From product placement to the Netflix Cup: marketers weigh up the unconventional twist in its ad strategy

Instead of just being asked to advertise around the ‘Netflix Cup’ global golf match, brand clients are also being “invited” to sponsor it. November 10, 2023 [From product placement to the Netflix Cup: marketers weigh up the unconventional twist in its ad strategy]( With its first live sports event coming up, Netflix execs have been talking it up to marketers — and [it's not the usual spiel they might have expected]( from the streaming giant. Additional coverage: - [BuzzFeed is rumored to be selling Complex]( and current and former staffers seem to be on board with that decision. - With the actors' strike over, productions will likely start up again for an unusually busy winter. [What happens next for advertisers and ad buyers?]( - It's earnings season, and this quarter, it's become abundantly clear that [gaming is on the menu for entertainment companies large and small]( — but mostly large ones, like Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney. - Digiday+ Research checked in with publisher, agency and brand professionals to see [how their use of AI is progressing]( as the year goes on. And we found that it's progressing significantly — particularly among publishers and brands. - These days, it seems like everyone is building their own artificial intelligence capabilities. But [what does it take for these tools and strategies]( to stand out for agencies? - Our most-read story this week: [GroupM is in the trough of the business cycle — when will it reach the crest again](? Other things to know about - Join us December 4-6 at the [Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit](, where we’ll connect attendees with leaders from Ogilvy, PMG and many more. Don't miss this opportunity to secure months' worth of meetings over the span of just three days. - The era of rigid keyword-based safety protocols — which hurt both brands and publishers — is [giving way to an AI-enabled contextual technology](. Sponsored by Seedtag. - Adding DCO technology to the marketing toolkit is [unlocking opportunities for advertisers and agencies to iterate further and discover innovative campaign directions quickly](. Sponsored by Clinch. Top Stories Ivy Liu [Business of TV]( [From product placement to the Netflix Cup: marketers weigh up the unconventional twist in its ad strategy]( Instead of just being asked to advertise around the ‘Netflix Cup’ global golf match, brand clients are also being “invited” to sponsor it. howdy! [Strategizing for the Future]( [Why BuzzFeed might as well sell Complex]( BuzzFeed is rumored to be selling Complex and current and former staffers seem to be on board with that decision. [Sponsored by Klaviyo]( [The state of data for DTC marketers]( Among DTC marketers, third-party data plays an outsized role in their marketing outcomes, but teams are still working to unlock the full potential of first- and zero-party data. Advertisement howdy! [As the strikes end and Hollywood gets back to business, what happens next for advertisers and ad buyers?]( Other ripple effects of the strike’s end will likely take more time to sort out. [Sponsored by AdDaptive Intelligence]( [Facing market shifts, brands and agencies look to strategic partnerships]( Advertisers are struggling with the frequent and numerous industry changes, and strategic partnerships are helping teams identify the shifts to make in response. howdy! [Gaming & Esports]( [Reading between the earnings: For entertainment giants, gaming is a key battleground for the future]( Gaming is an inherently immersive and interactive form of entertainment, and if Disney does decide to spin up an internal gaming group, it might look to its theme park division for the proper talent, much as it did for its metaverse strategy last year. Advertisement [Sponsored by Theorem]( [Why media evolution is spurring the demand for automation]( Current processes in ad operations are notoriously manual — increasing the time teams spend on tasks and the possibility of human error. howdy! [Generative AI]( [Digiday+ Research check-in: Publishers and brands go all-in on AI compared with Q2]( Digiday+ Research checked in with publisher, agency and brand professionals to see how their use of AI is progressing as the year goes on. And we found that it’s progressing significantly — particularly among publishers and brands. howdy! [Generative AI]( [Inside one agency's efforts to build its own AI platform]( In this interview, Ho discusses why the agency decided to build this proprietary software and how clients are using the tool. [All Latest Stories]( You received this email because you’re a member of the Digiday community. If someone forwarded this to you, [subscribe for yourself here](#). [Unsubscribe from this newsletter or update your preferences](. I don't want to hear from Digiday anymore. [Stop receiving all Digiday emails](. Digiday Media, One Liberty Plaza, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10006 [Forward to a Friend](