Advertising Digest: June 2024

Welcome to the June 2024 update on the latest in the advertising industry.

This month has been eventful with significant activities in (1) mergers and acquisitions, (2) the expansion of retail media networks, and (3) innovations in ad technology. Here’s a brief summary of key developments:

Mergers & Acquisitions

Seedtag acquired Beachfront to enhance its TV and video capabilities and strengthen its presence in the US. Madhive purchased Frequence to expand its local omnichannel advertising offerings. Verve's acquisition of Jun Group for $185 million aims to bolster its mobile and gaming ad business.

Equativ acquired Sharethrough, marking significant consolidation in the ad tech sector. Other notable acquisitions include Publicis buying Spinnaker SCA, Mediaplus acquiring Target Media, and MediaSense acquiring PwC’s U.K. consultancy.

Retail Media Networks Expansion

Dollar General Media Network partnered with Criteo to improve its ad offerings, providing brands access to premium inventory and better targeting. Albertsons Media Collective teamed up with Rokt to include non-endemic advertisers across its ecommerce platforms.

Walmart introduced Digital Landscapes, a new self-serve insights tool for tracking online shopper behavior. United Airlines launched Kinective Insights, a media network for targeting travelers based on flight information and demographics.

Additionally, CVS Media Exchange turned on self-serve advertising through a partnership with The Trade Desk.

Innovations in Ad Technology

The Trade Desk and Tealium introduced EUID, a first-party data tool for scaled advertising without third-party cookies. Google TV launched new ad options, allowing brands to connect with 20 million monthly active devices via targeted video ads.

Onetag unveiled an AI co-pilot for programmatic media curation. Netflix expanded its partnership with Microsoft to support connected TV ads globally.

Future plc launched Elevate, a new ad tech brand to help publishers sell online advertising inventory.

Market Trends and Developments

Financial services companies like Klarna, JP Morgan Chase, and PayPal are entering the ad space, reflecting the growing influence of retail media networks.

The ad market is anticipating more mergers and acquisitions, driven by the need for scale and efficiency.

Oracle's exit from the ad business has created opportunities for other ad tech firms to fill the gap, especially in data management and contextual targeting.

Uber's Journey Ads expansion now allows programmatic buyers to access its ad solution across the Uber Rides app. Disney expanded its audience graph and clean room tech to Latin America ahead of the Disney+ ad-supported launch in the region.

Stay tuned for more updates as I continue to follow changes in the advertising landscape.