Olympics level the playing field for brands

Programmatic opens up possibilities for first-time Olympics buyers

 By Travis Clark

• Advertisers will be able to buy programmatically for the first time during the Olympics this year through Peacock, when the summer games start next week.

• This will enable first-time advertisers to access the games in ways they couldn’t before, several brands and agencies told The Current.

💡 Lightbulb moment

“Programmatic media buying levels the playing field allowing our brand, and others our size, to compete in the same arena as the world’s largest advertisers.”

— Amie Stanley, founder and CEO, E29 Marketing

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When brands block the news, journalism takes a hit

By Ilyse Liffreing

• Publishers say advertisers need to audit their keyword blocklists, which are often years old and overflowing with pointless terms, preventing reach and hemorrhaging publishers’ bottom lines.

• Studies point to advertiser fears with hard news as overblown, and advanced contextual tools and audits can do more to help qualm advertiser fears.

💡 Lightbulb moment

“Keywords are like the Raid Roach Motel — keywords check in, but they don’t check out.”

— Lou Paskalis, chief strategy officer, Ad Fontes Media

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5 minutes with Spotify’s Emma Vaughn

• Spotify is making a bigger push into video advertising, as it makes ads more of a priority for its business, Emma Vaughn, Spotify’s head of advertising, business development and partnerships, says.

• Time spent watching on Spotify has risen 48% year over year, according to the company.

💡 Lightbulb moment

“We know the mood that the person is in. Consumers are 15% happier and calmer when they’re listening to Spotify. It is a happy consumption experience. So how do we then take the creative and amplify that, so it continues to make people feel good.”

Watch now

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The new math in media waste reduction

By Brenda Tuohig, chief commercial officer, Scope3

• To reduce waste, both in carbon and ad dollars, brands should consider three factors: more precise insights, accurate measurement and setting a clear set of priorities.

• Ultimately, brands want any emissions they do generate to deliver value back to them, which takes always-on and immediate data.

💡 Lightbulb moment

“Weaving emissions and performance together in the beginning, middle and end of the campaign will make it easier for real improvements to happen industrywide.”

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