The Week for Publishers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nPublishers Slow to Adopt IAB Video Standards<\/strong><\/p>\nAdoption of new IAB-backed standards for video ad transparency is low among publishers, Adweek<\/a><\/span> reported this week, with some SSPs reporting that only between 20-30 percent of publishers they work with are using the standards. The new standards set new definitions for in-stream and out-stream video, giving buyers a better view into what they’re actually buying. But these classifications have the potential to lead to a revenue hit for some publishers, contributing to the low uptake.<\/p>\nThe Independent Seeks Further US Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\nUK newspaper The Independent is targeting further expansion in the US, following a leadership reshuffle. The newspaper announced this week that current CEO Zach Leonard will move across to a new role as chief operating officer and president in the US, where he will help develop the brand and business in America. Meanwhile Christian Broughton, previously managing director, will become CEO.<\/p>\n
Publishers Block ChatGPT Code <\/strong><\/p>\nA number of publishers have inserted code on their websites blocking OpenAI’s web crawler GPTBot from scanning their content, CNN<\/a><\/span> reported this week. Reuters, The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Axios are among those who have taken the step, designed seemingly to protect their content from being used to train OpenAI’s ChatGPT.<\/p>\nEuropol Warns 90 Percent of Online Content Will be AI-Generated by 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nA report<\/a><\/span> from law enforcement group Europol cites experts saying that as much as 90 percent of all online content might be “synthetically-generated” by 2026, being either generated or manipulated via AI. Europol’s report said this could cause increased problems around the spread of disinformation and trustworthiness of online news sources.<\/p>\nCosmopolitan Axes CosmoTrips Ecommerce Product<\/strong><\/p>\nHearst-owned magazine Cosmopolitan is shutting down CosmoTrips, a holiday booking product it launched last year, Adweek<\/a><\/span> reported this week. CosmoTrips represented a new income stream for the company, but the product has been shuttered following a series of leadership changes within Hearst.<\/p>\nUK Publishers Ask Prime Minister to Protect Against AI IP Theft<\/strong><\/p>\nThe UK’s Publishers Association has written a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asking him to take action to protect publishers from theft of their intellectual property by AI systems. The letter asked Sunak to ensure that UK IP law is respected whenever content is ingested by AI systems, and that licenses for that content must be obtained in advance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The Week For Brands & Agencies<\/b><\/h2>\n
ASA Cracks Down on Junk Carbon Offsets<\/strong><\/p>\nThe UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is cracking down on green claims made by advertisers which are based on ineffective carbon offsets, Bloomberg<\/a><\/span> reported this week. The ASA’s media and public affairs manager Matt Wilson told Bloomberg that some organisations are making carbon neutral and net zero claims which are “entirely unqualified”, and that the ASA is taking “proactive action immediately”.<\/p>\nM&C Saatchi Founders Signal Faith in Agency’s Direction<\/strong><\/p>\nThree of M&C Saatchi’s four founders have collectively invested \u00a31 million in the company’s stock, Sky reported this week, signalling their collective faith in the agency’s direction. Their increased investment (which takes their total holdings to around six percent of the company) comes as ex-Future CEO Zillah Byng-Thorne prepares to take the reigns as executive chair.<\/p>\n
Stagwell’s Gale Expands Gaming Capabilities<\/strong><\/p>\nStagwell-owned agency Gale has formed a new strategic partnership with gaming-specialist agency Moonrock Labs to expand its own gaming capabilities, Digiday<\/a><\/span> reported this week. The partnership will combine Moonrock’s game development capabilities with Gale’s integrated marketing offering and client base, to create branded gaming experiences.<\/p>\nHavas Entertainment Wins Dr Martens’ EMEA Media Business<\/strong><\/p>\nHavas Entertainment has been picked by footwear brand Dr Martens as its lead EMEA agency for comms strategy and media implementation, covering markets including the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Havas Entertainment won the account following a competitive pitch process.<\/p>\n
