Reddit Rolls Out Native Videos As Study Shows Users Are Willing To Watch More

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This week in social media news, Reddit launches its native video ad platform as part of its ongoing redesign efforts, just as a new study shows that mobile users are willing to watch long-form videos. Facebook is expected to invest up to $2 billion over the next year to develop more exclusive content for its Watch platform, and Snapchat officially debuted its first branded Snappable augmented reality Lens in partnership with Three and its virtual flying pug mascot.

Reddit Rolls Out Native Video Ad Platform

Reddit launched its native video ads platform, with new ads rolling out next week, and brands including Nintendo, Audi and Netflix are already on board. These ads will only be served to users that are using the expanded card display layout of Reddit’s redesign, which is on by default. They will appear in-stream and automatically play without sound.

The is currently the third most popular website behind Google and YouTube, and Reddit reports that its video views have been growing by 23 percent each month since the start of 2018. Current videos average more than five million minutes of views per day, not accounting for spikes in viral content, which can lead to 100 million in a day.

Native Video Ad Study Find Viewers Are Willing To Watch More

Native advertising technology platform Adyoulike released a report that analyzes more than 30 million in-feed video views run across its platform from January to April 2018 to study the rise and performance of native video formats across the open web—specifically on premium publisher environments. Its findings contradict conventional wisdom, which dictates that any native video longer than six seconds is too much.

According to the report, smartphone users may be more likely to spend time engaging with longer videos than short ones if they’re executed correctly. Adyoulike found that 72 percent of mobile users who watch six seconds of a video will continue to view and engage with it for up to 22 seconds. Additionally, mobile and tablet users remain significantly more engaged with 15-22 second videos on premium publisher environments than desktop users.

Facebook To Put Another $1 Billion Into Watch Content

Facebook is doubling down on Watch as a TV-like platform for its massive user base, and analysts expect the social media giant to invest another $1 billion—perhaps $2 billion over the next year—to fund exclusive programming. Although that amount pales in comparison to the $8 billion Netflix is putting into its content, but it does represent a significant push toward original content in an effort to attract ad dollars. However, it is difficult to know what kind of impact Watch shows have on the platform, since its user growth has slowed. Facebook does not provide any official metrics or data for Watch, nor do third-party research companies such as Tubular or Nielsen.

Snapchat And Three Launch First ‘Snappable’ AR Lens

Snapchat launched its first branded Snappable interactive AR Lens today in the UK in partnership with the Three mobile network. The football-themed game features the virtual pet and mascot Puggerfly, which is a pug dog with butterfly wings. The Snappable is timed with the World Cup and follows-up Three’s “Go Binge” campaign where users could raise their own Puggerfly on Snapchat as a virtual pet.

“Since the start of our partnership with Snapchat we have focused on creating innovation and true integration across our campaign, end-to-end,” said Three’s director of brand and communications Kat Ward-Smith in a statement.

Reuters: Global Trust Declines In Social Media As A News Outlet

Across the world, consumers are finding the private nature of messaging apps to be a preferred source for news, according to new research by Reuters Institute. When asked which messaging app users had utilized for the purpose of reading and sharing news, 15 percent said they had used WhatsApp in the last week. Of all the age groups surveyed, those 18-24 use message apps the most for news at 26 percent.

“Somehow WhatsApp seems a lot more private,” one respondent commented. “Like it’s kind of a hybrid between texting and social media. Whereas in Facebook, for some reason it just feels like it’s public. Even if you’re in Messenger.”

Even before the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the use of Facebook for news has dropped an average of six percent since 2016 and dropped by nine percent from 2017 to 2018 in the US. Meanwhile, Instagram and Snapchat news usage rose three percent and two percent respectively in two years.

SnapKit Rolls Out To Developers, Touting Privacy Features

Snap, Inc. officially rolled out its SnapKit on Thursday, allowing third-party users to add features like “sign in with Snapchat” or access AR camera effects. The biggest selling point for developers and consumers is privacy, especially in the wake of GDPR and Facebook’s ongoing list of scandals. Third-party apps can only integrate an optional Snapchat username or Bitmoji, but cannot ask for email addresses or other information. In addition, links to third-party apps are severed if they go unused after 90 days.

“It really became challenging for us to see our users then use other products throughout their day and have to lower their expectations,” Snap’s vice president of product Jacob Andreou told TechCrunch. “[. . .] having to be okay with the fact that all of their information and data would be shared.”

Pandora Adds Snapchat Integration To Share Music With Friends

A new partnership will allow US Snapchat users to share music with their friends. As reported by Billboard, Pandora listeners will soon be able to share music through a “share on Snapchat” option within the app. The music will appear as animated cards, which can be listened to by swiping up.

“This will be a powerful and comprehensive social integration with music,” said Chris Phillips, chief product officer at Pandora. “The Snapchat product experience and user base are primed for sharing, and our collaboration will provide a creative and compelling way to discover and enjoy music in a way that’s intuitive to Snapchatters.”

Snapchat Introduces Offline Sales Impact (OSI) Measurement Tools

Following a successful beta trial, Snapchat marketers in the UK can now access Offline Sales Impact (OSI) tools. The tools are the result of a partnership between Snapchat and LiveRamp and allow marketers to measure how users react to a brand once they leave the app and visit retailers.

