The Digital Innovations Awesome List (DIAL)

Well folks, Punxsutawney Phil issued his final verdict last week – six more weeks of winter. As depressing as that might sound, there are two things to be happy about: Valentine’s Day and the latest edition of our Digital Innovations Awesome List. With more snow in the forecast (on the East Coast at least!), there’s no better time to sit down by the fire and catch up on the latest trade publications and trends, as well as other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy!

What the cost of a Super Bowl ad can buy online

You may not remember the final score of the game or all of the advertisements, but have you thought about how you would spend the $4.5 million it cost to run a coveted 30 seconds of Super Bowl commercial time?

Anyone with eyes can see that commercial clutter is on the rise

As advertisers keep funneling more money into TV, networks are bulking up their ad pods in order to create more inventory to try to offset declining ratings. So what does this mean for advertisers? Higher frequency instead of more reach? Lower engagement with their ads? Probably both and maybe even worse consequences.

The splintering TV consumption landscape in 5 charts

More people are watching TV on devices rather than their actual television. While we contemplate finding a new name for that big screen streamer or the video content we watch across multiple gadgets, find out why marketers and media buyers need to embrace a multiplatform strategy. Bonus: Jim Nail from Forrester is heavily quoted in this article. He also recently hosted a webinar with our own director of video, Heather Robertson. Check out the three-part webinar series here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

How viewers, advertisers see the current state of T/V (Television/Video)

Based on the nominees for the Golden Globes, critics seem to believe in the idea of breaking down the silos of video consumption. When looking at ad spend, it’s clear that advertisers still believe in TV, but are starting to think more holistically by incorporating digital video into their plans. Simply put, consumers want as many access points as possible!

Oreo and Ritz mark first Super Bowl ads to be purchased programmatically

Mondelez made ad tech history with the first Super Bowl ads to be bought programmatically. What’s even more awesome is that Centro is piloting this very technology (powered by TubeMogul) and we’re actively looking for clients who are interested in combining the advantages of digital media buying with TV.

Social nets help propel video ads to $7.7B

Though many of the new social video opportunities emerging in the ad space today fall into a somewhat separate category than your standard “pre-roll” units, larger budgets are being applied to the social space as advertisers look to capitalize on the reach potential with these platforms.

AT&T to debut 'Snapperhero' series on Snapchat

AT&T is developing a 12 episode, scripted entertainment series for Snapchat and will be leveraging social media influencers and fans to shape and steer the narrative. Sounds like a ‘Choose your own Snapchat adventure’!

Adobe’s new ad report: larger mobile screens are kicking ads into higher gear

Adobe released a Q4 report showing how the evolution of mobile devices is lending itself to a bigger and brighter future for mobile advertising. For now, bigger mobile screens means bigger results.

Publishers Stare Down an 'Oh Sh*t' Mobile Moment

With the monumental growth in the mobile ad category, this article provides a great perspective on the growing pains and struggles of monetizing mobile ads for digital publishers.

Can Apple do for wearable ads what Facebook did for mobile?

If there’s a screen out there, there’s an ad for it. It’s no surprise that as wearable devices have grown in consumer adoption, the digital ad community’s interest in advertising on wearables has also increased. Here’s a glimpse at what the ads might look like on the Apple Watch.

Introducing place tips in news feed

Facebook rolled out an interesting update focused on location and proximity called ‘Place Tips’. Through the magic of cellular networks, Wi-Fi, GPS, and beacons, the Facebook app will launch a tip with personally curated information such as your friend’s posts and pictures.

15 predictions for tech and design in 2015

Here you’ll see a thought-provoking list of design and technology innovations that could be in the works this year, along with a list of companies leading the charge for each.

The you museum follows you wherever you go – yes, you

An interesting (and satirical) experiment utilizing retargeted banner ads customized to create “the world’s first and only personalized museum that’s with you wherever you go.”