Roku’s CTV Lead, TikTok-Shopify Partnership, & More | Weekly Marketing News

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There has been a lot to cover this week in marketing news – with everything from Roku to TikTok making headlines. To make it easier for you to keep on top of the most important stories, here are some of the topics that caught our attention.

In Connected TV news, the number of OTT streaming services has more than doubled since 2014, with almost 300 different streaming services available for users. But even with this growing amount of options for viewers, one platform has been standing out from the rest. In June, Roku reported 43 million active accounts – 3 million more than their nearest competitor, Amazon. The Motley Fool reported this week that the addition of Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock to Roku’s streaming offerings this year has helped to bolster their lead among streaming platforms. As more and more marketers begin to add the power of Connected TV to their marketing mixes, tracking which platforms have the largest audience will help ensure that their ad dollars are well spent.

Read More: CTV vs. OTT

And in mobile news, both TikTok and Quibi have been making headlines – though for opposite reasons. Quibi, a company that set out to make big-screen worthy content in bite-sized mobile formatting, has recently announced that they will be closing their doors. While the idea of combining quality content with the mobile devices that consumers carry with them everywhere was innovative in concept, the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately spelled disaster for a company which relies on on-the-go consumers. TikTok, however, has found success during the pandemic, with many users seeking lighthearted distraction and socially distant connection with other users. This week, TikTok announced a partnership with Shopify that will allow brands and retailers to advertise their products with shoppable videos. Even with a possible ban in the U.S. hanging over their heads, this announcement indicates that neither company is particularly worried about the court’s impending decision. 

Here are the rest of the articles that were making waves this week in the world of marketing.

DIGITAL

Four ways to boost digital marketing effectiveness for retailers – ClickZ looks at how retailers are leaning more heavily on digital channels in recent months and best practices that are proven to work for brands looking to connect with customers, deliver seamless experiences, and capture important data.  

Google Announces Passage-Based Ranking & This Week’s Digital Marketing News – This week Google announced passage-based ranking, and Facebook and Google released new E-Commerce features for the holidays.

How to make sure budget cuts don’t result in a drop in your digital marketing performance – Being able to take a step back, see the bigger picture and identify what ’great’ looks like has become increasingly difficult – so where do you start?

How Content and Marketing Automation Can Maximize Your Digital Marketing Efforts – With some 84% of people now expecting brands to produce content that entertains, provides solutions, and engages, it’s clear that there’s a clear need for brands to be generating material tailored to each stage of the buyers journey.

CONNECTED TV & STREAMING

How to kickstart your channel on Roku and stand out: A comprehensive guide – Roku is the world’s most popular connected TV platform with almost 40 million active accounts. This number is expected to climb even higher, which will also boost the ad revenue Roku channel owners collect per annum.

Roku’s Winning as Streamers Compete – Not only are there more streaming options than ever before, but media companies are spending more on content and marketing to help stand out from the crowd. There’s one clear winner from the growing number of streaming options: Roku.

As Political Messaging Shifts to CTV, Email Backs Up Campaigns – The 2020 election is days away. This year’s election is like none other for many reasons. From a marketing perspective, it’s unique when compared to previous years because of Connected TV.

MOBILE

Gen Z: true mobile game consumers – Those in Gen Z are ever-present online, from messaging to social networks, and their smartphone is an extension of themselves in a way that previous generations will never match.

RIP Quibi: Why the Mobile-Centric Streaming Service was Destined to Fail – Quibi set out to disrupt television with an intriguing new formula of bite-sized, 8-10 minute TV show episodes streamed exclusively over mobile. It only took six months for them to realize their formula was fatally flawed. 

Mobile Marketing Market Outlook and Future Scope Analysis By 2025 – This report on the Mobile Marketing Market aims to provide report readers with a diverse understanding of the different marketing opportunities prevalent in regional hubs.

TikTok broadens ad ecosystem with Shopify e-commerce partnership – TikTok announced a partnership with the e-commerce platform Shopify to help brands and retailers advertise their products through shoppable videos.

Pinterest launches iOS14 home screen widget – Pinterest has launched a widget for iOS 14 to enable Pinners to feature a board of their own, or one that they follow, from their home screen. 

WE’LL KEEP YOU UP-TO-DATE

That’s it for the roundup this week, next week we’ll be back with another list of what’s making news in marketing.

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