Suzanne Vranica

Advertisers Allege Facebook Failed to Disclose Key Metric Error for More Than a Year

Facebook knew of problems in how it measured viewership of video ads on its platform for more than a year before it disclosed them in 2016, according to a complaint filed by advertisers. A group of small advertisers filed a lawsuit in California federal court in 2016, alleging the tech giant engaged in unfair business conduct by disseminating inaccurate metrics that significantly overestimated the amount of time users were spending watching video ads.

Facebook Limiting Information Shared With Data Brokers

Facebook is curbing the information that it exchanges with companies that collect and sell consumer data for advertisers. The measures affect a group of so-called data brokers such as Acxiom Corp. and Oracle Data Cloud, formerly known as DataLogix, that gather shopping and other information on consumers that Facebook for years has incorporated into the ad-targeting system that is at the core of its business.

AT&T Promises Innovation in Advertising With Time Warner Deal

AT&T executives say their proposed $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner would deliver innovation to advertising.

While ad industry executives love hearing such talk, they say it is unclear exactly what it could mean for them. The combination of AT&T and Time Warner would bring together huge amounts of viewer data with content, which could serve as a catalyst to make TV advertising a lot more targeted to individuals, similar to the way digital advertising is now. In addition, AT&T’s data from its 90 million wireless subscribers and DirecTV households could be leveraged to target people with ads across devices, including TVs, laptops and mobile phones, some ad executives speculate.

Millennials Spend 14.5 Hours Per Week on Smartphones

Youth-obsessed marketers are anxious to figure out the best way to reach the so-called “Millennial Generation.” A new report validates the popular notion that the smartphone is the best vehicle.

Millennials, people ages 18 to 34, are the most connected generation, according to a new study from Experian Marketing Services. The study, based on a survey of almost 24,000 US adults, found that 77% of adult millennials own a smartphone and the average owner spends 14.5 hours a week using his or her smartphone texting, talking and on social media.

Marketers are already beginning to respond to the shift by increasing their spending on mobile advertising. Research firm eMarketer estimates that advertisers are expected to shell out about $17. 7 billion on mobile ads in the US in 2014; almost double from what they spent the previous year.

Behind the Preplanned Oscar Selfie: Samsung's Ad Strategy

Samsung spent an estimated $20 million on ads to run during breaks in the Academy Awards broadcast. But Samsung may have got more promotional mileage from Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres during the show itself.

DeGeneres toyed with a white Samsung phone during the broadcast, including when she handed a Galaxy Note 3 to actor Bradley Cooper so he could take a "selfie" photo of himself and other stars including Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Lawrence surrounding the host. While the stunt felt spontaneous, it wasn't entirely unplanned.

As part of its sponsorship and ad pact for the Oscars with ABC, the TV network airing the show, Samsung and its media buying firm Starcom MediaVest negotiated to have its Galaxy smartphone integrated into the show, according to two people familiar with the matter. Samsung gave ABC smartphones to use during the broadcast and was promised its devices would get airtime, these people said.

At least one of the product plugs was planned: during the "red carpet" preshow, ABC ran a clip of six aspiring young filmmakers touring Disney Studios. The group were seen in the video using Samsung devices. Advertisers say that product placement combined with ad buys help viewers better remember the products being promoted.