Author: Netra

Omnicom Centralizes Leadership for Three Creative Powerhouses

To boost its creative offering in India, Omnicom has announced the formation of a new group called Omnicom Advertising Services (OAS). Aditya Kanthy was appointed CEO of the recently established advertising services group by Omnicom Chairman and CEO John Wren. With an emphasis on talent, cross-agency collaboration, and innovation to propel growth in one of the company’s quickly expanding markets, Kanthy will be in charge of Omnicom’s creative agencies in the area. The respective agencies in the group, DDB Mudra, BBDO, and TBWA India, will uphold their current branding in the Indian market. The goal is to provide clients with a greater range of capabilities and scale.

Power consolidation

The power of Omnicom will be combined through Omnicom Advertising Services. It will deliver outstanding integrated solutions that satisfy the needs of Indian clients. The team will leverage the best talent contained within its leading networks and collaborate with other Omnicom agencies. Among them is Omnicom Media Group, which will improve Omnicom’s all-encompassing offering in India even more. Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Gurgaon are the four campuses of Omnicom’s recently announced large global capability centers.

Read More: Omnicom, NBCUniversal Pioneer Program-Level At-Scale Reporting

Aditya Kanthy appointed as CEO of Omnicom Advertising Services

Kanthy currently holds the title of CEO of DDB Mudra Group too. It is acknowledged that he will stay in the dual role for the time being. The leadership of Omnicom Advertising Services comprises BBDO\India’s Chairman and CCO Josy Paula and CEO Suraja Kishore, TBWA\India CEO Govind Pandey, and CCO Russell Barrett. As the new leader of Omnicom Advertising Services India, Kanthy will ensure that all capabilities are extended to elite clients further solidifying Omnicom’s presence.

Here’s what they said

John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom said,

This year India will become the most populous nation on the planet. It is an important growth engine for Omnicom. By centralizing the leadership of three creative powerhouses under Aditya, we will continue to build on our agencies’ strong foundations to deliver a wider breadth of capability and scale for our clients. Aditya brings deep experience to the newly created Omnicom Advertising Services, and our India operations is primed to thrive under his leadership.

Speaking about this development, Aditya Kanthy said,

Omnicom is the most creative global network in the world. Our agencies represent the enduring power of creativity to build brands and businesses. I look forward to bringing the might of the Omnicom network to clients in India and continue to attract the best creative talent in one of the most exciting markets in the world.

Read More: Dentsu India Designs Future-Ready Performance Marketing Powerhouse

Microsoft Unveils pubCenter for Small, Mid-Sized Publishers to Monetize Websites

Microsoft unveiled pubCenter, a brand-new advertising platform made to help small publishers monetize their websites. Microsoft wants small and medium-sized publishers to use pubCenter for display and native advertising from the Microsoft Advertising Network in order to monetize their websites. It is promoting its 15-year-old Google AdSense alternative as a pilot program for American advertisers only. With the help of Google AdSense, website owners can make money by running advertisements on their pages for free. AdSense publishers receive a portion of Google’s revenue from advertisers who pay Google to display their ads on their websites. Microsoft Advertising thinks they have a way to help advertisers; all it takes is a little tag put on the business website.

PubCenter – a simple and effective way to monetize websites

Microsoft launched the pubCenter program about 15 years ago. It has now redesigned the platform to enable tailored and relevant native and display ads that match consumer intent, publishers must insert a tag. Its goal is to assist small and medium-sized publishers and creators in making money or covering expenses. Additionally, it gives publishers the ability to control how many advertisements appear on the website, where they appear, and whether or not to display irrelevant content for users.

The new Microsoft pubCenter is now available as a pilot program in the United States; a global rollout is scheduled for the upcoming months. Microsoft PubCenter is a code-on-page advertising solution designed to simplify the process of introducing programmatic advertising to businesses. Companies must create an account and add one piece of code to their website. Following that, Microsoft pubCenter will display advertisements from the Microsoft Advertising Network, which consists of marketers from the Microsoft Advertising Platform and Microsoft Invest.

Read More: Microsoft Advertising Enters the Video and CTV Advertising Realm

How does Microsoft pubCenter work to monetize websites?

Companies give permission for the ads to appear on their websites. After that, advertisers from the Microsoft Advertising Network compete for ad space. The company may get paid when advertisements are displayed on its website. For instance, a small business owner may be considering trying an alternative ad network after already using Google AdSense to monetize their websites. Publishers choose an ad format and add website codes, much like with AdSense, to get paid each time an ad is served on the website. Only in situations where it anticipates a higher bid will the system serve ads.

While marketers fight for space on the Microsoft Advertising Network, bloggers and website owners are attempting to attract readers with quality content, like insider tips on the best local hiking spots or dining establishments.  pubCenter assists in monetizing the website with highly targeted and pertinent native and display advertisements that fit customer intent and profiles. Unlike other programmatic platforms, Microsoft pubCenter allows them to get started quickly.

Image credit- Microsoft Advertising

What does Microsoft pubCenter offer?

