Self-service is a Thing these days, as companies try to do more things more quickly without more staff. Here we have adtech firm Audiencex releasing a self-service ad buying platform for performance marketers, who focus on measurable results. The product is aimed at small and mid-size companies who buy programmatic media.
Our friends at messaging platform Gupshup are at it again: after purchasing conversational AI platform Active.AI earlier this month, they just bought AskSid. Active.AI specializes in financial services while AskSid specializes in ecommerce and retail.
You’ve almost surely heard the reports that Netflix is seriously considering an ad-supported version of its service, so I can’t really claim it’s news. But I will point out that for all the hand-wringing among people who dislike ads, there’s plenty of research that most consumers will gladly watch them in return for free or lower-price services. So it’s probably a good idea.
It’s tough to get brand safety right, but the industry keeps trying. IPG Mediabrands announced a new set of tools to find and block inappropriate ad placements, while IAS expanded its suitability measurements to include standards from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Meanwhile, DoubleVerify admitted a mistake made brand safety on X/Twitter look worse than it really was in October 2023 and March 2024.