The Current Report – Details, episodes & analysis

Political campaigns have long been challenged with evidence that their ads or messaging is working.

Now, tech from Swayable’s James Slezak is making that measurement possible in real-time. Hear more on this week’s episode of The Current Report.

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• Inside political marketers' strategies to get Democrats elected: https://www.thecurrent.com/political-marketers-strategies-democratic-national-convention
• Seven swing states set to decide the 2024 US election: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c511pyn3xw3o
• State of the screens: https://crossscreen-7038182.hs-sites.com/state-of-the-screens-379-2024-ad-wars-6-big-questions?ecid=ACsprvvRV-kfGoPKvgnqLy3maQ6UKkVk_Lo6lklMpBE2S6xmO0bAIjf1KjVROzAVYzrPQw6U2TPh&utm_campaign=State%20of%20the%20Screens%20Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--GNM3XUdIVgcjYzZXX1-Wi1gMk-aw-GkVtoVrFn-k8jPcJLZz4axho9RvAJXQ4GKy5Fcd2ZtkV--p0tOBdKuQqGgPgKw&_hsmi=319429517&utm_content=319429517&utm_source=hs_email

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

Momentum has been high for Democrats since Kamala Harris became the party's nominee a month ago. But how do Democrats keep that going into election day? And what strategies are they using to target swing voters?

Middle Seat's Elizabeth Bennett shares her wisdom in this special episode of The Current Report, from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

_______

• Inside political marketers' strategies to get Democrats elected: https://www.thecurrent.com/political-marketers-strategies-democratic-national-convention   
• Harris Campaign Reserves $370 Million for Swing-State Fall Ad Blitz: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/17/us/politics/kamala-harris-ads.html
• We dug into the 2024 polling crosstabs. What we found was stunning:
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/08/21/kamala-harris-gains-polls-00175262
• Exclusive: Harris' election effort raises around $500 million in a month, sources say: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harris-election-effort-raises-around-500-million-month-sources-say-2024-08-20/
• U.S. political CTV ad spend projected to grow by 600% this presidential election cycle: https://www.thecurrent.com/us-political-ctv-ad-spend-2024-presidential-election-cycle

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

A.I. is a divisive topic in advertising, particularly amongst creatives.

From Cannes Lions 2024, Pereira O'Dell's chief creative officer Jason Apaliski shares why he's supportive of A.I. "There could be doom and gloom of what it means for the industry and the world and the jobs, but I see it as one that's an opportunity. [It's] a tool that if you can take advantage of now, you'll see the benefits of it."

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• Cannes Lions 2024: Much ado about AI, Olympics frenzy and Elon Musk’s apology tour: https://www.thecurrent.com/cannes-lions-2024-ai-olympic-sports-elon-musk
• At Cannes, advertising leaders sound the alarm on the state of news: https://www.thecurrent.com/cannes-advertising-leaders-news-publishers
• Why commerce media networks are making a bigger play at Cannes Lions 2024: https://digiday.com/marketing/why-commerce-media-networks-are-making-a-bigger-play-at-cannes-lions-2024/
• Axios at Cannes Lions: Axios' Sara Fischer in conversation with Meredith Kopit Levien:
• https://youtu.be/3WK9-2a8pwU?si=PUudR86ZqC9Z2erc

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

Streaming was the star of upfronts week this year, but what's it going to take for it to fully take over the upfronts process? Horizon Media's Samantha Rose gives her take on the latest episode of The Current Report.

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• Streaming takes over the upfronts with Netflix’s NFL news and the Great Rebundling: https://www.thecurrent.com/streaming-upfronts-netflix-sports-news-amazon
• ‘We did not create another opaque walled garden’: NBCU touts transparency (and sports) at upfronts:  https://www.thecurrent.com/nbcu-transparency-sports-upfronts
  Streaming takes over the upfronts with Netflix’s NFL news and the Great Rebundling: https://bit.ly/3yvmOlm
• ‘We did not create another opaque walled garden’: NBCU touts transparency (and sports) at upfronts: https://bit.ly/44N90OS
• An asteroid is about to hit upfronts: https://bit.ly/3KKlE8i
• TV's Upfront ad-sales talks start to heat up, with some 'rollbacks' expected: https://bit.ly/3VHrgGE
• Global ad revenue to surpass $1 trillion in 2025 as GroupM boosts 2024 forecast for U.S., China: https://bit.ly/3KKWbf4
• GroupM releases its this year next year 2024 midyear global advertising forecast: https://bit.ly/3yWSiki

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

Mike O’Sullivan, CEO of data firm Sincera, joins The Current Report to break down why quality advertising is at a premium, made for advertising sites (MFAs), and the top 100 publishers list Sincera and The Trade Desk recently came out with.

_______

The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk, Inc.

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• The successor to viewability is not a metric — it’s a methodology: https://www.thecurrent.com/opinion-viewability-metric-methodology-sincera-mike-osullivan
• The value of the open internet is growing in the eyes of advertisers: https://www.thecurrent.com/report-open-internet-digital-advertisers
• Despite pressure to tighten budgets, marketers still invest in authenticated digital channels like CTV: https://www.thecurrent.com/marketing-authenticated-digital-channels-ctv

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

This week on The Current Report, Damian Fowler sits in for Chris Brooklier to connect with Jon Cook, the CEO of VML. They break down what to expect at year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Plus, some publishers are striking deals with OpenAI, a move that could become increasingly common according to Nicolas Thompson, the CEO of The Atlantic.
_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• The most interesting thing in tech: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7201594636702789633?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_feedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7201594636702789633%29
• The acronym that brands can't afford to ignore: LMFAO: https://www.thecurrent.com/brands-humor-advertising-holiday-digital

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

Boasting the NFL, March Madness, PGA events like the Masters, plus Big Ten football and basketball, CBS Sports is a king maker in live sports.

