Top Story

• Digital targeting could be the real U.S. election winner
  President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney's campaigns have embraced digital ad targeting far more whole-heartedly than have commercial advertisers, writes L. Gordon Crovitz. The victor should remember that when it's time to consider regulating the digital ad business, Crovitz asserts. "Whoever wins the White House on Tuesday should give credit to how his campaign made smart use of targeted advertising online -- and then let the Internet continue to evolve without getting in the way," he writes. The Wall Street Journal (11/4)      

• Campaigns embraced online video to drum up votes: More than half of registered voters watched at least one political online-video spot during the 2012 cycle, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study. Democrats were slightly more likely than Republicans or independents to have seen a video ad, and more than six out of 10 respondents said they saw video ads after receiving peer recommendations on social networks. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (11/4)      

Marketing Trends & Research

• Why algorithms aren't the key to Twitter campaigns
  MIT researchers are reverse-engineering the algorithms used to determine personalized trending topics on Twitter -- but that won't necessarily give brands an easy way to game the system, experts say. Predicting what will trend and generating and effectively promoting trend-worthy content are very different skills, explains Eric Dykstra. "If a brand really wants everyone to see their hash tag or trending topic, they're still going to pay for a promoted trend," he writes. Forbes (11/2)      

Company Watch

• EBay sees a way to expand in China
  EBay reportedly is working on a deal with Xiu.com, a Chinese luxury retailer, that would give the U.S. company a way to expand its limited presence in China. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)/Bloomberg (11/2)      

• Facebook, Wrapp look to normalize casual gifting
  Facebook and Swedish startup Wrapp are two companies promoting social gift giving by trying to make the shopping experience easier. Wrapp users can send gift certificates worth small amounts of money at no cost, while Facebook is aiming to convince its users to make gift-giving a part of sending birthday wishes via the social network. However, some analysts such as Forrester's Sucharita Mulpuru say the free birthday greetings people already send via the social network make more elaborate birthday wishes less likely. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/5)      

Agency News

• Source: Clock is ticking on Nick Brien's career at McCann
  Interpublic is considering replacing Nick Brien as the chief executive of McCann Worldgroup, according to a source. Brien was brought in by Interpublic CEO Michael Roth to turn the troubled agency group around, but instead McCann Erickson lost ExxonMobil, Hewlett-Packard and Nestle's Nescafe coffee in the U.S., and new business wins have been rare. The Wall Street Journal (11/4)      

Marketer News

• Dodge teams up with The Onion for video-ad campaign
  To promote its Dart model, Dodge is running a spoof video on The Onion's YouTube channel. The spot, a send-up of TV networks' upfront presentations to marketers, is intended to appeal to young consumers who might not see conventional television ads. "Millennials like to take their news sources online and with a dose of humor," says Dodge social media manager Mark Malmstead. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Media Decoder blog (11/4)      

Interactive Media

• Home Depot mobile campaign looks to bring people to the store
  Home Depot offers mobile users immediately relevant information in their latest mobile campaign, which leverages location-based technology. By tapping on the ad on The Weather Channel's iPhone application, consumers can find the nearest store and search for the product they want. Users are also invited to offer feedback. MobileCommerceDaily.com (11/5)      

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by IAB SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Should media buys align with where consumers spend their time? (Advertising Age (tiered subscription model))

• Yahoo-Bing Network outpaced Google in Q3 (MediaPost Communications)

• Sandy takes a toll on digital marketing (MediaPost Communications)

• Parody of Apple ads goes viral (CNET)

• Moving beyond pre-roll ads, companies embrace social video (eMarketer)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

IAB News

• IAB up & running / Ad Operations Summit rescheduled for Nov. 19
  While the IAB offices and servers are still without power, IAB itself is up and running. As a direct result of Hurricane Sandy the Ad Operations Summit has been rescheduled from Monday, Nov. 5, to Monday, Nov. 19, at the same venue, the Crowne Plaza in Times Square. If you need to reach IAB, please use iabbunker@gmail.com, and your message will be routed to the appropriate people on our staff.      

• IAB Digital Media Sales Certification: Last Test Window of 2012 Ends Soon
  As a subscriber to IAB SmartBrief, you know how important it is to stay on top of current trends and be in the forefront of interactive advertising. Take the next step and be recognized as an expert in the field by taking the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification exam, the gold-standard for sellers of advertising. It's rapidly becoming a competitive tool for sales teams and individuals worldwide. This certification is unlike any other today -- created by our industry, for our industry. The last test window of 2012 runs from Oct. 1 until Nov. 14. Apply today. Showcase your experience, knowledge, and competency in digital media sales.      

Position Title Company Name Location Sales Development Manager Chegg Santa Clara, CA Sales Director - Digital Media & Targeting Datalogix San Francisco area , CA Product Manager - Digital Targeting Solutions - Automotive Datalogix Westminster (located between Denver & Boulder), CO Strategic Client Lead Datalogix Bentonville, AR Manager, Datalogix Client Services Datalogix Bentonville, AR Regional Director, Sales Development Pandora New York, NY Advertising Operations Technical Lead Pandora Oakland, CA

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SmartQuote

Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible." --George Orwell, British novelist and journalist