• Flexible mediation: Companies using Google AdSense units can also employ Microsoft pubCenter advertising. When Microsoft anticipates a higher bid, it will only show its advertisements.
• Placement of ads: Companies are free to select where and how many advertisements appear on their website.
• Enhanced advertisements: Microsoft PubCenter displays advertisements that are appropriate to the businesses website’s content and the interests of its users.
• No minimum revenue requirements or sign-up fees: Companies can use Microsoft PubCenter without having to meet any minimum revenue requirements or volume constraints.

Microsoft Advertising feels that pubCenter gives publishers more control over modifications. It gives them the ability to manage and steer ad inventory. Its goal is to enable all artists and founders to maximize the potential of content monetization.

Read More: Microsoft Advertising Enhances Search and Ads with Generative AI

TikTok and HubSpot Partner for CRM Integration to Boost Lead Generation

HubSpot and TikTok are teaming together to make community-based customer acquisition for brands easier than ever in a move that has the potential to completely redefine B2B lead generation. Brands will benefit from the integration as TikTok leads get integrated into HubSpot’s Smart CRM system. The first CRM partnership for TikTok lead generation will help businesses grow like never before by combining the power of the top customer platform and the most popular short-form mobile video destination.

HubSpot – TikTok CRM integration

The goal of the integration is to make it easier to import leads straight from TikTok into HubSpot Smart CRM. This action is a reaction to SMBs’ rising customer acquisition expenses. According to HubSpot’s research from 2021 to 2022, these costs increased for 53% of SMBs in the US, with more than a third reporting an increase of 20% or more. As a result, the collaboration is timely given that consumers are using their communities to learn about brands and products. Additionally, SMBs are looking for fresh approaches to obtaining leads due to obstacles in acquiring new customers.

Uncovering new opportunities

With a highly engaged audience, TikTok is well-positioned to assist B2B businesses in overcoming this challenge. More than 50% of American TikTok users claim to have discovered new brands on the app. Also, 58% of users worldwide state that after seeing a lead generation advertisement, they are likely to make a purchase. Through the use of native HubSpot integration, SMBs can automate the TikTok lead-capturing process and realize the benefits of community-based acquisition

The integration automates the B2B Lead Capture Process. Here’s how it works

The automated lead capture from TikTok made possible by the new HubSpot CRM integration transforms a highly engaged audience into prospective high-value clients. HubSpot’s Smart CRM is the central component of this integration. With the use of analytics and intelligence workflows, it guarantees a consistent customer experience across teams and provides useful insights. To further streamline the initial setup, users can link their TikTok for Business account to HubSpot.

Read More: Launch Cart Debuts AI-Powered Ad Platform LaunchADS.AI

After connecting, advertisers can use TikTok to create lead-generation ads that instantly sync leads into HubSpot’s Smart CRM in real time. Because all prospects are centralized, managing a company’s sales funnel is made simpler for enterprises. From there, companies can use HubSpot’s Marketing Hub to interact with new leads and use AI-powered analytics to identify which campaigns produce the best results. Currently, only the U.S. and Canada have access to HubSpot CRM integration with TikTok. However, in the upcoming months, it is planned to be expanded to more nations.

TikTok’s High Engaging Audience meets HubSpot’s Robust CRM

The collaboration has substantial effects on B2B marketers who are struggling with growing client acquisition costs. It represents the coming together of HubSpot’s powerful CRM skills with a very engaged TikTok audience. Additionally, it provides fresh approaches to lead generation that correspond with the current trends in community-based client acquisition.

No-Code Integration 

HubSpot is promoting a no-code integration that enables companies to:

• Connect their HubSpot account to their TikTok for Business account
• Start creating lead-generating ads on TikTok and sync leads with HubSpot’s Smart CRM.
• Employ HubSpot’s Marketing Hub to create tailored campaigns for a range of media, including SMS, sponsored ads, and email.
• Use the new Sales Hub to manage and interact with qualified prospects.
• Utilize HubSpot’s AI-powered reporting capabilities to evaluate campaign outcomes and adjust tactics.

Here’s what they said

Karen Ng, SVP of Product at HubSpot said,

We’re always looking for ways to help our customers grow better, and it’s undeniable that TikTok is a massive opportunity for businesses. With this integration, we’re pairing the discoverability of TikTok with the power of HubSpot’s customer platform to help more businesses turn tuned-in audiences into high-value customers.

Read More: TikTok’s Double Delight: Creative Assistant and Ad-Free Subscription

AMC Networks Pioneers Programmatic Ad Buying on Linear Networks

Following a successful trial in September, AMC Networks announced that it has authorized programmatic ad buying on three of its linear networks. It was a noteworthy and ground-breaking first for the business. This technology breakthrough is significant because it allowed live linear inventory to be biddable in real-time and acquired programmatically for the first time. This month marks the launch of programmatic buying, which is available for all AMC, WE TV, and BBC America content.

An industry-first programmatic live linear inventory purchase

The company developed and carried out this ground-breaking collaboration with Canoe Ventures, The Trade Desk, a global provider of advertising technology, and FreeWheel, a global technology platform for the TV advertising sector. Through these technological partners, advertisers can buy digital advertising in a real-time biddable environment that is recognizable to consumers of connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) advertising.

Benefits for advertisers

Traditional programmers are searching for innovative strategies to counteract digital advertising as viewers cut the cord and go to streaming. With the help of this service, advertisers can use current programmatic buying systems to purchase both digital and linear ad inventory for a single, cohesive campaign. Better reach and frequency management results from this and advertisers that were previously limited to digital platforms can now reach new incremental linear audiences.

