COVER STORY
The interview that follows began when Xaxis’ PR firm pitched us on an interview with “WPP’s $4 billion man,” Brian Lesser, who is the founder and global CEO of Xaxis -- which by all accounts is the biggest programmatic media company representing the demand-side of the marketplace, and now there’s a number to prove it. … Read the full story by Joe Mandese
NewsTwo weeks into the TV season, NBC is continuing where it left off -- in first place among key viewers -- while virtually all TV networks are showing lower traditional … Read the full story by Wayne Friedman
- Commentary
"Why, McDonald's, why?" That line was part of Stephen Colbert's fist-shaking opener during a recent "Late Night" show. The host's lament referred to the news that after testing it for … Read the full story by
NewsThe two incumbents were in a shootout review, but the agency opted to keep both with rejiggered assignments. The biggest change: Carat added North America, previously handled by SMG. Read the full story by Steve McClellan
- Commentary
Is virtual reality the next big thing? If so, what can we do about it now? More than at any other time, our industry needs to navigate a path between … Read the full story by Tom Goodwin
- Commentary
Verizon Wireless has narrowed a controversial ad-targeting program that relies on "supercookies." But advocates say the company needs to make the program opt-in only. Read the full story by Wendy Davis
NewsAd executives remain bullish about spending more of their budgets on "native" advertising formats, but their enthusiasm is beginning to temper, according to a survey of marketers and ad agency … Read the full story by Joe Mandese
- Commentary
Three lawmakers say in a letter to the W3C that its proposed "do-not-track" definition doesn't go far enough to protect users' privacy. Read the full story by Wendy Davis
- Commentary
Can you believe it's almost Halloween? I see ghouls and goblins and all sorts of things meant to scare me - but the scariest thing I've seen all month is … Read the full story by Cory Treffiletti
CommentaryNormally, I don't like to tease important news stories in blogs, but there's a significant finding in a new study of advertiser and agency perceptions of "native" advertising that is … Read the full story by Joe Mandese
- News
Apparently, media are not immune to the laws of physics -- even mobile devices, which are approaching a point of saturation in terms of consumer time spent. While the rate … Read the full story by Joe Mandese
NewsSpark had already handled strategy and planning for the client-duties it won after a 2012 review. Now Taco Bell has placed its traditional media-buying assignment with Spark as well, this … Read the full story by Steve McClellan
NewsAndrew Hare, director of digital research and strategy at Magid, the author of the study, said in a statement: "It's rare that a brand transforms the way we live in … Read the full story by Karl Greenberg
NewsEurope's highest court on Tuesday invalidated a 15-year-old agreement that enabled companies to easily transfer data about Europeans to the United States. Read the full story by Wendy Davis
NewsAmazon continues to take search market share from Bing, Google, and Yahoo. A survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers finds that 44% go directly to Amazon first to search for products, … Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
- Commentary
Your world is a much different place than the African savanna. But over 100,000 generations of evolution that started on those plains still dictate a remarkable degree of our modern … Read the full story by Gord Hotchkiss
- Commentary
It looks like we may be on the verge of a major publisher barring the ad blockers. Let's applaud them -- and hope that common sense is contagious. Read the full story by Sean Hargrave
NewsAfter many years of offering TV station ratings and TV network viewing data, Rentrak is starting up a data service for syndication TV programming. The service will report national ratings … Read the full story by Wayne Friedman
NewsEmotional response is becoming the next significant measurement tool to target advertisements from search to social, display, video and email. In fact, the race to offer consumers a better experience … Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
- Commentary
It was Advertising Week in New York last week, and the discussions about ad blocking, content marketing and media revenue models were manifold. In one session, Google's head of advertising, … Read the full story by Maarten Albarda
NewsPoor data integration sabotages cross-channel campaigns, and few companies have made the necessary steps in data collection and measurement to gain a common view of consumers within their organization, per … Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
- Commentary
In a society that does not distinguish between notoriety and celebrity, that makes icons and even anti-heroes out of villains, that rewards obscure, murderous misfits with instant worldwide recognition, the … Read the full story by Bob Garfield
NewsWord of the creative agency review follows last month's decision by the company -- formed by the merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz -- to consolidate its $600 million media … Read the full story by Steve McClellan
NewsRetailers are obsessed with connecting with consumers online, but as the holiday season gets underway, findings from a recent study reveal a wide disconnect between retail realities and consumer expectations. Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
- Commentary
"(Fill in the blank) is about to change everything," tended to be the rough title of about 30% of the panels during Advertising Week -- it's an industry in transition, … Read the full story by
NewsGoogle will introduce 100% viewable ads in the next few months, bringing all campaigns bought on a CPM into view across the Google Display Network. Although the announcement doesn't say … Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
