Steve Ellwanger

MIAMI – There are the headlines—traditional TV versus digital upstarts—and then there’s the reality behind the scenes. To wit, Google is playing a big part in helping traditional broadcasters transition to the digital future with solutions like dynamic ad insertion. In the U.S., “We work with 28 of the top programmers,” from sports content to […]

MIAMI – To reach its guests in the most effective ways, Target wants to create “a different kind of video ecosystem.” This requires lots of data—a growing in-house capability of the retailer—a better understanding of the context in which those guests consume media, plus being more nimble with creative versioning. Target Media Director Nick Jezarian […]

MIAMI – A+E is working with some of its competitors on new attribution modeling showing the ability of TV ads drive business outcomes, while the network tests video-on-demand addressability with Comcast and explores national addressable inventory. These are some of the network’s recent activities as outlined by Mel Berning during an interview at the recent […]

MIAMI – The traditional television ecosystem—buying on age and sex demographics—is “pretty well oiled.” So when some advertisers consider advanced audience targeting, there’s a certain amount of inertia, along with financial constraints, that can hold things back. Take low-penetration brands. Advanced targeting is challenging “because you may not find the reach that you want, but […]

MIAMI – These are busy times at Disney|ABC following the consolidation of sales groups and it couldn’t come at a better time. Advertisers “want fewer, they want bigger, they want better,” says Marco Forte. With this year’s reorganization, Forte is SVP, Disney|ABC Sales & Marketing. In this interview with Beet.TV at last week’s Beet Retreat […]

MIAMI – Walled gardens. “Barbarians” at the gates of the television industry. Coming together to solve shared challenges. These were some of the propositions at the recent Beet Retreat, as articulated by Furious Corp. CEO Ashley J. Swartz. As she has traditionally done, Swartz—who was both a participant and panel moderator at the Retreat—provides a […]

Shifting consumer-viewing preferences are fueling a big influx of over-the-top, premium video advertising inventory in both video-on-demand and live streaming. SpotX is helping DISH Network’s Sling TV work with “buyers of all shapes and sizes” to facilitate programmatic buying of that inventory. “Obviously this is a new area of the business and it’s changing very […]

A year ago, a big challenge for providers of addressable TV ad solutions was the industry’s ability to understand the value exchange compared with mass, linear TV spots. “I don’t think that’s the case anymore,” says Mike Bologna, President of one2one Media. Now the big issue is “consistency,” Bologna says in this interview with Beet.TV. […]

With three out of four Americans watching streaming video content, connected and over-the-top viewing has advanced beyond the test stage. Now big advertising dollars are starting to follow their migration from linear TV. “This is late mainstream for consumers,” says Brian Stempeck, Chief Client Officer at The Trade Desk, the demand-side platform. Similar to when […]

MIAMI – Sometimes, small miracles happen in the midst of huge catastrophes. The Puerto Rican island of Vieques was largely cut off from the world when Hurricane Maria made land on Sept. 20, but its Boys & Girls Club facility remained intact and quickly became a hub of relief activity. “Luckily, our club in Vieques […]

Under the partnership announced this week between AppNexus and Tru Optik, publishers will be able to pre-segment their connected-TV inventory and have private marketplace deal ID’s to control access to the inventory. “From a technological and logistical standpoint, it’s really a huge step forward for the entire industry,” says Andre Swanston, CEO and Co-Founder of […]

MIAMI – Even on the best of days, things can go awry on Vieques, the island off Puerto Rico’s eastern coast. Water and power supplies can be cut, groceries may or may not be available, but people just help each other get by. So when a natural disaster the likes of Hurricane Maria happens, everyone […]

MIAMI – What took the federal government more than five days—to begin assembling aid for hurricane-ravaged Vieques—started the night of the storm among concerned citizens. That’s when Brittany Roush and Kelly Thompson, Editor and Publisher of Vieques Insider Magazine, started the group ViequesLove. It was done “with the intent of raising thirty thousand or forty […]

MIAMI – The last two months have been “a testament to what the American Red Cross can do,” with Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico just the latest in a series of crises, says the organization’s Regional Communications & Marketing Director, Grace Meinhofer. “Three hurricanes, the California fires, we helped with the shooting in Las Vegas […]

MIAMI – It’s easy to forget that before Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the island was in dire economic straights. One of the organizations that realizes this the most is the 50-year-old Boys & Girls Club Puerto Rico. Before Maria, 90% of the group’s participants—mainly youths ages six to 18—were below the poverty level on […]

Editor’s note: This interview with Joe Rockhill runs to 5:30. In the rest of the video, Team Rubicon’s Michael Lloyd provides an overview from Isabella, Puerto Rico. MIAMI – There are only so many first responders in a particular city or an entire country to deal with natural disasters like Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. […]

If you think the closer you are to a television screen the better the picture is, the same principle applies to the automatic content recognition (ACR) approach taken by Inscape. Formerly known as Cognitive Media Networks before its acquisition by consumer electronics provider Vizio, Inscape is closer to the TV picture than a set-top box. […]

MIAMI – Once a natural disaster occurs, it’s back to basics. For agencies and marketers it can mean using billboards to reach people who don’t have power or Internet connectivity. For brands like Procter & Gamble, it can be dispatching mobile units to wash, dry and fold clothes for the recovering community. In the wake […]

MIAMI – The efforts of clients like Walmart, Procter & Gamble and AT&T in responding to humanitarian crises in Mexico and Puerto Rico demonstrate “authenticity and doing the right thing,” says the CEO of Omnicom Media Group’s LATAM operations. “Brands belong to society and are part of society,” Julian Porras says following the launch of […]

As Tim Hanlon surveys the advanced television landscape, he sees “a quickening in the pace” of all things actionable. “Literally just six to 12 months ago, you couldn’t have an intelligent conversation about how television and data truly work together,” says the Founder & CEO of The Vertere Group. Things like attribution from set-top box […]