Adweek

the road to brandweek

NOV. 3-6 • PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. • TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BRANDWEEK.COM Adweek: How has the state of snacking shifted over the past few years? Rachel Ferdinando: We conduct regular research that informs our Frito-Lay U.S. Snack Index, and the trends are constantly shifting. For instance, our most recent survey showed that U.S. consumers are getting more adventurous with their tastes: More than two-thirds (69%) of respondents say they prefer “globally inspired foods and flavors” at least once a month, and three-quarters (76%) like to try flavors from places and cultures that are not their own. ‘The insights we’ve gleaned from listening to our fans have led to some of our most successful campaigns.’ How do you tailor your marketing and advertising in the age of rapid consumer feedback? First, you can invite consumers…

omnichannel or bust

With competition for viewers only growing, media companies know the only way to survive is to diversify with a spate of new projects and partnerships. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is investing in a TV/movie production company to supply original content for its streaming service Crackle. NBC News is doubling down on its already robust stable of 25 podcasts (in addition to its broadcast and online presence) through a partnership with Wondery. As TV revival shows begin to lose steam, networks are discovering a new way to continue beloved stories at the movies, thanks to the success of Downton Abbey at the box office and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie on Netflix. Not to be left out, iHeartMedia has recruited Will Ferrell to launch a comedy podcast production house called…

brand challenge

You probably know Boeing’s troubled 737 Max 8 by name—72% of the traveling public does. The plane had two fatal crashes and was grounded by the FAA in March, but Boeing says it will be ready to fly again as soon as the end of the year. That leaves airlines with the tough task of convincing their passengers to board them. Adweek checked in with each of the U.S. airlines flying the 737 Max 8. American Airlines is still working out its approach, while Southwest is “awaiting further guidance from Boeing and the FAA.” United will rebook passengers “as needed.”…

in adweek history april 6, 1992

Twenty-seven years ago, broadcast TV was hemorrhaging audiences to cable. But another, more revolutionary technology was already on the horizon: Telecom companies US West and AT&T had launched the first pay-per-view channels, bringing us closer to dream of watching the movie we want, when we want. Even in 1992, E! Entertainment’s Lee Masters could see the potential for a Blockbuster Video not limited by location and stock: “What can you say about a business that generates $15 billion a year in revenue, and 82% of the customers can’t get their first choice? How big could it be if you could get what you wanted?” We finally know: Look at Netflix. While broadcast networks survived, cable subscriptions are tanking today—and consumers are left with having to subscribe to an ever-growing list of streaming…

big tech’s pivot to privacy

Big tech is slowly pivoting to privacy, whether it wants to or not. Ever since the data manipulation scandals that embroiled the 2016 U.S. presidential election came to light, Silicon Valley’s use of personally identifiable information and its role in the success of household names such as Facebook and Google have become apparent. This has colored public perception, and over the last 18 months, CEOs of these giants have been hauled in front of Congress for public inquisition over how well they protect their audience’s personal data. Such scrutiny—as well as the looming California Consumer Privacy Act, which is set to be enforced on New Year’s Day—has prompted a shift from such players both in their public communications over privacy and—more crucially for advertisers—how they let third parties access swaths of data. COMMUNICATION…

google plots ai-driven path

Google’s announcements at this year’s Developer I/O were confirmation that the days of using third-party cookies to target and track ads online are numbered. One of the primary challenges advertisers cited as a result of these changes was the complex issue of frequency capping. However, Google recently unveiled a feature in its programmatic buying toolkit Display and Video 360 that will use AI to better aid frequency capping, using software to analyze aggregate-level data in environments where third-party cookies are available. From here, Google then creates models to predict traffic patterns where they are not. Google will use this model to solve other quandaries such as Chrome users’ demand that their privacy is better respected.…