Digiday Sunday
Digiday:?A busy week despite the mid-August slow down. Interest in the M&A activity in the ad tech sector was evident as a piece on Criteo’s retail media ambitions found some nice readership as did a story that looked at how Apple shouldn’t be counted out as a significant tech player in the advertising space. The influencer impact on marketing continues to be a focus of great interest to our audience and a story reporting that TikTok and Snap are offering influencer agencies access to data and creators to gain competitive advantage received nice traction. And a news analysis piece breaking down the state of influencer marketing across a span of top players also did very well. The lingering buzz around the commutation of the cookie execution and X’s legal pursuits against advertisers continued to draw readership. – James Cooper
Story highlights
Ronan Shields and Kayleigh Barber had the news that Criteo is in M&A talks with Skai, a company formerly known as Kenshoo. The negotiations could potentially lead to a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars as Criteo - the France-based ad tech company - attempts to potentially retrench as retail media specialist . As they reported, ‘Skai appointed bankers to solicit offers earlier this year with one source familiar with the developments, who requested anonymity in return for candor, informing Digiday that it has primarily spoken with strategic players. “The EBITDA and growth of Skai is impressive,” noted the source, who later went on to estimate that the Israel-based company would eventually sell for “north of $500 million.”’
Ronan Shields also pulled back the aperture on the latest contre temps and swirl of the ad tech biz, specifically Google and X, to see what cards Apple will play in this moment. As he reported, ‘the ad industry has changed its approach to Big Tech, and waiting in the wings is Apple, a platform that’s not shy of blackening a few eyes?if it sees fit for change . Renowned for its long policy of total (public) silence until it is ready to make some noise, the iPhone manufacturer has made maneuvers in recent weeks suggesting pending (further) disruption for the online advertising industry.’
Antoinette S. reported out a smart piece on how TikTok and Snap are offering influencer agencies access to data and creators to hone competitive edges . As she reported, ‘While Instagram and Facebook remain the top two in usage across all consumers, TikTok and Snap rank in the top three for Gen Z — while YouTube is a top-three draw for Gen X and Boomers, according to social media tool?Sprout Social . Social media companies have been beefing up their incentives for creators to win over agency business and ultimately compete with the giants.’
Antoinette S. also pulled together a well-read breakdown of the present power players in the influencer marketing game: Think Joe Rogan, Selena Gomez and Mr. Beast. As she reported ‘Global influencer marketing spend has more than tripled since 2019 — it’s estimated to reach a record $24 billion in 2024, according to?Statista . Whether through product placements, sponsorships or even organic executions, these content creators make up a major part of brands’ marketing strategies today. In fact, there are?some 64 million ?influencers on Instagram alone, while the numbers on TikTok, YouTube and Snap are still growing.’
—As the presidential election, and associated ad spending, becomes white hot, Sam Bradley reported on how CTV is poised for a significant windfall. As he reported, ‘in the second quarter of 2024, political ad spend was pegged as being almost 35% higher than in the same period during the 2020 election cycle, according to Operative STAQ, an ad management company. The firm’s spending data showed that ad spend from just one conservative political action committee, Americans for Prosperity, was up 77% in the second quarter compared with 2020.’
Kimeko McCoy ’s edition of the Digiday podcast featured a chat with Melissa Ben-Ishay, co-founder and CEO of dessert company Baked By Melissa, during which she discussed her company's lack of formal social media strategy while leaning into influencer content. As Kimeko wrote in the intro to the convo ‘Ben-Ishay is one of many founders-turned-influencers who are navigating the booming influencer marketing space and putting a face to their brands to more authentically connect with followers.’ Give a listen here
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?Here are the Digiday + Briefings for the week
See you next Sunday!