Spotify Launches 🎷, Podcast Live Show Promotes Literacy, & More

Scoop: Spotify launching an ad exchange, will partner with Trade Desk by Sara Fischer

Spotify is piloting their own supply-side platform (SSP) in an effort to scale automated ad offerings, three sources have told Axios. The initial focus on the Spotify ad exchange will be video. The internal name for the exchange is Spotify Ad Exchange, simplified to SAX, and their first demand-side platform (DSP) partner is The Trade Desk. Testing of the plugin between the two began last week. According to Axios’ sources, the partnership is currently focused on connecting TTD’s North American ad clients to Spotify’s video ad inventory before moving on to audio inventory.

Agencies committed millions to GenAI. Here’s how it’s playing out by Jasmine Sheena

MarketingBrew looks at the use of generative AI tools by companies that have pledged to increase investment in the sector over a period of several years. According to Forrester data from June, 91% of U.S. ad agencies are currently using generative AI or exploring its use case in some way. When filtered for large agencies (over 201 employees) that works out to 78%. Publicis has worked to incorporate GenAI to make visuals for ads, but found GenAI isn’t capable of consistently replicating details in a controllable manner. PXP uses image generation to expedite the storyboarding process of ads, as well as running experiments using GenAI to localize voice clones into different languages.

APM Wins Gold at MarCom Awards, Teaches Financial Literacy

Winners of the 2024 MarCom awards have been posted and a noteworthy winner is Marketplace’s Million Bazillion Live! School Tour presented by Greenlight. With the school tour, American Public Media reached 63 schools in 20 metropolitan areas across the U.S., promoting financial literacy in underserved communities.

Why retailers like Kroger & Walmart are adding streaming services to their membership programs by Mitchell Parton

Grocery chain Kroger has announced members of their paid membership plans can add their choice of Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ as a membership perk. Walmart has a similar partnership arrangement in the form of Paramount + Essentials subscriptions bundled into Walmart+ memberships. Ditto for Instacart+ and Peacock Premium. Bundling services creates value while also making the grocery subscription ‘stickier,’ with the streaming service adding extra benefits lost if the consumer ends their subscription. As brands experiment with more media bundles, we point to premium podcasts as an avenue for more add-ons to subscription services and programs.

As for the rest of the news…