Good News From Around the Industry: Advertising in Space, Free TVs for Targeted Ads, Upfronts Disrupted by Writers’ Strike, and More! 

Here’s what came across our desks this month: 

Ad Age: How Team USA is Targeting Gen Z with New Marketing Leaders and Agencies
Knowing that Gen Z views sports differently from other generations, Team USA is taking a new, strategic approach to capture these viewers ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. 

Ad Age: Podcasters Impact Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions More than Influencers
A study from Vox Media and Magna has found that in “A New Era of Influence,” 75% of consumers say podcast hosts are more likely to shape a person’s purchasing decisions and beliefs than social media influences and Hollywood celebrities, thanks to the “the deep level of connection and trust that listeners feel for their favorite hosts.”

The Atlantic: One Giant Leap for Brand Kind
Michael Waters writes, “Companies are sending their products into orbit and plastering their logos on spacecraft. Will space ads dull our sense of wonder about the universe?”

Broadcasting +Cable: Telly Offers Viewers Free TVs in Exchange for Targeted Ads and Data
Beginning this summer, Telly, a new company launched by a Pluto TV founder, plans to offer consumers a dual-screen TV set worth $1,000 in exchange for the ability to deliver targeted advertising to them and watch how they respond. 

CSNews: 4 Key Advertising Factors when Speaking to Gen Z
Gen Z continues to be a puzzle for marketers, as more than half (58%) say they dislike advertising that disrupts their content. However, 52% also say they’ll engage with ads if they are creative and entertaining – and are the most likely generation to enjoy humorous ads. 

Marketing Brew: Americans Want to See Their Favorite Brands in Movies, Research Finds
Barbie and Mattel, Super Mario and Nintendo, Michael Jordan and Nike are just a few famous faces and brands gracing the big screen this year. Marketing Brew asks a great question: “At what point does a movie about a brand become something of…a commercial?”

Marketing Brew: This Company Uses Cameras to Track Fans’ Attention at NFL Games
Working with a handful of NFL and NHL teams, CrowdIQ is using new technology to evaluate the value of sports sponsorships inside areas and on the scoreboard to determine just how much attention they are attracting. 

Marketing Dive: Upping Marketing Spend in Disruptive Periods Can Drive Profits
We’ve shared several articles on the topic, and now, Gartner has found more evidence that brands increasing their marketing and advertising budgets during uncertainty and economic concerns will increase ROI. See the following for more:

• Should Your Brand Continue Advertising During Times of Uncertainty?
• Any Form of Certainty in an Uncertain Environment is a Competitive Advantage 
• Marketing with Heart: How Kindness And  Compassion During Crisis Can Bolster Your Business and Your Brand
• How Chevrolet Buick Uses TEGNA’s Auto Study to Sell Cars Amid Uncertainty

MediaPost: Does Olympic Performance Translate Into Gold Medal Brand Performance?
It’s official. Brands that sponsor the Olympic Games create stronger and more meaningful connections with consumers than brands that sit on the bench. A study from NBCUniversal and  BAV found:

• The Olympics creates a strong halo for official partners, who see a +117% increase in association with these Olympic traits (authentic, daring, distinct, fun, “high-performing, prestigious, social, and leadership) among Olympics fans.  

Mirror: How These Classic TV Moments Showed Women Were Already Ahead in Advertising
If the TV show ‘Mad Men’ was any indication, men have dominated the ad industry for decades. However, The Daily Mirror spoke to a handful of ad executives to showcase “a trailblazing group of female creatives at a time when TV commercials were often better than the programs.”

NextTV: How AI Will Shape the Future of TV Advertising
Artificial Intelligence is the talk of the town lately, and for the TV industry, Jason Fairchild, founder and co-CEO of tvScientific, argues it will “will accelerate the pace and scope of the TV industry’s transformation” with the ability ​​to make and measure spots more effectively than current technology. 

New York Times: Striking Hollywood Writers Disrupt TV’s Major Ad Event
John Koblin writes, “Dozens of protesters greeted marketers as they entered the first major event of the upfronts, an annual showcase for advertisers in which media companies stage lavish gatherings to promote their lineups.”

PR Newswire: Despite Knowing Advertising Identifiers are Being Phased Out, Advertisers’ Awareness of Cookieless Technologies Remains Low According to Global Survey
A new survey from Ogury and market research firm IDC found that while 60% of polled executives (60%) agree “user tracking will soon become obsolete,” more than 40% of respondents are unaware of new targeting technologies that allow them to reach their audiences without third-party cookies.