Publishers are clearly recognizing the need to give clients options, with several major companies already announcing that they’re using alternative currencies for transactions in this year’s upfront.

A third buyer explained that both VideoAmp and iSpot have made the most inroads with the publisher side, adding that a traditional shortcoming of alternative currency providers came down to Nielsen being a one-stop solution for networks to make projections and buyers to plan and transact.

Alysa McCall, a biologist from Polar Bears International, a research and advocacy group based in Churchill, says: “Polar bears have become the poster-child of the environmental movement for good reason – the land they inhabit is literally melting beneath their feet.”

According to Tubular Labs, a social media analytics firm, the trend, which really took off in January, first emerged in September last year, thanks to one Maddie Wells.

Wells is not exactly a campaigner; the influencer was simply using her experience working in cosmetics stores to explain why customers were unhappy with certain products.

However, one brand really went for this in a big way and I was triggered into thinking of this topic by a recent editorial from Bob O’Brien of DSCC, thanks, Bob! He highlighted the success that Vizio has had in staying in profit in Q4 2022 when others such as LG and Samsung made losses, because of the contribution of the firm’s service business.

Universal’s movie dominated national TV airwaves for theatrical TV commercials when it came to all impressions over the past two weeks -- with 1.2 billion and $12.4 million in estimated TV spend, according to iSpot.tv.

The entire lifetime TV spend for the film -- which started running TV messaging in December 2022 -- is now at a projected $28.9 million.

Vendors adopt strategies to get a competitive advantage and increase their market share. For instance, in September 2021, CreatorIQ acquired Tribe Dynamics to increase its global presence and expand its customer base. Hence, such strategies will drive the influencer marketing platform market growth during the forecast period.

YouTube, if you remember, now has its own FAST service, with free ad-supported linear and on-demand content. Not to mention a sizable library of movies available for rent or purchase.

So all the makings of an integrated operating system similar to what Samsung, VIZIO and LG have in the U.S., where their own FAST services form the backbone of their user interface.

With 232.2 million national TV ad impressions, Hyundai takes first place on iSpot.tv’s most-seen auto ads ranking for March 27 through April 2 with its “Own Every Mile: Key West'' sales promotion. The automaker upped its estimated national TV ad spend on the spot 83.4% week-over-week, with the biggest outlay (est. $373,000) going toward NBA basketball games.

TV ad tech firm, Madhive, has appointed tech veteran Darien Ford as its Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Ford will oversee Madhive’s engineering practice to build on the market adoption of the company’s next-generation TV advertising software infrastructure, which powers billions of local and regional streaming ad placements for its clients each week.

Every weekday we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company.

An estimated $390,659 of national TV advertising, according to iSpot.tv, has been spent so far by the political action committee since March 31 -- with 119 commercial airings through April 6, amounting to 103.9 million impressions.

Similar estimates for online gambling/gaming have been reported via iSpot.tv this year -- $119.9 million in TV spend and 11 billion impressions.

The biggest event of the year was around the NFL’s Super Bowl in mid-February where over $15 million was spent in total national TV advertising.

Wunderkind is a performance marketing company that works with brands to analyze their customers’ behavior and then deliver individualized messaging. The company secured $76 million in Series C funding that will be put toward company growth and product expansion. With this new capital, Wunderkind has raised more than $135 million in financing to date.

Kantar BrandZ, the organisation that ranks and showcases the most valuable brands across six continents, has released its 2023 Top 40 most valuable Australian brands of today report, with brands ranging from new arrivals to those that have been part of Australia’s brandscape for generations.

The process now involves a change to the way permissions are granted to the branded content tool. Brands must now log their Instagram account and grant access to their account (often through a third-party service like CreatorIQ).

“Overall, the QSR results showed a very clear embrace of creator-led marketing strategies that support brands’ broader marketing efforts, as well as the massive opportunity that exists in the industry to better engage with the creator community,” said Brit Starr, SVP of Strategy at CreatorIQ. “Despite Starbucks and McDonalds existing at opposite ends of the TV ad-spend spectrum, they were nearly neck-and-neck in creator-led EMV totals.”

VIZIO’s operating system comes equipped with every VIZIO smart television sold in the United States and across the globe. Their platform offers numerous out-of-the-box entertainment options to millions of households, which now also includes Made It Myself TV. Made It Myself TV will stand out on the platform as VIZIO’s first app in the DIY/crafting category, adding to its library of amazing offerings.

Every weekday we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company.

In 2022, Disney’s 20th Century Fox spent $84.7 million in national TV advertising: For its Marvel Entertainment, it spent $61.2 million; Disney Pixar, $29.0 million; Walt Disney Animation, $20.7 million; and Walt Disney Pictures, $1.0 million, according to iSpot.tv.