▸ Week 45

• - European Publishers Challenge Brand Safety Rules
• - UK Festive Ad Spend to Hit £10 Billion
• - IAB Europe Reveals Programmatic Trends
• - Publishers Shift from Trend Chasing
• - 2024 State of Digital Identity Report by ID5 Released
• - Google Embraces Ad Tech Curation
• - IAB Tech Lab Finalizes Accountability Platform
  

Media Briefing: European publishers speak out on advertisers’ punishing brand safety practices.

In response to the recent U.S. presidential election, publishers fear increased brand safety measures by advertisers could lead to higher content blocking and hence, financial disparities faced by publishers. At Digiday Publishing Summit Europe, participants expressed frustration with the disproportionate ad spend directed towards social platforms despite publishers adhering to stringent regulations.

Publishers indicated that overblocking is a significant financial burden, citing examples such as the high rate of blocked content around seasonal events like Halloween. The relationship between publishers, agencies, and ad verification firms was criticised for being overly reliant on outdated safety measures like keyword blacklisting, which often results in valuable content being unfairly blocked.

Publishers argued for better communication and cooperation across the industry to address these issues, suggesting that agencies and clients should reevaluate their brand safety strategies to support credible news sources more effectively. Lastly, there was a consensus on the need for technological improvements in ad verification to move towards more contextually aware algorithms that could distinguish between controversial and innocuous content more accurately.

UK Ad Spend to Surpass £10 Billion Over Festive Season with TV Left Out in the Cold. 

UK advertising expenditure is projected to surpass £10 billion during the festive season, marking a 7.8% increase from the previous year, with Q4 traditionally being the peak time for consumer spending. Online display, search, and out-of-home advertising are expected to experience the most significant growth, with increases of 15.8%, 8.8%, and 8.1% respectively, while cinema advertising also sees a rise, partly due to high-profile film releases.

Conversely, TV ad spend is anticipated to decline by 4.3% year-on-year, continuing the trend of shifting viewer preferences towards broadcaster video-on-demand (BVOD) platforms, which are expected to grow by 7.8%. The Advertising Association highlights the importance of the final quarter for businesses to enhance visibility and drive sales, emphasising the role of creative advertising in fostering brand success and supporting jobs.

Despite a historical dip in ad spend during the 2022 recession, the trend over the past 15 years shows consistent growth in Q4 ad expenditures since the 2009 financial crisis. Additionally, consumer affection for Christmas TV advertisements is increasing, with more people looking forward to and enjoying seasonal advertising, reinforcing its value for brand impact and loyalty. 

IAB Europe’s 10th Annual Attitudes to Programmatic Advertising Report Unveils Latest Market Insights and Trends.

IAB Europe's 2024 Attitudes to Programmatic Advertising Report  provides detailed insights into the programmatic advertising sector, analysing the adoption trends, drivers, and barriers across Europe. Gathered from 254 stakeholders across 31 markets, the report identifies a significant shift toward programmatic-first strategies in an ad market worth €96.9 billion.

Notably, the survey reveals robust growth in programmatic spending for mobile and display, with a notable pivot towards newer areas like CTV and Retail Media, reflecting evolving channel strategies. CTV, in particular, is highlighted as a key growth area, as advertisers leverage programmatic methods to tap into the expanding audience on streaming platforms.

AI and improved addressability are anticipated to be major growth drivers, with the industry focusing on first-party data and contextual targeting to prepare for a post-cookie era. However, challenges such as media quality, brand safety, and privacy are becoming prominent concerns, with a substantial percentage of advertisers emphasising the need for better standards in these areas to sustain growth.

Sustainability is also becoming a critical focus, although progress varies significantly among stakeholders, with agencies showing more commitment than advertisers to achieving Ad Net Zero goals. Overall, the report underscores the ongoing role of programatic advertising in shaping future marketing strategies across Europe, suggesting that continuous innovation and adherence to emerging privacy and sustainability standards will be crucial for the industry's advancement. 

At the Digiday Publishing Summit Europe, publishers move away from trend chasing.  

