The 10 things in advertising you need to know today
1. The two brothers who founded Moat, which they just sold to Oracle, have invested in other tech companies. Jonah and Noah Goodhart's investment vehicle, WGI Group, has stakes in Cheddar, Confide, and Yext.
2. The FTC warned social media stars about sponsored content posts. The regulatory body wants accounts on Instagram show more clearly when a post has been paid for by a brand.
3. Maurice Levy did his last earnings call as Publicis CEO. He said he would continue to be a part of the company after he retires from his position.
4. The advertising industry is considering adopting wide scale ad blocking. Members of the Coalition for Better Ads want to get rid of the worst ad formats, such as pop-up ads or autoplaying videos with sound, according to a report from Ad Age.
5. Accenture has a new media agency. The consulting company moved its media-buying account from WPP-owned MEC to IPG agency UM, according to The Drum.
6. Instagram is cracking down on fake accounts. The social network started by closing down Instagress, a service that offers an automated way to gain followers.
7. MediaLink is beginning its expansion with the opening of a London office. The advisory firm, which was recently bought by Cannes Lions owner Ascential, wants to grow its global footprint, according to a report from Ad Age.
8. Machinima is leaving the NewFronts. The Warner Bros-owned video network is following Buzzfeed, Fullscreen, and Yahoo in leaving the annual marketing event where media companies hope to sell the bulk of their ad space, according to Ad Week.
9. A lawsuit alleged Bose headphones are tracking what you listen to. At the center of the lawsuit is the Bose Connect app, which is meant to adjust noise cancellation.
10. Facebook said its brain sensors are closer to reality than many think. The company wants to have a working prototype of the sensor, which can turn thoughts into text, ready in 18 months.