The Groupon Challenge: We all know that local daily deals are all the rage right now (see Groupon and Living Social IPOs); but are they worth all the hype? Noreen Malone put daily deals to the test: she gave herself one week and $200 to live on Groupon deals (aside from a few basics she had stocked up on before). The results are less than spectacular. Noreen ran into the main issues that people often point out about daily deals sites: “nearby” was not always nearby; she ended up purchasing things she didn’t really need or that weren’t actually such a steal; presenting the coupon in restaurants wasn’t the best experience and dining deals sometimes meant limited menu choices. So can you live only on Groupons? No. Can you get good deals on stuff that’s worth it sometimes? Yes. It’s clear that daily deals sites still have room for improvement. Slate
Guess Who’s Back?: Once popular social network Friendster is back; but it’s been rebranded as a social gaming network (just as social gaming giant Zynga readies for an IPO of its own). Hmm, good luck getting back in the social network game. psfk
Facebook Records: The Guinness Book of World Records complied social media feats this year. Here is a list of the Facebook-related ones. Guess who had the record for most likes on a Facebook page? Facebook! AllFacebook
Google is a Belieber: Google has tapped baby-faced Justin Bieber for its new Google Chrome ads.
Chinese Video of the Day: Happy July 4th Weekend! Towleroad
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Publishers say the competition is steeper than expected for event sponsorship dollars this year
Selling events was harder than expected for some publishers in Q2, but having a niche helped win some of the coveted sponsorship dollars.
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Why some publishers are giving their AI chatbots a personality
BuzzFeed and Ingenio are hoping giving their chatbots a unique voice and tone will differentiate their AI products but others are prioritizing utility over entertainment.
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Media Briefing: Publisher execs fear lack of visibility for Q3, but feel steady year over year
Publisher execs share how Q2 shook out for their businesses as they brace for an equally murky second half.
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SponsoredWhat the measurement and currency discussion really means to TV advertisers
Ali Mack, head of TV and agency, Experian Major streaming video providers have recently made headlines by adopting new currencies for ad measurement, threatening Nielsen’s long-standing TV ratings monopoly. NBCUniversal, for example, has certified iSpot and VideoAmp as currencies for advanced audiences and formed the Joint Industry Committee with Paramount, TelevisaUnivision and Warner Bros. Discovery. […]
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Digiday+ Research: Nearly two-thirds of publishers think they will lose when the third-party cookie dies
Publishers have been busy prepping for the end of the third-party cookie, but that doesn't mean they think they'll come out on top in the post-cookie era. In fact, publishers count themselves among those who stand to lose from the end of the cookie.
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As AI spreads across the marketing landscape, data’s role will be key to success or danger
There’s a growing awareness of the risks inherent in AI's ultra-powerful potential, but whether enough steps are being taken to mitigate them remains a huge question mark.