“Adding the Offline Sales Impact solution adds another dimension to the way we can help brands evaluate their impact on Snapchat,” said Andy Pang, international head of measurement at Snapchat. “We’ve always known Snapchat has a differentiated audience, and with OSI we can clearly demonstrate how Snapchat introduces new customers and value to a brand.”

Brands in Europe will also be able to measure Snapchat campaigns alongside other marketing channels including TV, radio, print and digital using LiveRamp’s Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) partner program.

Facebook Can Ban Advertisers Based On Poor Reviews

Users that clicked on a Facebook ad that resulted in a transaction can leave feedback for that business, the company revealed on Tuesday. The good news is, the tool will help Facebook weed out ads that continually misrepresent their products and services. The bad news is, negative reviews may result in a ban.

“We spoke with people who have purchased things from Facebook advertisers, and the two biggest frustrations we heard were that people don’t like ads that quote inaccurate shipping times or that misrepresent products,” Facebook said.

Facebook users can access the feedback tool through their ads activity tab and share their experiences. Advertisers that receive high volumes of negative feedback will be notified by Facebook, along with guidance on how to rectify the situation. If the advertiser does not improve its feedback rating or continues to market in the same way, Facebook said it will take additional action such as reducing the number of ads they can purchase or ban them altogether.

Shoppable Stickers Added To Instagram Stories

Instagram has added shopping tags to brand Stories on the platform, allowing users to tap the icon for more information about a product. Partnering retailers including Adidas, Aritzia and The Kooples can now tag and link directly to their products so users can make purchases without leaving the app.

For now, the new Instagram Stories shopping feature is available only for businesses and not individual creators that could solicit affiliate payments or sponsored products. Brands can link only to products that they sell themselves and not to third-party retailers for the time being, and the feature is free.

Net Neutrality Repeal Takes Effect

On Monday, the FTC officially enacted its Restoring Internet Freedom Order, repealing Obama-era regulations that required internet providers treat all digital content the same. The FTC called them unnecessary, heavy-handed regulations that restricted investment, access and competition among internet providers.

In a press release, the FTC assured US citizens that this new order will increase provider transparency while being held accountable for acts deemed anticompetitive or unfair and deceptive.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, June 15. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

This Week’s Exec Shifts: News Corp CMO Tony Phillips Departs

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This week: News Corp and StarHub both lose marketing heads, AWAL appoints a new head of artist marketing and Rue 21 makes some executive changes following bankruptcy. In addition, LiveXLive appoints an interim marketing chief, Wingstop pegs a Holiday Inn and Coca-Cola veteran to lead its global marketing efforts, Kraft Heinz names a new chief marketing officer, Stitch Fix lands a Google exec as its new CMO, Uber’s marketing chief moves to Endeavor and Duolingo invests in original programming with its latest hire.

News Corp Confirms Upcoming Departure Of Tony Phillips

After serving for two and a half years, News Corp chief marketing officer Tony Phillips will exit the company at the end of 2018 to return to this hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Phillips plans to establish his own brand consultancy firm, with News Corp as his first client. Plans by NewsCorp to fill the chief marketing officer role next year have not been divulged.

“Since joining us two-and-a-half years ago, Tony has demonstrated a deep passion for our brands, a deep affection for our business and limitless creativity for re-energizing our brand positioning in the market,” said NewsCorp in a statement.

AWAL Names Michael Pukownik SVP, Head Of Artist Marketing NA

Kobalt Music’s AWAL recordings company has appointed Michael Pukownik as senior vice president and head of artist marketing for North America. Pukownik will oversee artist marketing campaigns for the AWAL line-up from its Los Angeles office and drive digital marketing strategy.  Previous to joining AWAL, Pukownik served three years as vice president of marketing at Warner Bros. Records.

StarHub Confirms Exit Of CMO, VP Of Brand Experience

Howie Lau, chief marketing officer and head of consumer business is leaving StarHub for a job in the public service sector. He first joined the company in 2015.

“StarHub has been an amazing chapter in my life and I am grateful for all the opportunities, partnerships and friendships which will last beyond the turning of pages. I am confident that StarHub will continue her transformation journey amidst the disruptions in the industry and emerge more successful than before,” said Lau.

Vice president of brand experience Oliver Chong is also leaving StarHub “with a heavy heart” and will take a marketing position with another brand. He served the company for over 18 years.

“Together with the team and our agency partners, we have grown the brand and produced many award-winning campaigns that allowed us to connect with our customers,” wrote Chong. “We have a strong foundation and I am confident that the current team of experienced and dedicated marketing professionals at StarHub will continue to build upon the brand’s success.”

Rue 21 Hires Stephen Sommers As Chief Marketing Officer

Teen apparel brand Rue 21 has appointed Stephen Sommers as senior VP and chief marketing officer. Most recently, Sommers was chief marketing officer at Vineyard Vines.

Sommers’ appointment comes at a time of renewal and executive changes for Rue 21, which exited bankruptcy in September. Rue 21 has also appointed Laurie Van Brunt to the role of chief marketing officer effective June 25. Van Brunt previously served as president of Soma Intimate for Chico’s FAS, as well as corporate vice president and director of private brand management at J. C. Penney Company.

Rue21 has named Michele Pascoe as senior VP and CFO, succeeding Stephen Coulombe who was named interim finance head in March 2018.