The publishing industry is transitioning from a phase of hastily adopting every new trend to a more deliberate strategy focused on cultivating deeper relationships with their audiences across various channels. This shift is highlighted by publishers like Mail Metro Media, which is moving away from traditional advertising sales to explore e-commerce and other revenue models that engage consumers throughout the entire purchase cycle.

Publishers are also recognising the value of their intellectual property, with some, like The Independent, seeking to capitalise more effectively on their most compelling content through partnerships with production studios. Despite these shifts, advertising remains a critical revenue source, with publishers aiming to control the flow of ad dollars more directly and reduce dependency on third-party platforms.

For instance, BBC Studios is enhancing its approach to Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) by working closely with partners to better understand and optimise ad sales and revenue generation. Similarly, DPG Media has developed its own ad technology to attract direct ad spending and compete more effectively in local markets, providing alternatives to dominant platforms like Google and allowing more freedom for advertisers in tech choice.

Google is getting in on the latest ad tech craze: curation.

Google Ad Manager is stepping into the "curation" trend in ad tech by launching new services and forming partnerships aimed at enhancing the precision of ad inventory curation using first-party publisher data. This initiative underscores the strategic importance of curation, which involves organizing auction collections using various data signals to optimise the ad buying process in Google's ecosystem.

While Google's approach allows better targeting through their robust ad server, it also represents an effort to maintain relevance and possibly counteract any adverse outcomes from its ongoing antitrust trials. The development has potential to shape future practices in digital advertising by setting new standards in data usage and ad curation, despite the industry's ongoing challenges with standardisation and value delivery in the ad tech supply chain.

The 2024 State of Digital Identity Report by ID5 is now available. 

The 2024 State of Digital Identity Report by ID5 offers an in-depth analysis of the advertising industry's response to Google's reversal on phasing out cookies and its adaptation to identity resolution technologies. The survey includes feedback from 202 respondents globally, with 91% indicating they have adopted or plan to adopt an identity solution.

Despite Google's policy shift, 75% of respondents believe this will not affect their move away from cookies, signaling a readiness to evolve beyond traditional cookie-based tracking. The report also highlights ongoing efforts to enhance addressability across various digital platforms, with a particular focus on improving identity support in channels like CTV, mobile, audio, and gaming. 

Announcing the finalized Accountability Platform. 

The IAB Tech Lab has introduced the finalised specification for the Accountability Platform, designed to enhance transparency and trust within the digital advertising ecosystem. This platform provides a framework to ensure that user preference signals, such as the GPP string and the TCF string, are correctly and completely communicated across the digital supply chain.

It includes roles for ecosystem participants and a common operator to manage data gathering, with a structured process that encompasses logging, data collection, and analysis to uphold user privacy and prevent manipulation. The Accountability Platform aims to standardise how ad tech handles user data, emphasising accuracy and thoroughness in communicating user preferences, thereby fostering greater integrity throughout digital advertising transactions. 

▸ Week 44

• - Publishers' dilemma with ad curation
• - European publishers discuss site traffic challenges
• - DPG Media's journey to a Google-free ad platform
• - IAB Europe's New Retail Media Certification Program
• - GPP guidelines open for public comment
• - Google ordered to pay antitrust damages to Equativ
  
  
  

A look at the publisher quandary over ad curation. 

Publishers are experiencing mixed feelings about the practice of curation in advertising, which involves selectively packaging ad inventory to potentially boost revenue. While some see the financial benefits, others are wary of losing control over their ad dollars to intermediaries.

This ambivalence was evident at the Digiday Publishing Summit Europe in Barcelona, where discussions revealed deep-seated concerns alongside cautious optimism. Curation is seen by some as a way to ensure quality by avoiding being lumped with lower-quality sites in auctions, thus addressing brand safety issues and potentially increasing yield from underperforming inventory.

However, skeptics liken curation to the strategies of ad networks and resellers, which historically promised revenue maximisation but often at the expense of publishers' control. Stefan Havik of DPG Media explicitly stated that curation does not align with their goal of maintaining a simple and unique supply path, reflecting a broader reluctance among publishers to embrace this trend without clear benefits. 

