Aubrey Burrough

In this PRWeek interview, Julia Sammons discusses how Reddit is an underrated resource for the work she does at Ogilvy, and how tools like NewsWhip are helping to harness its power. You can read the full interview below:

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🚨Trend/Rant/Insight Alert🚨   Across almost every sector and industry, content production is moving in-house. I’ve seen a marked shift towards building out small to mid-level production capabilities inside major brands and agencies in the last six to eight months. From full-time, production and post-production ready teams to Creator-minded TikTok and Reels specialists armed with nothing but an iPhone and a ring light, companies are finding the investment and overhead worth it to ramp up their content mills.   I think there’s a few implications here. For one, the demand to increase speed and decrease the time between inception and publishing is real. Companies and marketing teams, especially for huge global brands, can see social trends come and fade before their processes and workflows can even be engaged, let alone capitalize on them. Smaller, faster teams, closer to the decision-makers give them a puncher’s chance at striking Trending gold. “Learn TikTok,” seems to be the “learn to code” for 2024 and if your marketing team isn’t hiring an in-house creator to be a TikTok machine, they’re one of the few.   And secondly, and likely what I think is truly driving this, brands and agencies want to hold on to as much revenue and fee as possible. Instead of outsourcing specialist contractors, vendors or freelancers on a project-by-project basis, they want established, known-quantity teams with consistent workflows, fixed cost structures and to minimize OOPs. When advertising and marketing budgets get tight, it’s easy to look at production (which is basically *all* OOPs) and see an easy area to trim.   I think there’s pros and cons to this approach. In-house teams can be fast, agile and will know your brand inside and out. They can also get stylistically stale and, at some point, cap out on capabilities and technical know-how. The upside of engaging a wide freelancer and vendor network is the ability to bring in new talent, exciting technologies and fresh perspectives regularly. Additionally, the vendor marketplace (hopefully) means there’s true competition on price and while revenue may be going out, it is (ideally) actually more efficient on a per project basis.   I think the most successful brands will balance a well-rounded internal team for regular, drumbeat content with an extensive network of freelancers and vendors for must-win moments and big swings. Going forward, it’s important brands that build in in-house production continue to train, grow and invest in those resources and not see it as a one-time hit to this fiscal year’s numbers. And production vendors need to understand what role agencies and brands want content to play and continue to bring innovative, efficient offerings to the table. It's never been easier to make great content and tell great stories. But who you choose to make those stories will determine just how successful those stories get told.

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A reminder that we’re one week away from our early deadline for entries in this year’s Clio Music Awards program. Realize savings on entry fees by submitting your work before next Friday, 6/21, at 11:59 pm ET. In addition to the numerous music marketing and music in advertising mediums and categories from past programs, we've added six new mediums this year: 1) LIVE MUSIC - Entries in this medium include creative work that promotes live musical performances at music venues, festivals, concert series, events, stunts, or activations (IRL or virtual) and/or work promoting a live music organization or venue in a new, unique, or especially creative manner. (Venues, Festivals, Concerts, Brand or Company). 2) MERCHANDISE & PREMIUMS - Entries in this medium are for licensed or in-house-produced physical products or apparel that promote an artist, music product, or music service. (Apparel, Footwear, & Household Goods, Beauty, Fitness & Health, Collectibles, Food & Beverage, Technology). 3) USE OF MUSIC IN ADVERTISING CRAFT - Entries in this medium include songwriting technique and the craft/skills used in the execution of audio content in advertising or a trailer/teaser (Arrangement, Casting/Performance, Collaboration, Editing, Lyrics, Music Supervision, Score, Songwriting). 4) DESIGN CRAFT - Entries in this medium include technique and craft/skills used in the execution of design (Copywriting, Graphic Design, Typography, Illustration, Use of Photography). 5) DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA CRAFT - Entries in this medium include technique and craft/skills used in the execution of digital, social, and or mobile content (Copywriting, Direction, Editing, Graphic Design, Motion Graphics, Sound Design). 6) USE OF MUSIC IN ADVERTISING INNOVATION - Entries in this medium include brand work that utilizes music in advertising in a new, unique, or especially creative manner. Get started at https://lnkd.in/g24-yKNC

