Cannes Lions Behind-The-Scenes: Warner Bros. Records’ Lori Feldman

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Each year at Cannes Lions, the Entertainment Lions of Music is awarded to marketing teams for outstanding creative collaborations and original music content. This year’s jury president for the category is Lori Feldman, Warner Bros. Records executive vice president of strategic marketing. Feldman joined AListDaily to share insights into what makes a winner and why music is more important now than ever.

This year is the first time Feldman will serve as a jury president. She has attended Cannes “three or four times” and served as a juror in 2017, which serves as her best Cannes Lions memory to date.

“I had the most amazing experience with just fantastic people from all over the world studying the best work of the year,” said Feldman. “And it was the best work of the year—some of it was just extraordinary. I had the best time doing that.”

Can you tell us a bit about the voting process?

The beauty of this particular festival is that you have a global community entering and judging. Everybody comes at it from their own unique cultural lens and that’s where a lot of the debate comes in. The person from Germany is going to look at something differently than I will, as will the guy from Japan and the woman from London, for example. That’s where the debate comes through, especially when the work is not necessarily from an English-speaking country and we have to figure out what it all means. So much comes together by having this rich tapestry of human beings in the room.

How does your experience inform your judging and voting?

As an experienced marketer, I feel like I can look at things with a more educated eye. I’m not seeing anything we haven’t seen before, necessarily, but to be able to take marketing strategies and tactics we’ve seen before and turn them into something unique—that’s really special.

Do you consider marketing to be art?

Yes [it is art]. That’s actually one of the things I look for—does it move me just like a movie would or incredible music video? How does it make me feel? Do I think about it when I call it a day or when I wake up in the morning? That is definitely what I experience.

How has the nature of your work changed in the last five years?

The nature of my work hasn’t changed, how my team and I do what we do changes daily (laughs). As new platforms emerge and technologies arise, AR and VR become more important, AI is now something that’s compensated and utilized in music creation . . . I would say that every day is almost a different world when we come into work.

What do you think the future of partnerships between music and brands will be?

I see brands paying a lot of attention to niche audiences [and] developing artists because those niche audiences are really so remarkably engaged. There are many more artists to choose from when you’re not looking at superstars. Superstars are amazing and absolutely have their place and demand the highest fees, but it’s these developing acts and their audiences that spread the word every day. I think there’s a lot more investment in that area, I think it’s really exciting.

What is music’s place in our lives in 2018?

Music is remarkably important in every facet of our lives whether we know it or not. Music changes our mood and absolutely affects us wherever we are—it’s played everywhere whether it’s a song you know or background score you’ve never heard before. The proliferation of streaming music across the globe has made more listening for more hours by more people than ever before in the history of music. There’s nothing more relevant than music in culture and it’s actually upped its level of importance because of technology leading the way.

‘Hereditary’ Guerrilla Marketing Helps Box Office Success

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Hereditary premiered in the number four box office spot this weekend, preceded by guerrilla marketing campaigns that helped lure an estimated audience of 1.4 million.

A24’s art-house horror flick marked a new high for the distributor, beating industry expectations and bringing in an estimated $13 million dollars within its first weekend.

The success of Hereditary’s opening weekend may boil down to its marketing, which garnered curiosity and conversation on social media. Attendees of a midnight screening found dolls on their doorsteps the next morning, for example, and other viewers were asked to wear a heart monitor.

“I think the dolls are a great idea,” Karie Bible, box office analyst and film historian at Exhibitor Relations, told AListDaily. “It is creepy and will easily go viral. Basically, the gist is to give the public a creepy PR stunt and they will spread the word via social media.”

Hereditary is far from the being the first to employ such marketing around a horror film, with PR stunts going back to the early days of film.

“Lon Chaney’s look as the ‘Phantom’ was kept out of all promotional material surrounding the 1925 release of Phantom of the Opera,” recalled Bible. “They wanted his terrifying makeup to be a surprise when it was finally unveiled.”

Reports indicate that nurses and ambulances were parked outside of movie theaters playing Frankenstein in 1931, standing by to help people who had fainted due to fright. Director/producer William Castle (Rosemary’s Baby, 13 Ghosts) took this technique well into the 1950s and ’60s, Bible added, awarding “coward certificates” to those who left the theater early or offering a life insurance policy for those who feared dying of fright.

