Tyrone Stewart, Author at Mobile Marketing Magazine https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/author/tyrone-stewart/ Mobile Marketing Magazine Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/blog_img6.png Tyrone Stewart, Author at Mobile Marketing Magazine https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/author/tyrone-stewart/ 32 32 Voxi launches social campaign to find young illustrators https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/voxi-launches-social-competition-for-young-artists/ Thu, 01 Apr 2021 17:19:17 +0000 The ‘Eyes On’ campaign looks to encourage up-and-coming artists to submit a digital illustration, inspired by Voxi’s brand proposition and phrase ‘Be Endless’, for a chance to win a career-changing prize

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Voxi, Vodafone’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has launched a campaign to inspire young artists to showcase some of their work.

The ‘Eyes On’ campaign looks to encourage up-and-coming artists to submit a digital illustration, inspired by Voxi’s brand proposition and phrase ‘Be Endless’, for a chance to win a career-changing prize.

As part of the campaign – which is running across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter – Voxi has teamed up with LadBible to promote entries and awareness of the competition.

The winner of the competition will receive £2,000 in prize money and have their work featured on Voxi’s social channels, website, and on T-shirt merch. The winner will also receive one-to-one mentoring sessions with head judge Manjit Thapp; tips on how to build their social presence from Instagram’s Global Product Lead, Jimmy Lee; and have the opportunity to sell their artworks worldwide on Fy!, a home, living, and lifestyle retail platform.

Entries for the competition close at 23:59 on 18 April 2021.

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Delivery startup Glovo raises €450m in record-breaking funding rund https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/glovo-raises-450m-in-spains-biggest-ever-funding-round/ Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:47:32 +0000 The Barcelona-based company will use the investment to expand its footprint in the markets it already operates in and to grow its Q-Commerce division, which focuses on ‘ultra-fast’ delivery

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Spanish delivery startup Glovo has raised €450m ($529m/£384m) in a funding round led by Lugard Road Capital and Luxor Capital Group, taking the total funding it has raised since it was founded 2015 to over $1bn.

The Barcelona-based company will use the investment to expand its footprint in the markets it already operates in and to grow its Q-Commerce division, which focuses on ‘ultra-fast’ delivery.

The Series F funding round, which is said to be the largest in Spanish history, also included participation from returning investors including Delivery Hero, Drake Enterprises, and GP Bullhound.

“We’re thrilled to have the continued backing of Luxor Capital Group and all of our existing investors,” said Oscar Pierre, Co-founder and CEO of Glovo. “Over the last few months, we’ve moved very, very quickly but our vision remains unchanged. This investment will allow us to double-down in our core markets, accelerate our leadership position in places where we are already very strong and continue to expand our excellent Q-Commerce division, as well as bring new innovations to our unique multi-category offering to extend more choice to our customers.”

Glovo offers ultra-fast, 10-minute deliveries through its Q-Commerce division’s network of ‘dark stores’. There are currently dark stores operating in Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, and Milan, with similar stores set to open in Valencia, Rome, Porto, and Bucharest, among other cities. Glovo is aiming to have 200 dark stores by the end of the year.

Glovo currently operates in Spain, Italy, Peru, Ukraine, Romania, Ecuador, Georgia, Costa Rica, Portugal, Poland, Morocco, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, Honduras, Serbia, Moldova, Uganda, and Kyrgyzstan.  

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Instagram launches its version of TikTok Duets https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/instagram-launches-remix-its-tiktok-duets-clone/ Thu, 01 Apr 2021 14:34:06 +0000 The feature, which has been added to Instagram’s version of TikTok called ‘Reels’, enables users to create their own content alongside somebody else’s previously created video

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Instagram has officially introduced its answer to TikTok Duets, launching its ‘Remix’ feature to the world in the latest instance of a Facebook-owned app ‘borrowing’ from another platform.

The feature, which has been added to Instagram’s version of TikTok called ‘Reels’, enables users to create their own content alongside somebody else’s previously created video.

