Captify announced that Fiona Salmon has been named Vice President of Partnerships, EMEA, charged with continuing to scale Captify’s first-party search data network. In this role, Salmon will lead Captify’s data partner acquisition business across Europe, Middle East and Australasia, with a focus on powering privacy-compliant data solutions whilst also aligning strategies to U.S. partnerships.

LAB Group has promoted Gemma Kane to the newly-created role of Group Marketing Manager following a period of significant growth within the business. Kane previously spent nearly two-and-a-half years in the client services and marketing teams at digital agency Reflect Digital, which was acquired by LAB Group in September 2019.

Merkle, a data-driven customer experience management company and part of Dentsu, has appointed Sam Taverner to the newly created role of EVP, Technology Services EMEA for Merkle and Dentsu’s customer experience management (CXM) Line of Business. In addition, Michael Komasinski is moving up into the dual role of president, Merkle Americas and leader of the dentsu CXM LoB in the Americas. Margaret Wagner is being promoted to the dual role of president, Merkle EMEA and leader of the dentsu CXM LoB in EMEA. Both of the latter appointments will take effect as of January.

Following on from this, Filter, a Merkle Company and in-house marketing partner to global brands announced the appointment of Todd Paris as CEO. This pivotal hire follows a transformational period focused on scaling and re-shaping the 30-year-old company, which led to Filter’s acquisition by Merkle in January 2019.

Dentsu International has appointed Keith Lippiatt as global chief operating officer for its customer experience management line of business. Lippiatt’s role is essential to the execution of business processes across all of dentsu’s CXM functions, working with the leaders across the business to support the implementation of integrated business life cycle activities.

1plusX, the predictive marketing and data management platform, has appointed René Plug as Chief Business Development Officer. In his new role, René will be responsible for driving the company’s scale-up strategy, international expansion, and partnership development, while reinforcing key customer relationships worldwide.

Digilant, an omnichannel digital advertising services company has just announced Calvin Carr as its new Director of Paid Social. Based in New York City, Carr will be at the forefront of Digilant’s social team, offering strategic counsel on paid social campaigns. Carr will look to bring clients unique opportunities on emerging platforms such as TikTok, Twitch, Reddit and Snapchat. 

Laurence Parkes, CEO at Rufus Leonard, has been named Founder and Chair of BIMA’s new Digital Leaders’ Network. The BIMA Digital Leaders’ Network will meet regularly to explore key issues, find solutions and issue advice and guidance, with plans for a peer-group mentoring scheme in the near future.

Bazaarvoice has announced that it has appointed Ed Hill as Senior Vice President of EMEA. Hill, who brings over twenty years of experience from the cloud-based technology industry, will focus on executing the company strategy and accelerating growth in the company’s EMEA business and client base.

Email content@performancein.com if you’d like to feature yourself or a colleague in next month’s Movers & Shakers column.

The post Movers & Shakers: October 2020 appeared first on PerformanceIN.

“It’s fantastic to see so much innovation and determination from all entrant at this year’s awards, especially during such a challenging year. Congratulations to everyone for championing and inspiring our industry,” said Emily Creswell, affiliate marketing lead at HelloFresh and IPMA judge.

Congratulations to all the finalists for making it to the shortlist. 

Regional awards

APAC categories for Best Performance Marketing Campaign and Best Managed Affiliate Programme saw some outstanding entries across the board with Commission Factory, Honey, Metia, Partnerize, Rakuten Advertising, Interspace Co. Ltd, and ForwardPMX. Meanwhile, Impact, Acceleration Partners, Interspace Co. Ltd, Partnerize, Rakuten Advertising and Silverbean have all been shortlisted for the latter.

Over to Western Europe, Best Performance Marketing Campaign – Savings United, Tradedoubler, Adequate and 404 Agency made the shortlist while Awin, Rakuten Advertising, Grupo Xcaret and CityAds Media will battle it out for Best Performance Marketing Campaign for LATAM. Meanwhile, #paid, Aarki, Honey, Impact Tech Inc., NMPi by Incubeta, RevLifter and Rakuten Advertising compete for the grand prize for USA.