“I think horror films can succeed at any time if they manage to strike a chord with audiences,” said Bible. “In the summer of 2017 Annabelle: Creation grossed $102 million. The summer of 2016 saw The Conjuring 2 rake in $102 million. The conventional wisdom is to release horror films on or around Halloween [but] that can often create a crowded marketplace and split the audience. Sometimes unconventional release dates can work to a film’s advantage.”

E3 2018: Facebook Reveals Most Discussed Gaming Brands

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E3 2018 is now well underway, and with all the major press conferences and showcases completed, publishers are now focusing on engaging with both the press and the public to further generate conversations and awareness of its announcements. But while it’s not necessarily easy to know which brands made the biggest impact over the past few days, Facebook has released its insights as to which brands have come out ahead so far, marking the first time the platform released data from its gaming community for E3.

The social network gathered several days’ worth of data and analyzed it for E3-related chatter about games and brands from 55 million posts, likes and comments made by 17 million people. Over half of the community (61 percent) is comprised of men, and 33 percent of the group is between the ages of 25 and 34. Additionally, the top five countries talking about E3 2018, its major games and brands are United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil and Canada in that order.

Facebook found that the top five most talked about brands between June 9-11, when the E3 showcase presentations were held, were Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Bethesda and Ubisoft. That might not sound like good news for EA, which was hosting its annual three-day EA Play event during that time, but maybe the company can take comfort in the fact that its FIFA 19 trailer was the most-watched gaming video on Facebook.

The most talked-about game brands on Facebook over the weekend include:

  1. Minecraft
  2. Kingdom Hearts
  3. Legend of Zelda
  4. Resident Evil
  5. Super Mario
  6. Fallout
  7. Fortnite
  8. Call of Duty
  9. EA FIFA
  10. The Elder Scrolls

Although Nintendo didn’t broadcast its pre-recorded press conference until the morning of Tuesday, June 12, two of its game brands still made the list. Additionally, none of the games Ubisoft presented made the top 10 list, despite major game announcements that included The Division 2, Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and appearances by celebrities such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elijah Wood and Shigeru Miyamoto.

It’s also worth noting that games such as Fallout ranked at the lower half of the list, despite the amount conversation its publisher Bethesda managed to generate with its livestream of nothing days before.

Facebook also revealed the top E3-related brands on Instagram over the past several days by compiling data from 17 million people who had 46 million interactions. Mentions generally match those on Facebook, with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles getting the most attention. What’s also worth noting is that Minecraft is discussed heavily on both Instagram and Facebook, despite not having any announcements at this year’s event.

Top gaming hashtags on Instagram:

  1. #ps4
  2. #xbox
  3. #fortnite
  4. #gaming
  5. #gamer

Games with the most buzz on Instagram:

  1. Fortnite
  2. Minecraft
  3. Call of Duty
  4. PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s: Battlegrounds)
  5. Super Mario

“Every E3, we see people come to Facebook to connect around the games and publishers they love—and this year is no exception,” said Facebook’s director of console and online gaming Franco De Cesare in a statement. “For the first time, we’re also excited to share the gaming conversation on Instagram, where gamers bring the same passion for the games they love as they always have on Facebook.”

Podcast Ad Revenues Hit $314 Million, IAB/PwC Study Finds

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The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC released its Full Year 2017 Podcast Advertising Revenue Study, which finds that podcast revenues are reaching an all-time high. In the US, podcasting brought in $314 million in revenue in 2017, which is an 86 percent increase compared to $169 million generated in 2016. The report, which is based on self-reported revenues from top podcast companies, predicts even stronger returns in the coming years, rising another 110 percent to $659 million in revenue by 2020.

The report also indicates that host-read ads were the most preferred, as they represent more than two-thirds (66.9 percent) of podcast ads in 2017. At the same time, supplied ads (pre-produced ads that are usually read by an announcer) were used 32.7 percent of the time. Lastly, supplied radio ads, which appear for the first time on the IAB/PwC report, only represents half a percent of revenue-generating ad types.

Of these promotions, direct response ads (ads that propose a specific action) still made up the majority of campaigns, but decreased from 73 percent of total revenues in 2016 to 64.2 percent in 2017. Brand awareness ad revenue representation increased from 25.4 percent to 29.2 percent, while branded content ad revenue representation increased from 1.5 to 6.5 percent in 2017.

As for delivery, integrated ads (ads that are edited into the programming), transacted at a cost per thousand basis, grew by 14.7 percent and represented the majority of podcast ads in 2017, making up 58 percent of ad inventory. Conversely, automatically inserted ads (pre-recorded ads scheduled using ad insertion technology) dropped to 41.7 percent in 2017.

