Tinuiti beefs up CTV, OTT offering with Bliss Point Media buy

With its second acquisition this year, the performance marketing agency adds a company that uses machine learning to measure and optimize performance for brands including Instacart and Square.

By Chris Kelly • July 26, 2021

Publicis, Omnicom, IPG post strong gains as agencies reap rewards of pandemic rebound

Replenished war chests could lead to more dealmaking in the second half as the category continues its shift to digital- and data-oriented services.

By Peter Adams • July 26, 2021

Publicis goes all in on retail media with CitrusAd buy

The SaaS platform, whose clients include Macy's and Lowe's, will integrate with Epsilon as Publicis pushes harder on services centered around first-party data.

By Peter Adams • July 19, 2021

Mediaocean to buy ad server Flashtalking in boost to its omnichannel push

A year after its 4C Insights buy, the advertising software firm looks to provide marketers with a neutral alternative to Big Tech ad platforms.

By Chris Kelly • July 19, 2021

NFTs remain technology in search of clear brand strategy. Can agencies bridge the gap?

Bespoke new services from shops like Vaynermedia represent big rolls of the dice on a space that's already seeing some of its initial media fervor cool.

By Peter Adams • July 19, 2021

50% of agencies outsource data amid persistent uniqueness, validity concerns

Nearly two-thirds of agencies said leveraging data is a critical business imperative, per a survey commissioned by Stirista.

By Chris Kelly • July 12, 2021

Why a creative veteran is bullish on next-generation customer experiences

Following a decade at award-winning shop R/GA, David DeCheser recently became Valtech's first senior vice president, executive creative director for North America.

By Chris Kelly • July 12, 2021

Dentsu buys LiveArea in $250M bet on Merkle's commerce expansion

The deal aligns with the agency group's larger ambition to generate 50% of revenue from customer transformation and technology services.

By Peter Adams • July 12, 2021

Horizon Media embeds behavioral science with brand strategy via new team

The largest independent media agency in the U.S. hired strategist and social scientist Steve Grant to lead its new human intelligence push.

By Chris Kelly • June 28, 2021

MNTN acquires Ryan Reynold's Maximum Effort in bid to wed media, creative

While the two come from different backgrounds, both share a focus on "simplicity and speed" and look to disrupt traditional TV advertising.

By Peter Adams • June 28, 2021

How AB InBev's Draftline guides the company — and what brands get wrong about in-house agencies

The internal shop, which just secured its first Grand Prix win at Cannes Lions, is able to jump on fast-moving trends due to clear strategic mandates, global vice president Tracy Stallard said.

By Peter Adams • June 28, 2021

Unilever, Geico, Madewell among brands embracing new studio dedicated to TikTok strategy

Blue-chip marketers' sign-on for Attn:'s TikTok studio shows continued demand for expertise in growing visibility and driving transactions on the video platform.

By Peter Adams • June 24, 2021

Ad-Lib.io expands automation's role in delivering relevant digital creative at scale

With its update, the creative management platform streamlines how agencies at Omnicom, WPP and Publicis Groupe can leverage intelligent automation to meet the needs of big advertisers. 

By Chris Kelly • June 21, 2021

How Sweetgreen's in-house agency helps deliver healthy messages

Executive Creative Director Thomas Wilder details his move from the agency world to the fast-casual chain and why tennis star Naomi Osaka is a perfect ambassador for the brand, even when facing controversy.

By Chris Kelly • June 21, 2021

Magna partners with Black-owned airport network ReachTV as travel returns

The Nielsen-rated OTT platform, which commands nearly 2,500 screens, was part of the agency's first Equity Upfront earlier this year.

By Peter Adams • June 21, 2021

Essence taps new Google AI tool to streamline data science behind media planning

GroupM-owned Essence dished on how Vertex AI enables greater agility and replicability for well-performing models.

By Peter Adams • June 14, 2021

General Mills, Mars, Target among brands committed to GroupM's Black-owned media initiative

Less than a month after the initiative's launch, 20 clients have already pledged to spend at least 2% of their annual media budgets on Black-owned media.

By Chris Kelly • June 14, 2021

Magna creates role to advocate for responsible media marketplace

Elijah Harris will take on the position after developing a tool to assess the impact of harmful content and create benchmarks for platform responsibility.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • June 7, 2021

The Atlantic spins off agency Atlantic 57, rebrands it as Long Dash

By breaking away from its longtime publisher, the creative consultancy hopes to quickly scale up with its "journalistic approach" to building brands.

By Asa Hiken • Updated June 7, 2021

Martin Sorrell on how S4 Capital is disrupting the legacy agency model

Three years into his post-WPP venture, the ad world titan explains why his company is prepared for a digital-only future and how it's addressing pandemic challenges.

By Chris Kelly • June 7, 2021

Endeavor's 160over90 backs inclusivity focused agency co-founded by Michael B. Jordan

A partnership with Obsidianworks is the latest in a rush of agency moves focused on improving adland's diversity, equity and inclusion.

By Peter Adams • June 7, 2021

Droga5 expands global reach with new Japan site, offices in Brazil and China to follow

The Accenture-owned creative agency is back to growing after significant U.S. layoffs last fall.

By Chris Kelly • May 24, 2021

Omnicom data unit taps InfoSum tech to expand clean room capabilities

InfoSum's solution will be integrated into the Omni platform, allowing clients to pair first-party assets with a greater number of data sources.

By Peter Adams • May 24, 2021

Celeb-backed agencies are ready for their close-ups

Shaq, Ryan Reynolds, Tony Hawk and Dwayne Johnson are putting their star power behind marketing agencies that are more than just vanity projects.

By Aaron Baar • May 24, 2021

Häagen-Dazs' CMO details how a rebranding ties to the company's diversity goals

Elizabell Marquez explains how the brand is reimagining luxury for a new generation with help from screenwriter, producer and actor Lena Waithe and WPP-backed creative agency Cartwright.

By Chris Kelly • May 19, 2021