Vertical awards

The first of the five new categories includes Best Partnership, for which Awin, DMi Partners, Hone, Optmyzr, Rakuten Advertising and RevLifter have been shortlisted. Also new to this year is Best Incentive Partner Campaign or Strategy, which will see All Inclusive Marketing, Awin, Commission Factory, Giftcloud, Partnerize and Rakuten battle it out for the top prize.

Akbank, #paid, DMi Partners and Sino Real Estate Agency Limited are all on the shortlist for the new Most Effective DTC Campaign or Strategy category. Best Integrated Performance Marketing Campaign is new to this year too, and has Webgains, Zorka.Mobi, Chelsea FC, Rakuten, Akbank and Ledger Bennett going for gold.

Awin, ForwardPMX, Impact, Neo Media World, Optimise Media, Partnerize and Rakuten are all in the running for new category: Best Programme Launch or Relaunch.

On the influencer side, Awin, ForwardPMX, IMA, Rakuten Advertising and Impact Tech Inc. for Best Influencer Marketing Campaign. Meanwhile, Awin and Brand Movers go head to head for Best Content Marketing Campaign. Visit the official website for a full rundown of the vertical awards shortlisted companies.

Global industry awards

For the Global industry Awards, Acceleration Partners, Awin, CityAds Media, Harbingers, Impact, Merkle and NMPi by Incubeta could claim the trophy for Best Retail and E-Commerce Campaign. Despite being a tricky year for the travel industry, All Inclusive Marketing, Delante, Honey, and Webgains will battle it out for Best Travel, Leisure and Lifestyle Campaign. Discover who else has made the shortlist by visiting the official website.

Technology, team and agency awards voting now open

We are also excited to announce that voting is now open for the Technology, Team and Agency Awards. The public vote for the following categories is now open and will run from now until midnight (GMT) Wednesday 28 October:

• Best Agency
• Best Affiliate Network 
• Best SaaS Platform 
• Best Technology
• Best Team in Performance Marketing

Only one vote is permitted per company so ensure you have the right to cast the votes on your company’s behalf. Any additional votes received after the first one will not be counted. Judges scores will equate to 60% of the marks with the remaining 40% made up from the public vote. Cast your vote now.

Join us for the virtual ceremony

Attendance to the awards is free but each person must register individually. Sign up to the newsletter to make sure you are the first to know when registrations open for the virtual ceremony, which will be streamed live on Tuesday November 24. Get your glad rags out and pop the Champagne in the fridge ready to celebrate on the night!

Congratulations to all those shortlisted! You can view the full list of those shortlisted here.

The post International Performance Marketing Awards 2020 Shortlist Revealed appeared first on PerformanceIN.

The agencies that comprise Merkle B2B are:

1. Merkle: a leader in B2B technology integration, data, and analytics.
2. Merkle DWA: a fast-growing global B2B media agency.
3. gyro: the global B2B leader in strategy and humanly relevant creative.
4. B2B International: the largest, global, dedicated B2B market research company.
5. Digital Pi, a Merkle Company: a leading digital marketing agency focused on B2B marketing automation consulting services.

By combining the collective strength of these five brands, Merkle B2B possesses the knowledge, expertise, and vision to deliver world-class integrated customer experiences and become an indispensable growth partner to the world’s leading B2B brands.

“The modern B2B marketer needs to execute programs that anticipate and respond to dynamic customer needs,” said Michael McLaren, global CEO of Merkle B2B. “The only way to accomplish this is by leveraging the world’s best B2B marketing solutions and talent. By offering world-class creative, data, media, and insights, we enable B2B marketers to surpass customer expectations.”

The new agency brings together over a thousand artists, data scientists, media gurus, technologists, and innovators, who already serve more than one hundred B2B clients.

Merkle B2B will serve as the global centre of excellence for Dentsu Aegis Network’s B2B practice.

The post Five Agencies Combine to Create Dentsu Aegis Network’s New “B2B Powerhouse” appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Out of the 4,500 adults across Europe that were surveyed, 64% said feel they are missing out on sport (32%), documentaries (26%) and comedy (25%) content during lockdown.

