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Uber's new ad division is launching in Canada

Uber became the latest company to put its first-party data to work with the impending death of cookies.

Brands and advertisers now have access to mobile advertising options on the Uber and Uber Eats. Ad options include prominently placed Sponsored Listings across Uber Eats in addition to Journey Ads that capture consumer attention during the Uber trip. Sponsored emails deliver brand messages and exclusive offers directly to the inboxes of Uber and Uber Eats consumers.

Other formats include Homepage Billboards, Post-checkout Ads and Storefront Ads for prominent product placements at the top of digital storefronts. In-Menu Ads let restaurants entice consumers with promotional offers. In top U.S. cities, highly visible digital out-of-home Car Top Ads let brands reach consumers based on location and time of day. In addition, Uber is piloting tablet advertising in cars in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Pinterest launches tool for privacy-safe targeting and measurement

The other targeting and measurement change companies have been dealing with – especially social media companies – is losing access to cross-app tracking.

Pinterest put out its own answer with API for Conversions, providing advertisers with a comprehensive view of campaign performance – regardless of platform-side tracking changes. The tool will allow advertisers to securely connect their own first-party data to Pinterest. This will allow them to optimize targeting and measure the actions audiences take.

Amazon Ads updates its video and clean room products

Among the announcements Amazon made at its Unboxed conference in October were new ad products with a clear focus on two areas of big growth: privacy-safe clean rooms and video ads.

The biggest news focused on additional integrations for clean room product Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) and Amazon ad products, allowing advertisers more ways to make use of AMC data. Before the end of the year, advertisers will also have the ability to use AMC for managing DSP audiences.

Amazon also revealed the new Sponsored Display Video Creative tool, an extension of the company's existing Sponsored Display product, as well as Performance Recommendations, which are in-console, actionable insights for Sponsored Products campaigns.

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Sponsors pull Hockey Canada support for upcoming season

In October, Hockey Canada's interim chair Andrea Skinner appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to answer questions regarding the organization's use of reserve funds – particularly when it came to settling sexual assault lawsuits – and culture at the organization. In her answers to MPs, Skinner said there was no plans to change Hockey Canada's leadership, that the organization has an "excellent reputation" and rejected what she called as the "scapegoating" of hockey as a source for toxic culture.

Sponsors, much like the public, were not impressed. Several of them – including Scotiabank, Tim Hortons, Telus and Chevrolet – reiterated their earlier stances that their support of the organization's men's programs would be suspended until there was change at Hockey Canada. Nike, Esso and SkipTheDishes joined them. Meanwhile, Canadian Tire and Sobeys both said they would be permanently ending their relationship with Hockey Canada due to the organization "resisting meaningful change."

Since sponsors and the public voiced their further criticism of the organization, Smith, Skinner and the rest of the Hockey Canada board have all resigned.

CHANGE

Lagging ad demand hits Corus' Q4 earnings

Ad-supported tech companies began sounding the alarm about advertisers pulling back spending last summer, and this quarter saw that begin to hit some more traditional media companies as well.

Corus, the first of the major broadcasters to report, said macroeconomic uncertainties hit ad demand, bringing Q4 revenue down by 6% year-over-year, though the company still ended its fiscal year up 4%. The company was, however, pleased with the ongoing growth it was seeing in advanced buying solutions for TV, something that would help with resiliency as connected TV buying increasingly becomes the norm. It was also optimistic about further growth in revenue from new platforms, such as Pluto TV.

How La Presse's newly unified ad team is tackling challenges in media

La Presse merged its sales and operations, media solutions, branded content and data science departments under a new advertising brand called Atelier La Presse in October. It also includes the Canevas art and design team, brand-content specialists XTRA and data analytics team Radar.

Valérie Beauchesne, managing director of media solutions for La Presse, spoke to MiC about the myriad changes in the media industry the new structure would help the company tackle, from making better use of first party data to labour shortages to simply providing the one-stop shop clients were looking for.