Posts made in July, 2016

on Jul 20, 2016

By Rebecca Stewart Spotify is getting serious about its programmatic offering by opening up its audio ad inventory and inking deals with the Rubicon Project, AppNexus and the Trade Desk to automate the highly-coveted audio slots. Spotify has made no secret of its desire to be the dominant seller of automated audio inventory, having already outlined its intent to make all its media available this way within the next five years. Previously, only display and video inventory was able to be bought this way, with the new partnerships marking the first time programmatic has been brought to Spotify’s digital in-app audio through Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jul 20, 2016

By John McCarthy Macy’s is prepping an AI shopping assistant on the back of a new partnership with IBM. The new system, called Macy’s On Call, is a mobile tool that will help shoppers find their way round 10 US stores piloting the system. Customers will be able to ask select questions such as where certain brands and departments are located with it using Watson’s Natural Language Classifier API and Satisfi, an intelligent engagement platform, to understand and respond to input. “Bringing Watson into a retail store setting presents an opportunity to engage with the consumer on a variety of levels. This particular Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jul 20, 2016

By John McCarthy Mercedes-Benz is looking to looking to bolster public transport by making buses operate “even more safely, efficiently, and comfortably” with the eventual rollout of technology from its semi-autonomous CityPilot bus. The auto giant said in a statement: “The CityPilot is able to recognize traffic lights, communicate with them, and safely negotiate junctions controlled by them. It can also recognise obstacles, especially pedestrians on the road, and brake autonomously.” The vehicle was piloted earlier this week in Amsterdam, using the bus to reduce “a human bus driver’s workload” by recognizing and reacting to city-based obstacles. While it’s unlikely the Future Bus will see Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jul 20, 2016

By Naomi Taylor Jacob’s Creek has launched a series of 360 degree films that transport wine drinkers to the heart of the Australian wine country for an aerial tour of the brand’s vineyards. The series launches with six short films, created by digital creative agency Impero, each showcasing what Jacob’s Creek is ‘Made By’ – including the beautiful vineyards of the Barossa and Adelaide Hills, alongside the Home of Jacob’s Creek. At each point in the experience, on screen graphics will offer the viewer information about the varietals, history, and location in relation to the wine in the bottle, adding a new level Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jul 20, 2016

By Laurie Fullerton More than half of B2B marketers charged with overseeing the quality and management of data are ‘significantly’ pressured by upper management to generate additional leads based on the data. According to the survey by The Telemarketing Company, 59 per cent of B2B marketers feel under more pressure than ever to generate successful sales leads while there is still confusion surrounding lead generation with about 24 per cent saying that sales and marketing do not have a shared definition of a ‘lead.’ Additionally, 26 per cent surveyed say that lead generation is the greatest pressure on the marketing department. To add Read full story › Source: The Drum...