Many people (62%) have turned to subscription video on-demand services (SVOD) in the search for entertainment, with the average person personally paying for up to two VOD platforms. However, 26% say they have cancelled a VOD service because the price was too high and 35% would cancel an existing subscription to pay for a new one.

The demand for content has grown exponentially, with 77% of consumers watching one or more hours of video on demand during the pandemic. However, this increased appetite has caused a surge in consumers streaming content illegally. 41% of UK consumers believing it’s unlikely or very unlikely illegal streaming would continue if content was more readily available. 

Therefore, it is more important than ever to offer a variety of solutions that stop consumers being priced out of watching video and sourcing illegal content.

AVODs role in entertaining audiences in lockdown 

One way to make content more accessible is AVOD – a new ad-supported video-on-demand service that allows consumers to watch video-on-demand content for free with adverts. AVOD means brands can finally connect with audiences who are consuming on demand video. 

Currently, 37% of UK consumers are aware of AVOD offerings, with 74% saying their use will remain at the level established during lockdown and 60% say they are likely to sign up to AVOD offerings when the service is described to them.

46% of UK consumers say ads that are funny, engaging, or entertaining will increase their likeliness of using an AVOD service. Across Europe, 26% would be interested in streaming

sport on an AVOD service, placing this ahead of all other streaming options, including pay-per-view and monthly subscription services.

“Offering alternative VOD models is key to meeting these consumer demands and responding to changing viewing habits. Consumers want access to more entertainment and research suggests they are happy to watch ads in return for it,” said Anthony Capano, managing director, international at Rakuten Advertising. 

“During this lockdown period, it is crucial for brands to continue advertising and stay connected to their customers in ways that resonate. 41% of consumers in the UK want brands to communicate with them in a realistic fashion during this time of uncertainty, and 39% believe brands that emotionally understand people will succeed post-pandemic. AVOD can associate brands with enjoyable content that is helping people escape today’s challenges,” added Capano. 

The post Consumers Missing Out on Video-On-Demand Content as They Seek More Entertainment appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Early-bird tickets on sale 

Early-bird tickets for PI LIVE launch at 11am (GMT) on March 24 so don’t miss out!

This year, tickets will be released in three waves and with each wave, prices will increase as the show gets closer. After early-bird tickets have sold out, prices will rise by £100 for all tickets. 

Ticket tiers

There are three ticket tiers for the 2020 PI LIVE – Standard, All-Inclusive and VIP. Each ticket includes access to the official event app, so you can schedule the session you don’t want to miss, plan your day, and book in those all-important meetings with fellow delegates before you even arrive.

Here’s a break-down of everything you need to know.

Standard

This ticket is perfect for industry professionals that want basic access to the main sessions and meet with partners at PI LIVE. 

• Access to sessions
• Access to both shows
• Delegate bag and brochure
• App access 
• Party access 
• Access to networking sessions 
• Access to the Mix and Mingle

All-Inclusive

If you’re looking for the best value ticket, then this is the one to go for. This tier features everything included in Standard ticket in addition to:  

• Lunch on both days
• Breakfast on both days
• Four drinks vouchers 

VIP

Go VIP if you want to access all areas, reserved seating and skip the queues with the new and improved VIP ticket – it’s perfect for industry insiders looking to learn from like-minded experts. This tier features everything included in Standard and All-Inclusive plus: 

• Fast track registration
• Reserved seating on main stages
• Queue jump for the official after-party 
• Exclusive networking rooms and areas 

Changes to 2020

What’s new for 2020? After listening to attendee feedback, there will be additional registration desks to combat the queues and offering badge collection on our build day.

Water refill points will be available on-site and you’ll be encouraged to bring your own eco-friendly water bottle. 

This year will see the return of the official PI LIVE After-Party, which will take place at a glamorous off-site location right after the Mix and Mingle on Day one. 

The Dome Stage will be reinvented to provide you with cleaner audio but still offer a unique experience for delegates and speakers alike.

Register your interest to be the first to hear about new updates, ticket sales, and the latest announcements.

