In this Week in Review: the Alliance for Open Media is launched, autoplay videos to be reviewed and Instagram goes portrait and landscape. For your weekly summary of industry news and other VAN interviews and videos, sign up to the weekly Video Round-Up.
AOL Buys Millenial Media
AOL to Buy Millennial Media for $238 Million, read more on VAN
Autoplay Videos To Be Reviewed
After the shooting of two journalists live on air in Virginia last week, many social media users reported that they had seen the shooting video due to the autoplay function on Facebook and Twitter. Now, the Parliamentary Internet, Communications and Technology Forum (Pictfor) has told the BBC that they are looking into changing the way autoplay works.
‘Siri’ Announces New Apple Launch
Apple has used its iPhone voice personality, Siri, to announce their next iPhone launch. Siri doesn’t tell anyone the plans, but if users ask the service to ‘give us a hint’ the voice mentions 9th September as a date to watch out for.
Google Removes Flash from Chrome
Google has announced that its Chrome service will no longer autoplay Flash adverts as of September 1st 2015.
Alliance For Open Media Announced
Seven leading internet companies have announced they are part of the newly-formed Alliance For Open Media, the organisation running the project, the Joint Development Foundation, has announced. Companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Mozilla and Netflix are part of this open-source project that will develop media formats, codecs and technologies in the public interest.
Google Launches New Logo
Google continues its current tranche of surprise launches with the release of its new logo. The new logo is its biggest update in 16 years.
Yavli Launches Ad-Blocking Site
A ad-blocker has been released – Yavli. The technology gives users who have downloaded an ad blocker sponsored content suggestions. If the user clicks on the piece of sponsored material, the publisher charges the brand.
Facebook Live a Huge Hit
Facebook Live Videos are already proving a huge hit, found Newswhip when they tracked the performance of the live streaming feature.
WPP Agency Links With Buzzfeed Motion Pictures
WPP agency, Group M, have announced that they have signed up to work with Buzzfeed Motion Pictures for a year.
Hulu Tests Programmatic with Facebook and Oracle
Through a partnership with Facebook and Oracle, Hulu is going to make its premium video inventory available programmatically for the first time.
Instagram Goes Portrait and Landscape for Video and Photo
Photo sharing social media site Instagram has announced that users can now share videos and photos in portrait and landscape orientation.
Facebook Plans Change in Video Management
Social networking site Facebook has announced in a blog post that it plans to tackle the problem of content piracy and ‘mis-use’.
TimeInc Creates Creative Hub, ‘The Foundry’
TimeInc has launched its one-stop creative shop, The Foundry. The Foundry comprises Time Inc.’s Innovation Studio, Content Solutions and Time Inc. verticals, such as The Drive.
Amazon Adds Download Option to Instant Video
Amazon has announced that their Prime members will be able to download videos to iPhones, iPads and Android phones and tablets for offline viewing.
19 Out of 20 Adults Consume Digital News
Just under 19 out of 20 UK adults consumed news and magazine brands across print in digital between June 14/15, the National Readership Survey has found.
CMOs to Invest More In Brand Experience
CMOs are expected to invest more in brand experience over the next two to three years, and the biggest expenditure will be for content generation, from The CMO Club and IBM shows.
Smartphone Users to Exceed PC Users
Smartphone use is expected to exceed PC use by the end of 2015, a has found. Smartphones account for nearly half the time spent online, according to the study.
Internet Connected TV Spend to Increase
Spend on connected TV is set to increase, as almost half of connected advertise plan to increase their spending over the coming year, a report from the Association of National Advertisers has found.
Two Hours and 51 Minutes is ‘Definitive’ Online Time
Two hours and 51 minutes has been found to be the definitive time that people spend online a day, the Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB) and UK Online Measurement Company (UKOM) have found, using Comcast data.
Television Viewing Has Changed Forever
The television viewing experience has changed forever, according to a report by IAB Australia as connected TV ownership and multi-screening becomes more prevalent.
Cord-Cutting About Cost, Not Content
Economic difficulties are to blame for people cancelling their pay-TV subscriptions, claims a report by the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB).
This Week’s New Hires:
We Are Social Announces New U.S President
Global social media agency, We Are Social, has named Rob FitzGerald, former president of Big Fuel Communications, as their new president in the U.S.
This Week on VAN:
AOL to Buy Millennial Media for $238 Million, read more on VAN
We Need to Start Rebuilding Advertiser Trust in Video Advertising, read more on VAN
2020 Vision: Forecasting Tomorrow’s Television Trends, read more on VAN
Ad of the Week: Expecting (I Just Can’t Wait To Meet You), Fiber One, Saatchi & Saatchi New York
An ad featuring a pregnant man… but he’s not carrying what you’d expect.
