Well hello again. I’m Krista, your friendly neighborhood digital news deliverer. Today, we’ll examine three hot topics in the online ad world:

— Pause-vertising: Stop Now Means Play

— Ford Detours from “Built Ford Tough” In 5 Markets

— Yes, Ad Fraud Affects You — And Everyone You Know

Pause-vertising?

A possible new ad format is popping up in the streaming content space, where ads play when the viewer hits the stop button. Although there are mixed industry reviews surrounding this hot topic, Hulu and AT&T are already planning to give it a try. With video services booming (reaching about $20.1 billion in revenue last year), advertisers are competing to look for new ways to reach consumers. Pause-vertising may be the answer to the concerns of subscription fatigue and to hit binge-watchers alike. The strategy behind pause-vertisements is to be creative, while being less intrusive by giving consumers control. Hulu and AT&T are looking to creatively tailor ads to be aligned with the reasons why viewers pause a stream (doorbell, running to the kitchen, etc.). These types of ads will be one of many new formats coming to the digital advertising scene in 2019. For more information, please find the article here.

Ford Ranger’s New Campaign

Ford’s new Ranger campaign will target five cities with a hyperlocal approach. Ford is segueing from their normal messaging of “Built Ford Tough” in order to focus on more niche marketing for this 2019 Ranger campaign. This campaign will focus on consumers in Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Denver, and Phoenix. The spots labeled as “Tough Has More Fun” show men and women engaging in various extreme sports such as skiing, surfing, and mountain climbing. Ford will also team up with The Weather Channel to promote this campaign with digital billboards and website images that can dynamically update to match real time local weather reports. Their national campaign ad is called “Strange Creatures” and will highlight thrill-seekers who participate in challenging physical activities. Ford is aiming to seek a more personable approach overall via these new local and national lifestyle ads. The full article can be found here.

Digital Ad Fraud

As mentioned a few weeks ago, digital ad spend will surpass traditional ad spend this year and will account for $250 billion globally. However, it is of no surprise to advertisers that with this increase in digital investment, also comes a rise in ad fraud. Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity firm “Cheq” reports that about 20% of media on average will be affected by ad fraud. New and advanced fraud talent is now coming from other industries such as financial sectors. The short-term problems consist of data privacy issues, but the long-term consequences involve the deterioration of trust amongst the system. This directly threatens the relationship between advertising and the free internet. When more is taken away from advertising, the less money publishers and content producers receive, as they essentially make the stuff we see for free. The ad industry is being warned to re-examine their fraud prevention measures and to make sure it is being monitored very closely. And yes, Baker Street is all over it. Check out the full article here.

I welcome any feedback at khubbel@bakerstadvertising.com. (Unless you are a cyber criminal.)

Hi. I’m Krista. Baker Street’s newest Assistant Digital Planner and author of a new series called “Digital News with Krista.” The name, like my series, is intended to be direct. (Just the way the kids like it.)

Every other week, I’ll highlight 3 news articles on digital trends and innovations and dissect them into digestible bits. (Just the way the kids like it.)

I welcome any feedback at khubbel@bakerstadvertising.com. Or tweet me @khub55. (You know, the kids).

YouTube Under Fire (Again)
The “Adpocalypse” has struck YouTube once again. Many large brands that advertise on the platform are putting their ads on hold or pulling their investments out completely, due to innocent videos of children (mainly young girls) receiving inappropriate and disturbing comments from pedophiles. Some of these brands include Disney, Epic Games, Nestle, Hasbro, and AT&T. This “wormhole” was initially shared by YouTube creator Matt Watson, who has become the leader of the #wakeupyoutube movement. Advertisers are looking to YouTube to take a more aggressive approach to the regulation of inappropriate content, to ensure brand safety for their ads. In response, YouTube has disabled derogatory comments, deleted numerous accounts, and are reporting all illegal activity to authorities. They have also reported that they will be making updates to their recommendation engine, in addition to making improvements to their AI systems. YouTube has also tightened their strike policy for Creators, which will go into effect today. Additional details can be found here.

Digital Becomes King
The future is digital, according to the latest e-Marketer reports. Digital advertising investment is on the rise and is anticipated to surpass traditional spend in the U.S. this year. We are talking about $130 Billion in total digital ad spend by year end. This is due to a significant decline in print spend as well as TV, which is suspected to dip by 2.2% this year. In the years to come, digital ads are anticipated to make up two-thirds of all ad spending, with mobile ads accounting for more than two-thirds of the digital ad spend. Google and Facebook are expected to remain as the top 2 digital platforms in terms of ad revenue, holding 59% of the market combined. The full article can be found here.

Cadillac Rises Above
Since the Superbowl commercial industry letdown, anticipation has increased for more creative ads. Cadillac rolled out a new advertising campaign called “Rise Above” which debuted nationally during the Oscars. This campaign is tailored to highlight new innovations with their SUV vehicles, and to showcase their updated crest. The models they chose to focus on were the Escalade, XT4 and XT5. Their ads focused on a consistent message around “perseverance.” Additionally, one of the TV spots showed various high-achieving women linked with driving these SUVs. As for their digital ads, Cadillac teamed up with Yalitza Aparicio (actress from “Roma”) to be the face of the ads, along with sharing stories of everyday people breaking barriers and overcoming adversity. You can read more about Cadillac’s new campaign here.