BBDO New York ranked #1 agency. BBDO Worldwide ranked #1 agency network. Omnicom Group ranked #1 holding company

Burger King is world's top brand. Procter & Gamble is world's top advertiser

Global, 18 March 2019 -- WARC has today released the results of its first-ever 'Best of the Best' global index of excellence, to showcase the best all-round agencies and brands by aggregating results from across all three recently released WARC Rankings - Creative 100, Effective 100 and Media 100.

The WARC Rankings, successor to the Gunn Report and WARC 100, are annual rankings providing a global benchmark for campaign, agency, network, holding company, brand and advertisers' success.

The Best of the Best 2019 has been calculated by combining the 2018 results of the most prestigious and rigorous global and regional creative, effectiveness and media awards shows and competitions as determined by the industry following a worldwide survey and consultation.

David Tiltman, Head of Content, WARC, says: "The culmination of the WARC Rankings is the newly launched 'Best of the Best'. This identifies the best-performing companies across our three benchmarks of marketing excellence - creativity, effectiveness and media excellence."

BBDO New York and BBDO Worldwide are the best agency and network respectively across the WARC Rankings. BBDO New York performed strongly in both creativity and effectiveness, and its parent network, BBDO Worldwide, had a total of 59 offices contribute to its winning network total.

Commenting on their success, Andrew Robertson, President and CEO, BBDO Worldwide, says: "'The 'Best of the Best.' It literally can't get better than that when it comes to public recognition of BBDO Worldwide. I am proud of, and grateful to, our clients and all of the people in our agencies who made this happen. Having four agencies from four regions all ranked in the Top Ten, including BBDO New York at No.1, demonstrates the breadth of talent in the network."

Omnicom Group tops the Best of the Best holding company ranking. BBDO Worldwide's strong performance was supported by top 10 ranks for DDB Worldwide, PHD Worldwide and TBWA Worldwide.

"It's a proud moment to see Omnicom and its agencies topping the 'Best of the Best' list as the #1 network, #1 and #2 agency, and #1 holding company," said John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom Group. "Employees across the globe come to work every day ready to deliver world-class services for our clients, and that shines through as they're recognized by WARC for their creativity, marketing effectiveness and media excellence. Congratulations to all our people who can take great pride in these accomplishments."

Burger King tops the Best of the Best brands, with placings in the top 50 in all three rankings, and in first place in the Creative 100. The retail brand had 23 award-winning campaigns across all three rankings.

Procter & Gamble topped the advertiser ranking by less than a point, as the two leading FMCG players continue to produce highly successful work, particularly in effectiveness and media. However, neither had a brand in the top 10. Instead, both had multiple successful brands throughout the depth of the rankings.

The top companies in WARC's Best of the Best 2019 are:

Anti-dating apps are helping modern daters heal after heartbreak.

The rise in dating apps has introduced a host of new behaviors to navigate, with cutesy names like ghosting, cookie-jarring and orbiting that belie their psychological and emotional impact. “Technology has made people less empathetic and sensitive in their dating habits. People are much more likely to ghost someone — just disappear without explanation — along with some other poor behaviors,” said Dr. Marni Feuerman, licensed psychotherapist and author of Ghosted and Breadcrumbed. Add to this the fact that everything from social media to shared Netflix logins make it harder than ever to fully separate from an ex after a breakup, and the opportunities for heartbreak in the digital age seem infinite.

To combat this, modern daters are looking to the very technology that got them here for a solution: apps. As dating apps prevail, so too do apps that help with the mess that modern, tech-ified dating leaves behind.

In February 2019, Onward launched its new “breakup concierge” platform that aims to ease the stress of post-breakup life. “If you don’t have a strong social network and disposable income, [a breakup] is an incredibly derailing process,” said Onward cofounder and COO Mika Leonard. “We realized there had to be a better way.” The company offers plans that address the logistics of relocating and rebuilding after a split, ranging from a $99 ten-day “reboot” to a $400 month-long “recalibration.” The plans provide assistance with everything from practical considerations like packing and apartment searching to self-care encouragement like dietary and fitness recommendations, therapist match-making and community building to heavy-lifting resources like financial planning and legal aid.

