SMG

CANNES — Programmatic is fine – but the programmatic revolution may already have happened. Next up? Back to storytelling. That’s what a growing number of advertising execs say. One of them is Iain Jacob, the Chief Executive Officer, EMEA for Publicis Media .”A lot of ad-tech to date has been about optimization, improving efficiencies and automation,” […]

It is the medium most desired by programmatic ad-tech execs, who can sniff a slice of a $70 billion advertising industry. But TV is still only on the path to programmatic, not yet at full conversion. Still, one ad group man says the prospects for that tipping point are now looking a lot healthier, five years […]

In a world of abundant ad-tech superpowers, many newly-empowered advertisers have begun to wonder if they couldn’t take on some of the traditional functions they previously outsourced to agencies. But the tide may be turning, as some of those agencies decide it’s safer to stick than to twist, says one senior agency exec. “The concept […]

As a discipline, performance marketing is both the ultimate in efficiency and on a worrying path. But the tactic, in which buyers pay only for measurable results, now stands ready to be rejuvenated, says a leading ad-tech exec. “The modernization of performance marketing has still got a long way to go,” according to Marco Bertozzi, the […]

LONDON — This new year is expected to bring bigger developments in the enablement of buying TV ads with rapid decisioning, using programmatic technology. At least, that’s what ad agency SMG’s UK co-CEO Pippa Glucklich hopes. SMG’s use of addressable TV is taking off in the States. But that’s not the same in every market. “The UK […]

LAS VEGAS – Virtual Reality “VR” was one of the most talked-about tech and media stories at International CES.  For Tracey Scheppach EVP of Precision Video of the Starcom MediaVest Group, the “immersive” experience is very exciting —  and will emerge once the industry reaches scale via device viewing distribution. We spoke with Schappach at CES […]

Advertisers are getting excited by the possibilities for super-targeted TV marketing promised by new ad tech platforms. In fact, to many, it looks like the days of traditional TV ads, which are bought against the context of demographic audience profiles, are numbered. But things are set for a correction, says one ad exec. “When you look […]

FORT LAUDERDALE — Everyone in ad land is wondering how realistic it is to apply internet-style targeting and programmatic control to the TV ad-buying process. So-called “addressable TV” gained ground this year – but what does the next year hold? “This has been an amazing year for addressable television,” according to SMG precision video SVP Tracey […]

By now, we all know that “data is the new oil” that fuels myriad targeting capabilities in the precision online era. But who holds the best data and how important is it? “That data’s not free,” according to Modi Media president Mike Bologna. “Of the 50-plus household campaigns we’ve run so far this year, we’ve […]

The ability to target individual television ads with internet-style precision is no longer just a fantasy – it’s here and now. In fact, spending is booming. “I’m putting about three times as much money in the marketplace as I was a year ago,” Starcom MediaVest Group’s precision video EVP Tracey Scheppach tells Beet.TV in this video interview. […]

The hot discussion in the crossover of television and advertising technology is about household-level TV ad targeting. So-called “addressable” TV is slowly becoming a reality in some markets, promising markets internet-style specific targeting. But what humps are still in the road to an addressable future? In a panel on the topic, these executives discussed the topic… […]

While the technology to deliver television advertisement  to a specific household via the cable box is now viable, the growth of the emerging medium. called “Addressable TV,” is being held back by a lack of access to “granular” household data owned by the cable and satellite operators, says Steve Murtos, SVP Precision Video at Starcom MediaVest […]

COLOGNE — An industry which is such a mix of technology, creative and business skills should be pulling employees from across the board. But is that really happening? One ad exec says future requirements compel execs to hire more diversely. “I’m lucky enough to work in an organisation where I don’t really see that challenge quite so […]

COLOGNE — Sixty percent of Starcom MediaVest’s business in the EMEA region now comes from digital content and data analytics, which is a fundamental shift from even five years ago, according to Iain Jacob, SMG’s EMEA president. “Fundamentally the agency model is changing, and if you’re not disrupting yourself, somebody else is going to disrupt […]

LONDON – SMG and the wider Publicis group will have a strong presence at DMEXCO this year, says Steve Parker, co-CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group London. “It feels like the business, certainly our business, and probably the whole industry, is obviously a year older but definitely a year wiser – and I think maybe a year […]

LONDON – NextTECHnow (NTN), a tech solutions division of SMG which launched in January, is looking to expand into more markets, says Jim Kite, strategic development director for Starcom MediaVest Group. “The starting point is the client and the client brief, and we just want to meet as many startups as possible who can answer […]

Riding the crest of a wave is a pretty good feeling. But the bigger lessons can come from falling off and hitting the bottom. Many a business guru is fond of the ironic value of failure. That’s a notion that the boss of one of the biggest ad groups subscribes to, too. “I’ve always learned more from […]

CANNES — The $72 billion US TV advertising industry is premised on making 30-second spots that target consumers. Imagine what happens when TV sets give advertisers the cues they need to target customers individually. Michael Bologna, president of GroupM’s Modi Media division, which is working on just that proposition, says 2015 is the year it […]

CANNES — Addressable TV has been in development for the last decade, but only now is it beginning to reach scale. That means that gross ratings points, or GRPs, may be starting to become obsolete. “You know what’s really silly?” says Michael Bologna, president of GroupM’s Modi Media, in a panel discussion at Cannes recorded by […]

CANNES — Addressable TV promises to be a powerful tool for reaching consumers at scale with creative that’s carefully targeted to them, but how much lift are marketers who are investing in it actually seeing? “You’re seeing 50, 60, 70% increase in sales lift,” says Tracey Scheppach, SMG’s EVP-Precision Video Director, in a panel discussion […]