LiveXLive Appoints Jonathan Anastas Interim CMO

Jonathan Anastas joins digital media company LiveXLive as its interim chief marketing officer this week. In his new position, Anastas will oversee marketing activities for all operating units, including LiveXLive and Slacker Radio. Prior to his work at LiveXLive, Anastas has acted as marketing chief for TEN: a Discovery Communications Company, as well as a number of video game brands including Atari and Activision Blizzard.

Wingstop Names Maurice Cooper SVP, Chief Marketing Officer

Maurice Cooper has been appointed Wingstop’s new senior vice president and chief marketing officer. In his new role, Cooper will be responsible for overseeing the chain’s global marketing strategy and execution. Cooper brings more than 15 years of experience to Wingstop and most recently served as global vice president of Holiday Inn.

“Maurice has a strong track record of success as an award-winning marketer, as well as a business leader dedicated to consumer and franchisee satisfaction,” Charlie Morrison, chairman and CEO of Wingstop said in a statement. “As we continue to rapidly expand our footprint, Maurice will have an instrumental role in building and promoting the Wingstop brand globally.”

Kraft Heinz Appoints Karina Ong CMO For APAC Region

Karina Ong joins Kraft Heinz this week as the new chief marketing officer for the Asia Pacific region. As CMO, Ong will lead growth and spearhead long-term innovation for the brand from her location in Singapore.

Prior to joining Kraft Heinz, Ong serves as global brand development director for Pond’s and other roles under parent company Unilever. Prior to Unilever, Ong was also responsible for leading key brand and marketing teams at Johnson & Johnson and Lux Asia.

Stitch Fix Hires Deirdre Findlay As Chief Marketing Officer

Personal stylist brand Stitch Fix has appointed Deirdre Findlay its new chief marketing officer. In her new role, Findlay will lead all marketing, creative, and communications initiatives for the company. Bringing over 20 years of experience to the brand, Findlay most recently served as senior director of global hardware marketing at Google, where she oversaw marketing for Google’s home hardware products, including Google Home, Chromecast, and Google Wifi.

“Deirdre is a strategic leader with a deep understanding of what drives consumer behavior and how to connect with clients in an authentic way,” said Katrina Lake, founder and CEO of Stitch Fix. “Her blend of vision, creativity, insight, and practical experience building personal and relatable brand experiences will be a major asset to the company as we focus on defining our brand and growing the business. We’re thrilled to have her join our team

Duolingo Appoints Tim Shey Head Of Original Programming

Tim Shey joins language learning app Duolingo this week, where he will lead original content on the platform. Shey recently served as YouTube head of scripted original programming. Duolingo recently expanded its offerings to include original programming such as a documentary about refugees and a Spanish podcast.

Bozoma Saint John Joins Endeavor As CMO

After a year with the company, Bozoma Saint John has exited Uber and has been appointed chief marketing officer at voice talent agency Endeavor. Saint John’s entertainment industry connections will no doubt aide her in this new position. While her exit appeared sudden, Uber expressed gratitude when informing employees of the change.

“She has been a fantastic ambassador and evangelist for our brand, and we’re in a better place because of her vision and her work,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote in an internal memo acquired by Recode.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, June 15. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Job Vacancies 

VP, Marketing Pandora Jewelry Baltimore, MD
VP Marketing Manager, Gamification JPMorgan Chase New York, NY
Chief Marketing Officer Facebook Menlo Park, CA
VP, Acquisition & Brand Marketing CBS Interactive Burbank, CA
VP, Marketing Integrated Planning  Vitamin Shoppe Secaucus, NJ
Chief Communications & Marketing Officer UCLA Health Westwood, CA

Make sure to check back for updates on our jobs page.

Cannes Lions Behind-The-Scenes: Badger And Winters’ Madonna Badger

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The Glass Lion for Change is awarded to marketing teams for work that celebrates culture-changing creativity—think “breaking the glass ceiling.” This year at Cannes Lions, the Glass category’s jury president is Madonna Badger, founder and chief creative officer for Badger and Winters. Badger joined AListDaily to talk about how the industry is changing and why putting a woman in your ad isn’t enough to create meaningful diversity.

This is the first time Badger will serve as jury president, although she has attended Cannes three times before and served on the Glass Lion for Change jury two years ago. In 2017, she introduced #WomenNotObjects, a movement that differentiates sex from objectification in advertising. Badger was moved to receive three standing ovations during her presentation.

“It was on my birthday,” Badger recalled fondly. “It was pretty amazing.”

Last year, Badger also served as the ambassador for the Cannes Lions See It Be It mentorship initiative. This time, she will be chairwoman—a role she looks forward to with great anticipation.

“I get to meet all 20 amazing young women from all over the world,” Badger said. “I love to talk to all the young people and hear what they think and where this industry is going and what’s important to them. I love hearing from my mentors and peers obviously, but there’s something really interesting [about] being engaged with young people and their viewpoint of advertising. That will be the heart and soul of Cannes for me.”

Can you tell us a bit about the voting process?

We’ve been through over 200 different entries and have gotten it down to a shortlist and then [announcing the winner] will be by live presentation this year which will be really exciting. It’s also interesting to also be on the jury with some really incredible people.

How does your experience inform your judging and voting?

The number one thing for me is that it can’t feel like a gimmick where it’s just femme washing, transgender washing pinkwashing or whatever in order to get better interest. Really, it’s just a gimmick that they didn’t put any time or energy into and didn’t have it for any length of time. Watching for the gimmick factor is something I’m very keen to in the judging process.

How has the nature of your work changed in the last five years?

