Digital Innovations Awesome List

At Centro, we know that keeping up with the trade pubs and latest trends can be tough and time consuming. To make that easier, we’ve compiled all the articles, reports, and other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy our latest list below!

FTC Cracking Down on Paid Celebrity Endorsements
Advertisers, not the influencers, will be the ones held accountable for making sure paid endorsements are clearly called out and labeled in all social posts.

Twitter Rolls out New Products
The social platform is working to draw in brands with a few new additions to their ad offering. The most interesting may be the “Instant Unlock” card. This allows users access to exclusive content in exchange for tweeting out branding messaging. In addition to the unlock ads, they’ve rolled out Promoted Stickers and additions to their Live Stream Video offerings.

There have been a flurry of social video updates with Pinterest’s debut of video ads, Facebook testing autoplay with audio, Instagram announcing their Events tab, and Twitter expanding their Amplify program.

Facebook Seizes Header Bidding to Challenge Google in Programmatic Ad Sales
Header bidding is the next battle between Facebook and Google, as they fight for ad dollars and employ new tactics to advance their bidding models.

Facebook’s Intro to Search Marketing
There are over 2 billion daily searches on Facebook. The company recently announced a three-step plan to improve search results for consumers, and then businesses, to ultimately drive a new advertising channel.

98 Personal Data Points that Facebook Uses to Target Ads to You
Have you ever wondered what Facebook knows about you? The Washington Post explores the variety of targeting options available through Facebook, and calls out Facebook’s efforts to be a bit more transparent in what it thinks about you and why you see the ads you see. Be sure to take some time to explore your “interests.”

WhatsApp to Start Sharing Marketing Data with Facebook
Once an anti-advertising platform, WhatsApp seems to be softening up on their “no brands allowed” stance. This isn’t surprising news since the app is now owned by Facebook. The sharing of data is a step in the direction of full-fledged advertising. It’s certainly a welcome shift for advertisers, since the messaging app boasts more than 1 billion monthly active users. Buckle up! Facebook’s share of the pie continues to grow.

The (Mobile) Video Viewability Challenge
The Media Rating Council has finally detailed what counts as a viewable video impression on mobile devices: 50% of pixels in view for two consecutive seconds. The current levels of VPAID inventory on mobile are limiting the usefulness of these characteristics, putting pressure on the industry as advertisers become concerned about whether their mobile advertising is delivering value.

Cable Industry’s ‘Ditch the Box’ Proposal Gains Ground
The ‘unlock the box’ vs. ‘ditch the box’ arguments are proof of shifting video viewership habits driving the need for industry change. It’s still not clear which proposal, if either, will become a reality.

Rethinking the Kitchen
Check out this interactive experience that examines the impact smartphones and smart kitchens have on how we purchase, how we consume, and how we cook.

The Next Big Mobile Platform is Your Car
Self-driving cars are coming sooner than you think, and have the potential to become the most expensive computer that consumers will own, so what does that mean for marketers?

We’re Living in the Matrix
In a recent report, Bank of America Merrill Lynch told (warned?) its clients there is a 20%-50% chance we’re actually living inside an artificial simulation created by future civilizations. In the words of Keanu: “whoa.”