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There's so much riding on the forthcoming #privacy act changes for the #marketing & #media industry - last night's panel at #dcoded certainly brought up a few of the considerations and challenges, not least of which is what in the world we're to make of 'fair and reasonable'. heads up - you probably have something you're doing that doesn't fit the bill. That plus more from the panel can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e9R4BqvY #advertising ,#privacyregulation

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TikTok's latest move, "TikTok Notes," is shaking up social media, set to debut in Canada and Australia. 💥 With a two-column grid layout and a focus on useful content, it challenges Instagram's "Threads" app (which was a direct shot at X, formerly Twitter). Syncing seamlessly with your TikTok account, it's gearing up for e-commerce dreams and expanding TikTok's (already impressive) popularity. 🚀 Will it conquer the space or create its own niche? Time will tell all, but WE can tell TikTok means business!! #TikTokNotes #DigitalMarketing #adparlor #TikTok

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Smart analysis from my friend and colleague:

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Beautiful title for this late Wednesday AdExchanger #ProgIO session: "Down With Blocklists! How To Support Journalism With A Nuanced View On Brand Safety." Advertisers claim they want to support all kinds of journalism and reach "niche" audiences, but their brand safety efforts (not just the providers) often hold them back. Typically the problem is keyword blocklists that are staler than five-day-old toast; ones that people keep adding onto, and no one ever removes things. Devon Christopher Johnson, Cofounder, BOMESI (Black Owned Media Equity & Sustainability Institute): We shouldn’t focus on exclusion lists, but inclusion lists. MFAs came about because people realized they could take advantage of a lazy system. We forgot about the value of publishers. (I add: Cuz we were obsessed with chasing cookies!) He adds: If you value true journalism, you should be buying directly from trusted partners. If you are blocking the word “slay,” you are missing out on reaching a very large subculture that uses that word in a completely non-violent way. Scott Gatz, Founder and CEO, Q.Digital: I challenge advertisers: do you know what’s on your blocklist? We run into gay, lesbian, LGBTQ on blocklists. And then you wonder why you’re not running on our site? Be aware of your settings; also blocklists should just be gone. The tech has moved beyond that. But there's a new threat: legit journalism sites being excluded because they're labeled #MFA. Scott Cunningham, Initiative Lead, NewspassID, echoes another ProgIO panel, suggesting that verification/brand safety efforts may be going down a dark path here. "The role of verification companies is very important, but if you’re saying 'low medium high MFAs' to advertisers, that’s like saying low, medium, high STDs. Are you going to accept low STD? No, you’re going to block the whole thing!" An interesting idea is discussed by all on the panel: is Open Path from TTD threatening to become a new walled garden, excluding high-quality independent news sites? Makes you go hmmm.... 🤔

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Really interesting stat on why micro-influencers trump celebrities every time, from this byline from Emma Ferrara of Viral Nation: "For brands embracing [a 'rawthentic'] approach, the results are 6X engagement rates that dwarf overly produced celebrity endorsements at a fraction of the cost." #creatoreconomy #influencermarketing #microinfluencers

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Choosing the right music for your brand is not an easy task. With so many things to take into consideration, our Head of Music, Jack Whitney spoke to Alex Reeves alongside other music experts to give advice to marketers who want to make sure that their musical choices fly high. 🎶 “Approaching music with the same attention and value as visual assets is key to a strong brand identity. Music has this amazing power to evoke an emotional response from an audience, so brands should look to tactically harness this power within their marketing.” 🎶 Take a look at the full article below ⤵ https://lnkd.in/ef2Jriw3 LBBonline - Little Black Book #AudioBranding #MusicComposition #SonicBranding