This is especially important at a time when people are moving in together at a higher rate, and often for practical reasons like saving on rising rental costs. The latest numbers show that 18 million unmarried adults in the US were living with a romantic partner as of 2016, up 29% from 2007, according to Pew Research. “Folks who are leaving cohabitation have all of the complex messiness of a divorce, without anyone sort of guiding them through that process,” Onward cofounder and CEO Lindsay Meck told Fast Company. “There was no service that helps people deal with this nightmare amidst major emotional turmoil.”

Breakup coach Mend, which was just voted one of Apple’s best apps of 2018, focuses on the emotional impact of a split by encouraging users to prioritize self-care. “Self-care is built into our training program on the app because we know how crucial it is to the mending process,” said Mend founder and CEO Elle Huerta. The app helps users build healthy habits to decipher and work through their emotions with daily check-ins, audio trainings from mental health and wellness experts and guided journaling.

Huerta explained that the “daily check-ins and audio trainings strike a delicate balance between science, emotion, and practicality,” offering users a more holistic approach to heartbreak. “All of the resources I found online felt cheesy and outdated, and none of them addressed the science of what’s actually happening in your brain and body during a breakup,” said Huerta.

Breakup Boss, which launched in 2017, addresses the technological temptations that come with a breakup. The app discourages users from contacting an ex, offering “all of the tools and techniques (and lots of lectures – cute!) to deal with all of the stages of your break-up, and just as you need them: in your phone, as you’re about to call your ex/have another shot of Tequila.” And Rx Breakup offers a 30-day program that “rolls clinical expertise into a smart, stylish guide for moving on in the digital age.”

At a time when the negative effects of technology on emotional and mental states seem inescapable, these apps are offering an optimistic alternative. “We do everything else on our phones, why not do a little therapy on our phones, too?” Rx Breakup cofound Jeanine Lobell asked. Breakup Boss creator Zoe Foster Blake agrees: “[Apps] can inspire you to exercise, meditate, eat and sleep better, heal your broken heart. And they’re just going to get better.”

Source:JWT Intelligence

Let us cut to the chase. Facebook, Google and probably Amazon store everything you do in the digital domain. But any marketer who believes that true ad relevance is ever achievable should take a hard look at how the sites and apps they use classify them as individuals.

Here is what a recent report from the Pew Research Center has to say about the process by which companies figure out what site users might be interested:

“It is clear the process of algorithmically assessing users and their interests involves a lot of informed guesswork about the meaning of a user’s activities and how those activities add up to elements of a user’s identity.”

The report details the results of a survey focused on Facebook’s categorization of individual’s interests as represented by their “Your Ad Preferences” page. Not surprisingly, 74 percent of Facebook users did not even know the page existed but when directed to it 51 percent stated they were not comfortable with how the site categorises them, and 27 percent thought the categorization inaccurate.

Reading the report reminded me to check out my own Ad Preferences page. Assuming that the classification shown is an accurate representation of what Facebook thinks my interests are it is laughable. Apparently, I once clicked on an ad for Entre Rios Province in Argentina? Someone uploaded a contact list that brought me to the attention of a Land Rover dealer in San Antonio, a Toyota dealer in Colorado Springs and a Maserati dealer in Scottsdale? Oh, and I once liked a page related to “Life”. Yes, and I intend to enjoy it as long as possible.

Most of the categories are less than ‘informed guesswork’ and more literal interpretation. Take for example, the fact that I liked a page about “Yacht Racing”. Yes, I probably did. Why? Because my godson, Hugh, is a solo, deep sea, sailboat racer and I follow his progress with interest. It would not take a genius, or artificial intelligence for that matter, to realise that the only pages I have liked or viewed relate to events that feature Hugh, not yacht racing in general.

This problem of incorrect inference applies to all the data collected, including the behavioural data gathered from your mobile. My colleague Jane Ostler gives this hypothetical example of how geolocation can go astray,

“According to my mobile’s location data I am a regular at the gym. I spend half an hour there twice a week, and therefore see many, many ads for protein powder targeted at gym regulars. But my gym could be right next door to a donut shop, and I could in fact be stuffing my face with donuts twice a week.”