Media Briefing: European publishers sound off on site traffic struggles.

At the Digiday Publishing Summit Europe in Barcelona, declining site traffic emerged as a major challenge for publishers, prompting extensive discussions on potential solutions. Publishers expressed concerns about their diminished visibility compared to the era of newsstand dominance and highlighted the unpredictable impact of algorithm updates from giants like Google and Meta.

In response, suggestions were made to diversify marketing efforts and explore innovative uses of social media and e-commerce to drive traffic back to publishers' own sites. Concerns were raised about maintaining brand integrity in an era where soft content often attracts more views, stressing the importance of owning a distinctive strategy that doesn't overly rely on external platforms.

The concept of measuring "page-hours" was discussed as a more comprehensive metric than mere page views, emphasising the value of time spent on pages. Finally, the intricacies of ad refresh rates were debated, with publishers balancing the need for increased ad views against the potential drop in viewability and the risks of faster refresh rates.

How DPG Media Built Its Own (Mostly) Google-Free Ad Platform. 

Belgian publishing house DPG Media has strategically distanced itself from the programmatic open market and Google's ad platform, seeking direct ad budgets and more control over its advertising operations. This shift began five years ago in response to Google Ad Manager's Unified Pricing Rules, which reduced transparency and control for publishers.

DPG has expanded its scale through acquisitions across Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, and developed its own ad tech solutions, including an Ad Management platform and data collaboration tools, moving away from Google's services. Now, DPG sells less than 5% of its digital revenue through Google, focusing over half of its sales on direct transactions.

The company has introduced new ad formats, like shoppable ads and video placements, designed to improve performance and integrate seamlessly with its content, avoiding third-party ad tech for better loading times and advertiser returns. DPG's strategies, which include leveraging its ad tech to attract smaller direct response advertisers and collaborating with agency partners, demonstrate a viable model for publishers aiming to regain control and compete with Big Tech.

IAB Europe Launches New Retail Media Certification Programme in Beta Phase to Drive Transparency and Accountability in Retail Media Measurement.

IAB Europe has launched the Beta test of the Retail Media Certification Programme, a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing transparency, fairness, and accountability in Retail Media measurement. This certification allows retailers to validate their compliance with industry standards, demonstrating their commitment to best practices in both on-site and off-site measurement.

The certification involves an independent audit, providing an opportunity for retailers to highlight their measurement integrity and leadership. According to IAB Europe’s CEO, Townsend Feehan, the programme is crucial for advancing a more accountable Retail Media ecosystem, setting rigorous standards, and promoting industry leadership.

Jason Wescott of GroupM Nexus and Casper Van-Wandelen of Unilever also emphasised the programme’s role in building trust, standardising measurement practices, and facilitating stronger industry collaborations. The programme, set to fully launch in 2025, will initially focus on retailers, with plans to expand to other Retail Media ecosystem participants in 2026. 

GPP Implementation Guidelines release for Public Comment.  

IAB Tech Lab has released the Global Privacy Platform (GPP) Implementation Guidelines for public comment until December 16, 2024. The GPP is designed to assist digital advertising ecosystem participants in adhering to diverse global consumer privacy regulations, promoting interoperability, and simplifying the communication of user preferences.

These guidelines offer a roadmap and enhanced resources for implementing the GPP, aiming to ease compliance with regulations like GDPR and U.S. state laws. This initiative aligns with IAB Tech Lab's mission to support the industry by streamlining compliance efforts and improving privacy management.

Google Ordered to Pay Antitrust Damages to Equativ.

The Paris Commercial Court has mandated Google to pay €26.5 million to French ad tech company Equativ for anti-competitive practices, a decision reflecting ongoing scrutiny by French regulators. Google disagrees with the judgment and is considering an appeal, marking a significant development for independent European ad tech firms affected by similar practices.

▸ Week 43

• - Spotify enhances ad tech to attract more ad dollars
• - PAAPI may match third-party cookies’ retargeting effectiveness
• - Curation in ad tech raises debate on value versus hype
• - Perplexity faces legal issues over copyright with publishers
• - IAB Europe backs Draghi Report for streamlined EU innovation
• - IAB Tech Lab launches CTV Ad Format Idol for new ad formats
  
  
  

Spotify tunes up its ad tech as it looks to attract even more ad dollars.