To remix a reel, users select the video of their choice and tap the three dots on the top right side of the video then, from the menu that appears, tap the ‘Remix This Reel’ option. The user then has the option to record in real-time or use a pre-recorded video from their camera roll and they can edit it as they would with any other video upload.

Reels enables users to record short videos that can be edited with audio, effects, and other creative tools. These videos can be shared on feeds, stories, or on Explore.

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Movers and Shakers: Twitch, Overstock, M&C Saatchi, Rakuten, and more https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/movers-and-shakers-twitch-overstock-mc-saatchi-rakuten-and-more/ Wed, 31 Mar 2021 19:34:49 +0000 The mobile marketing industry is ever-changing, and that applies to the people as much as the technology. Movers & Shakers is our regular feature following the hottest hires in the

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The mobile marketing industry is ever-changing, and that applies to the people as much as the technology. Movers & Shakers is our regular feature following the hottest hires in the industry, so you can keep track of who’s joined which company, and what they’re doing there.

Top (L-R): Krishan Patel, Elizabeth Solomon, Tim Duffy
Bottom (L-R): Rakhee Jogia, Nick Reid, Jat Brainch

Twitch brings in Patel to direct on sales
Krishan Patel has joined Amazon-owned livestreaming service Twitch as EMEA Director of Sales. He will be responsible for the strategic direction of Twitchs commercial advertising team and lead the company’s rapidly growing advertising business, customer engagement and brand partnerships in the region.

With 18 years of global marketing, technology and business development experience in roles across the agency, publisher, telecommunications and ad tech space, Patel joins Twitch from Amazon where, as Director of Business Development for Asia Pacific, he led the company’s consumer business development and worldwide original equipment manufacturer partnership team.

“Twitch is more than a live streaming service – it is a genuine community and a dynamic place where creators can share the things they love with a community of millions,” commented Patel. “We have an incredible suite of solutions available to allow businesses to meaningfully interact with our unique and highly engaged audience in a creative and meaningful way. As we continue to grow across EMEA, I am looking forward to helping brands understand the art of the possible on Twitch and how we can help them deliver successful campaigns at scale.”

Solomon named CMO at Overstock
Overstock.com, an eCommerce home furnishings retailer, has welcomed Elizabeth Solomon as Chief Marketing Officer. She will oversee Overstock’s marketing efforts, including customer acquisition and retention, marketing communications, and marketing technologies.

Solomon most recently served as Head of Marketing for Amazon’s global private brands portfolio. Prior to Amazon, she held senior marketing leadership positions with consumer Fortune 100 companies, including Samsung Electronics, Walmart, and Nestlé.

“I am thrilled to join such an innovative and passionate executive team that has led the company through an amazing year of growth,” said Solomon. “I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and helping further amplify Overstock’s reputation as the premier online shopping destination for home furnishings.”

M&C Saatchi makes management changes
Tim Duffy has been promoted to the newly created role of Group Strategy Director, Worldwide, with Richard Thompson succeeding him as UK Group Chairman, at comms agency M&C Saatchi.

Duffy has been with M&C Saatchi since the beginning of the agency in 1995 and has worked with many clients in the UK and internationally.

Thompson joined the M&C Saatchi in 2013 when the agency acquired Merlin. He will continue to be Chairman of M&C Saatchi Talent, where he successfully acquired Red Hare & Grey Whippet to broaden the offering into the influencer space. Thompson is also Chairman of Surrey County Cricket Club (The Oval) and chairs Sport United Against Dementia.

“Tim is a brilliant thinker. Richard Thompson is a brilliant leader. We continue on our mission to deliver Meaningful Change for clients, our people, and the world,” commented Moray MacLennan, M&C Saatchi CEO.

Capano and Jogia promoted at Rakuten
Rakuten Advertising, Rakuten’s affiliate marketing service, has appointed Anthony Capano as North America Managing Director and Rakhee Jogia as International Managing Director. They will focus on growing the business through unparalleled client strategy and service, technology innovation, inventory expansion, and strengthening partnerships with brands and publishers around the world.