AMC Network’s Pilot Program for programmatic

AMC Networks was the pioneering programming company to provide targeted advertising on linear television two years ago. Addressable spots are currently being sold in each hour of its live linear and VOD inventory on BBC America, WE TV, and AMC. Advertising partners who wish to reach viewers of the company’s well-liked and superior programming with targeted, relevant, and automated advertising will greatly benefit from the introduction of linear programmatic buying and the company’s addressable capabilities.

Read More: Czech Republic’s Media Club Launches Programmatic Video Ad Buying

The Premier Promo Campaign

As part of a test that ran in September and featured other national brands, L’Oreal became the first national marketer to purchase advertising programmatically, collaborating with their agency Omnicom Group. In September, The Trade Desk and AMC Networks conducted promotional activities to validate and assess the effectiveness of this novel feature. They also sought to make sure that the purchasing procedure was as easy, quick, and seamless as they could. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and the network’s yearly FearFest programming event were the main topics of AMC’s ads.

Here’s what they said

Evan Adlman, executive vice president of commercial sales and revenue operations for AMC Networks said,

Programmatic buying offers enhanced targeting, greater efficiency and has been the preferred way to transact on digital platforms for years, but until now has never been possible for national linear television commercials. During this pilot, we were able to deliver seven distinct creative executions to viewers simultaneously as part of the same national linear commercial slot, through a real-time biddable process. This is a huge advance for us and for the industry and, like our pioneering efforts in addressable advertising, makes our inventory even more valuable.

Shenan Reed, senior vice president and head of media at L’Oréal USA stated, 

We were excited to be the first brand to pilot this important advancement in how TV advertising is purchased, which aligns well with our interest in automation and efficiency and being able to buy all forms of inventory together as part of the same process. AMC Networks, The Trade Desk and FreeWheel were great partners and we look forward to being part of the continuing future of programmatic ad buying on linear television.

Mark McKee, general manager, FreeWheel commented,

This innovation brings together two extremely timely advertising technologies to help advertisers reach and engage with current and prospective audiences: programmatic ad buying and addressable TV advertising. The first gives advertisers greater control, automation, and efficiency in the overall TV ad buying process, and when layering this with addressable TV advertising, the result is advertising that reaches the right target consumer, within an enhanced and enriching viewer experience.

Tim Sims, chief revenue officer, of The Trade Desk, added

The business of buying TV ads is being rewritten, and right now is the moment the industry needs to fully embrace programmatic advertising. This integration brings the power of data-driven decisioning to linear ad buys, while giving brands and agencies the insight to build even more sophisticated, omnichannel campaigns. It’s a major win for both publishers and buyers.

Read More: Jumia Advertising Unveils Programmatic Ads for African Operations

Decoding Big Tech Giants Quarterly Results: Insights Await!

Big tech companies recently released their quarterly results for Q3 2023. Here are some key insights for industry enthusiasts.

ALPHABET

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, released third-quarter earnings that were above analyst projections. The business was satisfied with the quarterly results. The tech giant credited Cloud, YouTube, and Search for the overall boost. Out of all three, Search continued to be the key driver of their revenue expansion. However, Google’s Cloud business division failed to meet its revenue projections. Since Q1 of 2021, this has been the slowest documented growth in the Cloud business.

Because of this, Alphabet keeps investing in the cloud industry, which is growing in significance as generative AI emerges. YouTube’s advertising income exceeded experts’ forecasts thanks to increases in direct response and brand awareness. This is attributed to Shorts, the TikTok competitor of YouTube with 70 billion views every day. 

By the numbers

• Revenue reported was $79.69B, up 11%.
• Google Search and other advertising revenues were $44B, a rise of 11% Y-O-Y.
• Google Cloud computing revenue rose 22% to $8.41B against estimates of $8.64B.
• Advertising revenue was up 9% to $59.6B as against an estimated $59.1B.
• YouTube advertising revenue reported $8B, up 12% Y-O-Y.
• Network advertising revenue was down 3% to $7.7B.
• Traffic acquisition costs were up $12.64B vs estimates of $12.63B.
• Search ad revenue was up 18%.

Google disclosed its quarterly results in the middle of its antitrust lawsuit. Government authorities claim Alphabet uses unlawful monopolistic methods to maintain control over its search engine. Additionally, it’s predicted that more advertisers will spend money on Google advertisements, which could lead to increased rivalry among them. In addition, Google keeps funding its attempts to develop Generative AI in an attempt to overtake its rivals.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, said in the earnings call,

I’m pleased with our financial results and our product momentum this quarter, with AI-driven innovations across Search, YouTube, Cloud, our Pixel devices, and more. We’re continuing to focus on making AI more helpful for everyone; there’s exciting progress and lots more to come.

Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer; CFO said,

The fundamental strength of our business was apparent again in Q3, with $77 billion in revenue, up 11% year over year, driven by meaningful growth in Search and YouTube, and momentum in Cloud. We continue to focus on judicious capital allocation to deliver sustainable financial value.

META

In terms of earnings and revenue, Meta exceeded the third-quarterly results. This was attributed to the increase in digital advertising spending. Exceeding expectations, the results showed the fastest growth rate, with revenues rising by 23%. Additionally, the company’s user base has grown in the face of fierce competition from rivals such as TikTok.

