Table of contents for October 15, 2018 in Adweek

OVERVIEW & METHODOLOGY Kargo partnered with MediaScience to measure the effectiveness of various mobile ad formats. Smartphone owners viewed a random combination of ad formats paired with different brands. Ads were evaluated based on eye tracking, biometric response, and survey response data. VISUAL ATTENTION The Animated units captured the most visual attention from users: the highest proportion of users to look, the most time looked, as well as the greatest number of fixations and follow-up looks. BRAND RECALL Animated units outperformed both Standard and Video units in brand recall. ATTRIBUTES The Video units were significantly more likely to be considered disruptive, intrusive, or annoying. They were also considered significantly more creative, engaging, or entertaining. VIDEO The branded canvas helped the unit outperform all other Video units in aided recall. KEY…

Perhaps Dunkin’ should change its tagline to Running on Blockchain. Early next year, the company, using blockchain technology from a startup called iPowow, will let TV viewers who have watched a commercial enter a code online to get discounts and prizes. Beyond building an engaged and loyal fan base, Dunkin’ hopes blockchain can improve its media spend, as the tech can give marketers a more concrete way of tracking who sees an ad based on who redeems tokens. Dunkin’ isn’t the only brand dipping its toes in blockchain technology. American Express, Anheuser-Busch InBev and even a Brooklyn coffee company—with the help of IBM—have dabbled in blockchain. Agencies and television networks like Horizon and Fox have signed nonbinding letters of intent with iPowow (although some companies touted by iPowow have no…

We’ve reached a point where companies can no longer—and should no longer—stay silent about broad-reaching social issues. Employees are speaking up to hold their employers accountable to their own missions, and customers are loyal to brands they believe align with their personal values, whether that’s about sustainable practices or inclusivity. It’s an exciting time for consumers and employees and is also the right time for brands to be thoughtful. Supporting causes as a brand is important. You have a platform and audience that can be used for social good and are sometimes afforded a budget that can effect real change. But even with the best of intentions, supporting a social cause can cost brand equity if consumers sniff out inauthenticity. However, there are steps companies can take to ensure supporting…

The team behind Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show has short attention spans, jokes executive producer Ed Glavin. So, since the program debuted in 2003, they have produced it “in a way that was pretty snackable,” he says, with shorter bits that easily lend themselves to online viewing and sharing. With that strategy, the Ellen Digital Network, also known as EDN, has capitalized and significantly grown the DeGeneres brand by sharing the human-interest stories that her audience is used to seeing on TV and searching for on ellentube, the digital destination for her brand’s content. EDN has released more than a dozen original digital series, including OMKalen, featuring Kalen Allen, who began working with EDN after his recaps of recipe videos went viral, and Momsplaining With Kristen Bell, whose 2012 sloth meltdown…

‘It capitalizes on things that kids today are super excited about in real life.’ Celia Hodent, director of user experience, Epic Games DARREN SUGG, THE creative visionary behind the Epic Games phenomenon Fortnite, has captured fans’ imaginations by creating a battle royale in which the environment, its characters and their weapons are constantly changing. But it’s not just about killing. Fortnite at times has a feeling of whimsy to it as players build and dance their way through the game—while trying to not die in the process. Since its debut last year, the game has become a global sensation, attracting more than 125 million players in 10 months and amassing more than $1 billion in revenue from microtransactions such as character skins and other upgrades. Popularity is also cross-platform,…

TO SURVIVE IN today’s fast-paced news cycle, media organizations have to be nimble enough to cover breaking news and current events while also digging deep with investigative reporting, providing perspective with think pieces and keeping a finger on the pulse of pop culture. And they have to do it for an audience with an ever-shrinking attention span. “It’s a balance,” notes Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times. While Trump-related news often dominates the Times’ front page, the publication is just as dogged about a wide range of other topics—from climate change and the lasting hurricane damage in Puerto Rico, to Silicon Valley and the New York art scene. The Times’ coverage of sexual abuse allegations against prominent men, including Harvey Weinstein, earned it a Pulitzer, jointly, with…