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From the Journal: “You have no single shows pulling together a big enough audience like ‘Friends’ or ‘Seinfeld’ used to do,” Jonathan Halvorson, Mondelez’s global senior vice president of consumer experience, said of the current state of TV. And streamers such as Netflix aren’t a perfect alternative: Their nascent advertising platforms charge too much and don’t yet reach enough people, he said. To promote its new Oreo Space Dunk, Mondelēz International turned to social-media sites such as Instagram and TikTok, Halvorson said. It also relied heavily on ads that appear where people already are in a shopping mood: the websites of large retailers, including Amazon and Walmart. The move marks an important inflection point. TV commercials have long stood as the cornerstone of modern advertising. This dominance was owed, in part, to TV’s capacity to reach vast and diverse audiences through ads that leverage sound, sight and motion to evoke emotional responses. These vast audiences aren’t tuning in anymore. Brands have been preparing for the inevitable decline of television for years, but many had held out hope that the rise of ad-supported streaming TV would plug the gap. So far, that isn’t happening. “A lot of people think streaming might be a salvation,” said ad analyst Brian Wieser. “But no, all of TV is in secular decline.” Today, companies “have to build reach across multiple platforms,” said Rinaldi, who cited YouTube and Meta—the parent of Facebook and Instagram—as the next best ways to reach large audiences. The scale of television’s reach remains a major selling point for entertainment titans as they present their programming plans for the coming TV season to advertisers One of the few things that still brings large numbers of viewers in front of their TV is live sports, which accounted for 96 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts last year, according to Nielsen. That, in turn, has made advertising during live sporting events more expensive. And a larger amount of sports content is being watched on streaming platforms instead of TV every year, as #tech giants such as Amazon and Apple nab exclusive rights to more games. Traditional TV conglomerates are preparing to launch a joint streaming platform dedicated nearly entirely to sports. “It is now clear that outside of #sports advertising, there should no longer be expectations of a recovery for linear #TV #advertising,” analyst Michael Nathanson wrote in a recent note to investors. The #streaming landscape remains “too fragmented,” Feinberg said. Another problem: Streaming audiences won’t tolerate as many ads as they do on traditional #television. Digital players including YouTube, Meta and TikTok and retail juggernauts such as Amazon and Walmart have emerged as the main beneficiaries of streamers’ failure to grab all the ad dollars that left traditional TV.

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Great article on our newest addition to the TRNDY team!

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New data from Hub Research provides insight into the tier of streaming video subscriptions consumers have. The chart below shows most of the subscriptions to premium streaming platforms are ad-supported. Across Prime Video, Peacock, Hulu, Paramount+, Discovery+ and AMC, more than 50% of consumers who know what tier they have, have an ad-supported version. Only 22% of Netflix subscribers report subscribing to an ad-supported version, and 41% for Disney+. #svod #avod #streaming #streamingvideo #streamingplatforms #adsupported #tvads #primevideo #peacock #netflix #premiumstreaming #premiumplatforms #disneyplus #paramountplus #hulu

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We dived into the world of TikTok, exploring the latest formats that are crushing it and the crucial role of cultural relevancy (because "culture moves faster than your content calendar"). From diversifying your creative strategy to leveraging user-generated content, our insights are designed to inspire and elevate your social media game. Check it out and let us know your thoughts! 📲 #TikTok #SocialMedia #DigitalMarketing #ContentCreation #PixelPrism

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Ahead of this major election, we're beginning to see an influx in diversified campaign strategies that blend traditional and emerging digital platforms like DOOH to engage with audiences. Given its targeted, dynamic advertising potential in public spaces, a programmatic approach can help maximize reach and impact while optimizing ad spend.

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We told audiences at SXSW 2024 how brands, agencies and activists can work together to change the world. Now, our chief strategy officer, Chris Plating, is sharing insights from the SXSW panel with Ad Age. Learn what executives and activists, including Bianca Tylek of Worth Rises, Palika Makam of Ben & Jerry's and Johnny Perez of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, say you can do to take meaningful action around potentially polarizing issues. And why it matters. https://lnkd.in/evU8VnZ4 #thoughtleadership #brandactivism #corporateactivism

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https://lnkd.in/eRsW6V_9 Must-have bundle indeed, and further reinforces the value of BrightLine's inter-operable CTV ad formats that work across both streamers - the only advanced ad experiences that advertisers can build and execute across both. #ctv #ctvadvertising #thestandard

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Advertisers, get creative! TikTok's unique algorithm and engaged community demand authenticity and originality. Tap into trends, use captivating music, and craft relatable content to resonate with audiences. Ready to elevate your ad game? Click here: https://hubs.ly/Q02CqZ0V0 #TikTokAds #CreativeMarketing #DigitalAdvertising #MarketingTips

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