As its clients recover from a challenging 2022, Meta is witnessing faster growth in its core digital ads businesses. Right now, Meta’s business is doing better than its rivals. Its recovery can be largely traced to increasing the impact of its online ads. Additionally, Meta has cited its significant investments in AI as a crucial technological advancement that has enabled it to attract businesses seeking to serve clients with tailored incentives.

By the numbers

• Revenue rose 23% to $34.15B.
• Facebook DAUs were 2.09 billion on average, a 5% increase Y-O-Y.
• Facebook MAUs were 3.05 billion, an increase of 3% Y-O-Y.
• Family Daily Active People (DAP) was 3.14 billion on average, up 7% Y-O-Y.
• Family Monthly Active People (MAP) was 3.96 billion, higher by 7% Y-O-Y.
• Ad impressions across all Meta apps increased 31% Yo-Y and the average price per ad was down 6%.

Meta anticipates its spending in 2024 will exceed that as it continues to invest in AI infrastructure. Meta expressed a distaste for falling behind in the race towards generative artificial intelligence. To boost engagement, the internet giant intends to roll out AI-powered avatars on Facebook and Instagram. Users may be able to engage with the platform in new ways, receive recommendations, and do more with these identities.

Susan Li, Meta’s Chief Financial Officer stated that for Reality Labs, Meta’s augmented reality and virtual reality division, the company expects operating losses to increase meaningfully Yo-Y due to its ongoing product development efforts and investments to further scale the ecosystem.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO said in the announcement, 

We had a good quarter for our community and business. I’m proud of the work our teams have done to advance AI and mixed reality with the launch of Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and our AI studio.

MICROSOFT

Microsoft released the first quarterly results of its 2024 financial reports, and the company was off to a great start to the fiscal year. The favorable outcomes were ascribed to Microsoft Cloud’s strength, which outperformed analyst predictions. Microsoft completed its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a publisher of video games, earlier this month.

Microsoft claims to have the greatest AI infrastructure and the widest cloud footprint. Furthermore, compared to other cloud providers, it has more regions where AI services are installed. Furthermore, while search income growth was still influenced by third-party agreements, the rise in search and news advertising revenue was linked to higher interaction on Bing and Edge. 

By the numbers

• Revenue recorded $56.5, higher by 13%.
• Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud Unit revenues were $24.3, up 19% beating estimates of $23.4B.
• Azure revenues rose 29% against an estimated 26.2%.
• LinkedIn’s revenue increased by 8%.
• Microsoft Cloud Revenue was $31.8B, up 24%.

Microsoft is still dedicated to making investments in the cloud and AI potential. In order to increase consumer productivity, it is concentrating on quickly integrating AI into all facets of its technological and business processes. In addition, it will maintain strong growth in the upcoming year thanks to its leadership in the commercial cloud and AI platform wave.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft said,

With copilots, we are making the age of AI real for people and businesses everywhere, we are rapidly infusing AI across every layer of the tech stack and for every role and business process to drive productivity gains for our customers.

Amy Hood, Chief Financial Officer, Microsoft, commented,

We saw healthy renewals, particularly in Microsoft 365 E5, and the growth of new business continued to be moderate for standalone products sold outside the Microsoft 365 suite. In Azure, as expected, the optimization trends were similar to Q4. Higher-than-expected AI consumption contributed to revenue growth in Azure. 

Read More: Delve Into What the Quarterly Results For Big Tech Titans Are Saying

AMAZON

Amazon outperformed analysts’ expectations and exceeded its own projections for the third quarter. Growing online sales in its retail section and significant cost reductions drove growth. Additionally, a notable increase in advertising revenue and growth in its cloud business, which kept stabilizing, were its main drivers. According to Amazon, the increase in AWS revenues of over $900M was offset by customers’ shifting focus towards fostering innovation and delivering new workloads to the cloud.

Amazon is still concentrating on buyer behavior and customer happiness. Thanks to the Prime Day event, when over 375 million goods were purchased globally by Prime members, Q3 revenues increased 11% YoY. The company’s introduction of generative AI capabilities into its products and services compensated for the decline in advertising revenue. Demand for daily necessities in areas like health, beauty, and personal care has remained high on Amazon.

By the number

• Revenue posted $143.1B, up 11% Yo-Y vs analysts’ expectations of $141.41B.
• AWS revenue was $23.1B, higher by 12% Yo-Y.
• Advertising sales jumped to $12B, rising 26%.

In addition to warehouse robots, which were already a prominent business for the corporation, Amazon continues to make large investments in generative AI. Further, AWS and Anthropic, Amazon’s generative AI, will work together on future advancements in AWS Trainium and AWS Inferentia chip technology, according to CEO Andy Jassy of Amazon. He thinks that the partnership will support the ongoing acceleration of the benefits to customers in terms of pricing and performance.

Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy said,

We had a strong third quarter as our cost to serve and speed of delivery in our Stores business took another step forward.

