Disney plots global media business review
Six agencies have been invited to pitch for Disney’s lucrative global media business account, which will soon kick off in a closed process.
The pitch will cover all of the entertainment giant’s portfolio, including new properties formerly owned by 20th Century Fox.
This follows Disney’s appointment of OMD Entertainment to handle media in the US for 20th Century Fox as a temporary partner last week, following the completion of its $71.3 billion acquisition of the property back in March.
For more, check out the Adweek story here.
Alibaba’s full year financial results
Chinese e-commerce, retail, internet and technology giant Alibaba had a stellar 2018/19 year, recording a 51% increase in revenue year-on-year.
Active consumers on its China retail marketplaces stood at 654 million, for the year, a rise of 102 million compared to March 2018.
A testament to the company’s focus on mobile, the number of monthly mobile active users on its China retail marketplaces also increased 104 million from last year, finishing at 721 million in March 2019.
Mumbrella Asia has more details, here.
Amazon named as most valuable retail brand
Amazon remains at the summit of BrandZ’s Most Valuable Retailers rankings, but Chinese players are ascending rapidly, posing stiff competition for Jeff Bezos’ empire.
Amazon, with an estimated brand value of $315,505 million, a staggering 91% increase from 2018, is currently worth more than double the next most valuable brand, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (worth $131,246 million).
WARC has the full story, here.
ESPN’s focus on global soccer rights for ESPN+
US sports broadcaster ESPN is gunning for as many global soccer rights as it can acquire to serve content to audiences on its direct-to-consumer digital product ESPN+.
Having already acquired Italy’s Serie A and the English FA Cup in a three-year deal, the broadcaster now has a stable of leagues, which also includes distribution rights for the Eredivisie in the Netherlands, the Chinese Super League, and the A-League in Australia, and has many more leagues in its sights.
To read the full story, published by SportBusiness Media, click here.
Canada introduces digital charter to hold social media companies accountable
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he fight against fake news and disinformation on social media platforms continues, with another country indicating its support for government action against tech companies to hold them accountable for radical or unsavoury content on their platforms.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that social media companies are “failing their users”, at the Viva Technology conference in Paris.
“The platforms are failing their users. And they’re failing our citizens. They have to step up in a major way to counter disinformation, and if they don’t, we will hold them to account and there will be meaningful financial consequences,” he added.
At the gathering, Trudeau also met with other world leaders for a discussion about online extremism. His government was also one of many to sign on to the “Christchurch Call,” a pledge taken by governments and CEOs of tech companies to take action against violent terrorist and extremist content online.
More details were published by Global News, which can be found here.
A right royal social media gig
Queen Elizabeth ll is hiring. Her Majesty is hiring a digital communications office to curate her social media presence. The @kensingtonroyal account of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is sitting on a right royal 8.8 million followers, while the rather more recently launched @sussexroyal belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has in the region of 8 million fans, so the Queen’s social media manager has some seriously savvy shoes to fill.
“Whether you’re covering a state visit, award ceremony or Royal engagement, you’ll make sure our digital channels consistently spark interest and reach a range of audiences,” the new job description notes. “The reaction to our work is always high-profile, and so reputation and impact will be at the forefront of all you do.”
To find out more, check out TIME’s story here.
Sussexes score substantial damages after photo agency puts safety at risk
And in more royal media news, Prince Harry has been awarded substantial damages after a photo agency, Splash News, hired a helicopter to take photos of the home he and the Duchess of Sussex were sharing in the Cotswolds putting the couple’s safety at risk.
“The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of the Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. The photos were published widely.
GSK: Agencies still have a role to play
While pharmaceutical giant GSK Consumer Health care is taking some media functions in house, the company has stressed agencies still have an important role to play – especially if they adapt to clients’ evolving needs. GSK is doing its own media buying, and is considering taking search and programmatic in-house too.
The company’s global head of media, Scott Grenz, addressing the American Association of Advertising Agencies, said freedom from agency fees meant the ability to “reinvest and buy the things that we can in-house,” Grenz said.
(For more, read WARC’s in-depth report: Why moving media planning in-house made sense for GSK.)
Check out his other words of wisdom on WARC here.
