By Linda Zid, product marketing manager, OpenText Hightail   There’s likely a problem with your creative content process, if you’re like the respondents in a recent survey conducted by Digiday and OpenText Hightail. Several creative collaboration challenges emerged from the survey of about 200 brand marketers, agencies and publishers. But all is not lost if organizations are willing to take a good, long look at where their processes are broken — and then take the daunting, but necessary, measures to fix them. Too many rounds, and with too many people One key insight that emerged from the ... read more

The BBC has enlisted some of its most recognisable comedy and drama stars to engage younger viewers and show how iPlayer is "wasted on some but not on others".  Developed by in-house agency BBC Creative and directed by Tim Godsall, the three 60-second spots see young BBC talent from popular comedy shows disguised in full hair and makeup as uptight, out-of-touch characters, who hilariously miss the point of their own shows. Those featured include Peaky Blinders stars Kate Phillips and Aimee Ffion-Edwards (AKA Linda Shelby and Esme Shelby) along with as Guz Khan, writer, comedian and star of BBC Three show Man Like Mobeen. Actors from horror series What ... read more

Xandr on Friday acquired the linear TV supply-side platform Clypd, its second acquisition since AT&T bought AppNexus and launched the data-driven advertising group last year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Clypd had raised about $31 million since it was founded in 2012, and the German broadcaster RTL Group is a lead investor. Even... Continue reading » The post Xandr Buys Linear SSP Clypd, Extending Broadcast Reach Beyond AT&T appeared first on AdExchanger. ... read more

Language learning app Babbel has hired Steven Meyers, WeWork’s former director of acquisition marketing, to drive “a new phase of growth” in the US. Reporting to Babbel’s US chief executive, Julie Hansen, Meyers will lead marketing in the region with a particular focus on growth and customer acquisition. He will lead a team of around a dozen staff and plans to grow the in-house marketing capability over time. Meyers joins from Candid, a direct-to-consumer dental business, where he was vice-president of marketing. He was a founding member of WeWork's acquisition marketing team, tasked with selling desk space at the now ... read more

After spending the last year reconfiguring its offering to bring video to the forefront, Xandr is buying TV-focused adtech start-up Clypd in the hopes of becoming a go-to programmatic shop for the streaming age. Xandr announced the acquisition of Clypd today (18 October)  more than a year after parent company AT&T bought AppNexus for around $1.6bn. Clypd, majority owned by European broadcaster RTL Group, will fuel Xandr’s supply-side platform (SSP), which was recently reshaped around its underlying AppNexus technology to lay the groundwork for AT&T’s ambitions in TV. AppNexus hasn’t been historically known as a video-centric SSP. Now with Clypd, ... read more

FX Digital has partnered with Eurosport to revamp and relaunch its connected TV experience - including console applications - to improve the end user experience and increase the reach of the platform. Eurosport Player is the OTT platform provided by Discovery’s sports entertainment brand Eurosport, designed to deliver video content to their European audience across Web, Mobile and TV.  Following the success of its work on Discovery’s DPlay project in 2018, FX Digital was approached to develop the new Eurosport Connected TV application as part of the digital overhaul the Eurosport brand was undergoing. The new Eurosport application (unlike DPlay) was set to ... read more

The Drum has unveiled this week's episode of its online video series The Drum Show, which looks at the big talking points in media and marketing from the past seven days. The latest episode is hosted by The Drum's senior reporter Rebecca Stewart, who was joined by Habito’s chief marketing officer Abba Newbery and System1 Research’s chief innovation officer Orlando Wood. Wood discussed the findings of this week’s IPA Lemon Report, which he co-authored, that detailed a decline in creative effectiveness as a result of "left-brain thinking” and short-termism. These, he argued, had impacted not only brands but also modern ... read more

Hamburg. A city of contradiction. On one hand, it’s true to the Germanic tradition of science-based order. But on the other, it’s home to a gritty counter-culture that has inspired generations of artists - including The Beatles. What better place to convene a session of the Accenture Creative Council to consider how the marketing industry is being transformed by a similar alchemy. Yes, science-based skills seem all the rage in our industry. But rather than supplanting those with a right-brain bent, are the scientists in reality augmenting traditional creativity? Our Creative Council guests were in Hamburg as part of the ... read more