Brian Olsavsky, Amazon’s Chief Financial Officer added,

We’re ready to make this a great holiday season for customers. Overall, consumers have shown resilience in their spending despite rising interest rates and stubbornly high inflation that has steadily eased since last year. Amazon said Thursday its retail business grew by 6% during the third quarter. It was boosted by the company’s popular Prime Day sales event held in July. It’s also seeing strong customer demand across categories like beauty, health, and personal care items. But we still see customers being cautious about price, trading down where they can and seeking out deals.

He further added that as Amazon enters the holiday season, its operations network and inventory are in the optimal position like never before.

SNAP INC.

Snap INC. reported the third-quarterly results of 2023 and numbers that were better than anticipated by Wall Street. Its ad platform enhancements were the cause of the improvement in outcomes. For quite some time, Snap’s company has been in turmoil. This is because of TikTok’s rivalry, Apple’s modifications to iOS’s ad tracking, and a number of other issues. It was encouraging to see sales rise again. Moreover, Snap improved the ML ranking and optimization for the web, app, and Dynamic Product Ad (DPA) platform by implementing over 17 significant changes.

By the numbers

• Revenue posted $1,19B, up 5% from estimates of $1.11 B.
• DAUs 406 million, high 12% (43 million) Yo-Y.
• Snapchat+ reached more than 5 million subscribers.

By concentrating on investing in ML models to enhance content ranking and personalization across all content offerings, Snapchat is aiming to increase the depth of engagement with its content. Additionally, it will keep utilizing AI technology to provide the community with new services and goods. In addition, the business declared that over 200 million users have sent over 20 billion messages on My AI since its debut.

Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap INC. said in the earnings call,

Our revenue returned to positive growth in Q3, increasing 5% year-over-year and flowing through to positive adjusted EBITDA as our reprioritized cost structure demonstrated the leverage in our business model. We are focused on improving our advertising platform to drive higher return on investment for our advertising partners, and we have evolved our go-to-market efforts to better serve our partners and drive customer success.

OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP

Beyond estimates, Omnicom revealed remarkable revenue growth in the 2023 third quarterly results. With consistent growth in media, advertising, and precision marketing, the business is still on track for the entire year. The outcomes follow significant recent victories, like the $600 million Uber media contract, which was transferred from competitor WPP to Omnicom Media Group in September.

With the release of Omni Assist, Omnicom’s customized version of ChatGPT that improves every task with Omni, it continues to develop its Generative AI capabilities. In addition, it keeps evaluating how Generative AI will impact Omnicom’s operations throughout the entire company and plans ahead.

By the numbers

• Global revenue reported $3.58B, a high of 3.3% or $113.1M organically.
• Advertising and media posted a 6.1% growth to $1.9B.
• Public Relations was down 5.5% against 12.6% delivered in Q3 2022.
• Third-party service costs increased $90.6M or 15.4% to $678.6M organic growth.

Omnicom is confident that its clients will receive the greatest creative skills and capabilities from the newly established Omnicom Advertising Services.

John Wren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom stated,

We are pleased with our strong organic revenue growth of 3.3%, with notable performances in our Advertising and media, Precision Marketing, and Healthcare disciplines. Our year-to-date organic growth of 4.0% remains in line with our full-year expectations, which reflects the resiliency of our business even in periods of economic uncertainty. Omnicom continued to post strong profitability and earnings growth in the quarter, and our recent business wins validate the benefits of our client strategy in this rapidly evolving marketplace. We are very well positioned for a recovery in business conditions, with a strong balance sheet and leading creativity in all of our service disciplines.

Read More: OMG’s Rudra Khanna on Navigating Marketing’s Dynamic Landscape

Dentsu India Designs Future-Ready Performance Marketing Powerhouse

As part of its vision to deliver ‘What’s Next’ for its clients and people, dentsu India has decided to bring together the advanced capabilities curated from two of its leading brands, iProspect and Sokrati. iProspect is a globally awarded digital-first end-to-end media agency that drives business performance for clients; Sokrati is a tech-savvy, data-driven performance marketing company.

The unified services will provide integrated Performance Media Marketing and Programmatic solutions from iProspect and Sokrati. Driven by the collective expertise of 600 performance marketing professionals, the service is designed to offer future-ready solutions, achieve global business growth, and boost profitability for clients through synergies and increased efficiency. Furthermore, by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, the solution will enable full-funnel tracking and management, customer analytics, and AI-powered predictive media management. It will also offer access to top industry talent, improve client management by integrating media capabilities, and foster a culture of collaboration and excellence across teams with specialized experience.

Nilesh Gohil, formerly the Chief Business Officer of Media (CBO) at Sokrati, has been promoted to take on dual roles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sokrati, and as President – Performance Practice. In his new role, Nilesh will focus on strengthening Sokrati’s commitment to ‘Scaling Up: Designing Tomorrow’s Experiences Today’. Working closely with the leaders, he will leverage his expertise in Performance Marketing, MarTech, and Analytics to offer tech-enabled, data-driven solutions, deliver added value to clients, and maintain the network’s reputation for excellence and innovation in the industry. 

Vinod Thadani, Chief Growth Officer (CGO), Media and CEO, iProspect India, will continue to lead the growth responsibilities for all Media brands in India. He will focus on driving the growth trajectory of businesses by delivering on dentsu’s ‘Integrated by Design’ tailored solutions for clients.