Spotify has launched its own SSP, Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX), to improve ad revenue and attract small and medium-sized businesses through programmatic advertising. By partnering with The Trade Desk and integrating Universal ID 2.0, SAX aims to support a cookie-less ad ecosystem, starting with video ads in North America and later expanding to audio ads.

This development mirrors trends among streaming platforms, with Spotify hoping to increase ad revenue and provide more granular ad placement options for advertisers. With its new SSP, Spotify seeks to reduce reliance on premium subscriptions and boost its bottom line, a key focus for its upcoming Q3 earnings call. 

PAAPI Could Be As Effective For Retargeting As Third-Parties Cookies, Study Finds

A study by Boston University researchers found that Google’s PAAPI may offer a viable alternative to third-party cookies for retargeting ads in Chrome. The UK’s CMA worked with Google on this experiment to test PAAPI’s effectiveness, revealing that while PAAPI resulted in 47.4% fewer ad clicks and 50.2% fewer conversions, it approached near-parity with cookies when adjusted for ad spend and impression counts.

However, low adoption rates among industry players, particularly on the supply side, hinder PAAPI's full effectiveness. Researchers also found that ID bridging, which uses first-party data to replace third-party cookies, may not be a sustainable solution as cookie data decays over time.

Additionally, PAAPI suffers from limitations, including latency issues and a 30-day interest group expiry, which restricts its re-engagement capabilities. Overall, the researchers remain neutral but suggest that privacy-focused targeting, like PAAPI, has potential if adoption rates increase. 

The evolution of the great ‘curation’ tussle in ad tech.

In ad tech, “curation” refers to organising high-quality ad inventory for targeted advertising, a prominent 2024 trend along with “addressability” and “antitrust.” Curation has gained traction due to programmatic advertising complexities, often positioned as a response to DSPs’ supply path optimisation (SPO).

SSPs now offer demand path optimisation to compete directly, exemplified by tools like Magnite’s ClearLine and PubMatic’s Activate, which allow buyers direct campaign access without DSPs. Curation efforts address quality control gaps left by DSPs, with some experts arguing curated platforms provide reliability, though others critique it as “rebranded inventory.”

The rising use of AI, such as Index Exchange’s collaboration with Chalice for dynamic PMPs, reflects this sector’s maturity and efforts toward sell-side value creation. However, publishers worry about losing control over inventory curation and profitability, further complicated by declining search traffic and shifting user behaviours due to AI-driven content discovery tools like ChatGPT. 

Perplexity faces new legal pressure even as it attempts to win over publishers and advertisers.

AI search company Perplexity faces legal challenges from News Corp over alleged copyright and trademark violations related to scraping content from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post. Filed on Oct. 21, the lawsuit claims Perplexity misuses News Corp content without permission, disregarding an earlier letter proposing a licensing deal.

The lawsuit also criticises Perplexity for plagiarising and falsely attributing information, diverting revenue from News Corp. Concurrently, Perplexity is developing partnerships, including ad revenue-sharing with publishers like Time and Der Spiegel, and preparing to introduce ads on its platform.

CEO Aravind Srinivas expressed surprise over the lawsuit, stating Perplexity had hoped for discussions. Despite these legal disputes, experts suggest advertisers may still engage with Perplexity if it provides significant value, given current market dynamics. 

IAB Europe Public Statement on the Draghi Report.

IAB Europe supports Mario Draghi's report on “The Future of European Competitiveness,” which emphasises innovation, digital transformation, and regulatory reform as key to Europe's global competitiveness. The report highlights the innovation gap behind Europe’s slowing productivity growth and urges a shift in approach to keep pace with global rivals.

Digital advertising, seen as crucial for Europe’s digital transformation, could significantly boost competitiveness, especially as Retail Media in Europe grew by 22% in 2023. IAB Europe agrees with the need for streamlined, convergent regulation, noting that fragmented rules, especially in data protection, stifle innovation and increase compliance burdens.