The post PI LIVE Early-Bird Tickets Go on Sale Next Week appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Data from global affiliate network Awin found that influencer marketing in the affiliate sector saw a 9% increase in revenue in 2019. 

Awin’s global team analysed its top 100 influencer publishers in the UK, combining subnetworks, talent agencies, and individual influencers, for the first three quarters of this year and compared the results to the same period in 2018. Results showed an increase across all metrics for influencer marketing.  

In regards to sales, influencer publishers drove a total of 610,000 sales to advertisers to the Awin network for the first nine months of this year, representing a 5.5% increase compared to 2018, amounting to £29.7 million in revenue to advertisers. Commission paid to influencer publishers also saw an uplift of 18.9% from 2018, totaling £3.78 million. In addition, the average order value in influencer marketing was £48.47, representing a 3.4% increase. 

With influencer marketing budgets set to increase in 2020, the findings suggest, retail and shopping continue to dominate the influencer sector, accounting for 99.2% of the top 100 advertisers whilst the fashion and beauty industries invest in influencer marketing the most.

“Influencer marketing has increased massively in popularity over the past few years and has come to form a key part of marketing strategies, particularly in the fashion and beauty sectors. The practice is certainly set to continue increasing, and the rise in its use in the telecoms and health supplements sector shows that a larger number of industries are willing to explore this venture,” said Carina Toledo, influencer partnerships manager at Awin.

The post Influencer Marketing in the Affiliate Sector Saw 9% Increase in Revenue This Year appeared first on PerformanceIN.

PayPal has agreed to acquire browser extension Honey for approximately $4 billion. The acquisition, which is PayPal’s largest to date, will transform the customer’s shopping experience.

Honey has helped its 17 million monthly active users save more than $1 billion in the past year with its suite of products and services that include sales alerts, price-tracking tools, offers, and rewards programme. Hone work across approximately 30,000 online retailers.

PayPal hopes to add Honey’s tech to its own product line to expand its reach to PayPal’s 300 million users. What’s more, PayPal’s network of 24 million merchant partners will be able to offer more personalised promotions to users to drive sales and increase customer engagement.

“Honey is amongst the most transformative acquisitions in PayPal’s history. It provides a broad portfolio of services to simplify the consumer shopping experience, while at the same time making it more affordable and rewarding,” said Dan Schulman, president and CEO of PayPal in a statement.

Co-founders Geroge Ruan and Ryan Hudson will continue to lead honey’s team and join PayPal to work on product integration and scale the technology to a larger user base. Honey’s headquarters will still be in Los Angeles, California.

“Honey’s vision has always been to give consumers the tools they need to make the best decisions with their money,” said Ruan. “PayPal shares that vision and together we can build powerful commerce capabilities that create real value for both consumers and retailers around the world.”

“Combining PayPal’s assets and reach with our technology, we can build powerful new online shopping experiences for consumers and merchants,” said Hudson. “We’ll have the ability to help millions of retailers efficiently reach consumers with offers that deliver more and more value to Honey members.”

Honey was profitable on a net income basis in 2018, PayPal notes. The acquisition is expected to take place in Q1 of 2020, subject to approval. There will be a conference call today to discuss the transaction in more detail. 

This announcement and acquisition figure is the highest to be reported for a browser extension/cashback website, surpassing last year’s £1 billion deal of US-based cashback publisher EBates to Rakuten.

Industry response

Sharing his thoughts on PayPal’s largest transaction to date and what this means for the industry going forward, co-founder and CEO of RevLifter Simon Bird said that the buyout ”highlights how critical it is to gather as much data as possible about who your users are as early on as possible during the customer journey.”

“If you understand the deal discovery journey, you are more likely to develop relevant features. In Honey’s case, they target a younger crowd, mainly Millennials who are always looking for better deals and are savvy by nature. What’s interesting is that PayPal has 300m+ users, so there are great synergies if you compare to the 17m+ Honey users. I can only assume that PayPal / Honey will be able to offer a more complete experience: deal discovery, price tracking, offers & loyalty programme and smoother checkout,” Simon commented.

