Top Story

• Tumblr is scaling up its ad business, says product chief
  Tumblr resisted getting into online advertising for years -- but the company is now building out a full-scale ad business, says product chief Derek Gottfrid. So far Tumblr has run a few hundred campaigns with brands such as Adidas and Burberry, and is hiring national sales teams to make its ad offerings more widely available. "We've ramped up really quickly," Gottfrid says. CNET (1/11)      

Marketing Trends & Research

• New law lets Netflix users share their video-rental data
  President Barack Obama last week signed into law a measure allowing online movie-rental services to give users the option of sharing their viewing habits via third-party social networks. That could open up a slew of new marketing and social media options for services such as Netflix. "This new law is truly pro-consumer and places the decision of whether or not to share video rentals with one's friends squarely in the hands of the consumer," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Adweek (1/11)      

• Mobile users up in arms over "madware"
  Adware programs designed for mobile devices, known as "madware," are becoming an increasing nuisance, as marketers go to greater lengths to get their brands noticed by mobile users, experts say. The worst offenders infect users' phones through free application downloads, then use intrusive ad techniques such as flashing constant notification messages, inserting advertising into users' address books or even forcing users to listen to audio ads before making calls. "The problem is getting worse, not better. App developers and ad networks want to make money, and the screening to keep out malicious actors is not adequate," says Paul Ferguson of security firm IID. USA Today (1/12)      

Company Watch

• Zavers digital coupons could enlarge Google's retail footprint
  Google is relaunching a digital coupon and loyalty offering, Zavers by Google, building on the company's 2011 purchase of Zave Networks, which has remained in operation since the acquisition. The service offers advertisers real-time redemption information and other analytics to maximize return on investment. Google says the service can target shoppers based on buyer behavioral data. TechCrunch (1/11)      

• Google looks to use natural language processing to aid search
  Google's decision to hire futurist Ray Kurzweil as director of engineering could push search engines and artificial intelligence closer together. Kurzweil maintains that by increasing the natural language processing Google uses, the search engine will be able to anticipate questions before they are asked. Such technology could make use of vast stores of personal data, such as past search terms and calendar items, to help divine user intent, this article notes. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (1/11)      

Agency News

• Not feeling the love, Univision forms its own internal shop
  Univision is forming an internal creative and media shop called Univision Agency to unify the look and feel of the network and its brands. "Many in the buying communities don't watch what we put on or don't feel the passion for the content that we put in," says Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications. The shop will be based in Miami and will be led by Jessica Rodriguez, currently executive vice president for program scheduling and promotions. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Media Decoder blog (1/13)      

Marketer News

• Hilton partners with The Onion for Web campaign
  Hilton has recruited The Onion's humorists for a social media and Web campaign aimed at convincing young workers that they need a vacation. Visitors to Hilton's custom website can access humorous cartoons diagnosing them with workplace maladies such as "cubiclophobia" and "yellow Post-it fever," and prescribing Hilton vacations to cure their affliction. "It differentiates Hilton in a key, positive way. ... You don't see anybody else doing this," says brand consultant Irma Zandl. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/13)      

Interactive Media

• Aflac's lame-duck campaign draws thousands of sympathy cards
  Aflac's latest campaign soliciting get-well cards for its supposedly injured spokes-duck has elicited sympathy on Facebook and more than 4,000 get-well cards. Aflac marketers are tweeting on the duck's behalf as well as advertising with a series that started with an announcement from the duck's doctor. ClickZ (1/11)      

Hot Topics

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

• ESPN uses wallpaper to make end run around banner ads (Adweek)

• Obama's data strategy holds lessons for digital marketers (Adweek)

• IAB pursues common ad metrics for mobile apps (MarketingWeek.co.uk (U.K) (free content))

• Why quants are invading the ad world (Adweek)

• Home page ad trends suggest display is doing fine (MediaPost Communications)

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

IAB News

• Digital Decision Makers Debate the Value of Big Data: IAB Annual Leadership Meeting
  Join media, brand and big data experts on Feb. 24–26 in Phoenix for a conversation that changes the way you think about the future of advertising. Explore the impact of big data on everything from politics to buying behavior. Hear how and why The Weather Channel is hiring veteran ad sales leaders to take digital by storm. And do business with the most influential decision makers in digital. Speakers include Curt Hecht, global chief revenue officer, The Weather Channel; David Kenny, chairman and chief executive officer, The Weather Channel; Nate Silver, author, statistician and founder, FiveThirtyEight.com; Michael Wolf, founder and managing director, Activate; and many more. Learn more here.      

Position Title Company Name Location VP, Digital Strategy Lincoln Financial Media Company Atlanta, GA SEM Marketing Manager, Local Everyday Health Inc. New York , NY Director-Yield Management Pandora Oakland, CA Advertising Operations Technical Lead Pandora Oakland, CA Vice President, Communications Pandora Internet Radio Oakland, CA Vice President, Growth Pandora Internet Radio Oakland, CA Vice President, Subscriptions Pandora Internet Radio Oakland, CA Director, Sales Marketing Pandora Internet Radio Oakland, CA

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SmartQuote

You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm." --Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, French novelist and performer