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☆ These 18 top Netflix execs are driving its advertising push under head Jeremi Gorman as the company makes its first big TV upfronts pitch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Peter Naylor, VP of global advertising salesPeter Naylor, VP, global advertising sales. Netflix has also brought on several directors and other roles in ad sales who've worked at Hulu, Snap, and elsewhere. They are Kinsey Osberg Tamberrino, who is Publicis' main point of contact, and who spent eight years at Hulu, rising to director of advertising sales. Chad Rumminger, who focuses on automotive accounts, from automotive ad sales at Twitter. Julie Taylor Green is head of US vertical ad sales; she was TikTok's director of global business solutions before that.

☆ Check out the pitch deck that brand safety startup Barometer used to raise its $2.25 million in seed funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Startup Barometer wants to help advertisers identify brand-safety issues in podcast shows. Barometer is looking to potentially also launch brand safety tools for user-generated video and Substack. But if advertisers are to invest, they'll need tools that show their ads appeared next to brand-safe content. The company plans to raise another round of funding, which it will use to expand internationally and review non-English languages. Here are select slides that helped Barometer raise its seed round.

☆ Opinion | Why Does Bad Science on Covid’s Origin Get Hyped?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

This pattern does not apply only to research purporting to show evidence of a natural origin. Perhaps, if you staked a lot on that initial raccoon-dog report, it does make sense to turn your dial a bit in the opposite direction. Across a pandemic in which the public was desperate for new information, we have probably gotten too used to treating hurriedly prepared reports as definitive science. “It is really important to try to understand the origin of Covid-19,” Bloom says. I think part of science, and part of critical thinking in general, is supposed to be a high level of comfort with uncertainty and unknowns.

☆ NYPD's robot dogs are back after backlash. NYC Mayor Eric Adams says 'we cannot be afraid' of the technology.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The NYPD's robotic dogs are "out of the pound" again, mayor Eric Adams announced earlier this week. Adams announced during a press conference earlier this week that the city spent $750,000 on two robotic canines the NYPD calls "Digidogs. " He said the dogs can "save lives" in situations where "you can't have police officers going inside because it's dangerous." The announcement comes just two years after the NYPD halted an experiment with the robotic dogs. In addition to the robot dogs, the NYPD will begin testing the StarChase pilot, a device that shoots a GPS-tracker to a stolen car, and the K5 ASR, an outdoor security robot, Adams said during the press conference.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Apple, Meta, Costco, Marvell, C3.ai and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Costco Wholesale — The retailer's shares dropped 3.4% after the company's fiscal second-quarter earnings missed analysts' expectations. Marvell Technology — The chip stock lost 7.3% after Marvell Technology reported mixed quarterly results and provided weak guidance. The move comes after Bumble announced it would price a secondary offering of 13.75 million shares of its common stock at $22.80 per share. The company earned an adjusted 37 cents per share, above the 29 cents expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. The company posted a loss of 6 cents per share, compared to Refinitiv analysts' estimates for a 22 cent loss.

☆ Twitter's ailing ad business offered a glimmer of hope as it lures big Super Bowl advertisers to platform on gameday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Super Bowl could be the most lucrative day for Twitter's ad business since Elon Musk's takeover. A handful of Super Bowl advertisers are poised to spend on Twitter on gameday weekend later this month, handing the beleaguered social media giant's ad business a much-needed boost, according to industry sources. A promoted trend costs $700,000 during the Super Bowl, compared to $100,000 on an ordinary day, Ad Age first reported. Upfront Super Bowl bookings on Twitter are still lower than in previous years, according to people familiar with the matter. To be sure, many big Super Bowl advertisers have no plans to appear on Twitter this time around.

☆ Twitter, ad verification firms team up to give advertisers tweet-level analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc will team up with digital ad verification companies Integral Ad Science (IAS.O) and DoubleVerify Holdings Inc (DV.N) to provide advertisers tweet-level analysis on content appearing next to their ads, the companies said on Wednesday. IAS and DoubleVerify, who have both previously partnered with Twitter, use technology to independently verify that digital ads are viewed by real people. Advertisers use the services to ensure the ads they pay for are seen by potential customers and not automated bots. Musk has been fighting to retain clients as many companies, including General Motors (GM.N) and United Airlines (UAL.O), had paused or pulled back from advertising on the platform. Many advertisers including Dyson, Mazda, Forbes and PBS Kids suspended their marketing campaigns or removed their ads from parts of Twitter because their promotions appeared alongside tweets soliciting child pornography.