I have no doubt that behind the scenes Facebook can create a far more detailed and accurate profile of my behaviour and interests. The data is all there to be used. If an advertiser really wants to serve me relevant ads they should be taking all this information into account. But how many really do? From what I see, most simply take the basic classification and run with it.

Written by Nigel Hollis,Executive Vice President and Chief Global Analyst at Kantar Millward Brown.

Media Strategy Report 2019 

WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness, has today released its 2019 Media Strategy Report, highlighting key trends and themes for an effective media strategy. The insights are drawn from the winners of the global WARC Media Awards, recognising communications planning which has made a positive impact on business results.

Following an analysis of the shortlisted and winning entries spanning 31 countries, the key insights are:

Imaginative phasing can reach elusive audiences

Effective Channel Integration winners in the 2018 WARC Media Awards show how to reach elusive audiences through imaginative phasing and leveraging the right combination of paid, owned and earned media. Grand Prix winner, Droga5's 'Dundee' campaign for Tourism Australia, shows how a massive media moment can be successfully leveraged and how a breakthrough creative concept, when combined with a full-funnel, orchestrated approach, can unlock true effectiveness.

TV is a flexible tool for successful partnerships

TV proved to be an agile channel in the Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships category. In its quest to appeal to millennial women, the Grand Prix winner, 'Suzuki Ignis: An Ignis Adventure', by the7stars London, created an entire TV show from scratch when it couldn't find the right programme to partner.

Tech can create new channel opportunities

Tech is entering new territory, enabling brands to communicate their unique propositions. And context is playing a key role. Grand Prix winner The National Safety Council's 'Prescribed to Death' initiative by Energy BBDO used 3D printing to put the faces of real victims of opioid overdoses onto pills - but then used a memorial as the backdrop for a compelling art installation.

Data is key to encouraging behaviour change

Many Effective Use of Data winners showed the vital role for data in instigating positive behaviour change. Grand Prix-winning 'Lifebuoy: The Adaptive Data Lighthouse' by Mindshare Mumbai, used a data-driven algorithm to promote hand hygiene and increase sales in rural India.

Summing up, Lucy Aitken, Managing Editor, Case Studies at WARC, says: "Against a backdrop of greater automation in the media landscape, the rise in search budgets and the inexorable rise of Amazon as an ad platform, the 2018 WARC Media Awards winners were an impressive combination of data-driven insight, precision targeting and well thought-out strategy."

Mark Zuckerberg shared the following post with employees recently.

Hey everyone — I want to share some important updates as we organize our company to build out the privacy-focused social platform I discussed in my note last week. Embarking on this new vision represents the start of a new chapter for us.

As part of this, I’m sad to share the news that Chris Cox has decided to leave the company. Chris and I have worked closely together to build our products for more than a decade and I will always appreciate his deep empathy for the people using our services and the uplifting spirit he brings to everything he does. He has played so many central roles at Facebook — starting as an engineer on our original News Feed, building our first HR teams and helping to define our mission and values, leading our product and design teams, running the Facebook app, and most recently overseeing the strategy for our family of apps. Along the way, Chris has helped train many great leaders who are now in important roles across the company — including some who will now take on bigger roles in our new product efforts.

For a few years, Chris has been discussing with me his desire to do something else. He is one of the most talented people I know and he has the potential to do anything he wants. But after 2016, we both realized we had too much important work to do to improve our products for society, and he stayed to help us work through these issues and help us chart a course for our family of apps going forward. At this point, we have made real progress on many issues and we have a clear plan for our apps, centered around making private messaging, stories and groups the foundation of the experience, including enabling encryption and interoperability across our services. As we embark on this next major chapter, Chris has decided now is the time to step back from leading these teams. I will really miss Chris, but mostly I am deeply grateful for everything he has done to build this place and serve our community.