CONVERSATION STARTER The Cut, ‘How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People’ HOTTEST BUSINESS MAGAZINE Bloomberg Businessweek HOTTEST CELEBRITY MAGAZINE People HOTTEST SPORTS MAGAZINE ESPN The Magazine HOTTEST WOMEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE Women’s Health HOTTEST MEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE Men’s Health HOTTEST WOMEN’S MAGAZINE Better Homes and Gardens HOTTEST MEN’S MAGAZINE GQ, GQ Style HOTTEST FASHION MAGAZINE Vogue HOTTEST HOME MAGAZINE HGTV HOTTEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE Travel + Leisure HOTTEST IN NEWS Axios HOTTEST IN SPORTS Bleacher Report HOTTEST IN FOOD Tasty HOTTEST IN TRAVEL Insider HOTTEST LIFESTYLE WEBSITE Bustle HOTTEST IN WELLNESS/ FITNESS Self HOTTEST SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE Bloomberg TicToc HOTTEST EVENTS BUSINESS Refinery29’s 29Rooms HOTTEST SITE LAUNCH Them HOTTEST PODCAST The New York Times’ The Daily HOTTEST IN BRANDED CONTENT Atlantic Media HOTTEST SUBSCRIPTION The New York Times…

The company released a powerful film on World Cerebral Palsy Day commemorating the emotional moment when Nike’s John Truax informed Justin Gallegos, who has cerebral palsy, of Nike’s intention to make him one of the brand’s official athletes. This is not the first time that Nike and Gallegos have joined forces. According to SI, the Oregon junior worked with the brand to develop the Pegasus 35 FlyEase, a shoe that assists runners with disabilities. Eugene, Ore.-based creative agency Elevation 0m produced the moving film that’s sure to tug the heartstrings of athletes everywhere. —Doug Zanger…

As media companies and the content they produce continue to move away from singular platforms to a smorgasbord of omnichannel offerings, Adweek’s coveted Hot List has evolved from a magazine awards franchise to publishing, digital and TV/video honors as well. For this issue, we’ve combined the entire Hot List into what you see here—one mega list across all categories—to give you a better, more comprehensive snapshot of how interwoven the entire media landscape truly is. There is no better example of mastering the omnichannel experience than Adweek’s Media Visionary Ellen DeGeneres, who rose from her early days as a stand-up comic to entertainer, TV host, producer, activist and cultural icon. The secret to her success may lie in her oft-said credo “Be kind to others,” and in speaking to DeGeneres…

AB INBEV AB Inbev ran a blockchainenabled ad campaign this summer with Kiip to understand how it helps with spending and reporting efficiencies. CARREFOUR Carrefour has begun testing how IBM’s blockchain network can be used to track food safety along its supply chain. (Walmart’s also testing it in the U.S.) TOYOTA Lucidity is currently running tests with Toyota and agency Saatchi & Saatchi to eliminate fraud and deliver supply chain transparency during digital ad buys. MEREDITH Meredith is talking with various companies to explore how blockchain technology might be used for GDPR compliance by helping to track data across sources. DUNKIN’ DONUTS Early next year, Dunkin’ Donuts, using blockchain technology from a startup called iPowow, will let TV viewers enter a code online to get discounts and prizes after they’ve…

Anyone with an Instagram account can see that brands are utilizing influencer marketing, but which brands are really capitalizing on it? Influencer marketing platform Mavrck analyzed the categories and brands dominating the trend as well as the growth of the influencer industry overall since 2014. Fashion and apparel is the most common category—or, as Mavrck explains, commands the highest percentage of “influencer voice”—at 36 percent of all influencers, led by watch company Daniel Wellington. Food and beverage (25 percent, Chobani) and beauty (23 percent, Pantene) follow in second and third, respectively. However, smaller players, like fitness or travel and hospitality, still have a chance to up their Instagram game. “Due to the comparatively lower levels of influencer-generated content in the travel and hospitality industry, travel and hospitality brands working with…

WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING shows for women in the 25-54 demographic, Kathleen Finch is the queen of cable TV. As chief lifestyle brands officer for Discovery Inc., Finch oversees 11 cable networks—more national channels than any other programming exec—including ID, TLC and HGTV, which last quarter ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, in prime time among that demo. Her portfolio is responsible for 16 percent of all total-day cable TV viewing in women ages 25-54. “We want to own home, we want to own food, but really, we want to own women,” says Finch, Adweek’s TV Executive of the Year. ‘How can we take that audience and strategically move them from platform to platform?’ After Discovery Communications finalized its purchase of Scripps Networks Interactive in March, Finch, who…