The organisation advocates for stable and pragmatic legislation, particularly around AI, to foster innovation and reduce regulatory complexity. Overall, IAB Europe endorses the report's vision for a competitive and digitally empowered Europe, supporting reforms that benefit both businesses and consumers. 

CTV Ad Format Idol initiative launched by IAB Tech Lab.

IAB Tech Lab has launched "Ad Format Idol," an initiative to standardise CTV ad formats for efficient, scalable programmatic transactions. With various new ad formats emerging, like picture-in-picture and shoppable ads, the initiative aims to define common standards for CTV, allowing advertisers to "build once, serve everywhere."

This standardisation is crucial as CTV grows, helping streamline ad delivery across platforms and prevent inefficiencies. Stakeholders are invited to submit ad formats for evaluation, with the chosen formats guiding updates to Tech Lab’s CTV specifications.

▸ Week 42

• - Publishers question the buzz around curation
• - Tips on optimizing floor pricing
• - Subscription and pricing shifts in Digiday's 2024 index
• - Video investment grows as UK marketing budgets freeze
• - Addressability challenges discussed at Prebid Summit
• - IAB Tech Lab releases AI primer for advertising
• - ADMaP launched for privacy-focused attribution
  
  

Publishers Are Skeptical of Adtech's Latest Buzzword, Curation.

Curation in programmatic advertising has become a popular concept, but many publishers remain skeptical about its value. While curation tech, offered by platforms like Index Exchange and Audigent, aims to package premium publishers and data for buyers, some publishers see it as another middleman that undermines revenue.

These tech solutions can cannibalise direct sales by offering lower rates and giving the illusion of quality, without significantly improving publisher earnings. Though curation firms argue they generate incremental revenue, publishers report that these deals often result in lower eCPMs.

Additionally, there are concerns that curators make inventory less appealing and harder to manage, while shifting buyers away from the open web. Ultimately, while curation promises new demand, many publishers feel it weakens their position in the programmatic landscape. 

What Publishers Need To Know About Floor Pricing. 

Setting pricing floors in programmatic auctions is essential for publishers to maximise ad revenue, as demonstrated by insights from a Prebid Summit panel. Basic floor-pricing should consider factors like session time and different ad units, though some DSPs and SSPs might ignore publisher floors.

Floors aren't meant to set exact bid prices but to protect inventory value, with pragmatic floors helping publishers avoid the "race to the bottom." Publishers should monitor win rates to adjust their strategies and work with monetisation partners for dynamic pricing.

Collaborating with a flooring partner helps manage complexity, especially when integrating display and video formats. Lastly, Google Ad Manager’s lack of integration with Prebid complicates pricing strategies, though potential changes from antitrust rulings might improve the situation for publishers. 

Digiday+ Research Professional Subscription Index 2024: Publishers tweak subscription, pricing strategies while shifting subscriber benefits.

In 2024, publishers faced significant challenges, including layoffs and shifts in third-party cookies, prompting Digiday's second annual Subscription Index to assess subscription strategies. This year's index focuses on professional publications, which all maintain some form of paywall, with half offering no free content.

Professional publications target industry professionals with valuable insights, using strict gating strategies to position their content as premium. Although some increased their prices, professional publications still have higher average subscription prices compared to news publications.

Forbes, for example, introduced flexible pricing options like a two-year plan to reduce costs for subscribers. Meanwhile, several professional publishers increased discounts for first-time subscribers while maintaining premium benefits.

Member-exclusive events have become less common, replaced by public, ticketed events, although member-exclusive research products remain vital. Indexes and rankings are key draws for subscribers, offering exclusive insights into industries and attracting professionals seeking a competitive edge. 

Video Investment Grows as UK Marketing Budgets Are “Put on Ice”.

UK marketing budgets were largely frozen in Q3 2024, with marketers awaiting the Government's autumn budget, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. Despite an overall net balance of 0% for budget increases, video advertising saw growth, with big-ticket campaigns up by 11.7%.