Initiative Launches<\/strong> New Zealand Office<\/strong><\/p>\nInterpublic Group media agency Initiative is launching in New Zealand, having been appointed to handle media duties for New Zealand bank ASB. The local agency will be called Initiative Aotearoa – and will handle media strategy, planning, and buying across all channels for the bank.<\/p>\n
Hires of the Week<\/h2>\n
EE\u2019s Bridget Lea to Lead Snap UK<\/b><\/p>\n
Snap, the Snapchat parent company, has named Bridget Lea as General Manager for the UK. Lea spent three years as Managing Director of Commercial for EE, BT\u2019s consumer division.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Independent Appoints Christian Broughton as New CEO<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Independent this week announced the appointment of Christian Broughton, formerly the newspaper\u2019s managing director, as its new chief executive. Meanwhile Zach Leonard, the previous CEO, will become the company\u2019s global chief operating officer and president in the US.<\/p>\n
Publicis Bolsters Commerce and Retail Media with UK Appointments<\/b><\/p>\n
Publicis Media has announced two senior hires in the UK: Steve Ricketts as Chief Commerce Officer, and Ian Black as Head of Retail Media. The appointments are aimed at building the group\u2019s commerce and retail media capabilities across its media agencies, Zenith, Starcom and Spark Foundry.<\/span><\/p>\nBrightcove Promotes Scott Levine to CPO<\/b><\/p>\n
Brightcove, a streaming technology company, has promoted Scott Levine to Chief Product Officer. Levine was previously SVP and Head of Product. Prior to Brightcove, he was SVP of product and Technology at TelevisaUnivision.<\/span><\/p>\nInnovid Names Sarah Ripmaster SVP Strategic Accounts<\/b><\/p>\n
Innovid, a CTV ad tech business, has appointed Sarah Ripmaster as SVP Strategic Accounts. Ripmaster has more than 20 years of industry experience, including sales roles at Smartly.io, IBM Watson and Neustar.<\/span><\/p>\nThis Week on VideoWeek<\/h2>\n
Embattled Disney India to Run Ads on Free Cricket on Mobile Devices<\/a><\/p>\n\u2018Data Pods\u2019 are Breaking Down Barriers to Media Collaboration \u2013 Can they Fuel a Broadcaster Fightback?<\/a><\/p>\nNBCUniversal Names Mark Marshall Ad Sales Chief Following Linda Yaccarino Departure<\/a><\/p>\nWhat Went Wrong With Viaplay\u2019s International Strategy?<\/a><\/p>\n
Publishers Slow to Adopt IAB Video Standards<\/strong><\/p>\n Adoption of new IAB-backed standards for video ad transparency is low among publishers, Adweek<\/a><\/span> reported this week, with some SSPs reporting that only between 20-30 percent of publishers they work with are using the standards. The new standards set new definitions for in-stream and out-stream video, giving buyers a better view into what they’re actually buying. But these classifications have the potential to lead to a revenue hit for some publishers, contributing to the low uptake.<\/p>\n The Independent Seeks Further US Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n UK newspaper The Independent is targeting further expansion in the US, following a leadership reshuffle. The newspaper announced this week that current CEO Zach Leonard will move across to a new role as chief operating officer and president in the US, where he will help develop the brand and business in America. Meanwhile Christian Broughton, previously managing director, will become CEO.<\/p>\n Publishers Block ChatGPT Code <\/strong><\/p>\n A number of publishers have inserted code on their websites blocking OpenAI’s web crawler GPTBot from scanning their content, CNN<\/a><\/span> reported this week. Reuters, The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Axios are among those who have taken the step, designed seemingly to protect their content from being used to train OpenAI’s ChatGPT.<\/p>\n Europol Warns 90 Percent of Online Content Will be AI-Generated by 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n A report<\/a><\/span> from law enforcement group Europol cites experts saying that as much as 90 percent of all online content might be “synthetically-generated” by 2026, being either generated or manipulated via AI. Europol’s report said this could cause increased problems around the spread of disinformation and trustworthiness of online news sources.<\/p>\n Cosmopolitan Axes CosmoTrips Ecommerce Product<\/strong><\/p>\n Hearst-owned magazine Cosmopolitan is shutting down CosmoTrips, a holiday booking product it launched last year, Adweek<\/a><\/span> reported this week. CosmoTrips represented a new income stream for the company, but the product has been shuttered following a series of leadership changes within Hearst.