Of the 14 podcast genres measured, the top four—Arts & Entertainment, Technology, News/Politics/Current Events and Business—collectively captured 56 percent of total advertising revenue, breaking down to 16.8, 14.6, 13.3 and 11.1 percent respectively.

The report also shows that the top four of 13 industry categories captured 59 percent of advertising revenue. Financial Services was the category leader with 18.1 percent of revenues, while Retail (Direct to Consumer) took in 16.2 percent, Arts & Entertainment reached 12.5 percent and Business-to-Business represented 12.3 percent.

“These strong numbers speak to advertisers’ increasing recognition that podcasts provide a powerful platform for reaching and engaging audiences,” said IAB EVP of Industry Initiatives Anna Bager in a press release.

PwC US partner David Silverman added, “The growing trend toward ‘anywhere and everywhere’ media engagement has created tremendous opportunity for digital media, of which podcasting is a significant component. Whether at home on a smart speaker, at work on a PC, or somewhere in-between on a mobile device, more and more Americans are listening while they live, providing a robust podcast platform where advertisers can connect with today’s consumers.”

Domino’s Pizza Fixes Local Roads To Promote Carryout Special

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Domino’s Pizza is repairing US roads in a nationwide campaign to protect pizzas from a bumpy ride home.

“Paving for Pizza” is a new campaign by Domino’s Pizza that offers carry-out specials but warns of the dangers of potholes on the way home. To further illustrate how a turbulent car ride can negatively impact a consumer’s pizza cargo, a dedicated microsite puts a camera inside a pizza box and lets users simulate the impact that potholes and poor road conditions have. Users can select road conditions mild, moderate, critical and catastrophic. “Mild” road conditions are the only setting that allows a pizza to arrive unharmed, according to the simulation.

To further drive the message home (no pun intended), Domino’s has coordinated with four different municipalities to make road repairs in Bartonville, Texas, Milford, Delaware, Athens, Georgia and Burbank, California. Domino’s donated funds to each municipality to help stretch their road repair budgets and allow for problem roads to be fixed more quickly.

“This was certainly a new type of opportunity for us,” commented Stephen Bailey, program development coordinator for Athens, GA.

Potholes were repaired using Domino’s-branded equipment and road signs as a result of these unique brand-city partnerships. In Burbank, for example, the partnership fixed five potholes and repaired one road. In Bartonville, Texas, the partnership fixed three roads and eight potholes.

To let the public know they were involved, the fixed potholes in each city were spray painted with a Domino’s Pizza logo and the words, “Oh yes we did.”

Consumers can enter their zip codes on the microsite to nominate their own town for repairs, as well. If their town is selected, the customer will be notified and the city will receive funds to help repair roads so pizzas make it home safely. The brand is also pushing a carry-out special that offers large three-topping pizzas for $7.99 each.

Domino’s has explored a number of “outside the pizza box” marketing ideas lately, including a partnership with Google Assistant that allows it to speak directly with the brand. Domino’s Pizza introduced ordering through Google Home back in 2016. This new feature introduced in May will allow Google users to say things like, “Hey, Google, order my usual from Domino’s” instead of “Okay, Google, talk to Domino’s.”

In April, the company introduced “Dom,” an AI assistant that takes pizza orders over the phone.

Cannes Lions 2018 Networking & Party Guide

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With Cannes Lions 2018 come the networking events and parties—here are the ones on our radar.

Cannes Official Meet Ups 

When: June 18-22, 10:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Where: Meet Ups Space (within the festival)

The Cannes Lions are hosting a series of “meet ups” for various attendees, from first-timers to ad producers to influencers to brand strategists. Cannes passes are required for entry.

CNN Daily Happy Hour

When: June 18-22, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Where: Palais Beach

CNN has sponsored the 7th annual Cannes Lions sunset happy hour, promising sweeping views of the vistas of the French Riviera and, most importantly, drinks.

Baden–Württemberg 120 Minute Party

When: June 22, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

Where: Long Beach, Bd de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes

“The only federal state in Germany that sends its own delegation to Cannes” is hosting a party to demonstrate its precision: the party will end exactly 120 minutes after it begins. Reservations have already filled up, but the event is first-come-first-served, so there’s still a chance to make it in.

Audio Network Music House

When: June 18-21, Starts 9 a.m.