Certainly, there has been an enormous change in the last five years, but the biggest change is the realization of—and addressing the fact that—women are really guiding a third of the world’s economy. That recognition by giant companies all over the world has made women not only a focal point in some instances but being treated on a more equal basis. For example, [companies are showing] more women driving cars, [using them] in voice-over and more of women’s issues being taken up by major corporations.

How do you think the marketing industry perceives itself in 2018?

Confused. It’s a very confusing time. Actually, it isn’t so much confused as changed. There is so much change afoot in terms of reaching consumers and how to talk to consumers. When you have a sea of products that have very little differentiation among them, purpose can be an incredible point of difference.

I think that empathy is really the key to change. All advertising, marketing agencies (and frankly corporations) have to deal with [the fact] that the consumer needs to be empathized with in order to really understand how to reach them where they are. There are all these new media that we have to understand and empathize with her on [including] his or her way of thinking to make sure we are part of it. And of course, then there are things like the point of difference in the product itself—here it’s made, how it’s made, etc. In this hyper-transparent world, all of those things are vital to the advertising and marketing process.

What are you most excited for in the coming years?

I’m most interested to see creative that is surprising and a little bit scary because it’s something we haven’t seen before. [It will be a] way of talking to people and reaching people that feels completely fresh and new. I think there are many industries that haven’t even begun to talk to women in any kind of meaningful way, like beer or even the beauty category—it’s still very objectifying for the most part. I think there’s room in tech and cars and everything for us to have more meaningful conversations with men and women based on a more equal and just world.

Is Your Brand Poised For Growth?

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Brand loyalty is an increasingly fickle thing to keep track of in such a fast-changing media landscape, but it’s critically important to know where your brand sits competitively. These insights could help your brand identify significant acquisition opportunities that may exist or better understand the mechanisms you have to increase retention.

Understanding Your Market Position

One of the most telling ways to understand if your brand is poised for growth or vulnerable to decline within the category is to pay attention to both behavioral loyalty (actual market share based on purchase data) and attitudinal equity (consumer attitudes and perceptions toward your brand). This shows the opportunity you have to leverage attitudinal equity to grow through acquisition.

Image courtesy of GutCheck

Based on the attitudinal equity and current position in the market, Dunkin’ Donuts® has an opportunity to acquire up to 32 percent of current category purchasers from competitors, which would equate to an increase of 4.78 million new customers.

Bringing Together Big Data and Survey Learnings

Image courtesy of GutCheck

Knowing your market opportunity is a great start, but having robust survey data will provide insights on the drivers and barriers for acquiring those potential customers. For the coffee market for example, quality of the coffee is a stronger purchase consideration for competitors’ flight risks than the price point.

Image courtesy of GutCheck

Learn more about the grocery coffee category including which brands have acquisition or retention opportunities.

If you are interested in understanding what this could look like for your brand, reach out to GutCheck.

E3 2018: Facebook Reveals Most Discussed Gaming Brands

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E3 2018 is now well underway, and with all the major press conferences and showcases completed, publishers are now focusing on engaging with both the press and the public to further generate conversations and awareness of its announcements. But while it’s not necessarily easy to know which brands made the biggest impact over the past few days, Facebook has released its insights as to which brands have come out ahead so far, marking the first time the platform released data from its gaming community for E3.

The social network gathered several days’ worth of data and analyzed it for E3-related chatter about games and brands from 55 million posts, likes and comments made by 17 million people. Over half of the community (61 percent) is comprised of men, and 33 percent of the group is between the ages of 25 and 34. Additionally, the top five countries talking about E3 2018, its major games and brands are United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil and Canada in that order.

Facebook found that the top five most talked about brands between June 9-11, when the E3 showcase presentations were held, were Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Bethesda and Ubisoft. That might not sound like good news for EA, which was hosting its annual three-day EA Play event during that time, but maybe the company can take comfort in the fact that its FIFA 19 trailer was the most-watched gaming video on Facebook.

The most talked-about game brands on Facebook over the weekend include:

  1. Minecraft
  2. Kingdom Hearts
  3. Legend of Zelda
  4. Resident Evil
  5. Super Mario
  6. Fallout
  7. Fortnite
  8. Call of Duty
  9. EA FIFA
  10. The Elder Scrolls

Although Nintendo didn’t broadcast its pre-recorded press conference until the morning of Tuesday, June 12, two of its game brands still made the list. Additionally, none of the games Ubisoft presented made the top 10 list, despite major game announcements that included The Division 2, Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and appearances by celebrities such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elijah Wood and Shigeru Miyamoto.

It’s also worth noting that games such as Fallout ranked at the lower half of the list, despite the amount conversation its publisher Bethesda managed to generate with its livestream of nothing days before.

Facebook also revealed the top E3-related brands on Instagram over the past several days by compiling data from 17 million people who had 46 million interactions. Mentions generally match those on Facebook, with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles getting the most attention. What’s also worth noting is that Minecraft is discussed heavily on both Instagram and Facebook, despite not having any announcements at this year’s event.

Top gaming hashtags on Instagram:

  1. #ps4
  2. #xbox
  3. #fortnite
  4. #gaming
  5. #gamer

Games with the most buzz on Instagram:

  1. Fortnite
  2. Minecraft
  3. Call of Duty
  4. PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s: Battlegrounds)
  5. Super Mario

“Every E3, we see people come to Facebook to connect around the games and publishers they love—and this year is no exception,” said Facebook’s director of console and online gaming Franco De Cesare in a statement. “For the first time, we’re also excited to share the gaming conversation on Instagram, where gamers bring the same passion for the games they love as they always have on Facebook.”

