COVER STORY
Black Friday ushered in a new era in holiday shopping, in what looks to be a win-win-win: Slightly smaller-than-usual crowds still packed the malls. E-commerce sales rose sharply. And mobile had its breakout moment, with m-commerce shattering expectations. While physical traffic declined, the National Retail Federation says that over the entire weekend, 154 million consumers … Read the full story by Sarah Mahoney
NewsConsumers spent $3.34 billion online on Black Friday, up 21.6% year-over-year, while Thanksgiving accounted for the remaining $1.93 billion for the two days. The biggest surprise: Mobile devices drove $1.2 … Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
- Commentary
Let's have a debate. Adblock Plus, the leading ad blocker, will convene a "potentially world-changing meetup" the week after next in New York. Should advertisers attend? Read the full story by John Motavalli
- Commentary
Has Black Friday lost its oomph? It almost feels like Black Friday week. I actually purchased some items on sale two days before Thanksgiving in physical stores. This year I'm … Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
- News
Three core emotional experiences can predict whether content will go viral. If content is positive, activating and empowering, readers are more likely to share it. Read the full story by Sara Guaglione
NewsFacebook users are two-and-a-half times more likely to read fake news fed through the social network than news from reputable news publishers, according to a detailed analysis of news consumption … Read the full story by Joe Mandese
- Commentary
"Bias is in the air you breathe," according to a new book. So how can the ad biz fight against it? Read the full story by
NewsAdobe Digital Insights Wednesday released data analyzing online sales for the holiday season that shows consumers have spent $25.59 billion between Nov. 1 and Nov. 22, 2016 -- up 3.5% … Read the full story by Laurie Sullivan
CommentaryThe worst thing about the President Elect dismissively tweeting about the "failing New York Times" isn't that he used it to display his power over the news media. The worst … Read the full story by Joe Mandese
NewsAmazon came in No. 1 again this year in YouGov's value perception ranking. What's more, it's out in front by miles, with a score of 55.8%. Old Navy runs a … Read the full story by Sarah Mahoney
- Commentary
Watching my son's interaction with both media devices and content makes me wonder more and more whether a company like Nielsen (or any single entity) can fully measure his media … Read the full story by Steve Sternberg
- News
The double-digit percentage declines are expected, given that 2017 will be a off-political and off-Olympics year. Also noted is that political TV advertising is now projected to be less for … Read the full story by Wayne Friedman
NewsInvidi, which provides media companies with addressable TV advertising platforms, will continue operating independently under the three companies' ownership. Read the full story by Wayne Friedman
NewsFacing relentless criticism for failing to curb "fake" news, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is calling for patience and understanding. Facebook plans to make reporting of misinformation easier for users, as … Read the full story by Gavin O'Malley
NewsThe increase does not appear to mean that shoppers are spending more, "but that internet-savvy users plan their purchases earlier each year," writes Forrester analyst Susan Wu. Read the full story by Sarah Mahoney
- Commentary
Fake news has been all the (out)rage in the past few days, as it emerged that incendiary phony stories -- almost all of them benefitting Donald Trump -- actually outperformed … Read the full story by Bob Garfield
NewsThe National Retail Federation expects 137.4 million people -- 59% of the population -- to go shopping during the Thanksgiving holiday, with Black Friday the weekend's busiest day. Read the full story by Sarah Mahoney