At the same time, as we embark on this new chapter, Chris Daniels has also decided to leave the company. Chris has also done great work in many roles, including running our business development team, leading Internet.org, which has helped more than 100 million people get access to the internet, and most recently at WhatsApp, where he has helped define the business model for our messaging services going forward. Chris is one of the clearest and most principled business thinkers I’ve met and the diversity of challenges he has helped us navigate is impressive. I’ve really enjoyed working with Chris and I’m sure he will do great work at whatever he chooses to take on next.

While it is sad to lose such great people, this also creates opportunities for more great leaders who are energized about the path ahead to take on new and bigger roles.

I’m excited that Will Cathcart will be the new head of WhatsApp. Will is one of the most talented leaders at our company — always focused on solving the most important problems for people and clear-eyed about the challenges and tradeoffs we face. Most recently he has done a great job running the Facebook app, where he has led our shift to focusing on meaningful social interactions and has significantly improved the performance and reliability of the app. In his career here, Will has helped lead our teams focused on security and integrity, and he believes deeply in providing end-to-end encryption to everyone in the world across our services.

I’m also excited that Fidji Simo will be the new head of the Facebook app. She is one of our most talented product and organizational leaders — passionate about building community and supporting creativity, and focused on building strong teams and developing future leaders. She has played key roles in building many aspects of the Facebook app, including leading our work on video and advertising. She believes deeply in helping people get more value out of the networks they’ve built. She has already led this team for much of last year while Will was out on parental leave, and she is the clear person to lead these efforts going forward.

Our family of apps strategy has been led jointly by Chris Cox and Javier Olivan. Chris managed the leaders of the apps directly and Javi has been responsible for all of the central product services that work across our apps, including safety and integrity, analytics, growth, and ads. Javi will now lead identifying where our apps should be more integrated. Javi is an incredibly thoughtful, strategic and analytical leader, and I’m confident this work will continue to go well. Since we have now decided on the basic direction of our family of apps for the next few years, I do not plan on immediately appointing anyone to fill Chris’s role in the near term. Instead, the leaders of Facebook (Fidji Simo), Instagram (Adam Mosseri), Messenger (Stan Chudnovsky), and WhatsApp (Will Cathcart) will report directly to me, and our Chief Marketing Officer (Antonio Lucio) will report directly to Sheryl.

This is an important change as we begin the next chapter of our work building the privacy-focused social foundation for the future. I’m deeply grateful for everything Chris Cox and Chris Daniels have done here, and I’m looking forward to working with Will and Fidji in their new roles as well as everyone who will be critical to achieving this vision. We have so much important work ahead and I’m excited to continue working to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.

Detailed Analysis of Expenditures on Internet Advertising Media

Detailed analysis of spending on Internet advertising media jointly carried out by D2C Inc., Cyber Communications Inc. and Dentsu Inc. 

Three companies in the Dentsu Group have released a survey titled "2018 Advertising Expenditures in Japan: Detailed Analysis of Expenditures on Internet Advertising Media." This survey analyzes the results of "2018 Advertising Expenditures in Japan" published by Dentsu in February 2019--and further breaks down data on Internet advertising media spending. The analysis presents data according to such variables as ad category, method of transaction, and type of device on which ads were viewed. Furthermore, it also includes forecasts for 2019.

In calendar year 2018, advertising expenditures in Japan totaled 6,530.0 billion yen. Internet advertising accounted for 26.9% of advertising expenditures, growing 16.5% compared with the previous year, to 1,758.9 billion yen. After excluding Internet advertising production costs, Internet advertising media expenditures amounted to 1,448.0 billion yen (up 18.6% compared with 2017), exhibiting continued robust growth.

The survey, which has been conducted since 2017, comprises estimates produced jointly by three companies in the Dentsu Group that operate in the Internet advertising sphere. 

Key Points of he "2018 Advertising Expenditures in Japan: Detailed Analysis of Expenditures on Internet Advertising Media" follow.

1. In the 2018 ad category breakdown, approximately 80% of the total media spend was for paid search advertising and display advertising.

Two ad categories--paid search advertising (39.4%) and display advertising (38.9%)--accounted for approximately 80% of the total. The next largest category was video advertising (14.0%). By transaction method, performance-based advertising accounted for approximately 80% of the total.

