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The Internet and eCommerce Newsfeed – January 21, 2025
Online Advertising and Digital Media
- BMBL announces Whitney Wolfe Herd to return to CEO role, provides update on 4Q guidance (LINK). BMBL announced that its founder and former CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd will return to the CEO role in Mid-March, replacing Lidiane Jones, who has resigned due to personal reasons, though will remain in the position until Wolfe Herd steps in. Wolfe Herd previously served as CEO prior to Jones joining the company in January 2024. Additionally, BMBL announced that it expects to report 4Q total revenue and Bumble App revenue above the midpoint of its guidance range, and for EBITDA to be within the range.
- CRTO names Michael Komasinki incoming CEO (LINK). CRTO named Michael Komasinki as its incoming CEO, effective February 15. Komasinki is currently CEO of the Americas, President of Global Data & Technology, and a member of the Group Executive Management team at dentsu and has worked in ad-tech for more than two decades. CRTO’s current CEO, Megan Clarken, who previously disclosed plans to retire, will step down from the CEO role and the company’s Board, though will remain with the company in a senior advisory position to aid in the transition.
- UK’s CMA launches investigation into GOOGL’s search business (LINK). The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority announced that it will be launching an investigation into GOOGL’s search and search advertising activities. The investigation aims to assess the competitive environment in search and whether GOOGL’s services are delivering beneficial outcomes to its users.
- Google Cloud to reportedly form new AI-focused sales and engineering teams, also eliminate 60 positions (LINK). Google Cloud is reportedly forming a new sales and engineering team aimed at generating more demand from AI customers and engaging with software providers who could refer their customers to Google Cloud. In addition to the formation of these AI-focused teams, reports say Google Cloud plans to eliminate 60 positions, including a sales division focused on customers in the central US.
- META to reportedly conduct performance-based layoffs (LINK). According to media reports, in an internal memo to staff, Mark Zuckerberg announced that META plans to cut roughly 5% of its workforce based on performance. The company will reportedly notify affected employees by February 10, and then intends to backfill their roles with new hires.
- MGNI extends partnership with Samsung Ads to enable programmatic advertising on Samsung TV Plus inventory in three SE Asian countries. (LINK). MGNI deepened its programmatic advertising partnership with Samsung Ads by expanding programmatic access to inventory on its FAST channel, called Samsung TV Plus, across Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand. This announcement comes after Samsung TV Plus initially launched in Southeast Asia in late 2024.
- MGNI selected by FIFA+ as programmatic partner (LINK). MGNI was selected by FIFA+ as its programmatic ads partner for video and display inventory across mobile, desktop, and CTV. As a part of the global collaboration, FIFA+ will utilize multiple MGNI products including Magnite Streaming, SpringServe, and MagniteDV+.
- TTD to acquire ad data company Sincera (LINK). TTD announced it will acquire Sincera, a digital advertising data company that provides key insights to the ads ecosystem. With the acquisition, TTD will be able to provide advertisers with more valuable data to improve their campaigns, and it will also provide publishers with insights about which data signals are most important to advertisers. Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal, which is expected to close later this quarter.
- RAMP launches industry-first casino media network with Mohegan (LINK). RAMP launched an industry-first casino media network in collaboration with Mohegan, a global owner of casino and entertainment resorts. With this partnership, advertisers will be able to leverage Mohegan’s 1P data to target guests and measure campaigns across Mohegan’s digital channels and properties.
- IAC to spin off ANGI and reorganize leadership structure (LINK). IAC announced its intentions to spin off ANGI, a platform for home services, and make changes to its leadership structure. Current CEO, Joey Levin, will be leaving his role but staying with IAC in an advisory capacity. Rather than appointing a new CEO, IAC CFO/COO Christopher Halpin and Chief Legal Officer Kendall Handler will report directly to the Senior Executive and Chairman of IAC, Barry Diller.
- ChatGPT rolls out Tasks feature in beta to paid subscribers (LINK). On Tuesday, OpenAI rolled out Tasks, a feature that can set future alerts and perform certain recurring tasks, in beta to paid subscribers of ChatGPT. Users can manage these actions either in the chat thread, or directly in a new Tasks section available on the web version. Media reports suggest it is still uncertain if or when OpenAI will roll out Tasks for ChatGPT more broadly.
- Supreme Court will not hear NAR’s appeal of prior court ruling regarding DOJ investigation (LINK).The US Supreme Court on Monday denied the NAR’s request to hear its appeal regarding an April 2024 ruling that enabled the DOJ to continue investigating the organization despite a 2020 settlement agreement that would’ve ended its investigation into the NAR, which the government later backed out of. The Court did not provide a reason for the rejection.
eCommerce
- AWS launches infrastructure region in Mexico, will invest $5b in the country (LINK). AWS announced that it has created a new infrastructure region in Mexico, called the AWS Mexico (Central) Region, and will invest $5b over 15 years as part of its ongoing commitment to the country. With this new infrastructure region, AWS now has 114 availability zones across 36 geographic regions.
- EBAY to acquire online auto transaction platform, Caramel (LINK). EBAY announced its plans to acquire Caramel, an end-to-end online auto transaction platform, to bolster its eBay Motors offering. Through this acquisition, EBAY intends to streamline the process of buying and selling vehicles on its platform by using Caramel to address multiple pain points like title and identity verification, insurance, financing, and shipping.
- Temu considering launching ads business, reportedly testing search and display ads (LINK). On Tuesday, Temu confirmed that it has begun testing advertising services, though the company noted that it has not yet decided whether to roll out ads more broadly. According to media reports, the ad formats Temu is testing are promoted listings within search results and display ads across the company’s site.
Online Travel & Ridesharing
- Booking.com to run Super Bowl ad for fourth consecutive year (LINK). Booking.com will run an ad during the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive year, with the sporting event set to take place on February 9. The company’s ad will be shown during the fourth quarter of this year’s game.
- Booking.com partners with Antom to offer more payment options across Asia (LINK). Booking.comestablished a partnership with Antom, a payment processing services provider for merchants, as the company aims to offer more localized payment options across Asia. Initially, Booking.com will introduce mobile wallets in multiple countries as viable payment methods, and over time, the company intends to make over 40 payment options accessible to users through this partnership.
- US to ban the sale or import of connected vehicles from China and Russia, bar Chinese companies from testing AVs on US roads (LINK). The US Department of Commerce announced a ban on the sale or import of connected vehicles from China and Russia, citing national security concerns. The regulation will also prevent these companies from testing their autonomous capabilities on US roads. Software bans will take effect in 2027, while hardware bans won’t take effect until 2029.
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