What you need to know in advertising today
While's way too early to draw conclusions about a platform that launched just this past August, Facebook Watch may be suddenly on to something with the buzzy "Tom vs. Time."
Since going live on January 25, the first episode of "Tom vs. Time" has generated over 9.5 million views. While there have been bigger individual Facebook Watch videos to date, the show is garnering some noticeable attention in the sports world.
Moreover, "Tom vs. Time" has the potential to get people to think differently about the Facebook video experience, since it looks far more polished than the typical web series. That could give viewers, and advertisers, a reason to take the rest of Watch more seriously.
To read more about how Tom Brady may be helping Facebook Watch find its groove, click here.
In other news:
Facebook is going to start showing you more local news in your News Feed. On Monday, the social network announced that one of the flurry of changes it is making to its News Feed is to prioritize stories and news outlets from areas where its users live.
The 31-year-old CEO of startup Outcome Health stepped down just 8 months after raising $500 million. The move was part of a settlement after investors sued Outcome Health accusing it of committing fraud to secure the large amount of funding.
Wendy's is taking a direct shot at McDonald's with a big national TV push. It is part of the fast-food chain's push to highlight that its beef patties are fresh, and not frozen like its competitors' patties.
The FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he's opposed to proposals that would see the US government build a nationwide 5G network infrastructure. Earlier reports, later denied by the Trump administration, reported that members of the National Security Council asked the president to consider this proposal out of fear of "losing out" to China.
Microsoft Teams, the company's alternative to Slack, is getting its first huge update. The new version includes a slew of new features, like tighter integration with third-party apps, a revamped command box, slash commands, and a new store where you can search for apps by name or integration type.
LuLaRoe stood by a seller who mocked people with Down syndrome - and customers are furious. Customers have spoken out on social media, saying they would no longer support the brand.
Approximately $5 billion in media spend is up for grabs as a part of media agency reviews, Digiday reports. These reviews aren't just being driven by procurement departments wanting to drive down costs but because marketers are seeking media investments that might be more expensive, but are proven to drive better business outcomes.
Sony wanted to serve ads during Alexa's "Jeopardy" game, but Amazon refused, which reportedly frustrated the brand as it had taken on most of the cost of developing the Alexa skill, The Information reports. While Sony wasn't allowed to make revenue from it, Amazon is testing subscription offers for premium app content.
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