Categories like OOH and audio suffered the biggest declines, but main media budgets rose by 4.3%, with public relations and events also seeing gains. The report highlights uncertainty ahead of the budget, but marketers are pausing rather than cutting spend.

Sentiment turned negative, with slight pessimism about company-specific financial prospects and greater concern for the wider industry. However, forecasts for UK GDP growth and ad spend remain positive for 2024 and 2025, suggesting a temporary dip rather than a long-term downturn. 

Overheard at Prebid Summit: Addressability problem ‘really needs to be considered carefully’

At the Prebid Summit in New York City, independent ad tech players discussed the constant changes in the industry, focusing on privacy policies from Big Tech. A key concern was the potential decline of IP addresses as a viable targeting tool, following the path of third-party cookies.

Andrew Casale, CEO of Index Exchange, warned that while solutions to address signal loss are emerging, many are reliant on IP addresses, which may soon be deprecated. Optimistically, automated log-in tools, like those from Google Chrome and The Trade Desk, are gaining traction, with usage increasing beyond 5%.

The ongoing Google ad tech antitrust trial also loomed large, with uncertainty around whether a full divestiture of its ad tech business will occur. Meanwhile, debates on the evolving roles of DSPs and SSPs highlighted how SSPs might use curation to maintain their relevance. 

IAB Tech Lab releases AI in Advertising Primer. 

Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, with tools like ChatGPT reaching 100 million users in just two months. In response, Tech Lab’s Board of Directors created a subcommittee to develop an "AI in Advertising Primer" to clarify AI concepts and their impact on advertising.

The document outlines AI’s potential to revolutionise advertising by optimising processes, enabling creative innovation, and enhancing personalisation for publishers. Rather than predicting the future, the primer focuses on current AI tools, use cases, and foundational understanding to guide industry discussions moving forward.

Tech Lab releases ADMaP supporting privacy-centric attribution.

IAB Tech Lab announced the launch of ADMaP (Attribution Data Matching Protocol) for public comment until 14.11, a privacy-focused tool for securely sharing and measuring conversion data. Developed by privacy and data clean room experts, ADMaP uses Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) like Private Set Intersection (PSI) and Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to protect user privacy.

The protocol allows publishers to share exposure data and advertisers to share conversion data without revealing user-specific information. IAB Tech Lab CEO Anthony Katsur highlighted ADMaP as a critical solution to signal loss, helping advertisers and publishers collaborate securely while maintaining audience trust and data integrity. 

▸ Week 41

• - News publishers collaborating to overcome brand safety blocking
• - Publishers addressing AI challenges at Digiday Publishing Summit
• - Connatix and JW Player merge into largest video tech platform
• - New certification provides GDPR clarity for ad tech companies
• - DOJ searching for remedies in Google’s search monopoly case
• - Microsoft plans to shut down retail media business
• - IAB Europe's Programmatic Day H2 2024 in Berlin approaching
  
  

News Publishers Are Banding Together To Beat Brand Safety Blocking. 

News publishers are tackling costly & overly cautious brand safety measures by creating the ProNews Collective, a PMP of trusted news sites designed to ensure safety without 3P brand safety technologies. The initiative, launched by Prohaska Consulting & Index Exchange, consolidates premium news publishers' inventory, including display, video, and audio ads, into a secure programmatic selling environment.

Matt Prohaska, CEO of Prohaska Consulting, emphasised that the goal is to redirect advertising dollars back to news publishers while allowing buyers to purchase ad space from multiple publishers simultaneously, ensuring both scale and safety. The ProNews Collective discourages the use of third-party brand safety tools, instead relying on internal safety measures set by publishers, such as excluding ads from sensitive content like war or disaster coverage.

Scheduled around the US presidential elections, the initiative aims to leverage high-traffic periods for optimal impact and assures advertisers they can choose specific publishers or contexts for their campaigns without having to commit to all. ProNews aims to provide a more equitable revenue share for publishers by reducing intermediary costs and countering the industry’s reliance on problematic last-click attribution methods that favor certain platforms over news publishers.

Media Briefing: Publishers confront the AI era during the Digiday Publishing Summit.