Podcast Ad Revenues Hit $314 Million, IAB/PwC Study Finds

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The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC released its Full Year 2017 Podcast Advertising Revenue Study, which finds that podcast revenues are reaching an all-time high. In the US, podcasting brought in $314 million in revenue in 2017, which is an 86 percent increase compared to $169 million generated in 2016. The report, which is based on self-reported revenues from top podcast companies, predicts even stronger returns in the coming years, rising another 110 percent to $659 million in revenue by 2020.

The report also indicates that host-read ads were the most preferred, as they represent more than two-thirds (66.9 percent) of podcast ads in 2017. At the same time, supplied ads (pre-produced ads that are usually read by an announcer) were used 32.7 percent of the time. Lastly, supplied radio ads, which appear for the first time on the IAB/PwC report, only represents half a percent of revenue-generating ad types.

Of these promotions, direct response ads (ads that propose a specific action) still made up the majority of campaigns, but decreased from 73 percent of total revenues in 2016 to 64.2 percent in 2017. Brand awareness ad revenue representation increased from 25.4 percent to 29.2 percent, while branded content ad revenue representation increased from 1.5 to 6.5 percent in 2017.

As for delivery, integrated ads (ads that are edited into the programming), transacted at a cost per thousand basis, grew by 14.7 percent and represented the majority of podcast ads in 2017, making up 58 percent of ad inventory. Conversely, automatically inserted ads (pre-recorded ads scheduled using ad insertion technology) dropped to 41.7 percent in 2017.

Of the 14 podcast genres measured, the top four—Arts & Entertainment, Technology, News/Politics/Current Events and Business—collectively captured 56 percent of total advertising revenue, breaking down to 16.8, 14.6, 13.3 and 11.1 percent respectively.

The report also shows that the top four of 13 industry categories captured 59 percent of advertising revenue. Financial Services was the category leader with 18.1 percent of revenues, while Retail (Direct to Consumer) took in 16.2 percent, Arts & Entertainment reached 12.5 percent and Business-to-Business represented 12.3 percent.

“These strong numbers speak to advertisers’ increasing recognition that podcasts provide a powerful platform for reaching and engaging audiences,” said IAB EVP of Industry Initiatives Anna Bager in a press release.

PwC US partner David Silverman added, “The growing trend toward ‘anywhere and everywhere’ media engagement has created tremendous opportunity for digital media, of which podcasting is a significant component. Whether at home on a smart speaker, at work on a PC, or somewhere in-between on a mobile device, more and more Americans are listening while they live, providing a robust podcast platform where advertisers can connect with today’s consumers.”

Domino’s Pizza Fixes Local Roads To Promote Carryout Special

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Domino’s Pizza is repairing US roads in a nationwide campaign to protect pizzas from a bumpy ride home.

“Paving for Pizza” is a new campaign by Domino’s Pizza that offers carry-out specials but warns of the dangers of potholes on the way home. To further illustrate how a turbulent car ride can negatively impact a consumer’s pizza cargo, a dedicated microsite puts a camera inside a pizza box and lets users simulate the impact that potholes and poor road conditions have. Users can select road conditions mild, moderate, critical and catastrophic. “Mild” road conditions are the only setting that allows a pizza to arrive unharmed, according to the simulation.

To further drive the message home (no pun intended), Domino’s has coordinated with four different municipalities to make road repairs in Bartonville, Texas, Milford, Delaware, Athens, Georgia and Burbank, California. Domino’s donated funds to each municipality to help stretch their road repair budgets and allow for problem roads to be fixed more quickly.

“This was certainly a new type of opportunity for us,” commented Stephen Bailey, program development coordinator for Athens, GA.

Potholes were repaired using Domino’s-branded equipment and road signs as a result of these unique brand-city partnerships. In Burbank, for example, the partnership fixed five potholes and repaired one road. In Bartonville, Texas, the partnership fixed three roads and eight potholes.

To let the public know they were involved, the fixed potholes in each city were spray painted with a Domino’s Pizza logo and the words, “Oh yes we did.”

Consumers can enter their zip codes on the microsite to nominate their own town for repairs, as well. If their town is selected, the customer will be notified and the city will receive funds to help repair roads so pizzas make it home safely. The brand is also pushing a carry-out special that offers large three-topping pizzas for $7.99 each.

Domino’s has explored a number of “outside the pizza box” marketing ideas lately, including a partnership with Google Assistant that allows it to speak directly with the brand. Domino’s Pizza introduced ordering through Google Home back in 2016. This new feature introduced in May will allow Google users to say things like, “Hey, Google, order my usual from Domino’s” instead of “Okay, Google, talk to Domino’s.”

In April, the company introduced “Dom,” an AI assistant that takes pizza orders over the phone.

https://youtu.be/JDd-HP3FA4s

Cannes Lions 2018 Networking & Party Guide

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With Cannes Lions 2018 come the networking events and parties—here are the ones on our radar.

Cannes Official Meet Ups 

When: June 18-22, 10:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Where: Meet Ups Space (within the festival)

The Cannes Lions are hosting a series of “meet ups” for various attendees, from first-timers to ad producers to influencers to brand strategists. Cannes passes are required for entry.