HOTTEST TV FRANCHISE The Walking Dead (AMC) HOTTEST DRAMA The Good Doctor (ABC) HOTTEST MINISERIES Sharp Objects (HBO) HOTTEST NETWORK FOR DRAMA Netflix HOTTEST NETWORK FOR COMEDY ABC HOTTEST KIDS SHOW Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (PBS Kids) HOTTEST SVOD Netflix HOTTEST BINGE SERIES Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Amazon) HOTTEST NEWS NETWORK Fox News HOTTEST REALITY/ COMPETITION SERIES Queer Eye (Netflix) HOTTEST SPORTS NETWORK Fox Sports HOTTEST LATE-NIGHT HOST Stephen Colbert HOTTEST SHOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA The Bachelor/Bachelorette/ Bachelor in Paradise (ABC) HOTTEST REVIVAL Murphy Brown (CBS) HOTTEST UNSCRIPTED NETWORK A&E HOTTEST LIVE TV STREAMING SERVICE YouTube TV HOTTEST MEDIA BATTLE CBS Corp. vs. National Amusements…

BABIES AND ANIMALS HAVE been good to Marc Lore. The Walmart U.S. ecommerce president and chief executive founded Diapers.com in 2005 and in 2011 followed up that success with the pet-centric Wag.com. The latter was a risky move—Pets.com went belly up in 2000 in part because dog food and cat litter are expensive to ship. But Lore told The New York Times his pets site could avoid a similar fate because it only offered free shipping above a certain threshold and it “obsesses” about logistics. He was right, and in 2010 Amazon bought parent company Quidsi for $545 million (and shuttered it in 2017). Then Lore founded ecommerce platform Jet.com with a similar logistical concept in 2014. Orders below $35 have a fixed shipping fee of $5.99 because “small orders…

THE NEWS MEDIA business isn’t easy, which is why news of an ambitious period of growth at The Atlantic announced earlier this year was met with surprise. (“You read that right,” The New York Times quipped.) Led by president Bob Cohn, who oversees editorial, revenue and operations on all platforms, the 161-year-old publisher is seeing one of its best years ever by leaning into its ever-diversifying business while maintaining the editorial excellence that is key to The Atlantic brand. It helps that the philanthropic Emerson Collective, which is run by Laurene Powell Jobs, just bought a majority stake in the magazine, too. Cohn, a longtime journalist who spent five years on The Atlantic’s editorial side before becoming president, said he’s proud revenue is growing across all sectors—year over year, total…

Making courageous moves amid a lot of uncertainty has colored the life of Christene Barberich, the global editor in chief and co-founder of Refinery29, the lifestyle-focused media company. Take, for example, an essay she wrote in 2015 about her five miscarriages. “It was incredibly terrifying, but also liberating,” Barberich recalled. “I wrote it for myself at first, and then I showed it to one of my co-editors, and said, ‘Is this crazy? Should I publish this?’ And she said, ‘You have to.’” After reading the essay, a fertility doctor reached out, giving Barberich new reason for hope. And now, she’s about to give birth. Earlier in her career, she faced another critical moment when she decided to leave her secure job at Condé Nast to join City magazine. “I got…

Who Mae Karwowski (l.), CEO, and Miriam Wakim, head of product operations. What Influencer marketing agency. Where New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, Sydney. 1 Obviously sent influencer Leo Chan on a four-month cruise for Cunard and Plymouth Gin. Content related to his travels attracted 27 million impressions. 2 Initiatives for Lyft have helped influencers get around the Toronto International Film Festival, the Hamptons and other hot locations. 3 To date, Obviously’s seven campaigns for Soap & Glory have generated a combined reach of over 7 million impressions.…

American Express has concluded a global media review officially launched in May, choosing IPG’s Universal McCann (UM) as its new media agency of record. The network will handle all planning and buying work while partnering with AmEx creative shops to promote the financial brand’s “Powerful Backing” platform around the world. MediaLink managed the review. This marks a significant loss for WPP. Mindshare, part of the GroupM network, was the incumbent on the business for about two decades after winning the account away from Ogilvy. It also follows the news that Ford and GSK would be moving some or all of their business away from the holding company. —Patrick Coffee…

