The Media Online’s weekly wrap of need-to-know global media news.
Amazon promises greener footprint
Online shopping behemoth Amazon has vowed to cut its carbon footprint after revealing that its current one rivals that of a small country.
The company, which uses ships, planes and trucks to deliver more than 10 billion items a year, will be bringing 100 000 electric vans into its fleet in 2021 and is planning to have 100% of its energy use come from solar panels and other renewable energy by 2030.
Global News has more details, here.
Carat scoops Vodafone’s global media account
In agency pitching news, Vodafone has handed its global media account to Dentsu Aegis Network’s Carat.
This, while the telecoms giant continues to build its in-house buying capabilities, a move that it sees as critical for future success.
WPP’s GroupM was the incument on the account and defended it, but lost out.
For the full story, published by AdWeek, click here.
Online media platforms should help fund public broadcasting
Outgoing head of the UK’s telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, Sharon White has given her view that online media platforms such as Netflix and YouTube should be contributing to an online media levy fund to assist in financing public broadcasting institutions.
She added that these online platforms need to meet their side of what she calls a ‘social contract’.
She suggested that the online media fundraising could either come through direct revenue raising or through requiring companies to give up valuable online space to promote public service programming.
Financial Times has the full story, here.
Slovakia approves new media law
Slovakia’s parliament has reinstated a media law that forces right of reply for public officials from media houses.
Coming into effect from 1 November 2019, the law means that media outlets will be obliged to publish politicians’ replies to entire articles, and not, as now, merely missing or incorrect information.
The move has been met with concern from some international media freedom organisations, including Reporters Without Borders.
Emerging Europe has more details on this story, here.
Google with UK’s local news publishers to make digital viable
US tech giant Google wants to help at least one British publisher find new ways of trying to make local digital news commercially viable, WARC has reported. Google and Facebook have long been accused of undermining the ability of local news organisation to make money.
Now Google has signed a three-year partnership with Norwich-based publisher, Archant, which has over 50 weekly titles and four daily newspapers in its portfolio.
“According to a blog post on Google, the project – named Project Neon – will create these news platforms “in a concerted effort to reverse the commercial challenges local news publishers have faced in the past decade,” WARC reported.
For the full story, visit WARC.
Medialab wins Battersea Dogs & Cats Home media buying account
Following a tender for the consolidation of the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home offline media buying, Medialab has been appointed to handle the well-known charity’s media business. Medialab beat incumbents Edit in a four-way pitch, and will now handle all offline fundraising media strategy and buying.
“We could not be more delighted to win this pitch,” said Alex Kirk, managing director at Medialab. “Not only is Battersea a brilliant brand who we can be proud to help make a difference for, but we believe Battersea has huge growth potential and can’t wait to start working together on an integrated strategy.”
For the Full story on Prolific London, click here.
ANA reports a third of US advertisers have changed media agency contracts over transparency issues
The Association of National Advertisers in the US has issued a report claiming a third of advertisers had made changes in media agency contracts over transparency concerns and rebate issues.
Sixty-nine percent of surveyed advertisers said they had updated their contracts in the past three years, while 60% said rebates and discounts were not considered part of a media agency’s compensation.
Commissions, not hourly fees, were more likely to be employed for media buying services, especially programmatic, the ANA reported. Twenty-four percent of respondents used commissions for digital media buying, 40% used them for programmatic media and just 12% used them for general agency services.
“The new report followed an explosive research in 2016 that found widespread use of non-transparent agency practices such as kickbacks and cash rebates. That report helped kick off the so-called “mediapalooza,” as some have called a wave of big brands realigning their agency rosters that began in 2016,” Marketing Dive reported.
For the full story, click here.
