seo Ju Park, Virgina Navarro and Saul Aguilar from Mexico, Devrim Ates from Turkey, Ahmad El Abi from Egypt and Abdulaziz Al Duwaisan from Kuwait.

The individual itineraries have been curated by Anas Bukash, Managing Partner of Ahdaaf Sports Club, Herald Herrera, Network Engineer and Manager of @igersdubai community; Ienobu Kaneko, entrepreneur and social media influencer; Kanu Al Kendi, Emirati stand-up comedian; Karen McLean, Blogger at Secret Squirrel Food; Khalid Al Ramsi, IT student and designer; Max Stanton, Consumer Market Knowledge Manager at Procter and Gamble; Muneera Al Tamimi, Co-Founder of Turba Studios and Co-Founder of Tamashee; Nouraldin Al Yousef, television presenter and media personality; Omar Samra, Founder and CEO of Wild Guanabana; Samantha Wood, freelance journalist, communications consultant and food blogger at foodiva.com and Sharifa Badri, marketing graduate and social media influencer. 

By creating the #MyDubai Trip series, Qabeela New Media is the latest company to join the #MyDubai initiative, launched in January of this year by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. The winning Instagram users will begin to arrive in Dubai from mid-September for a period of three or four days each, with the last arriving in mid-October. The #MyDubai Trip series is scheduled for online broadcast between November 2014 and January 2015.

Al Jazeera launches AJ+

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Al Jazeera has launched AJ+, a connected global news community. With socially shareable content, AJ+ will highlight human struggles and achievements, as well as providing context on the world’s most prevalent news stories.

“AJ+ gives Al Jazeera the flexibility to innovate, grow and adjust in an era of rapid change in the news industry,” says Dr. Yaser Bishr, Director of Strategy and Development, Al Jazeera Media Network. “AJ+ is topical, direct and tonally relevant to a younger audience that relies heavily on mobile consumption and their social streams.”

AJ+ is available as a free iOS and Android app that conveys content, making the delivery and consumption of news fast, dynamic and simple. These cards are divided into the following sectors –

  • Video: This section offers bite-size videos containing relevant information that is shareable.
  • Debate: AJ+ enables you to vote on a certain issue, take a stand and advocate your position within the community.
  • Conversation: This space dives deeper into issues, connecting you with the global community to engage and learn from one another.
  • Quiz: Take a quiz and test your knowledge on issues, a novel way to explore stories.
  • Art: The section is designed to highlight key points around issues, and is designed to share on local streams.
  • Resource: Let AJ+ Google stories for you, this space will make your life a bit easier with links to relevant stories, articles and bits of information.

With over eight million views, AJ+ content will continue to be made available via its dedicated YouTube channel, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Carat predicts 5% global ad growth

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Carat, a leading independent media planning and buying specialist, has published forecasts for global advertising expenditure, predicting a boost of 5% for this year, as well as in 2015. Based on data received from 59 markets across North and South America, Asia Pacific and EMEA, the Dentsu Aegis network’s latest forecast shows an increase of ad spending from the 4.8% prediction made in March 2014.

Regionally, the Carat Advertising Expenditure forecast has predicted further positive growth from North America and Western Europe. Significantly, the US continues to show strong market growth, with levels of advertising expenditure in North America expected to exceed the pre-recession peak of 2007 for the first time by the end of this year. Western Europe is forecasted to return to positive growth of 2.7% after two consecutive years of declining advertising spend – driven by a strong UK advertising market prediction of 7.5% growth for 2014.

Although forecasts show a slight decline in growth when compared with March 2014 predictions, Asia Pacific and Latin America are still both forecast to outperform global predictions with growth rates of 5.4% and 12.1% respectively.

Digital ad spend growth is predicted to exceed previous predictions for 2014, with a year-on-year growth forecast of 16.1%. The digital sector will also increase its total share of spend, set to reach 20.5% in 2014 and 22.6% the following year, where it will outpace the combined Magazine and Newspaper global share for the first time.

The Print sector, while in steady decline, is expected to continue, and all other mediums are set to achieve year-on-year growths of approximately 3-5% in 2014 and 2015.

“Carat’s latest advertising forecast gives us increased optimism for the outlook of global and regional advertising spend,” says Jerry Buhlmann, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network. “With the global recession further behind us and a healthy trend of 5% year-on-year global ad growth, there is positive momentum building across the industry. Whilst Digital continues to headline market trend discussions, the components within this dominant media now provide the interesting chapters, with the opportunities in mobile leading the debate. With changes and trends in consumer behaviour driving business opportunities, brands need to deliver innovative and integrated solutions to reap rewards ahead.”

For access to the full Carat Advertising Expenditure forecast, visit http://goo.gl/kCEnzw

Getty Images signs deal with QOC

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Getty Images has signed a deal with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) to create a bespoke digital archive system for the QOC’s heritage assets. Getty Images will partner with digital video systems designer EVS to build the archive management system, which will host videos, tapes, DVDs, photos and documents dating from 1979.

Getty Images’ web-based asset management service, Media Manager, will host the QOC’s photo and documental assets, while EVS will construct a Media Archive Director video system to ingest, manage and deliver all video content.

As part of the deal, Getty Images will also share best practice with the QOC photo team on capturing imagery at sports events and official appointments.

“Creating and managing content is the DNA of Getty Images,” says Lee Martin, Senior Vice President EMEA, Getty Images. “So we are delighted to provide this content solution for Qatar Olympic Committee, helping them ensure the preservation and longevity of their assets.”

H.E. Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar Olympic Committee Secretary General adds, “We know Getty Images to be a world leader in the content space, and see this collaboration as a way to help transfer knowledge to all QOC staff and secure the legacy and heritage of QOC’s assets for future generations.”

Benoit Février, Senior Vice President Media of EVS concludes, “Our integrated media archive management solutions are designed to offer full mastering over media workflows from ingest to delivery, guaranteeing the highest level of security, flexibility and video content accessibility. We are proud to partner with Getty Images to provide our technology and expertise to meet the Qatar Olympic Committee’s requirements.”