2. Mobile advertising media expenditures exceeded one trillion yen for the first time in 2018.

Within the estimated 1,448.0 billion yen spent on Internet advertising media, mobile media expenditures accounted for 70.3% of the total, amounting to 1,018.1 billion yen.

3. In 2019, Internet advertising media expenditures overall are forecast to grow 15.9%, to 1,678.1 billion yen.

Underpinned by strong growth in mobile advertising, in 2019 Internet advertising media expenditures are forecast to increase 15.9% overall, to 1,678.1 billion yen. This comprises 1,249.3 billion yen in mobile advertising (up 22.7%) and 428.8 billion yen in desktop advertising (down 0.2%).

4. Video advertising media expenditures amounted to 202.7 billion yen, and are forecast to grow to 265.1 billion yen in 2019.

The rapidly expanding category of video advertising recorded media expenditures of 202.7 billion yen in 2018, and are forecast to increase 30.8%, to 265.1 billion yen in 2019. Of this forecast, mobile video ads are expected to grow 39.3%, and become an important growth driver for the entire category.

Price hikes and dips result in online searches for digital assets even out in the UAE

Twitter users are indifferent about cryptocurrency, showcasing a neutral sentiment

Online search interest in the UAE for cryptocurrencies close-ly follows the price fluctuations of leading digital assets, according to a recent research report from SEMrush – the award-winning digital marketing suite.

The global research found that searches conducted online in the UAE echoed other markets and overall global trends in a decreasing interest in cryptocurrencies after Bitcoin’s exchange rates spiked to a historical high in December 2017. During the same month, global online searches for Bitcoin also hit a high of just over 40 million searches, before dipping to around five million average monthly searches globally during the proceeding eight months.

“The correlation between cryptocurrency search volumes and Bitcoin exchange rates was much higher globally in early 2018, but today there appears to be a much weaker correlation between online search volumes and the exchange rates,” commented Adam Zeidan Corpo-rate Communications Manager for SEMrush in MENA region.

The SEMrush report shows that UAE online search volumes for ‘cryptocurrency’ also spiked in December 2017. Again, echoing global trends, UAE online searches have since dropped and now remain behind the monthly average online search volumes related to traditional, or general, financial trading terms such as ‘stock market’.

SEMrush highlighted that the second most searched cryptocurrency in the UAE after Bitcoin is Ripple. Average monthly searches for Bitcoin in the UAE dropped from 100,000 searches a month during the spike in exchange rates in early 2018 to the current level of 15,000 searches a month.

As for specific blockchain-related searches in the UAE, the top spot was for healthcare relat-ed blockchain, which registered around 1,000 average monthly searches. This was followed by blockchain for banking, security, insurance and real estate.

“Twitter sentiment on cryptocurrency in the UAE today is also showing a substantially large neutral audience, which could be either indifference, lack of awareness, or both. Sentiment on cryptocurrency stands at 54.4 per cent neutral, 38.8 per cent positive and 6.7 per cent negative,” pointed out Zeidan.

Gen Z’s growing influence on spending and brand loyalty

Centennials, aka Gen Z, have already eclipsed Millennials as the global cohort driving trends and pushing industries forward, and they’ll soon be a core consumer group across a variety of categories. As the oldest of the generation turns 21 this year, Kantar’s latest report shows how critical it is for brands to keep pace with their values, beliefs and expectations to avoid being left behind.

Representing 35% of the global population, Centennials have become an economic powerhouse with a growing influence on spending and brand loyalty. Kantar reveals a generation that are:

Digitally dependent, yet conscious users of technology

Centennials pick up their smartphones up to 30% more than over 21s and spend up to 35% longer on their devices during the day. Yet just over a third of global Centennials believe they use their phone too much.

Centennials across France, UK and US are even more tied to their smartphones than the millennial cohort: on average Centennials spend 2.40 hours daily on their mobile device compared to an average of 2.12 hours by Millennials.

Centennials are quick to move on if a brand experience doesn’t provide what they want or need; 62% will not use an app or website that is hard to navigate, and 63% say they’ve installed an ad blocker on their mobile phone or desktop.