Where: Available with registration

Audio Network has rented out a villa near the French Riviera to offer a variety of relaxation and networking events for Cannes Lions attendees. Audio Network will host yoga classes daily at 10 am, as well as sound-bath therapy. Less soothing will be the company’s pool party on Thursday, June 21 from 2 to 6pm.

The Drum Yacht/Pub

When: June 18-21

Where: Available with registration

The Drum has rented out a yacht and a pub at the quays by the Cannes harbor, offering a variety of panels and networking events. Register here. [details not finalized]

#YouCannes2018

When: June 18-21

Where: Plage Goéland, Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, France

Comcast and Freewheel are partnering to provide a series of networking events, from an introduction to Mediterranean culture and cuisine to a grand party on the evening of the 20th.

The Rosé Challenge

When: June 19, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Where: Lady in Blue, Le Vieux Port de Cannes, Jetée Albert Edouard

The Rubicon Project is offering the denizens of Cannes Lions the chance to board a yacht and taste-test rosé, drink rosé spritzers and rosé Champagne. Attendees can top things off with some frosé if they’re still thirsty.

Captify Pool Party

When: June 19, 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

Where: Available with invite

Martech firm Captify is hosting a pool party at its rented-out villa, promising plenty of networking and music and, for those who arrive between 1 and 3 p.m., plenty of free barbeque. Fear not, the rosé is both free and unlimited. Invite-only, but they’re available by email request.

Haymarket@Cannes: Happy Hours, Iced Coffee And Panels

When: All Week

Where: Available with invite

Martech firm Splash is hosting an armload of events, including four panels, two networking happy hours and six different relaxation events. RSVPs are required.

E3 2018 Networking & Party Guide

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When the E3 show floor closes at 7 p.m., the real show is just beginning. The exposition is just as much about the after-hours E3 2018 parties and networking events as the convention itself. We’ve compiled the highlights, for your convenience.

Note that E3 badges are not required unless otherwise noted, and that most of these events require an RSVP.

EA Play

Electronic Arts’ landmark show, showcase and party occurs just before E3 itself, including the company’s game announcements, live demos, music and other community engagement activations. The event is free, but registration is required.

When: June 9, 2 p.m.-8p.m.; June 10-11, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Where: Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Boulevard

Xbox FanFest

Like EA Play, Microsoft’s FanFest offers up the publisher’s titles and content in a separate location, free of the E3 hustle and bustle. Tickets are $45, but feature guaranteed Xbox E3 Briefing seating, networking opportunities and plenty of party favors.

When: June 10-11, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Where: Microsoft Theater, 777 Chick Hearn Court

GGP At E3! Downtown!

Join the Gay Gaming Professionals for “an evening of cocktails and revelry,” giving an inclusionary chance to network with queer members of the game development community.

When: June 11, 7 p.m.-2 a.m.

Where: Redline Gay Bar, 131 E 6th St

Fortnite Party Royale

An invite-only party centered on the free-to-play battle royale sensation, though Epic Games has been tight-lipped on details. Interested Fortnite fans can enter to win tickets by coming by the game’s booth on the E3 show floor.

When: June 12, evening

Where: Pick up tickets at booth #2723 at the LA Convention Center

AdColony Margarita Mixer

Mobile advertising firm AdColony is hosting a small networking event at Rosa Mexicano, promising margaritas, Mexican food and mingling. The event is currently fully booked, but there’s always the chance to slip in in case of no-shows.

When: June 12, 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Where: Rosa Mexicano, 800 West Olympic Blvd

PlayStation LGBTQ Party

PlayStation and the LA Gayming Society are hosting a party and networking event devoted to inclusion in gaming, both in the profession and hobby. Attendees will have the chance to play Sony games and win PlayStation systems and peripherals.

When: June 12, 7 p.m.-11 p.m.

Where: Precinct DTLA, 357 S Broadway

WIGI E3 Networking Party

A non-profit promoting diversity in game development, publishing and media, WIGI is hosting a networking event featuring performers from The Magic Castle, LA’s best-known (and likely only) magician-exclusive nightclub.

When: June 13, 7 p.m.-12 a.m.

Where: Exchange LA, 618 S Spring Street

Into The Abyss

Pearl Abyss, the developer of Black Desert Online, is hosting its first-ever company event, featuring a Q&A panel, drinks, snacks, giveaways and “other goodies.” It also takes place in a movie theater.

