Trade Desk cuts out middlemen like Google with direct access to premium ad inventory

Publishers like The Washington Post are leveraging OpenPath to try to eliminate some of the opaqueness in digital ads that has irked advertisers.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 15, 2022

KFC selects MullenLowe as AOR to complete marketing makeover

Wieden + Kennedy had handled the QSR's creative account since 2015.

By Chris Kelly • Feb. 14, 2022

Inside Folgers' plan to swap its fusty reputation for punk-rock rebelliousness

PSOne, the bespoke Publicis unit serving J.M. Smucker, is drawing out Folgers' unsung New Orleans roots and focusing on a craft story millennials care about.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 7, 2022

Burger King puts creative, media accounts into review as RBI reshape continues

Sister brands Popeyes and Tim Hortons are also looking for a new media agency in the U.S.

By Chris Kelly • Feb. 7, 2022

WPP gains early access to Instacart ad products in latest retail media bet

Partnering with the agency could give Instacart more direct access to powerful CPG clients on its roster, including Coke, P&G and Unilever.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 7, 2022

What marketers can expect in 2022 amid continued uncertainty

As they make plans for this year and beyond, marketers can rely on the lessons of the past two years as they look forward.

Feb. 3, 2022

Olympics present multiple challenges for marketers beyond COVID

Despite diplomatic protests and pandemic restrictions, the Winter Olympics is only a day away — but you wouldn't know that based on the advertising.

By Aaron Baar • Jan. 31, 2022

Publicis Media furthers DEI bets with multiyear content pact focused on streaming

A deal with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment kicks off with a Crackle Plus program featuring custom integrations for The General.

By Peter Adams • Jan. 31, 2022

Accenture Interactive again bets on agency heavyweights to boost creative expertise

Nick Law, formerly of Apple and R/GA, will oversee design and creative tech, while former Droga5 global CEO Sarah Thompson was promoted to communications and content lead.

By Chris Kelly • Jan. 31, 2022

Can retailers grab more CPG ad dollars without repeating digital media’s mistakes?

While firmly in a boom time — U.S. spending on retail media doubled between 2020-21 — the category contends with saturation and bumpy transitions.

By Peter Adams • Jan. 25, 2022

MNTN acquires QuickFrame in hopes of streamlining CTV ad production

The deal follows the ad tech firm's acquisition of Ryan Reynold's Maximum Effort Marketing agency last summer.

By Chris Kelly • Jan. 24, 2022

Agency M&A outlook: Change is coming

New needs have emerged as drivers of mergers and acquisitions in the agency space, leading to acqui-hires, an influx of private investment and other moves.

By Aaron Baar • Jan. 24, 2022

Looking ahead: 9 trends that will steer marketing in 2022

Marketers face a steep road this year juggling emergent tech and changes to online tracking while trying to meet the shifting moods of pandemic-weary consumers.

By Peter Adams , Chris Kelly , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Jan. 11, 2022

Discovery invests in OpenAP to accelerate growth of advanced TV

OpenAP works with more than 100 advertisers and expects 140% year-over-year growth in publisher-driven ad sales in 2022.

By Chris Kelly • Jan. 10, 2022

Why agency account reviews are set to continue their rapid pace in 2022

Two years of changing consumer priorities has led brands to rethink how they go to market and the outside expertise needed to get there.

By Aaron Baar • Jan. 10, 2022

UTA buys MediaLink as marketing, entertainment convergence persists

By acquiring a strategic advisory firm whose focus includes marketing transformation, the talent agency also beefs up its own entertainment marketing consultancy.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 20, 2021

PepsiCo's in-house content studio head on preserving brand trust as demand soars

Saying no to projects isn't out of the question as Louis Arbetter tries to maintain quality while building out new capabilities in areas like social listening.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 20, 2021

IAB opens general membership to agencies, broadening tent amid digital upheaval

Intended to provide the segment an equal seat at the table, the move arrives as agencies ride a strong ad market rebound.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 20, 2021

How FuboTV is working to solve advertiser identity issues

The CTV platform has shored up its offering through a partnership with Dentsu and by acquiring an AI company.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 13, 2021

Kraft Heinz, Jack in the Box, Aviation bottle '80s nostalgia for retro sitcom special

Jimmy Kimmel's creative lab teamed with Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort to produce ads that riffed on shoulder pads and "This Is Your Brain on Drugs."

By Peter Adams • Dec. 8, 2021

WPP beefs up e-commerce push with acquisition, sustainability practice

In addition to merging with UK-based tech company Cloud Commerce Group, Wunderman Thompson Commerce has partnered with a clean tech company.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 6, 2021

Can in-house agencies sustain their productivity boom?

Even as project volumes jumped for half of in-house teams due to the pandemic's premium on digital, hybrid collaboration still faces challenges.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 6, 2021

Accenture Interactive names first global creative chief to sharpen brand-building offer

A Droga5 vet, Neil Heymann returns to the agency network just months after David Droga's appointment as CEO and creative chairman.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 6, 2021

Ad market's growth exceeds broader economic recovery, fueled by digital

While digital's strengths have been apparent, three new forecasts express surprise at just how strong spending has been — a promising sign for 2022.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 6, 2021

Espolòn Tequila toasts Mindshare's private marketplace supporting Latinx, Hispanic media

It is the first brand partner on a new platform launching with 20 publishers, including La Opinión and El Diario owner Impremedia.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 29, 2021