As Hurricane Michael approached the Florida Panhandle, the Florida Division of Emergency Management tapped a tech company for help. Over the past year, Florida’s DEM has worked closely with GasBuddy, a Boston-based app that uses crowdsourced data to identify fuel prices and inform first responders and the public about fuel availability or power outages at gas stations during storms. Since Hurricane Irma in 2017, GasBuddy and DEM have worked together to survey affected areas, helping Florida first responders identify how best to respond to petroleum shortages. With help from the location intelligence company Cuebiq, GasBuddy also provides estimated wait times at gas stations during emergencies. DEM first noticed GasBuddy’s potential in 2016, when the app was collecting and providing data about fuel availability following a pipeline leak. “DEM staff recognized…

‘I want everything to be authentic, and I think that’s what people respond to.’ When you talk to Ellen DeGeneres, what you see is what you get. Off stage, away from the cameras, Adweek’s Media Visionary is as genuine and thoughtful as the likable persona she’s cultivated during her long, remarkable career as an entertainer, writer, producer, and LGBTQ and animal activist. Her signature credo is “Be kind to one another” and she has been true to it, despite weathering a devastating backlash right at the height of her initial fame. Following her steady rise as a comedian, DeGeneres headlined HBO stand-up comedy specials, guested on TV shows and, in 1994, landed her eponymous sitcom on ABC. Then, three years later, she made history in 1997 with the simple words,…

SOME TELEVISION creators depend on large doses of caffeine, sugar or pharmaceuticals to help them do their jobs. Kenya Barris takes a different approach. “I’m one of those guys who is fueled by my fear,” says Barris, who created ABC’s Black-ish and its hit spinoff, Freeform’s Grown-ish. He is going to have plenty of that fuel to draw on, now that he has departed longtime home ABC Studios and signed a lucrative new deal with Netflix, which could be worth as much as $100 million. “It’s very daunting,” Barris says. “The notion of leaving somewhere that I was really comfortable and going somewhere that puts this much trust in me makes me feel like … I want to be really successful.” Barris—Adweek’s TV Creator of the Year—has already enjoyed plenty…

TO HEAR AT&T TELL IT, Brian Lesser is the man who will reinvent modern advertising. In the year since the carrier tapped the former GroupM North America CEO to lead its advertising and analytics business, Lesser has already presided over a $1.6 billion deal to buy AppNexus and rebranded the division as Xandr. But that’s just the beginning; AT&T has tasked Lesser with building an advertising exchange that will serve not just digital and streaming video inventory but also targeted TV ads, upending the industry’s entrenched old-school norms. For his part, Lesser says he sees AT&T as a chance to continue the work he was doing at GroupM to improve media buying with technology—but on a much bigger scale and with more resources. “It struck me that it was an…

HOTTEST DIGITAL OBSESSION Instagram Stories It started out in August 2016 as a blatant rip-off of a Snapchat feature with a similar name, but Instagram Stories has evolved into the place to be for brands and influencers. Some 400 million people are now sharing their daily lives in a format that disappears after 24 hours, with one-third of the most-viewed Stories coming from the 25 million-plus businesses that are also using the feature. Full-screen, visually captivating ads were introduced in March 2017, and shopping stickers rolled out globally this past September. Parent company Facebook is pushing the format on both its flagship social network and messaging utility WhatsApp (where the feature is known as Status). —David Cohen HOTTEST APP HQ Even if you don’t play it yourself, you’ve likely had…

MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR The New Yorker From ground-shaking reporting on people who sit at the upper echelons of business, entertainment and government to incisive cultural commentary, The New Yorker is having one of its best and most consequential years in its 93-year history. Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer’s reporting on sexual harassers and abusers toppled powerful men and fueled the #MeToo movement, with Farrow’s reporting on the disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein resulting in a Pulitzer Prize (shared with The New York Times) for public service. The power of the publication’s journalism is translating on the business side, too, including an all-time-high circulation of 1.23 million, 264,000 new subscribers to the magazine in the last year and an average of 13.9 million monthly uniques on NewYorker.com in the second…