Capano served as Managing Director of Rakuten Advertising for almost a decade, beginning in Australia before relocating to London as International Managing Director. In his new position, Capano will create new opportunities for brands arising from deeper integration of Rakuten Americas properties, expanding the companys publisher network and identifying new areas for innovation.

“We have always believed that effective advertising requires more than technology. True success is found by layering technology with the partnerships, service, scale, insights and global reach of a world-class advertising ecosystem,” said Capano. “We are heavily invested in advancing technology and moving the advertising industry forward. I am honored to be part of a great leadership team and dedicated to advancing the revenue-generating value of performance marketing and the strategic influence of media.”

Jogia, who takes up Capano’s former role, will oversee the EMEA, LATAM and APAC markets for Rakuten Advertising, drawing from a decade of programmatic and affiliate experience with the business. Over the past three years, she focused on international partnerships, most recently as Vice President of Publisher Partnerships, International.

“Im excited for the opportunity to drive our clients business objectives and growth plans, especially as we continue to help them navigate a quickly evolving marketplace,” said Jogia. “We pride ourselves on delivering excellence around the globe, and will be looking inwards to strengthen and develop our people so they can excel in their roles and guide our brands and publishers through the coming period of economic recovery. To that end, we plan to introduce new initiatives that will help businesses at every step in their growth journeys take fuller advantage of the combined power of brand and performance marketing.”

DoubleVerify makes pair of EMEA senior hires
Nick Reid and Michael Fuhrmann have joined DoubleVerify (DV), a digital media measurement firm, as Regional Vice President for Northern Europe and Regional Vice President for DACH and Central Eastern Europe, respectively.

Reid will lead the executive of DV’s growth strategy in the UK, Benelux, Nordics, and MENA. He arrives from his role as Global Head of Agency Partnerships for Adobe Advertising Cloud.

“With digital content consumption on the rise and the importance of protecting and optimising ad investments in focus, DV’s role as a trusted provider of quality and performance data is key. I’m looking forward to cultivating relationships across the ecosystem as I head up DV’s team in Northern Europe at what is a pivotal moment for the industry,” commented Reid.

Fuhrmann joins DV in a newly evolved role as a result of the EMEA team growing. He was previously Head of Networks & Emerging, Global Partnerships DACH at Google.

“2020 has shown that it is more important than ever to invest in the right solutions to achieve a secure, high-quality and reliable advertising environment – given fraudsters are becoming bolder, regulations are becoming stricter and consumer privacy is paramount,” said Fuhrmann. “Ad tech is an important piece of the puzzle and I am looking forward to shaping the discourse on brand safety, ad fraud, cookieless targeting and further topics across all channels and environments in DACH and Central Eastern Europe.”

Executive duo appointed at Inmarsat
Mobile satellite telecoms company Inmarsat has hired Barry French as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, while elevating Jat Brainch to Chief Commercial & Product Officer.

French – formerly CMO at Nokia – will sharpen customer focus, drive customer engagement and revenue generation to the next level, ensure Inmarsat is an effective and engaged participant in key policy discussions, and further enhance employee engagement. He joined Nokia in 2006 as Head of Communications, prior to which he was Vice President of Corporate Communications at United Airlines and Director of Corporate Communications at Dell.

Brainch – previously Inmarsat’s Senior Vice President of Group Commercial Management – will be responsible for Inmarsat’s evolving commercial and product strategy and roadmap and to ensuring that the company continues to lead the industry in advanced, customer-centric products and services that are designed specifically for mobility and Government users. Prior to joining Inmarsat in 2019, she held senior roles in telecoms and technology brands including Logica Group (now part of CGI), Telefonica Europe, and T-Mobile (UK).