<\/p>\n UK Publishers Ask Prime Minister to Protect Against AI IP Theft<\/strong><\/p>\n The UK’s Publishers Association has written a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asking him to take action to protect publishers from theft of their intellectual property by AI systems. The letter asked Sunak to ensure that UK IP law is respected whenever content is ingested by AI systems, and that licenses for that content must be obtained in advance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n ASA Cracks Down on Junk Carbon Offsets<\/strong><\/p>\n The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is cracking down on green claims made by advertisers which are based on ineffective carbon offsets, Bloomberg<\/a><\/span> reported this week. The ASA’s media and public affairs manager Matt Wilson told Bloomberg that some organisations are making carbon neutral and net zero claims which are “entirely unqualified”, and that the ASA is taking “proactive action immediately”.<\/p>\n M&C Saatchi Founders Signal Faith in Agency’s Direction<\/strong><\/p>\n Three of M&C Saatchi’s four founders have collectively invested \u00a31 million in the company’s stock, Sky reported this week, signalling their collective faith in the agency’s direction. Their increased investment (which takes their total holdings to around six percent of the company) comes as ex-Future CEO Zillah Byng-Thorne prepares to take the reigns as executive chair.<\/p>\n Stagwell’s Gale Expands Gaming Capabilities<\/strong><\/p>\n Stagwell-owned agency Gale has formed a new strategic partnership with gaming-specialist agency Moonrock Labs to expand its own gaming capabilities, Digiday<\/a><\/span> reported this week. The partnership will combine Moonrock’s game development capabilities with Gale’s integrated marketing offering and client base, to create branded gaming experiences.<\/p>\n Havas Entertainment Wins Dr Martens’ EMEA Media Business<\/strong><\/p>\n Havas Entertainment has been picked by footwear brand Dr Martens as its lead EMEA agency for comms strategy and media implementation, covering markets including the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Havas Entertainment won the account following a competitive pitch process.<\/p>\n Initiative Launches<\/strong> New Zealand Office<\/strong><\/p>\n Interpublic Group media agency Initiative is launching in New Zealand, having been appointed to handle media duties for New Zealand bank ASB. The local agency will be called Initiative Aotearoa – and will handle media strategy, planning, and buying across all channels for the bank.<\/p>\n EE\u2019s Bridget Lea to Lead Snap UK<\/b><\/p>\n Snap, the Snapchat parent company, has named Bridget Lea as General Manager for the UK. Lea spent three years as Managing Director of Commercial for EE, BT\u2019s consumer division.<\/span><\/p>\n The Independent Appoints Christian Broughton as New CEO<\/strong><\/p>\n The Independent this week announced the appointment of Christian Broughton, formerly the newspaper\u2019s managing director, as its new chief executive. Meanwhile Zach Leonard, the previous CEO, will become the company\u2019s global chief operating officer and president in the US.<\/p>\n Publicis Bolsters Commerce and Retail Media with UK Appointments<\/b><\/p>\n Publicis Media has announced two senior hires in the UK: Steve Ricketts as Chief Commerce Officer, and Ian Black as Head of Retail Media. The appointments are aimed at building the group\u2019s commerce and retail media capabilities across its media agencies, Zenith, Starcom and Spark Foundry.<\/span><\/p>\n Brightcove Promotes Scott Levine to CPO<\/b><\/p>\n Brightcove, a streaming technology company, has promoted Scott Levine to Chief Product Officer. Levine was previously SVP and Head of Product. Prior to Brightcove, he was SVP of product and Technology at TelevisaUnivision.<\/span><\/p>\n Innovid Names Sarah Ripmaster SVP Strategic Accounts<\/b><\/p>\n Innovid, a CTV ad tech business, has appointed Sarah Ripmaster as SVP Strategic Accounts. Ripmaster has more than 20 years of industry experience, including sales roles at Smartly.io, IBM Watson and Neustar.<\/span><\/p>\n Embattled Disney India to Run Ads on Free Cricket on Mobile Devices<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Data Pods\u2019 are Breaking Down Barriers to Media Collaboration \u2013 Can they Fuel a Broadcaster Fightback?<\/a><\/p>\n NBCUniversal Names Mark Marshall Ad Sales Chief Following Linda Yaccarino Departure<\/a><\/p>\n What Went Wrong With Viaplay\u2019s International Strategy?<\/a><\/p>\nThe Week For Brands & Agencies<\/b><\/h2>\n
Hires of the Week<\/h2>\n
This Week on VideoWeek<\/h2>\n