Amid wider industry trends directors and production staff have, for years now, watched on helplessly as their budgets have all but disappeared. Clients under ever-increasing pressure from shareholders and a C-suite that's afforded mere months rather than years to whip bloated brands into shape continue to sacrifice legacy-building for fast content: more of it, for less money, and with their own mucky mitts all over it. Meanwhile, agencies continue to wedge themselves in the middle lest they be forced out of the process completely; some even training their creatives in the art of direction and offering production as a mere ... read more

In this weekly segment, ExchangeWire sums up key industry updates on ad tech from around the European region – in this edition: Global martech market hits USD$121.5bn (£94.6bn); AI measures emotional response to advertising; Verizon Media accelerates premium native supply with Apple News and Stocks; Channel Factory continues expansion in the UK, Russia and Denmark; and Accenture Interactive announces intent to acquire French data marketing firm Sutter Mills. Global martech market hits USD$121.5bn (£94.6bn) The global marketing technology market is now valued [...] The post Global Martech Market Hits USD$121.5bn (£94.6bn); AI Measures Emotional Response to Advertising appeared first on ... read more

Leeds-based digital marketing agency Pedro - which is part of the Elementary Digital Group - is the latest member to join the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme. The Northern Powerhouse was created to grow the North by investing in culture, transport, innovation and skills. Pedro was set up in 2013, helping businesses maximise their potential online through SEO, paid search, conversion rate optimisation, user experience testing, content strategy, social media optimisation and digital PR. Gyles Seward, managing director of Pedro and the Elementary Group said: “We are delighted to support the ongoing development of the North and we hope Pedro ... read more

BT has today launched its biggest brand campaign in 20 years as it seeks to position itself as a conduit towards breaking down barriers between families and communities. Saatchi & Saatchi were commissioned for Beyond Limits to reflect the evolving nature of the business via a full brand relaunch, a new brand identity digital, PR and social, OOH activation, community engagement and launch activations. The flurry of activity centres on a new TV campaign which pays homage to the Charles Dickens Classic, The Tale of Two Cities, by following a young girl on her travels around Britain to witness how ... read more

Johnson & Johnson has settled a multi-state legal action brought against it in the US over allegations it misled patients and healthcare providers in its marketing of surgical devices. The medical giant has agreed to pay $116.9m to 41 states and the District of Columbia for allegedly misrepresenting the safety and effectiveness of its transvaginal surgical mesh devices. Separate lawsuits brought by four other US states remain pending. Earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of all implants following a spate of personal injury settlements totaling some $8bn. It is claimed that Johnson & Johnson failed ... read more

Independent creative agency Cult has appointed Charlotte Bunyan as its head of strategy - the first position of its kind at the agency.  Bunyan will work alongside Cult’s CSO, Bridey Lipscombe, to launch a dedicated strategic division to work on their global clients: Burberry, M.A.C, Elemis, Sally Hansen, ghd, dunhill and Pepsico’s latest wellness drink YULA. Based out of the East London HQ, Bunyan will be responsible for driving Cult’s strategy and innovation. She will sit on the global executive team. Bunyan brings with her decades of experience at top creative and marketing agencies. She has also won several industry awards ... read more

Global, the media stable and advertising giant has bolstered its out of home holdings on the continent with the acquisition of the MMD Media. Following its whirlwind acquisitions of Exterion Media, Primesight and Outdoor Plus late in 2018, it now adds the Dutch ‘forecourt’, petrol station network to its stable. 1,378 digital screens located in 607 petrol stations bolster its inventory.  Global is now the largest DOOH operator in the nation, with more than 2,600 screens it claims reaches 40% of the Dutch population. Across its network, GLobal says it makes "67m impacts per week across premium locations" and boasts 33% of the total OOH market in the ... read more