Western Union Launches Media Network
Western Union is entering the (retail) media network business, which in the U.S. has approximately 120 different players. “For more than a century and a half, people worldwide have trusted Western Union as their means to connect across borders through the power of money movement,” said Bob Rupczynski, Chief Marketing Officer, Western Union. According to Western Union, their trusted relationship with their customer base allows them to “build addressable audience segments at scale and deliver multicultural brand messaging that effectively engages consumers, showcases value, and provides inspiration to improve individual lives and their communities.” The retail media network category Western Union belongs to -financial- includes retail media networks created by players like Chase and Paypal.
Innovid Bought by MediaOcean
MediaOcean is buying Innovid. Innovid will merge with MediaOcean’s Flashtalking to create a premier global, independent, omnichannel ad tech platform as part of the deal. Zvika Netter, CEO & Founder of Innovid, will lead the combined ad tech organization as CEO, reporting to Bill Wise, Co-Founder & CEO of Mediaocean. Grant Parker, who runs Flashtalking, will be President of the combined ad tech organization reporting to Netter.
The Trade Desk, Announces CTV Play
The Trade Desk announced that it has developed Ventura, a new streaming TV operating system (OS). The Trade Desk will partner with smart TV original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other streaming TV aggregators to deploy Ventura.
Viant
Viant and Disney Advertising announced that they are collaborating to scale streaming audiences.
Adsmovil launches two FAST channels
Flywheel Secures Funding
Flywheel Dynamix secured a US $7 million seed funding for its Meta marketplace. Flywheel intends to build a buyer-centric platform that revolutionizes the Cloud-based marketplace sector.
FuboTV Announces 4 New CTV Ad formats
Sports-first live TV streaming FuboTV Inc. announced the availability of four new interactive Connected TV (CTV) ad formats. The personalized and dynamic experiences include transactional and gamified ad formats.
Sensis Opens Austin Office
Multicultural Advertising Agency Sensis opened its new Texas headquarters in East Austin’s historic Rosedale Neighborhood. Sensis has served major Texas clients including CapMetro, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, and the Texas Water Development Board, making Austin a natural choice for expansion.
Research: 53% of Advertisers Call CTV a Must-Buy
According to Go Addressable, a non-profit trade organization, CTV has become a vital channel for advertisers, with more than half now saying addressable is a “must-buy” after being viewed as an “add-on” just three years ago. Nearly two-thirds of those who haven’t used addressable TV before plan to start using it in 2025, reflecting steady growth since Go Addressable started tracking this metric in 2021.
Research: More than Half of Consumers Scaling Back Holiday Spending
TD Bank announced the findings of its 2024 Merry Money Survey, revealing that more than half of surveyed individuals (52%) are scaling back their spending due to recession anxieties, and more than four out of every ten (42%) respondents are weighing their holiday spending behavior based on the impact from this election. Despite these concerns, 79% of consumers still feel confident managing their holiday spending, with 64% indicating they plan to spend less than $600 on gifts. TD polled 2,000+ U.S. consumers regarding their shopping and overall money management habits ahead of the holiday season.
Research: Sustainability Companies Report Progress While Public Demands Faster Action
Veolia North America released its second annual Triple Net Zero Industry Progress Report. A primary result of the survey is that a significant gap exists between corporate and public sentiment on climate change. While 98% of companies consider sustainability important, only 30% consider climate change a “high risk” to their operations. In contrast, 89% of the public believes climate disruption is happening, and two-thirds of the world’s inhabitants feel “exposed and vulnerable to a risk linked to climate change or pollution.” The study is based on a comprehensive interview survey of 300 major corporations across 12 industries and 60 countries, assessing companies’ progress in achieving net-zero environmental goals in carbon, water and waste.