CNN Daily Happy Hour

When: June 18-22, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Where: Palais Beach

CNN has sponsored the 7th annual Cannes Lions sunset happy hour, promising sweeping views of the vistas of the French Riviera and, most importantly, drinks.

Baden–Württemberg 120 Minute Party

When: June 22, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

Where: Long Beach, Bd de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes

“The only federal state in Germany that sends its own delegation to Cannes” is hosting a party to demonstrate its precision: the party will end exactly 120 minutes after it begins. Reservations have already filled up, but the event is first-come-first-served, so there’s still a chance to make it in.

Audio Network Music House

When: June 18-21, Starts 9 a.m.

Where: Available with registration

Audio Network has rented out a villa near the French Riviera to offer a variety of relaxation and networking events for Cannes Lions attendees. Audio Network will host yoga classes daily at 10 am, as well as sound-bath therapy. Less soothing will be the company’s pool party on Thursday, June 21 from 2 to 6pm.

The Drum Yacht/Pub

When: June 18-21

Where: Available with registration

The Drum has rented out a yacht and a pub at the quays by the Cannes harbor, offering a variety of panels and networking events. Register here. [details not finalized]

#YouCannes2018

When: June 18-21

Where: Plage Goéland, Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, France

Comcast and Freewheel are partnering to provide a series of networking events, from an introduction to Mediterranean culture and cuisine to a grand party on the evening of the 20th.

The Rosé Challenge

When: June 19, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Where: Lady in Blue, Le Vieux Port de Cannes, Jetée Albert Edouard

The Rubicon Project is offering the denizens of Cannes Lions the chance to board a yacht and taste-test rosé, drink rosé spritzers and rosé Champagne. Attendees can top things off with some frosé if they’re still thirsty.

Captify Pool Party

When: June 19, 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

Where: Available with invite

Martech firm Captify is hosting a pool party at its rented-out villa, promising plenty of networking and music and, for those who arrive between 1 and 3 p.m., plenty of free barbeque. Fear not, the rosé is both free and unlimited. Invite-only, but they’re available by email request.

Haymarket@Cannes: Happy Hours, Iced Coffee And Panels

When: All Week

Where: Available with invite

Martech firm Splash is hosting an armload of events, including four panels, two networking happy hours and six different relaxation events. RSVPs are required.

Facebook Courts Game Streamers; Snapchat Sells Event Tickets

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This week in social media news, Facebook introduces a gaming video program, Instagram adds a new way to share content and Snapchat sells event tickets and expands Friendmojis to Apple users. In other news, Instagram is working on a competitor for Snap Discover, Facebook is funding news programming and has introduced ads to the Marketplace. Also, Facebook adds bidding support for in-app ads and the company’s music industry deals come to fruition, Bing ads will soon include LinkedIn, Facebook fires back against a New York Times exposé and YouTube taps a former Spotify programming head.

Facebook Introduces ‘Level Up’ Program For Game Creators

Several new features on Facebook express a desire to compete with Twitch and YouTube in the gaming space, and with gaming video content worth $665 million, it’s no wonder. In January, Facebook introduced its gaming creator program that includes the ability to financially support Facebook game content creators. Level Up is a new program to be debuted in the coming months that helps emerging creators get started.

Level Up members will receive early access to new features, best practices from established gaming creators and customized access to Facebook support for troubleshooting and bug reporting.

Snapchat Partners With SeatGeek To Sell Event Tickets

Snapchat users can now purchase Los Angeles Football Club event tickets directly from the app, SeatGeek announced Thursday. This partnership marks the first time Snapchat users will be able to purchase tickets through the app. Additional tickets will be offered in the future to include sporting events and concerts.

Instagram Encourages Sharing With @Mentions

Public Instagram account users can now share posts they have been tagged in, the company announced Thursday. When a user has been mentioned in someone else’s story, they will now receive a notification in their Direct Messages. Users then have the option to add the content to their own Story or share it as a sticker. The original poster will be tagged when a message is shared.

Snapchat Expands Friendmojis To Apple Messages

Snapchat’s customizable stickers called “Bitmojis” are available to use inside the app, as well as Apple Messenger but “Friendmojis,” a version that includes one or more of a friend’s avatar, are being added to Messenger as well.  IOS users who link their Bitmoji and Snapchat accounts together will be able to send Friendmojis in Messages in the coming days.

Instagram Plans Long-Form Video Section

In another bid to compete with Snapchat through imitation, Instagram is planning to announce a video hub similar to Snapchat Discover on June 20, sources told TechCrunch. The dedicated video space would feature scripted shows, music videos and more in vertically oriented, full-screen, high-def 4K resolution. Sources close to the situation said that Instagram has been meeting with popular social media stars and content publishers about moving their video channels or creating an Instagram version.

Funded News Shows Coming To Facebook Watch

A dedicated section for News is being added to Facebook Watch, the social network’s recently launched video hub. Facebook is testing a number of shows by mainstream media channels including ABC News, Advance Local, ATTN, CNN, Fox News, Mic and Univision that will be hosted by professional journalists. These shows, funded by Facebook, are scheduled to go live later this summer with additional shows to be announced in the coming weeks.

“We’ve seen that people enjoy coming to Watch to find timely, relevant content and to catch up with the publishers and creators they care about,” Campbell Brown, head of global news partnerships wrote in a blog post. “We think that this is a great opportunity to test a viewing destination for high-quality news content within Watch.”