Reporting to Anita Kotwani, CEO Media, South Asia, dentsu, Nilesh and Vinod will collaborate closely with the wider dentsu India team. They will deliver innovative and transformative outcomes for the clients, expand the agency’s presence in the market, and align with the network’s global vision.

Commenting on the announcement, Anita Kotwani said, “Dentsu is ushering in a new era of transformative excellence. We have always been at the forefront of innovation – anticipating the future, to shape the unknown. Sokrati resonates with our vision of leading the space. We firmly believe in empowering the best of our talent to take up key leadership positions and Nilesh’s proficiencies make him an absolute fit to lead the practice.  His contributions have played a vital role in Sokrati’s success. I am extremely proud of his achievements, and I look forward to further partnering with him as we move ahead to attain many new milestones for Sokrati.”

Nilesh Gohil and Vinod Thadani added, “We are extremely thrilled to embark on this new phase of growth. Dentsu has been a performance marketing powerhouse, with solutions defined by cutting-edge technology. The unified services offered through the Performance Practice are certainly a key to pursuing exceptional performance marketing solutions. This will indeed truly distinguish our services in the industry. As dentsu strides in digitization, we are certain that this unification will lead to rapid growth opportunities. Our focus will be on driving innovation through digital, modern creativity, technology, and AI to continue leading as India’s frontier Digital Media company for years to come.”

Jumia Advertising Unveils Programmatic Ads for African Operations

Jumia Advertising has announced the launch of its programmatic advertising service. Brands will have the chance to expand their operations in Africa with the help of this service. With the use of cutting-edge technology and data-driven tactics, it is intended to empower advertisers and merchants. The fast-changing world of digital advertising offers new opportunities for cooperation and campaign optimization through programmatic advertising.

Growth of Programmatic Advertising in Africa

Across several African nations, Jumia Advertising has a vast and superior monthly audience reach of over 27 million unique visitors. For SMEs and brands, it’s a big opportunity to reach more online buyers. Through a real-time dashboard, Jumia’s programmatic advertising gives advertisers control over their targeted audiences, budget expenditures, and campaign results. They can make use of two unique choices for collaboration that are suited to their particular requirements.

Read More: Equativ Partners with Utiq for Ethical Programmatic Marketing Practices

Collaboration options

The first kind called a “Preferred Deal,” is accessible on Jumia to advertising agencies as well as sellers/brands. It enables companies to make use of their first-party data, guaranteeing that advertising is highly targeted and efficient. Advertising agencies are the only ones who can use the second type, “Private Auction.” It gives them the chance to start awareness campaigns for e-commerce clients at substantially cheaper costs per thousand impressions (CPM) than standard CPM prices.

Jumia’s strategic objective to boost revenue and quicken its route to profitability includes this launch. Of the top 10 rapidly expanding digital advertising companies worldwide in 2022, Jumia Advertising came in third (and first in Africa) for Digital Ad Revenue Growth.

Here’s what they said

Menna Samir, Group VP of Jumia Advertising, Jumia said,

We are thrilled to introduce Programmatic Advertising as a game-changing solution for our valued partners. Jumia Advertising has always been committed to driving innovation in the digital advertising space, and this is a testament to that commitment. With Programmatic Advertising, we aim to empower sellers and advertisers across Africa by equipping them with the cutting-edge tools and insights needed to make data-driven decisions and achieve superior campaign results.

Read More: Czech Republic’s Media Club Launches Programmatic Video Ad Buying

Gamers8 2023: Riyadh’s Premier Esports Event Powered By Generative AI

Given the success of the 2022 event, there is a great deal of excitement surrounding the commencement of this year’s Gamers8 event. As a significant player in the industry, Gamers8 has cemented Riyadh’s status as the region’s esports hub. The Saudi Esports Federation is in charge of the tournament. The goal of this year’s ‘Land of Heroes’ is to outperform last year’s in every way. This includes the size of the prize pool as well as the scope of the sports and activities held in Riyadh. Moreover, by using generative AI capabilities, the Gamers8 2023 event is setting new benchmarks.

New Industry Standards at Gamers8 2023

In 2023, Gamers8 succeeded in bringing gaming and esports to Riyadh and established a new benchmark for the industry. But for the 2023 season, the Extend AdNetwork-which is in charge of strategy, planning, and execution—took a bold step to raise awareness and encourage significant participation in the event. This was accomplished by breaking down barriers and questioning accepted wisdom, substituting the conventional method for tech-driven, content-centered integration. Additionally, it aims to foster a closer bond with the tech and gaming industries.

Extend AdNetwork – Smartifai’s Generative AI integration

Extend, in collaboration with Smartifai, announced a plan aimed at captivating users and raising awareness of events. The core of this strategy is ChatGPT’s integration with contextual technology. It will bring Gamers8 unprecedented prominence. It is also intended to grab users’ attention and will make use of generative AI. It did this by integrating three different visual messages into the ChatGPT ad format, which allowed it to navigate consumers to ad content while providing quick and clear content summaries in both Arabic and English. This strategy promoted deeper involvement and improved the reading experience. It also formed alliances with publishers of video games, sports, music, and entertainment.