“To make Inmarsat a truly customer-centric organisation, a key driver is to have the company’s marketing expertise combined under one individual at the executive level.  I am therefore delighted that Barry French, a world-class marketing and communications professional, is able to join us in what promises to be an exciting and transformational journey,” said Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri.

“I am also delighted that Jat Brainch will be taking up the vital executive-level CCPO role, which is central to our ability to successfully place the customer at the heart of everything we do.   Since joining Inmarsat, Jat has made an invaluable contribution to the transformation of the business and brings with her a wealth of experience in delivering a customer-centric approach to commercial and product management.”  

GroupM elevates Ruegger to president
Andrew Ruegger has been promoted to Global President of GroupM Commerce. He will scale commerce-focused products and services for clients to realise the data driven opportunities in expanding retail marketplaces and direct-to-consumer efforts. Ruegger also leads the group’s collaboration in WPP workstreams across commerce.

Ruegger is a GroupM veteran of over six years – the last two leading the group’s US commerce offering – with experience across data science, product, technology, strategy, innovation, eCommerce, SEO, and paid search.

“Over the last year, brands and platforms have re-evaluated every aspect of the retail ecosystem, from brand awareness drivers to a seamless transaction experience, to ‘last mile’ distribution channels,” said Ruegger. “Our GroupM network of more than 1,400 experts have market-leading knowledge in all commerce platforms, partners, and media investment options, giving them a specific understanding of how to drive sales for clients. GroupM commands unmatched commerce expertise around the world, designing and managing thousands of interactions and transactions daily, and I’m excited to be a part of it in this new capacity.” 

Brightley joins Langland to direct on creative
Publicis Langland has welcomed Mike Brightley as its Creative Director.

Brightley boasts over 14 years of healthcare advertising experience, working at Ogilvy Healthworld, PAN and, most recently, as Associate Creative Director at TBWA\WorldHealth.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Langland. I have been working towards this next step in my career for a while and was attracted by the agency’s ambitious vision, deep-rooted commitment to creative excellence and unique approach to healthcare communications,” said Brightley. “Their Think Further ethos encourages curiosity and inspires proactivity: vital traits for a thriving agency culture. I can’t wait to share ideas and experiences with the team, continue to push creative boundaries and deliver the best work of my career.”

OneFootball appoints OTT VP
Nikolaus von Doetinchem has been hired as Vice President of OTT Streaming & Media Rights at football media platform OneFootball. He will oversee the platforms live-streaming and on-demand content offering.

Von Doetinchem joins OneFootball on the back of more than 20 years working within the sports media rights industry and is currently serving as President of Media at SportFive, ahead of his arrival at OneFootball on 19 April.

“The football media landscape continues to rapidly evolve and OneFootball is perfectly positioned to work with rights owners, platforms and broadcasters to provide fans around the world with an unrivalled OTT streaming offering. I look forward to working alongside Lucas and the OneFootball team in the years ahead,” said Von Doetinchem.

Kinsella takes seat on Fenestra board
Programmatic platform Fenestra has added Colin Kinsella to its Board of Directors.

Kinsella led Havas in North America for the last more than four years. Prior to Havas, Colin he served as CEO of Mindshare North America. During his tenure, he managed client relationships across a diverse portfolio, including Volvo, American Express, Unilever, and Nordstrom, and orchestrated the global launch of The Loop.

“The global regulatory environment for digital advertising is changing rapidly, programmatic continues to grow exponentially and advertisers with their agencies are increasingly focused on understanding where their money is going, how it is getting there and how to maximise their business outcomes,” Kinsella said. “Ive spent my career dedicated to that endeavour. As an investor, Ive been blown away by what Fenestra has achieved so far and am excited to help them more actively step-up to the next level.”

Tinuiti adds trio to board
Kevin Mayer, Anneka Gupta, and George Gallate have all taken board spots at performance marketing firm Tinuiti.