☆ Twitter, ad verification company partner to give advertisers tweet-level analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc and Integral Ad Science (IAS.O), a digital ad verification company, will team up to provide advertisers tweet-level analysis on content appearing next to their ads, the companies said on Wednesday. "Marketers are looking for confidence to continue to invest in Twitter and eventually grow their investment in Twitter... and that is what this is all about," said Craig Ziegler, senior vice president, Product Management of Integral Ad Science. IAS will also give advertisers measurement for brand safety, an industry term to protect its online reputation and evaluate content that is next to an ad at the tweet level. Musk has been fighting to retain clients as many companies, including General Motors (GM.N) and United Airlines (UAL.O), had paused or pulled back from advertising on the platform. Many advertisers including Dyson, Mazda, Forbes and PBS Kids suspended their marketing campaigns or removed their ads from parts of Twitter because their promotions appeared alongside tweets soliciting child pornography.

Between '97 and '02, HBO released TV series like "Sex and the City," "The Wire," and "The Sopranos." Counterprogram, counterprogram, counterprogramFrom its very inception in the early 1970s, HBO executives came to believe that if HBO was to thrive in the long-run, it would have to focus on doing things differently than the big three commercial TV networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. When HBO executives sent the first episode of "The Sopranos" to a focus group, it scored horribly. The screening was attended by the film's cast, HBO executives, and a collection of Russian dignitaries. Anybody could watch a new TV series from the comfort of their home, and the actors starring in new TV shows were rarely famous.

Layoffs have been hitting the ad industry as marketers trim spending amid a softening economy. Insider is tracking which ad and marketing companies have laid off staffers, and how many. Layoffs have been hitting the ad industry since early this year as marketers reined in their spending over growing economic concerns. Marketing is typically the first expense companies cut in downturns and times of uncertainty, and the industry's biggest trend forecasters have revised down their estimates for global ad revenue growth next year. Insider is tracking which companies across the ad industry are cutting staff and how many.

☆ Biotech investor Brad Loncar shares 10 predictions for 2023, including a hot new cancer target, Nobel Prize winners, and a biotech founder running for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Loncar shared his 2023 forecast, including new drugs, Nobel Prize winners, and more globalization. Brad Loncar isn't expecting a miraculous rebound for the biotech industry in 2023. In an interview with Insider, Loncar shared 10 predictions for biotech in 2023, ranging from Nobel Prize winners and presidential runs to hot cancer targets and bankruptcy worries. 2022 was a rough year for the biotech industry, which once again underperformed the stock market. The industry runs to the next super-hot cancer target: Claudin 18.2In cancer research, drug companies are always on the hunt for the next promising target.

☆ A promising new Covid pill shows key advantages over Paxlovid in trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Aria Bendix | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A new antiviral pill for Covid was found to be as effective as Paxlovid at curbing mild to moderate illness among people at high risk of severe disease in a Phase 3 trial in China. The results, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that the treatment had fewer side effects than Paxlovid, the go-to antiviral for high-risk patients. Around 67% of people who took the experimental pill, called VV116, reported side effects, compared to to 77% who took Paxlovid. In the trial of VV116, more than 380 people took the experimental drug, while a similarly sized group took Paxlovid. The median time to recovery — defined as no Covid symptoms for two consecutive days — was four days for VV116 recipients and five days for those who took Paxlovid.

Around 67% of people who took the experimental pill, called VV116, reported side effects, compared to to 77% who took Paxlovid. In the trial of VV116, more than 380 people took the experimental drug, while a similarly sized group took Paxlovid. The median time to recovery — defined as no Covid symptoms for two consecutive days — was four days for VV116 recipients and five days for those who took Paxlovid. Three-quarters of the trial participants were vaccinated, though the study found consistent results regardless of vaccine status. The National Institutes of Health recommends Paxlovid, with molnupiravir as an alternative in situations when neither Paxlovid nor remdesivir is available or appropriate.

☆ A tiny biotech's experimental treatment for a silent disease that strikes millions just cleared a key hurdle and the stock is up more than 200%
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Madrigal Pharmaceuticals reported positive results in its phase 3 trial for a drug to treat NASH. NASH is a serious liver condition that does not have an FDA-approved treatment. Many people don't even know they have it, which is why some people call it a "silent" disease. In a trial of more than 950 patients, 26% of patients taking 80mg and 30% of patients taking 100mg of the drug showed that NASH activity like swelling had been reduced. Pharma hasn't found a way to treat NASH yetThe pharma industry has been watching NASH for a while.