“PayPal has partnered with 24m merchants, so they will be able to develop more tailored/bespoke solutions which gives PayPal a huge competitive advantage vs. VISA, MasterCard, etc. and enables them to build a fantastic shopping experience across the full spectrum from merchants to consumers. I believe price tracking is a key feature, especially for time rich and cash poor consumers who are always looking for bargains,” Simon continued.

“From a RevLifter point of view, this hugely validates a major part of our approach where we link a retailers’ first-party data creating offers and rewards in real-time to consumers to maximise a retailer’s goals in real-time (on and off a retailers site). What this means for the industry is a sage reminder on a renewed focus on the value of data, how we collect, organise, and share, and ultimately unlock the value of this data. We also need to be aware of how this works with the wider e-commerce and payments industry and how we create wider value in the ecosystem. It also highlights the value of how the affiliate channel can help solutions like Honey grow quickly on a global stage.”

“PayPal’s acquisition of Honey comes as no surprise and goes to show where the industry is moving,” said Marc Vallverdu, UK MD at Global Savings Group; “We have seen more and more recently that one of the key priorities to success in our industry is all about making the shopping experience easier and better for consumers at every stage of the purchasing funnel – browser extensions are a critical step in this process. We have seen tremendous growth for our retail partners this year alone – for example, in the UK, we expect to drive more than £700 million in gross market value to our partners.”

The post PayPal to Acquire Browser Extension Honey for $4 Billion appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Outbrain has launched a new extension of its native placements into publishers’ owned newsletters. The integration enables publishers to create and monetise the best online experiences for their audiences across all content formats, including web pages, mobile apps, and newsletters. 

With newsletters forming a key part of publisher audience loyalty and retention strategies, the Outbrain newsletter solution enables publishers to avoid reliance on intrusive advertising formats and monetise in a non-intrusive, user-first way.

This new extension of the Outbrain network comes as part of a technology partnership with Ividence, a European newsletter ad tech company. What’s more, publishers can use the Outbrain Newsletter to unlock revenue streams from out beyond their owned and operated sites via non-intrusive native discovery ads. Publishers also have access to the full suite of OUtbrain demand. 

&The industry has a problem – increasingly, premium digital publishers cannot rely on digital display advertising alone to cover the cost of producing quality content. The duopoly has continued to dominate advertiser budgets while disrupting online user consumption patterns. Thus, publishers must expand their monetisation channels and grow new revenue streams to support their business,” said Victor Charpin, head of platforms at Outbrain. 

With the integration of placements in newsletters, we are creating a unique opportunity for advertisers to have direct access to a highly engaged publisher audience when they are in a prime content consumption mode,” commented Charpin.

Outbrain to merge with Taboola 

In more news, Taboola is expected to acquire Outbrain in a deal set to create a new digital publisher powerhouse. The deal hasn’t yet been fully approved but it is believed that both firms will combine forces. Taboola commented that the deal will “provide enhanced advertising efficacy and reach to marketers worldwide” and help news organisations more effectively find growth in the coming years.

The post Outbrain Powers Native Discovery for Publishers’ Newsletters appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Rakuten Marketing will be the exclusive advertising seller for the new pan-European ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) service of Rakuten TV. 

Rakuten TV announced the new AVOD service on October 15, launching with an initial offer that includes Hollywood and local content. This will be expanded upon in the coming months in a combined linear and on-demand offer, including exclusive Rakuten content, TV series, documentary series, news and sports channels.

Rakuten TV is the first platform that combines transactional-based video-on-demand (TVOD) and AVOD products across Europe to meet the needs of viewers. The free, ad-supported channels will enrich the original proprisition of Rakuten TV, offering smart TV viewers the latest new releases. 

As a founding partner, global automaker Nissan has signed on to connect with and reach customers through the Rakuten TV platform. Nissan is using the platform for the launch campaign of the Nissan JUKE. 

“More technologically advanced and better connected than ever, the new Nissan JUKE supports our digital launch strategy. This new, innovative video offer perfectly matches the position of our urban crossover. It is a privileged space for an advertiser looking for innovative targeting possibilities,” commented Coralie Musy, marketing director of Nissan in France.