ChatGPT Ads campaign launched on a global scale

In order to launch the campaign globally, in-screen and in-image advertisements were used in international markets. It focused primarily on ChatGPT Ads in regional markets like the UAE and KSA. The outcomes are nothing short of extraordinary. With 4.7 million distinct persons connected to the campaign, it had excellent reach and generated half a million ad interactions. Interaction rates increased as the campaign went on, reaching a stunning 16.6% in the last week. It outperformed regional display and social expectations. The social context of the audience—especially that of people who are actively involved in gaming and tech communities—was understood through the use of addressable context.

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A unique generative AI-led ad format

The ChatGPT-led format was carefully designed with Gen Z and Generation Alpha in mind. With over 21,000 unique content summaries and an astounding 7% interaction rate, it effectively catered to their need for rapid satisfaction. Remarkably, about seventy percent of these exchanges started in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the natural language processing method performed a good job of interpreting the sentiment of the text. By using engaging content summaries and call-to-action prompts, it made it possible to understand the audience’s reading context and start a conversation with Gamers8. This tailored strategy made sure that Gamers8 connected with its intended audience more deeply. Moreover, using Motion Context enabled the hyper-personalization of Gamers8 messages by utilizing real-time gaming events. It gave each person a dynamic and captivating experience.

A successfully executed campaign

The Gamers8 event’s physical site saw over 3500-foot traffic as a result of the campaign’s success. The Saudi Esports Federation’s Head of Marketing and Branding, Adel AlMeqren, underlined the achievement’s historical significance. He declared that Saudi Arabia will become a global hub for gaming and esports thanks to Gamers8. He went on to say that Gamers8’s openness to doing something completely different and novel in the market shows how committed the company is to innovation and how flexible its marketing tactics are. His comments highlighted Gamers8’s willingness to adopt and successfully implement innovative concepts, illuminating their resolve to stray from conventional marketing techniques. This innovative strategy sets Gamers8 apart and establishes Saudi Arabia as a trailblazing esports and gaming innovation hub.

Beyond smashing records, the 2023 Gamers8 event created a road of success and paved the way for a future in which gaming and esports take center stage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond. Gamers8 is still at the front of this evolving gaming industry, pushing the boundaries and setting records for success.

Here’s what they said

Tareq Al Awar, Head Of Digital Media at Extend, said,

This is a testimony to push our efforts to stay at the forefront of innovation and bring a unique execution to our clients, introducing the latest tech as an early adopter in the Saudi market. We are continually striving to establish ourselves as a key differentiator in our digital offerings to our clients. When we proposed this first-of-its-kind execution, we were confident of achieving exponential results by applying a unique use-case of technologies like Generative AI and its applications to advertising that enhance the user experience and set new industry standards for creativity and engagement.

Herman D’Souza, Co-Founder of Smartifai said,

Extend’s supervision and strategic contributions significantly influenced the campaign’s innovative approach. Their involvement was crucial from the campaign’s inception, actively participating in the development of launch strategies that seamlessly integrated advanced technology. Tareq’s hands-on engagement continued throughout the various phases of the campaign, offering valuable insights and expertise to ensure its smooth execution. This highlighted the significance of a strategic partnership that understands the client’s vision and objectives, enabling them to embrace cutting-edge technologies, adapt to changes, and elevate our region to meet global standards. Islam Haggag, Media Manager, played a vital role in orchestrating the campaign’s media presence and impact, further reinforcing the synergy between collaboration and execution in achieving remarkable outcomes through the Gamers8 unique activation.

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Reliance Industries to Acquire Disney India in a Cash and Stock Deal

Disney’s India division is about to be acquired by Reliance Industries in a cash and stock deal. Instead of splitting up the company, it has chosen to sell its interests in India to Reliance, its main rival. The success of Reliance Industries’ streaming service Jio Cinema has also had an impact on the U.S. company’s business, according to Reliance Industries owner Mukesh Ambani. Disney has been looking into opportunities for selling or partnering with its India-related properties. Additionally, it had discussions with billionaires Kalanithi Maran, owner of Sun TV Network, and Gautam Adani, as well as Blackstone, a private equity firm.

Disney – Reliance Cash and Stock Deal

Instead of the piecemeal transaction previously considered, the American entertainment behemoth may sell a controlling interest in the Disney Star company, which it values at about $10 billion. Reliance, meanwhile, values the assets at $7 billion to $8 billion. The possibilities that Disney was previously considering included the purchase of all of its assets, including sports rights and regional streaming service Disney+ Hotstar, alone or in combination. Some of Reliance’s media divisions might be combined into Disney Star as early as next month, following the announcement of the deal. Additionally, even after any cash and stock transfer deals are finished, Disney is expected to have a small ownership interest. Disney receives broadcast and streaming rights to the IPL competition, a plethora of multilingual TV channels, and an investment in a Bollywood film production firm as part of the transaction, which is essential to the corporation’s global streaming expansion.

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Disney’s India operations

Star India and the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service make up Disney’s Indian operations. It had the highest user count last year on a global scale. Disney has attempted to turn around the fortunes of its streaming business in India. However, subscriber withdrawals are quickening. Disney is banking that the move will increase advertising revenue. Disney Star has battled with declining subscriber numbers, but the media company has continued to spend and hasn’t given up on the market. Other options for the company have been considered, such as a direct sale or the formation of a joint venture.