☆ Digital ad firm Viant plans to lay off 13% of its staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Viant, a publicly traded adtech company, disclosed plans to lay off 46 employees, or 13% of its staff. It becomes the latest in a line of adtech companies to reduce their workforces in recent months. Digital ad firm Viant said it plans to lay off 13% of its workforce, or about 46 employees, becoming the latest in a line of adtech companies trimming headcount in the face of an advertising downturn. Advertising-funded technology companies from Meta to Google have suffered a decline in ad sales in recent months and major advertising forecasting firms have revised down their estimates for the industry's growth in 2023. Adtech companies including Integral Ad Science, Taboola, and Meta have announced plans to trim their workforces in recent months amid the softening economy.

☆ Digital ad firm Integral Ad Science is laying off 13% of staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Integral Ad Science is going through a round of layoffs — bringing the company's headcount down to 800 people. The firm is the latest adtech to make layoffs due to economic uncertainty. Integral Ad Science plans to lay off 13% of staffers — or 120 people — as the ad industry reacts to an economic downturn. IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider said that the layoffs bring the company's headcount to 800 people, a similar size to February 2022. Despite the layoffs, IAS slightly increased its expected fourth-quarter revenue from $110 million to $113 million, according to the 8-K form.

☆ Netflix has launched its ad-supported tier — here's everything we know about how the streaming giant is pitching advertisers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Lauren Johnson | Elizabeth Pham Janowski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Netflix launched its ad-supported tier in the US on November 3. The new ad-supported tier does not have the full Netflix catalog and will offer video quality up to 720p. NetflixThe ad-supported tier is initially offered in 12 countries, beginning with Canada and Mexico on November 1. Netflix has been pitching advertisers with aggressive pricing, according to advertisers briefed by Netflix. Advertisers said they expect prices to drop after Netflix's ad-supported tier launches, as has been typical with other streaming services like NBCUniversal's Peacock.

☆ Opinion | Science Has a Nasty Photoshopping Problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Elisabeth Bik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

One evening in January 2014, I sat at my computer at home, sifting through scientific papers. Manipulated imagery in scientific papers can look ordinary at first glance. However, this ability, combined with my — what some might call obsessive — personality, helped me when hunting duplications in scientific images by eye. So when a scientist’s research shows a negative result, cheating can be tempting. Legitimate criticism of scientific research should receive legal protection.

Weber , which went public in August 2021 and is trading at half its offering price, is the latest example of a recent IPO to attract a bid to go private. Recent IPOs ducking for the door First, to understand why we selected these criteria, let's look at the recent deals. Kennedy Lewis' $4 per share cash offer was an 83% premium to F45's closing price ahead of the deal announcement, even though it was far below the stock's $16 IPO price. Even with the lift from the deal news, shares are only trading at less than half its $14 IPO price. Private equity company AEA Investors had a 28.4% stake in the company, and CEO Jeremy Andrus owns an 11% stake, according to FactSet.

☆ Netflix says that its new ad-supported tier is 'nearly' sold out — here's everything we know about the November 3 US launch
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Lauren Johnson | Elizabeth Pham Janowski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Netflix will launch its ad-supported tier in the US on November 3. The new ad-supported tier will not have the full Netflix catalog and will offer video quality up to 720p. NetflixThe ad-supported tier will be offered in 12 countries, beginning with Canada and Mexico on November 1. Gorman said that partners like Microsoft will only be able to use data collected by the ad-supported tier for targeting within Netflix. Advertisers said they expect prices to drop once Netflix's ad-supported tier launches, as has been typical with other streaming services like NBCUniversal's Peacock.

☆ We went inside the lab at Vertex, a company that dodged the market downturn to become one of the best-performing biotechs of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

A mosaic of human cells inside Vertex Pharmaceuticals' cell and gene-therapy laboratory. The four-story, 267,000-square-foot space is home to Vertex's cell and gene-therapy unit, with about 375 people now residing in the modern-industrial building. That has led to going after unrelated diseases like sickle cell, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, kidney disease, and pain. For instance, Vertex's approach to sickle cell is led by its CRISPR gene-editing program. Vertex PharmaceuticalsThe next test of Vertex's strategy will be an experimental treatment called exa-cel, its CRISPR gene-editing program for sickle cell.

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