When: June 13, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Where: Regal Cinema LA Live, 1000 W Olympic Blvd

Netmarble/Kabam VIP Happy Hour

To celebrate Netmarble’s new office in Los Angeles, the company is hosting a happy hour at Karl Strauss Brewing Company, featuring free drinks and appetizers.

When: June 13, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

Where: Karl Strauss Brewing Company, 600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 100

E-Coliseum X UMV E3 After-Party

The world’s first esports gym is hosting an afterparty for the convention, in partnership with UMV, ULT, DXRacer and Philadelphia Fusion, featuring free food and drinks.

When: June 13, 7 p.m.-11 p.m.

Where: E-Coliseum, 1006 S Olive Street

E3 2018: Game Publishers’ Contrasting Brand Strategies

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Even before it was open to the public, E3 was the biggest event for the gaming industry in the US. Now, with a much broader reach, marketers from a wide variety of brands, from video games to energy drinks to toys, have adapted their E3 strategy to accommodate.

“E3 is the biggest stage that the game industry gets for the entire year,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of marketing for Ubisoft, to AListDaily. “There are other shows, but nothing compares as far as bringing the industry together for a collective, huge display of all the cool things that all the companies are working on.”

For Ubisoft, the shift has forced the company to rethink and retool its presence on the show floor. Last year, Key admitted, the greater-than-expected flood of consumers led to long lines and rushed play sessions.

“The focus is on ‘how do we make it a better consumer experience?’ In previous years, it wasn’t necessarily a consideration,” Key explained. “For us, the consumer experience in previous years was based on quality of the press conference and the quality of the videos we put out there.”

For some, the common consumers on the E3 show floor are something to be avoided entirely. Gearbox has elected to skip the public show floor entirely—while promoting its long-developed game We Happy Few—instead holding private play sessions and interviews with professional games journalists.

“This year, we got a private meeting space so we can treat it [as] it used to be,” Austin Malcolm, PR manager for Gearbox, told AListDaily. “The big goal for us is to remind people that we still exist and we’re coming out, and that it’s not just the game they saw two years ago.”

According to Malcolm, the standard demo booth show floor setup for many publishers at E3 may not serve all needs equally.

“It’s more of an opportunity for something quick and fast-paced, something you can just jump in and play for ten minutes and move on to the next booth,” Malcolm said. “What also plays into it is how close you are to launch. It doesn’t really matter much to get a game really early in its development in front of consumer’s faces, because you still have things to polish, some things might change.”

Key, however, claims that letting the public play games earlier in development may help the publishers tweak their product.

“It gives us an opportunity to unveil [our games], or show how they’re coming along if it’s something that’s already been shown, and get feedback from players, from press, from influencers, from content creators,” he said. “We take a lot of action items out of that show.”

For Malcolm, the goal of letting players test out games is a simpler one.

“I think it’s more important to be on a show floor like that,” Malcolm said, “so you can get consumers really excited about it right then and there, who then leave and then go reserve it on Amazon or GameStop or whatever retailer they purchase the game from.”

But both Ubisoft and Gearbox agree that one feature of their E3 strategy isn’t likely to be affected by the newly consumer-facing nature of the show.

“I don’t anticipate major changes to how the companies roll out their press conferences. Those are turning out to be really huge moments for each of those companies,” Key stated. “More and more players are watching the press conferences online—that became apparent a few years ago—these press conferences are consumer events.”

Indeed, Malcolm made almost precisely the same point.

“[Press conferences] were already really consumer-facing, because the digital role was growing—even though consumers weren’t there at first, there were hundreds of thousands of consumers watching from YouTube or Twitch or any other streaming service.”

But even as consumers and influencers take up more and more space on the E3 show floor, the press will continue to take the most attention from marketers.

“Nine of the ten biggest press stories of the year are going to come out of that show next week,” said Key, “and it’ll be the same next year too.”

Facebook Courts Game Streamers; Snapchat Sells Event Tickets

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This week in social media news, Facebook introduces a gaming video program, Instagram adds a new way to share content and Snapchat sells event tickets and expands Friendmojis to Apple users. In other news, Instagram is working on a competitor for Snap Discover, Facebook is funding news programming and has introduced ads to the Marketplace. Also, Facebook adds bidding support for in-app ads and the company’s music industry deals come to fruition, Bing ads will soon include LinkedIn, Facebook fires back against a New York Times exposé and YouTube taps a former Spotify programming head.