The Rakuten TV platform will utilise Neilsen as a data partner to target advertisements at a digital level.

“Video on demand is quickly emerging as a powerful media channel, and Rakuten TV presents a singular opportunity for our clients to reach a highly engaged pan-European audience. We strive to be the first to offer advertisers new products and audiences, and are proud to bring this groundbreaking advertising opportunity across the Continent,” said Nick Stamos, CEO of Rakuten Marketing.

The post Rakuten Marketing Becomes Exclusive Ad-Seller for Rakuten TV’s New AVOD Service appeared first on PerformanceIN.

With Q-83 a headline sponsor at the Influencer Marketing Show, we spoke with the managing director, Anthony Richardson ahead of the two-day event next week. We discuss the key issues in the industry, why getting your hands on accurate data is so important, and what trends will start to evolve next year. 

It is great to have you as a headline sponsor at this year’s Influencer Marketing Show. What are you most looking forward to at the event this month? 

When we attended the show last year, a lot of the conversation was surrounding influencer fraud, fake followers and how to protect your brand against it. Since then the conversation has shifted to valuable followers and the steps we can all take to professionalise the space in order to bring it longevity. We’re excited to share what we’ve learned over the past 12 months and how Q-83 can support the longevity and legitimacy of the channel. 

Why do you think events like the Influencer Marketing Show are so important for the industry?

Influencer marketing is exploding. Given its infancy, it’s important that everyone involved in the channel works together to help it thrive. Sometimes we can get caught up in solving issues that directly affect our brands without the understanding of where they sit within the wider scope of the industry. The Influencer Marketing show is an opportunity for us to share how we are strengthening the channel and learn more about the areas we can contribute more to.

Tell us about Q-83 and how it is helping combat some of the key issues in the influencer marketing industry. 

We see a lot of influencers as social publishers, just like print and digital publishers. The difference is, in traditional advertising publishers are the ones transparently sharing their data and insights with brands. Just as they have the ability to tell their own story in a way that represents their true value, we give influencers the opportunity to do the same through personalised media kits linked directly to their Instagram Insights. 

Your session is all about how the live media kit is changing how we measure influence and how creators are doing business. In your opinion, what ways should we be measuring influence? 

There is no one way to measure influence. Brands engage influencers for different reasons, content creation, publishing or influence. The metric used to determine success will depend on the reason you engage them in the first place. For awareness, you might measure reach, for content creation you might measure their ability to turn content around quickly or the quality of their content production, for influence you might measure shares or replies. The key is engaging influencers who will drive the outcome you want.

How is the media kit helping to position influencer marketing as a legitimate form of advertising?

Across all forms of traditional publishing like print and digital there has come a point where in order to be positioned as a credible and professional, publishers have opted in to share accurate and transparent data with independent third parties. Q-83 is giving the influencers who want to professionalise their business the opportunity to do the same, by sharing a live media kit linked directly to their Instagram they are able to share the true value of their audience and it’s authenticity directly with brands. This results in longer relationships built on trust and transparency.  

How can brands get accurate data and can we always trust the data we are receiving?

Whoever your data provider is, brands need to ask the question; “where is this data coming from”. The only way to receive 100% accurate data is directly from the influencer or through opt-in platforms with access to the API. Since Facebook’s privacy changes to their API last year a lot of platforms lost access to accurate influencer metrics and have since had to resort to other far less accurate (or ethical) ways of getting it. 

Lastly, how do you think influencer marketing will evolve in 2020? 

I hope to see the sell side of the industry adopt the level of professionalism that exists in digital advertising. I also think it’s important industry bodies create best practice guidelines on what information must be shared e.g. True Reach, Engagement, Audience Demographics etc. and have consistent definitions for all terminology within the industry. Australia has recently set up the Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AimCo) in order to develop the above.

Catch Anthony’s session at the Influencer Marketing Show on Day 2 and make sure you’re at Q-83’s workshop. You can purchase a ticket for the workshop here.

The post #IMS19: Q-83 on Accurate Data and Influencer Measurement appeared first on PerformanceIN.