Andy Plesser

Mediaocean, the New York-based firm, best know a software platform to manage linear advertising, has made a major move into the area of audience analytics and planning with the acquisition of Chicago-based 4C Insights. The acquisition is for over $150 million in equity and cash. The Wall Street Journal first it  reported today. Update:  The […]

The daily stress of “putting on a mask” or “code switching,”  the process of changing one’s Black mannerisms to conform to a largely white working environment, is unnecessary, says Monique Nelson, Chair CEO of  UWG, a leading multicultural advertising agency, in this video interview with Beet.TV Be your “beautiful,” authentic self, she urges young Black […]

SAN FRANCISCO – Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a given.  And, it needs to be expanded and amplified. But a healthy work “experience” is essential, particularly for Black men and women dealing with the realities of racism in society and the current turmoil.   A “safe space” for dialogue is important. Empathy and understanding […]

For this young Black woman, the road to a prominent post as product manager at Comscore, started with a pivotal diversity fellowship at ABC TV during her college years.   But is wasn’t easy:  She felt ostracized by her peers but yet she insisted that her voice be heard.  She learned from senior executives who mentored […]

The workplace environment for Black women is hard: many find a lack of constructive feedback, resources and mentorship. Many see a pay disparity and place where  their “voices and ideas” are suppressed” and where c-level job track progression is slow, says Kelle Coleman, SVP Brand Partnerships, Nielsen, in this video interview with Beet.TV Notwithstanding, the […]

While he says that his colleagues have been supportive of his work,  he and others Black executives carry the weight of not being able to fail.   “We have to be perfect,” says Cavel Khan, Chief Revenue Officer of Tumblr, in this interview with Beet.TV A veteran of Vice, Twitter and Microsoft, earlier this month Khan […]

Diversity is not about token gestures, it has to be more:  it has to be woven into everyday decisions, says Alvin Bowles, Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships at Facebook, in this interview with Beet.TV We spoke with him about his journey from Detroit to Wall Street to Silicon Valley and how mentors have helped shape […]

SAN FRANCISCO – The number of  black women in Silicon Valley is small.  For some, it means suffering through racial stereotyping – not being able to fully be themselves, explains Kenya Hayes, a veteran Valley executive, now head of comms for North America at AppsFlyer, in this interview with Beet.TV Wanting to be productive, but […]

Buffeted by the pandemic and civil upheaval over racial injustice, marketers are “going back to drawing boards” as the “tried and true” marketing strategies are not necessarily useful now, says Kristen Colonna, Chief Strategy Officer of OMD USA, in this interview with Beet.TV She calls for great flexibility from media owners and a greater focus […]

Powered by the wholesale consumer migration to OTT devices, the stratagem for TV investment is at a turning point:  Buying linear first is “backwards,” says Catherine Warburton, EVP and Chief Investment Officer at 360i, a Dentsu Aegis Network unit. Digital and streaming video is no long just about reach she notes, in this interview with […]

For the past two years at the NewFronts, Digitas has stressed “authenticity and trust” as its core themes in it presentations.  That approach to marketing is more central than ever this year, says Jodi Robinson, CEO of Digitas North America, in this interview with Beet.TV In 2008, Digitas founded what was then called the the […]

“I play the game, we all do.” For many blacks in the adtech workplace, there is an ever present imperative to “code switch,” says Christian Borges, SVP of Marketing at true[X], in this interview with Beet.TV He explains that means changing how “we speak, act and even how we walk.”  He says it’s exhausting and […]

Having been mostly silent over the past 10 years about his experiences with racial discrimination and police abuse, Andre Swanston, CEO and co-founder of over-the-top data marketplace Tru Optik, has shared many of these with his colleagues in a personal letter, and here, in this interview with Beet.TV Like many young black men, Swanston has […]

The IAB NewFronts, an essential annual showcase for the digital media industry, will have a big focus this year on streaming media when it it takes place June 22-26.   And, it will explore business transformation during the pandemic, explains David Cohen, president of the IAB in this interview with Beet.TV Previously held at a number […]

She calls it “positive provocation” – a strategy of challenging clients.  For Wavemaker U.S. CEO Amanda Richman, it seems to be a winning approach for both  managing clients and winning new ones, she explains in this interview with Beet.TV The GroupM agency recently landed the Novo Nordisk Danish pharmaceutical giant with a reported annual media […]

Sharing daily updates of set-top data with local advertisers on TV consumption has helped them map to “business outcomes” says Melanie Hamilton, Head of Enterprise Sales at Effectv, formerly known as Comcast Spotlight, its local cable advertising unit. It’s part of the changes taking place in the local cable TV marketplace during the pandemic, she […]

Twitter has removed various offensive tweets, but has not removed any by Donald Trump.    There’s no rhyme or reason for this except that Trump is the social network’s biggest draw, opines Kara Swisher, New York Time Op-Ed contributor and co-founding editor of Recode in this video interview with Beet.TV Swisher wrote in today’s Times […]

It’s been a difficult time for the advertising agency business as marketing budgets have been put on hold and media investments strategies are being reevaluated.  But it is an important time of change for agencies who are tasked by clients around new e-commerce strategies and fast digital transformation,  says Marla Kaplowitz, CEO of the 4A’s, […]

While brand safety was not the main reason for advertisers having pulled back from investing during the early days of the pandemic, those being budgets and messaging, concerns about brand safety or suitability have been a factor —  but they are abating. Initially putting investment on hold during the initial days, advertisers are finding that […]

Since 2017, the digital media industry has largely taken control of brand safety issues, universally rejected content around terrorism and violence. The conversation has moved on to brand suitability and the tools in the hands of buyers and publishers have become much more refined, says David Murnick, EVP for Digital Operations at Dentsu Aegis Network […]