Increasingly influential on family purchasing decisions

Families are looking to their youngest members to gather product information, compare reviews and advise on the purchase process; up to three quarters of Centennials report influencing major family spending decisions.

This trend is most prevalent when looking at purchasing decisions made across the food and beverage (77%), furniture (76%) and household goods sectors (73%).

Using social media differently from previous generations

The way they use social sites differs from previous generations, with Facebook used by Centennials for on an average of 11 minutes per day, compared to Snapchat (30 minutes), Facebook Messenger (28 minutes) and Twitter (22 minutes).

Online, Centennials are more likely to identify with their social media personas than other generations, with 61% admitting that the things they post say a lot/something about them, compared to 56% of Millennials.

As Centennials age into young adulthood, they will reshape categories and upend industries. Understanding this generation’s values and motivations is key for brands as Centennials take the reins and drive global markets. 

Zenith is helping brands to improve the sales they achieve through retail partnerships via a new consultancy service.

Developed by Zenith’s new global commerce team, the Retail Assessment is an innovative approach to assessing a brand’s retail partners. It analyses a broad range of key UK and international retailers, rating how well their online commerce platforms perform as sales and marketing vehicles for brands.

Zenith’s Retail Assessment scores retailers on over 20 different key variables, including: web page speed, mobile readiness, checkout ease, share of category search and media solutions.

This a clear step forward in our bid to break down the silos between sales and marketing to help drive growth for brands.”

Using the Retail Assessment, Zenith is able to recommend which retailer each brand should drive their paid media traffic to and where they should invest their digital trade budgets to drive both category and profitable growth. This was developed in conjunction with UK client Coty Luxury.

Cassandra Stevens, Global Commerce Director, Zenith, said: “As retailers essentially become digital publishers, it is important to hold them accountable to the same standards as digital media. We are increasingly able to place the level of scrutiny on retailers and retail media that we do with traditional publishers. This a clear step forward in our bid to break down the silos between sales and marketing to help drive growth for brands.”

Since taking on the Global Commerce Director role last year, Cassandra has worked with Publicis Media’s Commerce Practice to develop Zenith’s commerce capabilities and solutions for clients. Through client demand, Zenith has recently taken on three more people to help develop commerce solutions and created a dedicated hub to service Global and UK clients.

Stuart Johnston joins Zenith as Global Commerce Associate Director from an eCommerce agency where he was Head of Digital Content, Trading & Performance Marketing. Stuart brings retail experience having previously worked at Argos and Debenhams where he worked within their trading teams. Victoria Delaney has moved into the team as Global Commerce Associate Director, bringing valuable media and tech experience from Zenith UK. And, Emilia Caccamo joins the team as a dedicated Commerce Activation Senior Executive, also from Zenith UK.

WPP announces the appointment of Cindy Rose OBE to its Board as a non-executive director.

Rose became Microsoft UK CEO in 2016, with responsibility for all of Microsoft’s product, service and support offerings across the United Kingdom, continuing the company’s transformation into the leading productivity and platform company for the mobile-first, cloud-first era. Prior to joining Microsoft, Rose was Managing Director of the UK Consumer division at Vodafone where she led the expansion of its retail store estate from 350 to over 500 stores.

Before Vodafone, she was Executive Director of Digital Entertainment at Virgin Media where she was responsible for the launch of the company’s next generation pay TV platform powered by TiVo. Rose spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Company where she held a variety of roles including SVP & Managing Director of the Disney Interactive Media Group EMEA. In 2013, she joined the Board of Informa, a FTSE 100 academic publishing and events company, as an independent non-executive director.

Her appointment will be effective from 1 April 2019 and she will serve as a member of the Audit Committee.

Commenting on the appointment, Roberto Quarta, Chairman of WPP, said: “Cindy is one of the most admired and respected figures in the technology industry, and we are delighted to welcome her to the WPP Board. Her deep understanding of the role of technology in business transformation will be invaluable as the executive team implements its new strategy for growth.”

Cindy Rose said: “WPP has set out a bold new vision for its future as a creative transformation company, with a commitment to invest in talent, technology and culture. I look forward to supporting the team and making a contribution at such an exciting and important moment in the company’s development.”