Business Can Now Run Ads In Facebook Marketplace

Launched in 2016, Facebook’s Marketplace became a social alternative to Craiglist, allowing users to buy, sell and trade goods locally. Now that businesses have joined Marketplace, Facebook has announced the inevitable—advertisements.

Businesses in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be able to run ads in Marketplace using parameters for traffic, conversions, product catalog, video views and reach. Marketers already advertising with Facebook can now select Marketplace as one of their target locations.

Facebook Tests Musical Posts

Facebook has begun testing video posts with music that would normally be flagged for copyright infringement, such as wedding videos or other life events. In addition, “Lip Sync Live” was added to Facebook Live on Wednesday, allowing users to mouth the words to popular songs in front of a live audience. Facebook Live now offers the option to pick a song, which will countdown prior to recording. While the user lip syncs to the music, special effects can be added such as sparkles, masks and backgrounds.

Copyright claims often prevent social media users from sharing videos accompanied by music. YouTube has struggled to keep up with these claims as music industry execs begrudgingly continue deals that allow certain music to be used. Facebook saw an opportunity to make music industry deals of its own and users will soon be able to take advantage of these partnerships.

Facebook Adds Support To Include In-App Advertising

Facebook Audience Network now includes in-app advertising and mobile web, the company announced on Tuesday. Through a partnership with MoPub, Fyber and MAX, Facebook has tested the function and is ready to roll it out to marketers this week.

“We believe the principles behind mobile web header bidding can improve the efficiency of app monetization,” said Vijay Balan, Facebook Audience Network head of publisher solutions partnerships in a blog post. “The app ecosystem is plagued by many of the same inefficiencies and lack of transparency, resulting in lost revenue for the app publisher, ad dollars that may generate a suboptimal return for the advertiser, and potentially a less relevant ad experience for people.”

Bing Ads Will Soon Target LinkedIn Users

Microsoft owns LinkedIn, which gives marketers something Google AdWords cannot—access to LinkedIn’s 500 million users. As reported by Search Engine Journal, Bing Ads will include LinkedIn functionality by the end of the year.

In 2016, a Bing Ads user suggested LinkedIn targeting on the company’s official suggestions forum. An administrator responded on Monday saying, “This functionality will be available before the end of the year.”

Facebook Defends Third-Party API Strategy

On Sunday, The New York Times published a piece that questions Facebook’s honesty about collecting information about users’ friends. Before the dawn of app stores, Facebook partnered with “at least 60” device manufacturers like Blackberry, Apple and Samsung that allowed the creation of a “Facebook-like experience” on mobile phones. Features were recreated for each device that mimicked Facebook such as “like” buttons, messaging and access to a user’s address book.

Now that most users can simply download the Facebook app, the company began rolling back these manufacturer partnerships in April. However, The Times alleges, Facebook failed to mention this bit of information to Congress, and that granting access to a user’s friend data without that friend’s permission raises serious privacy concerns.

“Facebook’s leaders said that the kind of access exploited by Cambridge in 2014 was cut off by the next year when Facebook prohibited developers from collecting information from users’ friends,” The Times reported. “But the company officials did not disclose that Facebook had exempted the makers of cellphones, tablets and other hardware from such restrictions.”

In a blog post, Facebook’s vice president of product partnerships Ime Archibong rebutted the article, insisting that partners could not integrate the user’s Facebook features with their devices without permission and agreements were signed designed to prevent Facebook information from being used for any purpose other than recreating Facebook-like experiences.

“Contrary to claims by the New York Times, friends’ information, like photos, was only accessible on devices when people made a decision to share their information with those friends. We are not aware of any abuse by these companies,” Archibong said.

Tuma Basa Is Now YouTube’s Director Of Urban Music

YouTube launched its new subscription music service recently and Tuma Basa will be in charge of urban music programming effective June 1. Basa served as Spotify’s global programming head of hip-hop until May, when he made the switch to YouTube. He also brings experience from across the music industry, having worked for BET, MTV and Revolt.

“His experience will be invaluable to the music journey we are on at YouTube, connecting artists and fans across the globe, and I am thrilled to welcome his voice to our collective efforts,” said YouTube’s global head of music Lyor Cohen in a statement.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, June 8. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

This Week’s Exec Shifts: Goop Hires Andres Sosa As Its First CMO

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This week: Goop lands its first CMO, Potbelly welcomes Papa John’s former exec, Lenovo updates its marketing team, Lionsgate loses a marketing head, Interactive Advertising Bureau CEO exits, GoCompare secures a new marketing strategy lead, Twitter reorganizes to offer more live video to marketers, 20th Century Fox marketing leader departs, Louis Vuitton CEO promotes son to image head, Genesis and ChromaDex find new CMOs.

Goop Appoints Andres Sosa Chief Marketing Officer

Goop, the lifestyle brand founded by Gweneth Paltrow, has appointed its first CMO. Andres Sosa will start his new position on Monday and lead international expansion efforts. Sosa joins the company after serving as executive vice president of sales, marketing and creative at Yoox Net-a-Porter’s The Outnet.

Potbelly Hires Brandon Rhoten As Senior VP And CMO

Sandwich chain Potbelly has appointed Brandon Rhoten senior vice president and its first chief marketing officer. Rhoten previously served as chief marketing officer for Papa John’s until an abrupt corporate shake-up last month that forced his exit after one year.