On this edition of The Current Report, we explore how advertisers are taking hold of those games being streamed.

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• How CBS Sports is bridging the transition between traditional TV and streaming: https://bit.ly/3R5n2WB
• US TV and Connected TV Ad Spending Forecasts H1 2024: https://bit.ly/3X1zw5k
• US Political Ad Spending Forecast 2024: https://bit.ly/3wPehZZ
• As U.S. election looms, political advertisers shift focus to CTV: https://bit.ly/3V1XE5r

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

The return of big stars like Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart and Reese Witherspoon signaled that this year’s upfront presentations were already different from last year’s, which took place during the actors’ and writers’ strikes.

NBCUniversal made a big show of its live sports offerings, from more NFL games on Peacock, to 5,000 hours of Olympics coverage. Chris Brooklier and Travis Clark go inside the presentation, including why one of the company’s ad executives called out walled gardens and transparency.

Plus, Netflix officially announced it would carry two NFL games on Christmas for the first time ever. And we cover Fox, Disney and Amazon’s upfronts news.

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• ‘We did not create another opaque walled garden’: NBCU touts transparency (and sports) at upfronts: https://www.thecurrent.com/nbcu-transparency-sports-upfronts
• Streaming takes over the upfronts with Netflix's NFL news and the Great Rebundling: https://www.thecurrent.com/streaming-upfronts-netflix-sports-news-amazon
• Netflix Says Ad Tier Has 40M Users, Plans to Bring Ad Tech In-House in Shift From Microsoft: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-ad-tier-update-40m-users-shift-from-microsoft-1235900301/
• Appointment TV isn’t dead. It’s making a comeback on streaming platforms: https://www.thecurrent.com/appointment-tv-streaming-platforms
•  Inside the Amazon Upfront: An A-List Gauntlet Is Thrown: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/reese-witherspoon-legally-blonde-series-amazon-upfront-road-house-1235898610/
• Amazon VP Alan Moss Tells Advertisers At Tech Giant’s First Upfront That Putting Ads On Prime Video “Connected The Dots Across Our Universe”:  https://deadline.com/2024/05/amazon-upfront-mike-hopkins-paul-kotas-streaming-advertising-1235915381/
• FOX UPFRONT—BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM ITS PITCH TO ADVERTISERS: https://adage.com/article/special-report-tv-upfront/fox-upfront-super-bowl-fox-news-and-tubi-ad-tech-focus/2560281?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D89208624261719825302994803284811687283%7CMCORGID%3D138FFF2554E6E7220A4C98C6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1715759528&CSAuthResp=1%3A%3A5845844%3A150997699%3A24%3Asuccess%3A2BCE6ADF5CE781A1B82431616F540DC8
• Inside the Fox Upfront: Tom Brady, the F-Word and Jamie Foxx in the Flesh: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tom-brady-jamie-foxx-f-word-fox-upfront-1235898098/
• The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

It’s upfronts week, with many of the big TV networks, from Fox to Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal hosting their annual presentations. Streaming giants Netflix and Amazon are also joining the festivities.

Measurement is emerging as an important part of this upfronts season, as advertisers are searching for more than just scale — they want to tie measurement and attribution data back to business results — meaning there is a bigger focus on the full loop from reach to conversion. Add in Nielsen, Comscore, VideoAmp and ISpot all jockeying to be the dominant measurement currency and there’s a lot to talk about.

Blockgraph co-founder and CEO Jason Manningham joins The Current Report to break it all down, plus how identity fits into the conversation and if there will ever be dominant walled gardens within the streaming space.

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• Retail data is entering the upfronts as measurement gets more important: https://bit.ly/3U7a1gY
• How streaming consolidation could impact future upfront deals: https://bit.ly/4biGeZ1
• Future of TV Briefing: Upfront ad sellers prep performance-based pitches to address ad buyers’ ROI obsession: https://bit.ly/3UV0EkV
• NBA Hunger Games Enter the Fourth Quarter: https://bit.ly/4dCyCCk
• TV upfronts and Newfronts calendar: https://bit.ly/4dyoRVD

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

It's an election year in the U.S., meaning ad dollars will be flowing in.

Past news just being a cornerstone of our society, news publishers and the IAB are making the case that advertising alongside news has positive business consequences.

This week on The Current Report, IAB CEO David Cohen dives into why that message resonates with marketers.

_______

To read the full stories included in this episode:

• The IAB NewFronts puts a spotlight on news publishers and women's sports in a critical year for both: https://bit.ly/3WpW0Nf
• Ford's Chief Futurist imagines how AI could grow the relationship between drivers and their cars: https://bit.ly/3JL5ivI
• IPG Media Brands, U.S. Ad Forecast Spring 2024: https://bit.ly/3UMFVQg
• MAGNA Raises its growth forecast for US ad market: https://bit.ly/3yfpoLS

_______

The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

_______

Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0w