Facebook Introduces ‘Level Up’ Program For Game Creators

Several new features on Facebook express a desire to compete with Twitch and YouTube in the gaming space, and with gaming video content worth $665 million, it’s no wonder. In January, Facebook introduced its gaming creator program that includes the ability to financially support Facebook game content creators. Level Up is a new program to be debuted in the coming months that helps emerging creators get started.

Level Up members will receive early access to new features, best practices from established gaming creators and customized access to Facebook support for troubleshooting and bug reporting.

Snapchat Partners With SeatGeek To Sell Event Tickets

Snapchat users can now purchase Los Angeles Football Club event tickets directly from the app, SeatGeek announced Thursday. This partnership marks the first time Snapchat users will be able to purchase tickets through the app. Additional tickets will be offered in the future to include sporting events and concerts.

Instagram Encourages Sharing With @Mentions

Public Instagram account users can now share posts they have been tagged in, the company announced Thursday. When a user has been mentioned in someone else’s story, they will now receive a notification in their Direct Messages. Users then have the option to add the content to their own Story or share it as a sticker. The original poster will be tagged when a message is shared.

Snapchat Expands Friendmojis To Apple Messages

Snapchat’s customizable stickers called “Bitmojis” are available to use inside the app, as well as Apple Messenger but “Friendmojis,” a version that includes one or more of a friend’s avatar, are being added to Messenger as well.  IOS users who link their Bitmoji and Snapchat accounts together will be able to send Friendmojis in Messages in the coming days.

Instagram Plans Long-Form Video Section

In another bid to compete with Snapchat through imitation, Instagram is planning to announce a video hub similar to Snapchat Discover on June 20, sources told TechCrunch. The dedicated video space would feature scripted shows, music videos and more in vertically oriented, full-screen, high-def 4K resolution. Sources close to the situation said that Instagram has been meeting with popular social media stars and content publishers about moving their video channels or creating an Instagram version.

Funded News Shows Coming To Facebook Watch

A dedicated section for News is being added to Facebook Watch, the social network’s recently launched video hub. Facebook is testing a number of shows by mainstream media channels including ABC News, Advance Local, ATTN, CNN, Fox News, Mic and Univision that will be hosted by professional journalists. These shows, funded by Facebook, are scheduled to go live later this summer with additional shows to be announced in the coming weeks.

“We’ve seen that people enjoy coming to Watch to find timely, relevant content and to catch up with the publishers and creators they care about,” Campbell Brown, head of global news partnerships wrote in a blog post. “We think that this is a great opportunity to test a viewing destination for high-quality news content within Watch.”

Business Can Now Run Ads In Facebook Marketplace

Launched in 2016, Facebook’s Marketplace became a social alternative to Craiglist, allowing users to buy, sell and trade goods locally. Now that businesses have joined Marketplace, Facebook has announced the inevitable—advertisements.

Businesses in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be able to run ads in Marketplace using parameters for traffic, conversions, product catalog, video views and reach. Marketers already advertising with Facebook can now select Marketplace as one of their target locations.

Facebook Tests Musical Posts

Facebook has begun testing video posts with music that would normally be flagged for copyright infringement, such as wedding videos or other life events. In addition, “Lip Sync Live” was added to Facebook Live on Wednesday, allowing users to mouth the words to popular songs in front of a live audience. Facebook Live now offers the option to pick a song, which will countdown prior to recording. While the user lip syncs to the music, special effects can be added such as sparkles, masks and backgrounds.

Copyright claims often prevent social media users from sharing videos accompanied by music. YouTube has struggled to keep up with these claims as music industry execs begrudgingly continue deals that allow certain music to be used. Facebook saw an opportunity to make music industry deals of its own and users will soon be able to take advantage of these partnerships.

Facebook Adds Support To Include In-App Advertising

Facebook Audience Network now includes in-app advertising and mobile web, the company announced on Tuesday. Through a partnership with MoPub, Fyber and MAX, Facebook has tested the function and is ready to roll it out to marketers this week.

“We believe the principles behind mobile web header bidding can improve the efficiency of app monetization,” said Vijay Balan, Facebook Audience Network head of publisher solutions partnerships in a blog post. “The app ecosystem is plagued by many of the same inefficiencies and lack of transparency, resulting in lost revenue for the app publisher, ad dollars that may generate a suboptimal return for the advertiser, and potentially a less relevant ad experience for people.”