Mayer —who over a 23-year career at Disney steered the launch of Disney Plus and led deals such as Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucas Film and 21st Century Fox in addition to serving as CEO of TikTok —will support Tinuiti’s growth plan from acquisitions to global expansion and deepening expertise in emerging social, streaming, and OTT/CTV.

Gupta, President and Head of Products and Platforms at LiveRamp, will apply her cross-divisional product development and data transformation experience to support the evolution of Mobius, Tinuiti’s proprietary suite of AI-powered marketing intelligence and media activation technology.

Gallate, a previous board member and investor in Tinuiti, will help guide the company’s international expansion as well as their continued leadership across Amazon and the broader retail media landscape. He spent 27 years at Havas, serving as Global Chairman and CEO of Havas Digital, and is currently Principal of MKTG2.U.

Pike reeled in by Covatic
Covatic, an in-app experience platform, has hired Daniel Pike as Chief Product Officer. He will be focused on refining the product and delivering value to clients whilst expanding Covatic’s offering as it moves into new markets.

As Head of Strategy at the BBC, Pike led the strategic case for a transformational shift in the BBC’s £1.4bn commercial activities, including the launch of subscription video on demand (SVOD) offers in the UK and USA, the closure of BBC Store, and the acquisition of UKTV.

“What really marks Covatic out – and what really attracted me to them – is that they reject the idea that fantastic in-app experiences can only be achieved via compromises to privacy,” commented Pike. “My focus, as ever, will be on customer and end user requirements – generating insights; creating definable, measurable and targetable user groups; driving retention and growing engagement. Covatic’s offering is unique in the market. I’m looking forward to working closely with clients to drive growth by creating engaging experiences for consumers.”

Jaywing adds pair to senior leadership
Kay Henderson and Chris Langan have joined integrated agency Jaywing as Operations Manager and Organic Media Director, respectively.

Henderson has experience with startups, web-builds, and mobile marketing and was most recently Operations Manager at Fonemedia, where she oversaw a bespoke customisation of the agency’s CRM system.

“I’m really excited to get stuck into this role in Jaywing’s Performance and Media Science team,” said Henderson. “What drew me to Jaywing is the agency’s ethos of collaboration and creativity, which really aligns with me personally. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of making a positive impact on people’s working environment, whilst also helping the business to run more smoothly and efficiently.”

Langan was Search Director at McCann Connected, where he spent four years growing the agency’s organic media offering. He will look to use his expertise to improve integration at Jaywing and drive growth across search strategies.

“Joining Jaywing felt like an easy decision. The talent and skill of the agency is extraordinary, and there’s a real passion to grow and continually meet the challenges our clients face in this unpredictable world,” said Langan.

“The agency has a product that truly differentiates itself from the marketplace and driving Organic Media as a part of the agency vision will be a great experience for me and the team.”

Paley takes up CGO role at Aisle Rocket
Marketing agency Aisle Rocket has hired Mike Paley as its Chief Growth Officer. He will drive business development for Aisle Rocket as the agency positions for robust growth in 2021.

Prior to joining Aisle Rocket, Paley served as Senior Vice President, General Manager at Vestcom. Previously, he held agency leadership roles as Senior Vice President, Shopper Marketing & Experiential at The Marketing Arm/Omnicom and Chief Marketing Officer at Square One.

“I was drawn to Aisle Rocket because it’s uniquely rooted in technology and data that informs dynamic creative, UX and performance media,” Paley said. “The future belongs to agencies that understand how to apply data across all disciplines. Data is no longer limited to just targeting and analytics. Creative and UX is now impacted greatly by data as well. Blending data across disciplines while relying on technology, programmatic buying, and AI is an exciting place to be. I welcome the opportunity to leverage my experience while working with great people to drive quantifiable business results for our clients.”

MediaCom promotes Lim to CPO
Jason Lim has been elevated to the newly created role of Chief Planning Officer at MediaCom US. He will oversee the full audience planning product at MediaCom, directing exceptional strategies into exceptional media plans and measurable growth for clients.

