DIAL: Digital Innovations Awesome List (February)

At Centro, we know that keeping up with the trade pubs and latest trends can be tough and time consuming. To make that easier, we've compiled all the articles, reports, and other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy our latest list below!

Digital in 2017: A Global Overview
With more than half of the global population online, and a similar number of people owning a smartphone, it is encouraging to see digital growth continue. This annual report is chock-full of global insights. Be sure to dive deep into the North America report here.

IAB Chief Calls On Online Ad Industry to Fight Fake News
Marketers, ad agencies, tech firms, and media companies that do not take responsibility and help prevent the spread of fake news online are acting negligently, and have an obligation to actively banish fraudulence.

Facebook Won't Pay Publishers For Live Videos Anymore
Last year, Facebook paid brands and celebrities over $50 million to use Facebook Live. This year, the company isn't making those types of booster shot offers. Instead, they are reportedly encouraging publishers to create long-form, premium content.

Facebook Tests New Sharing Tool with a TV Focus
Individual sharing on Facebook is down, but the company is testing new ways to bring that number back up, including prompts reminding users of TV show returns. Time will tell if people adopt this feature en masse, or if advertising opportunities will follow.

Snapchat Offers to Bill Brands for Ads Based on TV-Style Ratings from Nielsen
About a year after partnering with Nielsen to better measure ad campaign reach, Snapchat is now offering clients the option to bill against Nielsen's Digital Ad Ratings. This is an effort to appeal more to TV buyers and traditional advertisers who are comfortable with this pricing model. Snapchat joins the likes of Facebook, which began offering the same option in late 2015.

Hulu Reaches Deal with CBS for Live-Streaming Content
Making more headway toward building its skinny bundle service, Hulu has licensed CBS broadcast and cable channels for its lineup. Though some content will still only be accessible through CBS All Access, this is a big win for Hulu over some of its soon-to-be competitors like DirecTV Now and Sling TV.

Comcast Releases Beta of Xfinity TV App for Roku
In what may have been a preemptive move to address the FCC's Unlock the Box initiative, consumers with Roku devices will be able to access their Comcast Xfinity TV channels and content. This seemingly consumer-friendly move from one of the top cable companies could potentially save subscribers money on their monthly bill, and lead to more addressable TV targeting opportunities in the near future.

What Google's Removal of 3^rd Party Pixels on YouTube Means for Marketers
A recent update limits the utilizing of outside cookies and pixels in favor of Google's identify-based tools. While this is expected to improve cross-screen measurement on YouTube, there will be new limitations in how marketers are able to target and measure outside of Google. New walls for the garden.

Captivate Forms Strategic Partnership with Placed
This new partnership allows advertisers the opportunity to measure the impact of in-office elevator and lobby screen ad exposure to foot traffic and store visits, demonstrating the continued convergence of DPB/DOOH and mobile. Not just for consumers, but also for marketers looking for advanced forms of measurement.

HTC Offering $10 Million For VR Content Creation
The VR For Impact program, launched by HTC's Vive division, plans to invest $10 million in the development of VR that creates powerful experiences to help drive awareness and solve the biggest challenges of mankind. Winners will be announced in April for the program, which is aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity for all by 2030.