Apple Names Poonam Kaul Director Of Marketing In India

Poonam Kaul will join Apple as its first director of marketing in India. Kaul will complete her tenure as PepsiCo India’s vice president of communications and CSR and join Apple in a few weeks.

Lenovo Updates Its Global Marketing Teams

Amit Dosho is Lenovo India’s latest chief marketing officer, the company announced Thursday.

Doshi will focus on deepening digital and data competencies towards building a “more customer-centric organization” across all business segments in India and South Asia.

“Amit has played a pivotal role in the Lenovo brand journey over the last five years and understands its pulse,” Rahul Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO, Lenovo India, said in a statement.

Bhaskar Choudhuri has been promoted from head of marketing in India to chief marketing officer for the APAC region. Choudhuri will be responsible for expanding Lenovo brand footprint in the region of driving sales of PC’s tablets and smart device in his new role.

Gina Qiao has been promoted from senior vice president of mobile business group to global chief marketing officer. Qiau replaces David Roman, who retired.

Tim Palen Steps Down As Lionsgate CMO

Lionsgate’s chief marketing officer Tim Palen has stepped down from his position but will remain on as chief brand officer. The move is part of an executive shake-up that began last fall when Joe Drake was appointed co-chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, Variety reports.

IAB CEO Exits; Appoints Temporary Replacement

Vijay Solanki, CEO of The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), has exited the company after two years, stating it was “time for a change.”

IAB has appointed its director of research, Gai Le Roy, as interim CEO until a replacement can be hired.

GoCompare Appoints Zoe Harris As Chief Marketing Officer

Zoe Harris will join insurance rate comparison brand GoCompare as chief marketing officer later this year, where she will be responsible for the development and delivery of marketing strategy. Harris, who currently serves as CMO for Reach (formally Trinity Mirror Group) will replace Richard Harris who held the role since 2016.

“Zoe’s background in media, with an enviable track record of helping develop some remarkable and impactful brands, makes her an ideal fit for the Group,” said GoCompare CEO Matthew Crummack.

Harris’ hire is likely part of the company’s recent efforts to address gender parity in its hiring practices.

Twitter Consolidates Video And Partnership Teams

Twitter is placing less emphasis on live video as a standalone feature, folding its live video teams into its content partnership team. In an internal memo obtained by Variety, Twitter said the reorganization was to streamline to increase efficiency, “better aligning with [their] global strategy and vision.”

As a result of the reorganization, director of global news partnerships Peter Greenberger and global head of live video Todd Swidler are exiting the company.

Twitter is dividing its content partnership teams into region rather than category from now, each reporting to Kay Madati, global head and VP of content partnerships. As part of this change, Laura Froelich, director of sports partnerships, will become the head of US partnerships.

Executive Vice President Of Marketing Jonathan Helfgot Leaves Fox

Twentieth Century Fox is waving farewell to Jonathan Helfgot, the company’s executive vice president of theatrical marketing, Deadline reports.

Helfgot had been with the studio for a little over a year, joining in May of 2017 from Open Road, where he was president of marketing.

LVMH Promotes Antoine Arnault To Head Of Communication And Image

Currently, Berluti’s CEO and son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, Antoine Arnault is expanding his responsibilities, taking on the role of head of communication and image for the luxury conglomerate.

In order to address this increased exposure and further enhance the evaluation of the group’s achievements, I have decided to strengthen the organization of our communication,” Bernard Arnault said. “He will oversee all communication agencies working for the group and will promote a global strategy that will benefit everyone.”

Antoine Arnault has been with LVMH since 2002, first working in the company’s French marketing department.

Genesis Healthcare Hires Michel Mommejat As Chief Marketing Officer

Michel Mommejat has joined Genesis Healthcare as its chief marketing officer.

“We are very pleased to welcome Michel Mommejat to the Genesis Healthcare team,” said Dr. Iri Sato Baran, Genesis Healthcare’s co-founder and president. “With more than twenty years of experience in marketing with focus on digital, CRM and technology, Michel Mommejat brings a holistic communication skill set to our marketing team, combining passion for strategy, operational excellence and innovation.”

Previously, Mommejat served as managing director for digital, data and technology for McCann Worldgroup in Japan.

SBE Hires Alvaro Valeriani As Senior Vice President Of Sales And Marketing

Alvaro Valeriani has joined SBE as its global senior vice president of sales and marketing.

“We are excited that Alvaro is joining us in this crucial role. We’re on a journey of expansion across our hotel and restaurant brands and his twenty years’ experience in the hospitality sector working at some of the biggest hotel groups in the world will help us continue this trend and keep our portfolio of brands at the forefront of the hospitality world,” said SBE CEO and founder Sam Nazarian.

Previously, Valeriani worked at Hyatt hotels and resorts in Latin America as head of its sales and marketing operations.

ChromaDex Appoints Lisa Bratkovich Chief Marketing Officer

Lisa Bratkovich is joining ChromaDex as its chief marketing officer.

“Lisa’s expertise in direct response and brand marketing, particularly in the anti-aging space, is what ChromaDex needs to make Tru Niagen a global brand,” said Rob Fried, ChromaDex’s president & chief operating officer. “Her presence on the senior leadership team is welcomed, and we are thrilled to have her lead our marketing efforts.”

Bratkovich most recently served as CEO and principal for Direct Upside Group, a direct-to-consumer marketing consulting firm.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, June 8. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

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