In his 10 years so far at MediaCom, Lim has overseen the performance-based practice and was charged with accelerating and optimising the impact of marketing programs.

“I am thrilled to be leading the charge at MediaCom in ensuring excellence in our media planning, media delivery, and media performance across all brands. Ensuring we continue to drive growth efficiently and effectively in new and dynamic ways,” Lim said.

Crawford added to ChannelAdvisor board
ChannelAdvisor, a cloud-based eCommerce solutions provider, has appointed Linda Crawford to its Board of Directors.

A former Executive Vice President and CEO of Sales Cloud Products at Salesforce, former CEO of Helpshift, and former Chief Revenue Officer and Customer Officer of Optimizely, Crawford brings over two decades leadership experience to ChannelAdvisor.

“As a recognized and respected business leader in the software industry, Linda will provide valuable strategic insight to our Board,” said Timothy Buckley, Chairman of ChannelAdvisor. “Lindas guidance will be instrumental as we continue our work to scale our global leadership position in e-commerce. We are so pleased Linda has joined our Board of Directors, and believe she will be a tremendous asset to ChannelAdvisor.”

Contend names president after gaining independence
David Blaser has been appointed President at creative studio Contend following its ‘amicable split’ with Mosaic.

With more than 20 years of experience in the marketing world, with a client-side  leadership role at Activision Publishing and in senior roles at leading ad agencies, including TBWA\Chiat\Day, AKQA, and 180 LA and Amsterdam, Blaser has a track record for delivering culturally impactful campaigns for brands including Nike, Playstation, Call of Duty, and Adidas.

“Having worked on both the agency and client sides of the business, Contend was an opportunity to do something different. Both Steven and I think this is the agency model of the future, with modular services that can break apart to fit a client’s needs, the creative freedom to stretch the boundaries and the flexibility to create custom solutions. We’re excited to see where it goes,” said Blaser.

Trio join Stationhead board
Stationhead, a social audio platform, has appointed Andrew McInnes, Bill Wesemann, and Avi Ellman to its Board of Directors.

McInees, Co-founder and CEO of TMWRK Management, will will bolster Stationhead’s ability to bring top talent to the platform, which has already hosted the likes of Trey Songz and Polo G.

Wesemann has experience serving in chief executive, sales leadership, and advisory roles at successful technology companies, including as an executive for Steve Jobs at NeXT computers. He is an early investor/advisor to Sonos, and a member of the board for LivePerson and Mylio.

Ellman, a Managing Partner at Delta Global, will bring his experience in live events to the board, having built and sold the largest liv event merchandiser in Latin America.

“Having Andrew McInnes, Bill Wesemann and Avi Ellman join our board adds another layer of invaluable expertise to the Stationhead team,” said Ryan Star, CEO of Stationhead. “As we move into the next phase of growth, these leaders will support Stationhead’s ambitious strategic plan to redefine radio and the future of social audio.”

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Facebook updates news feed to provide more control and context to users https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/facebook-updates-news-feed-to-give-users-more-control/ Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:30:21 +0000 Facebook users now have more control over who comments on their posts and what content they see on their news feeds

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Facebook has made updates to its in order to give users more control over the things that they share and see on the social network.

Now, users can control who can comment on each of their public posts by choosing from a menu with options including ‘Public’, ‘Friends’, and ‘Profiles and Pages you mention’. This means that users can limit potentially unwanted interactions on their public posts – a feature that has proved popular with many on platforms like Twitter.

Facebook has also added a new menu at the top of the news feed called the ‘Feed Filter Bar’, providing a further update to the ‘Favourites’ tool the platform launched in October. With Favourites, users can control and prioritise posts from friends and pages they care about the most, so that content from these sources appears higher up in their news feeds.

The Feed Filter Bar – available to those who use Favourites frequently – builds on Favourites by providing easier access to ‘Most Recent’, enabling users to switch between the default algorithmically-ranked news feed and a feed sorted chronologically with the newest posts first. Currently, only Android app users can access the Feed Filter Bar, but it will roll out to iOS in the ‘coming weeks’.

