Podcast dealmaking is exploding in 2020 — and marketing dollars will follow

A deluge of deals this year, including Omnicom inking an unprecedented $20 million ad pact with Spotify, signal the medium's ascendance will continue as consumers favor mobile-first content.

Updated Dec. 21, 2020

Ad stakeholders race to form new digital media standards as old ones face 'Tower of Babel' moment

As bedrock tools like cookies enter their final days, major advertisers, agencies and publishers have created a group focused on safeguarding both personalization and user privacy.

By Peter Adams • Aug. 5, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Multichannel Optimization

There’s greater urgency around the need to optimize multichannel marketing efforts and unite channels including retail media, social media and others.

By Marketing Dive staff

Burberry opens 1st 'Social Retail' store in China

The luxury retailer partnered with Tencent on a concept shop that blends social media interactions with an in-store experience.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Aug. 5, 2020

How the coronavirus altered DTC's relationship with brick and mortar

As e-commerce became increasingly competitive, digitally native brands opened stores. But the pandemic forced brands to pause plans and seek alternatives.

By Caroline Jansen • Aug. 5, 2020

US podcast ad revenue to jump 45% to $1.13B next year, eMarketer says

Next year's growth is expected to surpass this year's 10% increase as the advertising market recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

By Robert Williams • Aug. 5, 2020

Brands continue to lean heavily on programmatic advertising, IAB says

Almost one-fifth of brands moved programmatic buying completely in-house in 2019, while more than half transitioned to doing so partially.

By Dianna Christie • Aug. 4, 2020

Twitter could face $250M FTC fine over use of personal data for ad targeting

A financial blow of that scale could hit the company hard, as it is already under revenue pressure stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

By Peter Adams • Aug. 4, 2020

Retailer apps see highest opt-in rate for location data, study finds

Growth in location data sharing during the pandemic reversed a downward trend seen in prior years because of stricter privacy laws.

By Robert Williams • Aug. 4, 2020

Chipotle debuts branded apparel dyed with recycled avocados

Available at a microsite, the line supports sustainability at a time when fast fashion is often associated with negatively impacting the environment.

By Dianna Christie • Aug. 4, 2020

Snapchat pilots TikTok-like feature to create shareable music videos

With TikTok facing potential bans, Snapchat's test could fill a void for users and marketers that utilize the popular social video app.

By Robert Williams • Aug. 4, 2020

Grocery apps get smart during the pandemic

Adoption has skyrocketed in recent months, and now retailers are considering how to update mobile platforms that have become a critical part of the store experience.

By Jessica Dumont • Aug. 3, 2020

Apple reportedly acquires mobile payments startup Mobeewave for $100M

Mobeewave's technology can turn iPhones into mobile payment terminals, making Apple more competitive with Square.

By Robert Williams • Aug. 3, 2020

BuzzFeed goes DTC with content-driven commerce deal

Through Bonsai, the publisher moves away from affiliate partnerships and looks to create its own e-commerce offering designed to turn passive readers into active shoppers.

By Dianna Christie • Aug. 3, 2020

Amazon cut marketing by a third due to pandemic-driven-demand — but the pullback won't last

The news came as part of blockbuster results that saw the company's "other" category, which mostly consists of advertising sales, grow 41% to $4.22 billion.

By Peter Adams • July 31, 2020

Facebook's revenue growth slows to 11% amid pandemic

Revenue climbed 10% during the first three weeks of July despite an advertiser boycott in response to its policies on hate speech.

By Robert Williams • July 31, 2020

Google's ad revenue falls 8% for 1st decline in 26-year history

YouTube eked out a 5.8% gain in ad revenue, while Alphabet's growing cloud computing business helped to offset bigger declines in ad sales.

By Robert Williams • July 31, 2020

Walmart fortifies fledgling ad platform with omnichannel analytics offering

Procter & Gamble, Mondelēz and Clorox beta tested Performance Dashboards, which could better position the retailer against rivals like Amazon and Google.

By Peter Adams • July 30, 2020

Mobile marketing in EMEA maintains high growth despite pandemic, study says

The percentage of EMEA marketers who are allocating more than a quarter of their ad budgets to mobile rose to 49% this year from 40% in 2019. 

By Robert Williams • July 30, 2020

Buy on Google to go commission-free

At a time when more consumers are shopping online, the tech giant said it aims to make e-commerce more accessible for retailers of all sizes.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 28, 2020

Pandemic, protests disrupt Q2 ad spending on social media, study says

Last quarter saw several cross-currents for social ads, with several metrics indicating weaker demand even as ad spending gradually rebounded, per Socialbakers.

By Robert Williams • July 28, 2020

62% of agencies will ramp up video production after readjusting to WFH demands

A report reviews how four large creative agencies pivoted to a remote workflow during the pandemic and what changes might persist.

By Dianna Christie • July 28, 2020

1st certified brand safety officers quickly put to the test

Graduating from the Brand Safety Institute's new certification program during a pandemic and just before racial justice protests erupted, these experts help advertisers navigate difficult waters.

By Graham Vyse • July 28, 2020

U.S. Bank to launch in-app voice assistant as pandemic boosts mobile banking

Debuting a voice assistant may provide better access to services for people with disabilities such as blindness.

By Robert Williams • July 27, 2020

Michelob Ultra gives NBA fans a way to virtually attend live games

A digital experience with Microsoft Teams is part of a sponsorship agreement that makes the AB InBev brand the NBA's official beer.

By Robert Williams • July 27, 2020

New York Times buys producer of 'Serial' podcast for $25M

The Times also formed a creative and strategic alliance with radio show "This American Life."

By Robert Williams • July 24, 2020