During the Digiday Publishing Summit, publishers expressed unease about the nature of their relationships with generative AI companies like OpenAI and Google, which are seen as the new major digital platforms. Some publishers, like Hearst, have secured content licensing deals with these AI firms, suggesting a potential for more equitable partnerships compared to previous platform dynamics.

However, smaller publishers are struggling to engage with AI companies for similar agreements, often finding themselves overlooked and without a straightforward way to initiate discussions. Overall, the situation remains complex, with some publishers optimistic about new traffic opportunities, while others seek more tangible benefits such as revenue sharing, which companies like OpenAI are currently not offering.

Connatix and JW Player Merge To Create the Industry’s Largest Video Technology and Monetization Platform.

JW Player and Connatix have merged to form JWP Connatix, establishing a broad platform for video technology and monetization aimed at broadcasters, publishers, and advertisers. The merger responds to shifts in digital video consumption towards Connected TV and streaming, requiring updated video strategies.

JWP Connatix will offer extensive streaming services, hybrid monetisation options, and AI-driven insights to enhance viewer engagement. The new entity, led by CEO Dave Otten and Chairman David Kashak, is headquartered in New York City with global offices. 

New Certification Initiative Launches to Give Ad Tech Clarity on GDPR Compliance.

The Coalition for Privacy Compliance in Advertising (CPCA) has collaborated with the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to introduce a new privacy certification for ad tech companies, ensuring compliance with the UK's GDPR. This certification is designed to clarify GDPR compliance for ad tech businesses and bolster confidence amongst publishers and advertisers regarding their ad tech partners.

The CPCA plans to finalise and publicise the certification criteria by early 2025, with ambitions to extend similar frameworks across Europe to accommodate varying GDPR interpretations. Mattia Fosci, founder of the CPCA, emphasises that this certification aims to level the playing field amongst digital market participants and resolve ongoing confusion regarding GDPR compliance within the ad tech industry.

DOJ Searches for Remedies in Google Monopoly Case. 

As the DOJ continues its antitrust trial against Google, it is considering significant actions to curb the tech giant's control over search markets, potentially including breaking up parts of its business such as the Android operating system, Chrome browser, or Google Ads. This follows a ruling by Judge Amit Mehta in August, which determined that Google had maintained its search monopoly through illegal practices.

The DOJ is exploring remedies like forcing Google to divest certain businesses, open up its underlying search data to competitors, and end the revenue sharing agreements that keep Google as the default search engine on many devices. Additional measures may require Google to offer more transparency and control to advertisers and prevent Google from using its dominance to unfairly influence the burgeoning field of AI.

Google plans to appeal any decision but argues that such drastic actions would harm consumers, raise costs, and stifle innovation. The final proposals for remedies are due to be presented soon, with a trial for these remedies expected next spring and a decision by August 2025. 

Microsoft looks set to shutter its retail media business. 

Five years after acquiring the retail advertising platform PromoteIQ, Microsoft is reportedly phasing it out, pushing clients towards Criteo. Microsoft initially purchased PromoteIQ to boost its retail media strategy by linking publishers with retail advertisers, benefiting from PromoteIQ's client base which included major names like Kroger and Home Depot.

Despite early successes, Microsoft has faced challenges with PromoteIQ's profitability and has started redirecting its retail media efforts away from PromoteIQ towards partnerships like the one with Criteo. This shift includes potential layoffs at PromoteIQ and plans to offload its technology to an external partner, with Microsoft not publicly announcing the closure but moving towards integrating Criteo's technology into its advertising services.

The change has caused some disquiet among retailers, with concerns about the forced migration to Criteo's platform. This strategic shift reflects broader dynamics in the retail media sector, which is still evolving and requires companies to adapt quickly and develop new capabilities to stay competitive. 

IAB Europe's Virtual Programmatic Day H2 2024 Hybrid in Berlin. 

The Virtual Programmatic Day, the largest virtual event in the programmatic industry, will be held in a hybrid format in Berlin on 6th November 2024, hosted by Verve. It brings together global leaders to discuss trends in programmatic trading through panel discussions and interactive Q&As. Register here.