‘Most Recent’ and ‘Favourites’ will still remain in the shortcuts menu.

Finally, Facebook is providing more transparency on why it suggests certain posts to users.

The expansion of ‘Why am I seeing this?’ will enable users to gain more context on why they’re seeing any post that’s on their news feed. Facebook users factors such as related engagement, related topics, and location to decide which posts to suggest to people, and now users will have more of an idea why.

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Spotify acquires Betty Labs to power live audio ambitions https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/spotify-gets-into-live-audio-with-acquisition-of-betty-labs/ Tue, 30 Mar 2021 18:38:41 +0000 Spotify aims to use Betty Labs Locker Room app to open up live audio to a wider range of creators and fans

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Spotify is entering into the world of live audio with the acquisition of Betty Labs, the creators of sports-focused live audio app Locker Room.

Though the terms of the deal have not been shared, Spotify has said that it will use the acquisition to accelerate its entry into the live audio space – a space that is, of course, currently led by Clubhouse.

“Creators and fans have been asking for live formats on Spotify, and we’re excited that soon, we’ll make them available to hundreds of millions of listeners and millions of creators on our platform,” said Gustav Söderström, Chief Research & Development Officer at Spotify. “The world already turns to us for music, podcasts, and other unique audio experiences, and this new live audio experience is a powerful complement that will enhance and extend the on-demand experience we provide today.”

In particular, Spotify aims to use the Locker Room app – which debuted in October 2020 – to open up live audio to a wider range of creators and fans, continuing to host sports-based programming while extending the experience to cater for music and cultural programming. This expansion will also see Spotify debut interactive features including real-time discussions, debates, ask me anything (AMA) sessions, and more.

“We are excited to join forces with Spotify and contribute to building the future of audio – we’ll invest more in our product, open the experience to Spotify’s audience, diversify our content offerings, and continue expanding the community we’ve built,” said Betty Labs Founder and CEO Howard Akumiah. “With Spotify, we’ll continue to offer the best home for sports fans and use the lessons we’ve learned along the way to create the ultimate destination for live conversation around music and culture.”

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PayPal debuts cryptocurrency payments https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/paypal-now-lets-us-customers-pay-using-bitcoin-ethereum-and-litecoin/ Tue, 30 Mar 2021 18:09:52 +0000 The Checkout with Crypto feature converts crypto into fiat currency at checkout

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PayPal has launched a way for its users to make payments using cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash. The feature, called ‘Checkout with Crypto’, is only available for US customers for the time being.

Customers with cryptocurrency holdings in their PayPal wallets will be able to make purchases using those holdings and face no additional transaction fees. The process works by converting crypto into fiat currency at checkout, with PayPal selling the crypto assets on behalf of the customer.

PayPal users will only be able to select one type of cryptocurrency per purchase – whether that’s Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, or Bitcoin Cash – and will receive a record of both the crypto sale and the purchased item(s).

“As the use of digital payments and digital currencies accelerates, the introduction of Checkout with Crypto continues our focus on driving mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies, while continuing to offer PayPal customers choice and flexibility in the ways they can pay using the PayPal wallet,” said Dan Schulman, President and CEO of PayPal. “Enabling cryptocurrencies to make purchases at businesses around the world is the next chapter in driving the ubiquity and mass acceptance of digital currencies.”

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The Brit Awards partners with TikTok, Amazon Music, Mastercard on digital experiences https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/the-brit-awards-teams-up-with-tiktok-amazon-music-mastercard-to-create-range-of-digital-experiences/ Tue, 30 Mar 2021 13:29:40 +0000 A podcast series will be debuted on Amazon Music, while hashtag challenges can be expected on TikTok

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The Brit Awards is teaming up with TikTok, Amazon Music, and Mastercard to create a range of digital experiences ahead of this year’s ceremony, due to take place on Tuesday 11 May. TikTok and Amazon Music are partnering with the awards for the second year running, while Mastercard is now in its 23rd year as headline partner.

