Friday 20 March 2015

What we're listening to this week. Eric Church. And he's going to be huge.


Wow! We just haven't heard something new like this in ages that instantly blew us away. Something that gives up hope! 

Eric Church 'Caught in the Act', a 2013 live album which was duly followed by us buying every Eric Church album which are few because he's only just breaking through.

This is country music but don't get turned off - it's more in the vein of Stevie Earle - country rock - but is it stunning.....restores your faith. 

The headline song is 'Springsteen' which is a tribute but listen to 'Drink in my hand' or 'Jack Daniels' or to anything on the album! Really great stuff for a Summer weekend.

But this will give you a sense of what he's about. You can hear 'Born to Run' in it and references to 'Born in the USA' and 'Glory Days'.



Thursday 19 March 2015

Another boost today for Programmatic buying. This time from Apple.




The automation of the media marketplace by bringing buyers and sellers together online through RTB or 'programmatic buying' continues at pace and noting our post of only yesterday (follows below).

Today Apple announced it was extending its mobile advertising network to itunes radio via programmatic ad buying. Targeting includes the ability to cross reference customer mobile numbers and emails with market data - surely one that will worry privacy advocates.

Of course customers can 'opt out' but those that do, is tiny in number.

Brands can also get involved in customer match opportunities which if you use itunes, you'll know it well.

It's guessed that itunes radio has nearly 50 million users and it competes with the likes of Spotify. Apple's carplay will also surely give it momentum "in car", a key marketing tool for radio sellers as more and more 'connected cars' hit the market. Indeed, it's now standard on the likes of the new Suzuki Vitara.

More and more media owners are going to be forced to move to RTB. Simply, it WILL be the marketplace in time.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

RTB/Programmatic Buying gets another push on by people with a ridiculous name.


Programmatic media buying or RTB, is here to stay, big time.

It makes absolute sense in automating the transaction between buyers and sellers. As well as, proving better real time data and indeed, more price transparency. 

Today's announcement of CNN, The FT, Thomson/Reuters and The Guardian coming together under a group umbrella of 'The Pangaea Alliance' (interestingly pangaea.com is bizarrely, taken by someone else, we checked!) offering access over programmatic buying to their claimed 110 million users.

Each is bringing 10% of their inventory to the deal from April with its own sales channel (presumably replacing the existing in-house teams). 

Indeed. Perfect sense and will result in selling what has generally been considered 'unsold' inventory because with RTB, all space has a price. These 4 brands together too, offer real advertising opportunities.

But but but.....they've fallen at the first hurdle with quite frankly, a ridiculous name that will do them no good.