Making Diversity Happen: Open the “Supply Chain,” AT&T’s McDonald

CANNES — Among the most significant problem in achieving  diversity in the adtech/media and advertising industries is the “supply chain” of interested entrants, says Kirk McDonald, CMO of AT&T Advertising & Analytics. Career paths and opportunities need to be surfaced to young people starting in high school, he says. In this interview he also addresses […]

 
 

Brands Conflicted As Omni-Channel Beasts: IBM’s Bitterman

CANNES — The gleaming, shimmering advertising future is one in which brands and buyers know which devices their target consumers are using and can plan to buy just the right amount of inventory across each to make a campaign tick. But, despite years of talk about “omni-channel” marketing, the truth is – for many – […]

 
 

ANA Pursues Global Support For CMO Masters Circle Initiative At Cannes

CANNES – The Association of National Advertisers made its first trip to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this month with a mission: to induce global CMO’s to embrace and participate in its CMO Masters Circle pro-growth initiative. As Masters Circle was being established in the U.S., the ANA “started to recognize fundamental flaws […]

 
 

Kimberly-Clark Wants To Clean Up Media with Blockchain

The worlds of crypto-currency and toilet paper may seem to have little in common – but the technology that underpins Bitcoin may soon help one of the world’s largest personal hygiene product makers clean up its media business. Kimberly-Clark, whose – brands include Andrex, Corronelle and Huggies – was one of the companies announced by […]

 
 

L’Oreal To TV Networks: We Want A Seat At The Ad Formats Table

CANNES – While L’Oreal USA’s Nadine Karp McHugh is happy to hear lots of conversations by television networks about how to improve the viewer advertising experience, she’d like to hear more marketer voices giving their input. “I think that’s really important to solve for. But they should start with not only the consumers but also […]

 
 

Unilever’s Blockchain Goals: Clearer Ecosystem, Better Business Decisions

CANNES – Rob Master is excited about the promise of transparency, visibility and measurement for Unilever as it helps to pioneer a blockchain consortium with IBM and Mediaocean. To him, it’s all about prioritizing dollars. “The digital ecosystem is fraught I think, as we’ve all seen with a host of challenges,” says the VP of […]

 
 

Mars’ Jane Wakely: Accountability Means Growth

CANNES – Big brands are far from dead, according to the Chief Marketing Officer of Mars Pet Nutrition. But they need to winnow out “fake news” about their supposed widespread demise and establish an evidence-based philosophy and operating model for driving growth, says Jane Wakely. “Accountability in marketing to me means growth. Ultimately, I think […]

 
 

ROI Measurement Proves ‘We’re An Investment, Not A Cost’: AT&T’s Carter

CANNES – While bigger can imply better when it comes to media scale, it doesn’t shield you from challenges like audience fragmentation and the “murkiness” of the digital advertising ecosystem. So while AT&T recently upped its vertical integration game with the acquisition of Time Warner, it’s as enthusiastic as smaller companies to see various industry […]

 
 

Video Needs More Consumer-Relevant Ad Formats: Nissan’s Witherspoon

CANNES — Why broadly advertise convertibles to everyone in Russia when you can now target potential buyers by vehicle segment? “The thing that’s really exciting me right now is actually being able to create more relevant one-to-one communications with consumers,” says Allyson Witherspoon, Nissan Motor Corp.’s GM, Global Brand Engagement. “We have so much available […]

 
 

ANA Working On Digital Supply Chain, Globalizes Masters Circle Initiative

CANNES – Even as the Association of National Advertisers exerts pressure on the digital media supply chain to clean up its act, the organization is taking matters into its own hands by testing an alternative digital supply chain. “If you look at the digital media supply chain, as an enterprise, the jury is still out […]