Next month, The Brit Awards will be launching a podcast series exclusively on Amazon Music called ‘Brits Top Table with Mastercard’. The eight-episode series will present the experiences and music loved by some of the UK’s diverse music talent.

In addition to the podcast series, Amazon Music will launch the official Brits playlist on 31 March and make live music from the show available after the event itself.

“We’re thrilled to be an official partner for the second year in a row, celebrating the British music industry and some of the UK’s most loved artists,” said Jillian Gerngross, Director of Amazon Music Europe. “This year we’re excited to help bring fans closer to their favourite artists in even more ways, including the brand-new Brits podcast. We’re looking forward to an amazing night of music.”

Meanwhile, over at TikTok, there will an exclusive series of in-app events to profile those nominated in the ‘Breakthrough Artist’ category, which TikTok is presenting. There will be TikTok Lives, hashtag challenges, special programming, and a Brit Awards takeover in the lead up to awards night.

“Were delighted to partner with The Brit Awards for the second year running and present the Breakthrough Artist category,” said Paul Hourican, Head of Music Operations UK at TikTok. “2020s Brits live stream and #RedCarpetReady challenge ignited the passion and creativity of our community, placing TikTok at the heart of the industrys biggest night. A year on and TikToks impact on the UK music industry is undeniable, helping break artists and their music and becoming the home for music discovery for fans the world over. Increasingly, UK Music starts on TikTok.”

The nominations for this year’s Brit Awards will be announced at 4pm BST on Wednesday 31 March across the @Brits official channels on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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TripleLift sells majority stake to Vista Equity https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/triplelift-picks-up-majority-investment-from-vista-equity/ Mon, 29 Mar 2021 20:13:36 +0000 Vista intends to help drive TripleLift toward further innovation and accelerated global growth

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Ad tech platform TripleLift has received a ‘majority investment’ from Vista Equity Partners, an investment firm focused on enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses. The investment is believed to be worth $1.4bn.

TripleLift, founded in 2012, provides native programmatic advertising, leveraging computer vision technology to transform content into in-feed native ads that match the look of a publisher’s website. Vista intends to help drive TripleLift toward further innovation and accelerated global growth.

“We have developed into a leader in the advertising technology space and are excited about our next chapter,” said Eric Berry, Co-Founder and CEO of TripleLift. “When looking for an investment partner, we placed a premium on a deep understanding of ad tech and a willingness to lean into developing our portfolio of innovative, high-growth products. Vista is that partner.”

The transaction, expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, will see Berry will remain as CEO and on the Board of Directors, while early investors True Ventures and Edison Partners remain invested in the company.

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Didi Chuxing enters South Africa to challenge Uber and Bolt https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/didi-chuxing-lays-down-challenge-to-uber-and-bolt-in-south-africa/ Mon, 29 Mar 2021 15:36:31 +0000 Didi has opened up registration for drivers in Cape Town

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Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing has entered into South Africa, opening up its registration process for drivers in the nation’s second largest city, Cape Town, and laid down a challenge to Uber and Bolt in Africa’s fifth most populous nation.

The expansion follows the launch of a pilot in Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, earlier this month. During the trial, Didi connected more than 2,000 drivers who transported more than 20,000 residents.

“South Africa has been hit particularly hard by this pandemic that has upended all of our lives – so as this beautiful country looks to recover and rebuild, we would like to do our part, to be a partner in building back better by providing better earning opportunities for drivers as well as safer and more affordable mobility options for everyone,” said Stephen Zhu, Senior Vice President and Head of DiDis International Business.

South Africa is the first country in Africa to welcome Didi’s services. Outside of China, it also has presences in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, Russia, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina. Next month, the company plans to begin introducing its service in Ecuador.

In South Africa, Uber and Bolt are the dominant services with both serving across cities including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Cape Town, Kimberley, and more.

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