Is Facebook using the pandemic to shore up its influence?

The social giant stirred controversy in acquiring the popular image-sharing platform Giphy last month, but marketers shouldn't be surprised by further consolidation in the broader tech landscape.

By Peter Adams • June 3, 2020

Facebook, AppsFlyer team on in-app ad measurement for game developers

The companies aim to help developers identify how their ad campaigns drive app downloads and support loyalty.

By Robert Williams • June 3, 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

Ibotta unveils self-service platform for emerging CPG brands

Brands can monitor the performance of their promotions and receive alerts when they reach set milestones with Ibotta Go.

By Robert Williams • June 3, 2020

Lowe's launches mobile video tool geared toward professionals

Targeting its pro clientele, the home improvement retailer introduced "Lowe's for Pros JobSIGHT," which allows them to virtually serve customers.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 2, 2020

Smartphone sales plunge by record 20% amid pandemic, Gartner finds

Samsung maintained its No. 1 spot as the biggest seller of smartphones with a market share of almost 19%.

By Robert Williams • June 2, 2020

Talkspace ends Facebook talks to protest content moderation policy

The provider of online therapy criticized Facebook for not removing a post by President Trump, though it's too early to tell whether the public condemnation signals a broader trend of brands refusing to work with the social network.

By Robert Williams • June 2, 2020

Pinterest adds shopping feature to visual search

A new Shop tab in Lens gives mobile marketers a way to showcase products in Product Pins when users are most ready to buy.

By Robert Williams • June 2, 2020

AB InBev supports global bar partners with localized social ads

A new social media tool by Tiger Pistol aims to help bars and restaurants turn the beverage giant's creative into local ads that drive in-store traffic.

By Dianna Christie • June 2, 2020

Zynga snaps up developer Peak for $1.8B as mobile gaming surges

The massive deal follows AppLovin's acquisition of Machine Zone last month and as gaming usage soars among homebound consumers.

By Peter Adams • June 1, 2020

How Clorox built a DTC brand with the resources of a CPG giant

The ramping up of Clorox's direct-to-consumer capabilities reached new heights with the launch of the Objective Wellness brand in October 2019.

By Chris Kelly • June 1, 2020

Mobile data surges 75% amid jump in video streaming

Social media, video conferencing and over-the-top video apps drove the increased time spent on mobile devices, researcher NPD Group found.

By Robert Williams • May 29, 2020

Comcast splits ownership of targeted ad platform with Charter, ViacomCBS as TV pressures grow

Each company now owns one-third of Blockgraph, which bolsters brands' ability to use data for TV ad-targeting in a privacy-minded way.

By Peter Adams • May 29, 2020

Record digital ad revenue preceded slowest quarter in a decade, IAB finds

With the coronavirus crisis forcing many brands to trim advertising budgets, 2020 may see the first dip in U.S. digital ad revenue in years.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • May 29, 2020

Criteo's self-service platform places ads across retailer e-commerce sites

The portal arrives as a shift toward online shopping during the pandemic supports retail media that delivers personalization without third-party cookies.

By Robert Williams • May 28, 2020

WSJ: PepsiCo, Taco Bell, Walmart look to renegotiate terms with Quibi as streamer's problems mount

A push for flexibility from blue-chip advertisers comes as the mobile platform tries to correct course, including by opening casting to TVs.

By Peter Adams • May 27, 2020

TikTok sees 10x surge in April with in-app revenue of $78M

The social video app was the highest-earning non-game app last month, overtaking YouTube, Sensor Tower found.

By Robert Williams • May 27, 2020

Instacart starts self-serve ad platform to connect brands with shoppers

Procter & Gamble, Unilever and PepsiCo are among the brands that have tested the ad platform in the past two months, MediaPost reported.

By Robert Williams • May 27, 2020

Ben & Jerry's launches ice cream into stratosphere for Netflix tie-in

The stunt starring the new Boots on the Moooo'n flavor is a nod to "Space Force," a new comedy from the makers of "The Office."

By Dianna Christie • May 27, 2020

Scandit secures $80M in funding as COVID-19 drives demand for contactless mobile tech

Areas like click-and-collect are booming, pushing retailers and supply chain companies to invest in tech that can meet the demand in a safe manner.

By Peter Adams • May 26, 2020

Samsung Galaxy S20+ outsells all other 5G phones, study finds

5G is forecast to reach a tipping point by 2023, when most phones will be equipped with the tech, helping to drive consumption of bandwidth-intensive content for mobile marketers.

By Robert Williams • May 26, 2020

Benefit Cosmetics brings AR try-on to WeChat

Beauty shoppers on mobile can sample eyebrow shapes before booking an appointment at a Benefit BrowBar, where a stylist will help to recreate the look.

By Robert Williams • May 26, 2020

Coke bets on new music streamer BeApp as virtual concerts take center stage

With gamified and social media elements, BeApp looks to innovate in a crowded virtual performance space commanded by platforms like Twitch and Facebook.

By Peter Adams • May 22, 2020

Target debuts virtual store on Instagram as e-commerce booms

The deal comes as Instagram's parent company Facebook dives deeper into social commerce and works to convert passive users into active, paying customers.

By Robert Williams • May 22, 2020

Bloomberg: Apple expands podcast ambitions to support streaming TV

The iPhone maker began acquiring audio spinoffs of movies and shows from its Apple TV+ video streaming service.

By Robert Williams • May 22, 2020

TikTok analytics tool aims to help marketers evaluate campaigns

​NASCAR will use Conviva's tools to evaluate the performance of its content on the viral video platform.

By Robert Williams • May 21, 2020