Disney subscribers shifting to Jio

Disney’s Hotstar is presently streaming the current cricket World Cup to mobile fans for free in an effort to regain members after losing approximately 20 million subscribers this year. Customers rushed to Jio Cinema since it was a free place to watch IPL games. Nevertheless, Disney has recaptured the world record for on-demand video streaming from Jio Cinema after drawing 35 million concurrent viewers to a cricket match using the Disney streamer app.

Jio Cinema’s rise to popularity

Disney’s streaming activities in India are under increased pressure from Jio Cinema. The negotiations serve as an example of Ambani’s disruption of India’s entertainment sector. It comes after he paid $2.7 billion in 2022 for the streaming rights to the IPL. The cricket event was earlier this year televised for free on the billionaire’s Jio Cinema platform. Then, Reliance achieved another victory when it obtained a multi-year deal to stream HBO programming produced by Warner Bros. Discovery in India. Any potential agreement with Reliance will benefit Viacom18, a joint venture with Paramount Global. Sports has been one of Viacom18’s primary focus areas, and it has developed a strong portfolio there that includes a number of extremely well-liked titles.

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Aleph Unveils ‘One Brand’ Initiative, A Unified Digital Marketing Ecosystem

Aleph launched its “One Brand” campaign. Aleph is an ecosystem of regional digital marketing professionals and technology-driven solutions. By using the Aleph moniker, it unifies its distinctive variety of brands. Aleph specializes in developing markets for local businesses to expand through digital marketing. Furthermore, it helps in linking thousands of marketers with billions of customers worldwide. Httpool, IMS Internet Media Services, Ad Dynamo by Aleph in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, and Connect Ads are just a few of the Group’s numerous, primarily regional businesses. The top platforms, advertisers, and agencies across the globe choose it as their go-to ad tech partner.

Aleph aims to unite digital marketing platforms for innovative advertising solutions

The Group has offices in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and Buenos Aires. Most of its old brands will be instantly rebranded as Aleph, forming a genuinely global ecosystem of local experts in the process. Additionally, this will help Aleph’s medium-term expansion plan. Aleph hopes to collaborate with over 60 leading digital platforms by 2026 in order to support them in providing creative advertising solutions to customers across more than 150 nations. Aleph aims to promote professional growth, facilitate better collaboration and knowledge sharing, and expand its service offerings beyond its current clientele of 22k advertisers across 45+ platform partners by implementing the One Brand strategy. Additionally, it gives Aleph a platform to fortify its position in current markets, penetrate new areas, quicken organic growth, and look at M&A possibilities that fit in with its strategic goals.

Aleph’s One Brand Initiative

With this endeavor, Aleph will be able to build on the noticeable advancements of the past few years. Since 2021, the Group has grown to service over 45 partners with a committed staff of digital marketing specialists worldwide, having expanded from 90 markets to over 130 markets across five continents. Aleph assists companies in expanding abroad in a cost-effective and de-risked manner by connecting them with new markets through its global connections, unparalleled local knowledge, and scalable solutions.

With the introduction of Aleph Payments and Aleph Express in recent months, Aleph has broadened its offering beyond its core ad tech offering. It offers enterprises stand-alone credit underwriting and payments solutions, building on the nearly two decades of experience Aleph has managing cross-border credit and payments for its partners.

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Aleph Payments

Aleph Payments simplifies the financial complications. They can be associated with KYC, local billing collections, FX exchange, tax settlements, and cross-border payments. This enables companies to concentrate on their core competencies. Currently, Aleph Payments oversees cross-border credits and payments totaling more than $2 billion.

Aleph Express

Aleph Express is the company’s exclusive solution for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. It offers business owners a platform to build and manage a free e-commerce website, catalog products, generate deals and coupons, and track and process orders. The most revolutionary feature of Aleph Express is its single unified inbox. This unifies Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It allows businesses to effectively communicate with and sell on their preferred social media platform from one location.

Digital Ad Expert

Aleph’s business plan is supported by Digital Ad Expert. It is the Group’s social program to open up economic prospects through training in digital advertising. Nearly 600,000 active users are enrolled in the Digital Ad Expert site. It was created by international professionals in the field of digital advertising. More than 75,000 students have received their Digital Ad Certificate from the platform. Digital Ad Expert recently joined UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition. Moreover, it supports its ambitious objectives to upskill ten million individuals by 2029 in order to provide even more value for students. This is in addition to the medium-term goal of Digital Ad Expert to certify 100,000 students worldwide.

Through the Group, One Brand will make it possible for Aleph to collaborate with partners like Aleph Express and Digital Ad Expert more successfully in order to scale Aleph payments.

Here’s what they said

Gaston Taratuta, Founder and CEO at Aleph commented, 

At Aleph, we are beginning an exciting new chapter that brings our local experts and proprietary technology under one powerful brand, Aleph. That is the purpose of our One Brand initiative,  a strategic direction towards a unified future where our global expertise enables us to deliver unparalleled value to our partners, advertisers, agencies, and SMBs worldwide. Our vision for One Brand goes beyond unifying our visual identity. It’s about embracing innovation, fostering professional development, and accelerating economic growth in the markets we operate in. By equipping thousands of digital media experts with the skills they need to excel, we are not just shaping the future of digital advertising – we’re shaping future economies and providing dignity through education, the only currency that never depreciates in value.

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