Bing Ads Will Soon Target LinkedIn Users

Microsoft owns LinkedIn, which gives marketers something Google AdWords cannot—access to LinkedIn’s 500 million users. As reported by Search Engine Journal, Bing Ads will include LinkedIn functionality by the end of the year.

In 2016, a Bing Ads user suggested LinkedIn targeting on the company’s official suggestions forum. An administrator responded on Monday saying, “This functionality will be available before the end of the year.”

Facebook Defends Third-Party API Strategy

On Sunday, The New York Times published a piece that questions Facebook’s honesty about collecting information about users’ friends. Before the dawn of app stores, Facebook partnered with “at least 60” device manufacturers like Blackberry, Apple and Samsung that allowed the creation of a “Facebook-like experience” on mobile phones. Features were recreated for each device that mimicked Facebook such as “like” buttons, messaging and access to a user’s address book.

Now that most users can simply download the Facebook app, the company began rolling back these manufacturer partnerships in April. However, The Times alleges, Facebook failed to mention this bit of information to Congress, and that granting access to a user’s friend data without that friend’s permission raises serious privacy concerns.

“Facebook’s leaders said that the kind of access exploited by Cambridge in 2014 was cut off by the next year when Facebook prohibited developers from collecting information from users’ friends,” The Times reported. “But the company officials did not disclose that Facebook had exempted the makers of cellphones, tablets and other hardware from such restrictions.”

In a blog post, Facebook’s vice president of product partnerships Ime Archibong rebutted the article, insisting that partners could not integrate the user’s Facebook features with their devices without permission and agreements were signed designed to prevent Facebook information from being used for any purpose other than recreating Facebook-like experiences.

“Contrary to claims by the New York Times, friends’ information, like photos, was only accessible on devices when people made a decision to share their information with those friends. We are not aware of any abuse by these companies,” Archibong said.

Tuma Basa Is Now YouTube’s Director Of Urban Music

YouTube launched its new subscription music service recently and Tuma Basa will be in charge of urban music programming effective June 1. Basa served as Spotify’s global programming head of hip-hop until May, when he made the switch to YouTube. He also brings experience from across the music industry, having worked for BET, MTV and Revolt.

“His experience will be invaluable to the music journey we are on at YouTube, connecting artists and fans across the globe, and I am thrilled to welcome his voice to our collective efforts,” said YouTube’s global head of music Lyor Cohen in a statement.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, June 8. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

This Week’s Exec Shifts: Goop Hires Andres Sosa As Its First CMO

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This week: Goop lands its first CMO, Potbelly welcomes Papa John’s former exec, Lenovo updates its marketing team, Lionsgate loses a marketing head, Interactive Advertising Bureau CEO exits, GoCompare secures a new marketing strategy lead, Twitter reorganizes to offer more live video to marketers, 20th Century Fox marketing leader departs, Louis Vuitton CEO promotes son to image head, Genesis and ChromaDex find new CMOs.

Goop Appoints Andres Sosa Chief Marketing Officer

Goop, the lifestyle brand founded by Gweneth Paltrow, has appointed its first CMO. Andres Sosa will start his new position on Monday and lead international expansion efforts. Sosa joins the company after serving as executive vice president of sales, marketing and creative at Yoox Net-a-Porter’s The Outnet.

Potbelly Hires Brandon Rhoten As Senior VP And CMO

Sandwich chain Potbelly has appointed Brandon Rhoten senior vice president and its first chief marketing officer. Rhoten previously served as chief marketing officer for Papa John’s until an abrupt corporate shake-up last month that forced his exit after one year.

Apple Names Poonam Kaul Director Of Marketing In India

Poonam Kaul will join Apple as its first director of marketing in India. Kaul will complete her tenure as PepsiCo India’s vice president of communications and CSR and join Apple in a few weeks.

Lenovo Updates Its Global Marketing Teams

Amit Dosho is Lenovo India’s latest chief marketing officer, the company announced Thursday.

Doshi will focus on deepening digital and data competencies towards building a “more customer-centric organization” across all business segments in India and South Asia.

“Amit has played a pivotal role in the Lenovo brand journey over the last five years and understands its pulse,” Rahul Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO, Lenovo India, said in a statement.

Bhaskar Choudhuri has been promoted from head of marketing in India to chief marketing officer for the APAC region. Choudhuri will be responsible for expanding Lenovo brand footprint in the region of driving sales of PC’s tablets and smart device in his new role.

Gina Qiao has been promoted from senior vice president of mobile business group to global chief marketing officer. Qiau replaces David Roman, who retired.

