Google experiments with its own contextual ads, as privacy legislation looms

Google is experimenting with contextual ads at "much lower costs" when it comes to marketing its own products—even as it leads the way as one of the most vocal proponents of the power of personal data for targeting ads online. Marvin Chow, Google’s VP of marketing, peeled back the curtain on the company’s promotional strategy during a talk at Advertising Week on Tuesday. In one of the examples, Chow discussed how Google has run contextual ads on The Guardian website in the U.K. to promote Google Home Mini. Contextual ads analyze the articles, videos and images on a website to target the ad, instead of relying on data gathered from tracking the individual viewer’s past online behavior. The publishing industry has been looking towards contextual ads since  privacy issues began tarnishing some of the data-collection methods that have supported personalized advertising for years. “As you know, contextual ads have been around for ages,” Chow said during his talk. “But you also know they’re typically limited to a pretty shallow understanding of actual context.” Chow said they used machine learning to overcome the shortcomings that have hindered “contextual” advertising in the past. The search giant worked with The Guardian’s creative development team to place ads in the recipes section of the publisher’s website. They had to teach machines to identify meals in the photos of recipes as either “sweet” or “savory.” Then the ads for Google Home Mini, the voice-activated speaker,... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-09-24 23:11:20 UTC ]

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Legality of Spotify’s lyrics feature called into question

The real-time lyrics feature that Spotify added to its desktop app this past week hasn’t impressed the U.S. karaoke industry. Joseph C Vangieri, the CEO of DigiTrax, has called it “unfair competition for us American ‘Karaoke’ companies.”Lest you think that he has a beef with Spotify, know that... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Car Brands Are Starting to Get the Marketing Data They've Always Wanted

The car industry isn't slowing down when it comes to employing more data for everything from vehicle malfunctions to marketing. In fact, in terms of digital advertising, the category looks like it's putting the pedal to the metal, as tech vendors, publishers and other players increasingly roll... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Data Is Accelerating the Publishing Industry

By Denis Wilson Yes, data has become a buzzword and anyone with a little extra hot air will be eager to tell you it's the cure to what ails your business. The collection of articles in this issue of Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2015-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Writers and Writing review – Margaret Atwood on her profession

Drawing on her panoramic reading and her experiences of the authorly life cycle, Atwood surveys her trade with a mix of seriousness and gentle fun“You may find the subject a little peculiar,” warns Margaret Atwood, before she discusses the writer’s relationship with mortality. “It is a little... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TV books programmes: if nobody watches them, make better ones

The novelist Robert Harris was right to call the BBC’s lack of a books show a ‘disgrace’. There’s plenty the corporation could do to make a popular literary programme on TVWith injury, there is always a little insult. When a BBC spokesperson, responding to Robert Harris’s complaints at the Costa... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Patterson resorts to blowing up new book Private Vegas

James Patterson, already among the world's best-selling authors, plans to shake up the publishing industry with the launch of his new novel, Private Vegas, which will self-destruct within 24 hours. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors speak out against ethnic and cultural stereotyping

Writers believe that the publishing industry still views them largely through a prism of ethnicity, but industry insiders say that there is no pigeonholing based on race. Authors told The Bookseller they are still defined by their racial identity for marketing purposes and receive more success... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spanish publishers demand the return of Google News

Google removed its news aggregation service from Spain a few days ago, but the Spanish Newspaper Publishers’ Association (AEDE) is already asking the government to bring it back. AEDE claims the removal of Google News will be bad business for the publishing industry overall and will have more of... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big Idea: Publishing Must Continue To Diversify

By Marcelle Soviero The publishing industry is busting out of business models as quickly as we can devise new ones. I think in 2015 we will see more product differentiation and more product offerings. These... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why is American book publishing so white?

If squabbles over format, pricing and Amazon have led the US publishing industry to neglect an ever more diverse audience, we have forgotten why people read books in the first placeThe true price of publishingAt the recent National Book Awards ceremony in New York City, presenter and bestselling... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BoSacks: The Future Ain't What It Used to Be

By Robert M. Sacks Do you ever wonder if the publishing industry has learned enough in the last five years to be more effective and more profitable in the next five years? Of course, effective is a relative term... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers go back to backlist

Backlist is more important than ever for the publishing industry and the opportunity to use backlist titles to drive the sale of frontlist titles is, according to publishers, “one of the true excitements” of the new era of digital publishing. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google and Facebook: voracious giants with the power to create the future

The internet powerhouses are using their billions to challenge in sectors far removed from their original business modelsThe webs biggest consumer companies make the bulk of their incomes, and have built up vast assets, from targeted advertising. It accounts for around 90% of Facebooks revenue... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Politics Gets in the Way of Innovation

Xerox invented Laser printing and copying less than 50 years ago and as a result revolutionized the publishing industry. This innovation was so significant during its time that the outcome was that almost every Japanese electronics product manufacturer, the likes of Canon, Konica, Ricoh and... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Americas Authors Guild presses US justice department to get aggressive with Amazon

The literary body, representing 9,000 authors, is calling on the US government to launch a competition investigation into Amazon, following the long-running dispute between the internet retailer and publisher HachetteAmericas Authors Guild has met with the US department of justice to call for an... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Downton Abbey as Metaphor for the Publishing Industry

Amazon Kindle is now a 'proud sponsor' of Downton Abbey. And it suits, as the show's story arc reflects the current dynamic in the publishing business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing’s Holding Pattern: 2014 Salary Survey

PW's annual salary survey reveals an eye-opening lack of diversity in the publishing industry, an enduring pay gap between men and women, and an increasingly optimistic workforce. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Von Schilling Takes Over for Applebaum at PRH Communications

Stuart Applebaum, who rose from a publicist at Bantam Books to become the dean of corporate communications directors in the publishing industry, has been named emeritus executive v-p, corporate communications at Penguin Random House. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Data and Editorial Teams Can Work Together

For publishers today, data has become the key to competitive advantage. But executing against data has traditionally been a challenge. Only in recent years has the publishing industry invested in the technology required to make sense of data's complexity and volume. It speaks to a culture shift,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle Unlimited: it's the end of losing yourself in a good book

Amazon's leaked 'Netflix for books' plan will alarm publishers and doom old-fashioned anonymous readingOnce upon a time, 12 years ago to be precise, David Bowie said something very perceptive. "Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity," he told a New York Times... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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