Tim Palen Steps Down As Lionsgate CMO

Lionsgate’s chief marketing officer Tim Palen has stepped down from his position but will remain on as chief brand officer. The move is part of an executive shake-up that began last fall when Joe Drake was appointed co-chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, Variety reports.

IAB CEO Exits; Appoints Temporary Replacement

Vijay Solanki, CEO of The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), has exited the company after two years, stating it was “time for a change.”

IAB has appointed its director of research, Gai Le Roy, as interim CEO until a replacement can be hired.

GoCompare Appoints Zoe Harris As Chief Marketing Officer

Zoe Harris will join insurance rate comparison brand GoCompare as chief marketing officer later this year, where she will be responsible for the development and delivery of marketing strategy. Harris, who currently serves as CMO for Reach (formally Trinity Mirror Group) will replace Richard Harris who held the role since 2016.

“Zoe’s background in media, with an enviable track record of helping develop some remarkable and impactful brands, makes her an ideal fit for the Group,” said GoCompare CEO Matthew Crummack.

Harris’ hire is likely part of the company’s recent efforts to address gender parity in its hiring practices.

Twitter Consolidates Video And Partnership Teams

Twitter is placing less emphasis on live video as a standalone feature, folding its live video teams into its content partnership team. In an internal memo obtained by Variety, Twitter said the reorganization was to streamline to increase efficiency, “better aligning with [their] global strategy and vision.”

As a result of the reorganization, director of global news partnerships Peter Greenberger and global head of live video Todd Swidler are exiting the company.

Twitter is dividing its content partnership teams into region rather than category from now, each reporting to Kay Madati, global head and VP of content partnerships. As part of this change, Laura Froelich, director of sports partnerships, will become the head of US partnerships.

Executive Vice President Of Marketing Jonathan Helfgot Leaves Fox

Twentieth Century Fox is waving farewell to Jonathan Helfgot, the company’s executive vice president of theatrical marketing, Deadline reports.

Helfgot had been with the studio for a little over a year, joining in May of 2017 from Open Road, where he was president of marketing.

LVMH Promotes Antoine Arnault To Head Of Communication And Image

Currently, Berluti’s CEO and son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, Antoine Arnault is expanding his responsibilities, taking on the role of head of communication and image for the luxury conglomerate.

In order to address this increased exposure and further enhance the evaluation of the group’s achievements, I have decided to strengthen the organization of our communication,” Bernard Arnault said. “He will oversee all communication agencies working for the group and will promote a global strategy that will benefit everyone.”

Antoine Arnault has been with LVMH since 2002, first working in the company’s French marketing department.

Genesis Healthcare Hires Michel Mommejat As Chief Marketing Officer

Michel Mommejat has joined Genesis Healthcare as its chief marketing officer.

“We are very pleased to welcome Michel Mommejat to the Genesis Healthcare team,” said Dr. Iri Sato Baran, Genesis Healthcare’s co-founder and president. “With more than twenty years of experience in marketing with focus on digital, CRM and technology, Michel Mommejat brings a holistic communication skill set to our marketing team, combining passion for strategy, operational excellence and innovation.”

Previously, Mommejat served as managing director for digital, data and technology for McCann Worldgroup in Japan.

SBE Hires Alvaro Valeriani As Senior Vice President Of Sales And Marketing

Alvaro Valeriani has joined SBE as its global senior vice president of sales and marketing.

“We are excited that Alvaro is joining us in this crucial role. We’re on a journey of expansion across our hotel and restaurant brands and his twenty years’ experience in the hospitality sector working at some of the biggest hotel groups in the world will help us continue this trend and keep our portfolio of brands at the forefront of the hospitality world,” said SBE CEO and founder Sam Nazarian.

Previously, Valeriani worked at Hyatt hotels and resorts in Latin America as head of its sales and marketing operations.

ChromaDex Appoints Lisa Bratkovich Chief Marketing Officer

Lisa Bratkovich is joining ChromaDex as its chief marketing officer.

“Lisa’s expertise in direct response and brand marketing, particularly in the anti-aging space, is what ChromaDex needs to make Tru Niagen a global brand,” said Rob Fried, ChromaDex’s president & chief operating officer. “Her presence on the senior leadership team is welcomed, and we are thrilled to have her lead our marketing efforts.”

Bratkovich most recently served as CEO and principal for Direct Upside Group, a direct-to-consumer marketing consulting firm.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, June 8. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

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