This week's Stupefy from Highfield is a short one. But it's the same media news and shortcuts you love. Remember to tell your friends in media, advertising or marketing to subscribe and don't forget to send feedback! We'd love to hear what you think. Read on.
- What ComplexCon says about teens
Streetwear is the dominant teen subculture of our time. But what does that feel like if you’re a teen wrapped up in it? One answer may be found in this report by non-teen Jacob Gallagher of his recent trip to ComplexCon. The media company Complex launched this shoppable festival three years ago and it seems to have evolved from a promise of a Coachella-like gathering into something like TED for clothes and then eventually settling on its current form: extremely stressful mall. Brands use the event to test out their most ambitious experiential ideas while the tens of thousands of young people who attend agree to buy limited edition gear and take photos in return. It’s a concentrated version of the clout chase that makes Gen Z value streetwear brands more than any other. No wonder they’re so stressed out.
- CBS ramps up audience-targeting tech
CBS is next to launch a new product aimed at matching the audience-slicing of Facebook. The promise of data-driven targeted advertising has led to huge mergers in the TV industry. AT&T’s WarnerMedia, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Disney’s networks have all pointed to it to stop the flow of ad dollars to Google and Facebook. While little is known so far, it sounds like the new CBS product, called DNA, will allow advertisers to:
Target audiences based on behaviorTarget audiences across VOD and linear TVBuy campaigns for various objectivesGet better analytics and attribution than the typical TV buy
NBCUniversal launched their audience-targeting Audience Studio product two years ago and even spearheaded an initiative to share targeting capabilities across the industry.
Links
A Year After #MeToo,Hollywood’s Got a Malaise Money Can’t Cure—Hollywood is in the midst of a full-blown identity crisis. Inside the booming business of background music—Once derided, the successors to muzak have grown more sophisticated – and influential – than any of us realize. Gram Parsons’ Cosmic American Trip—A guide to the Godfather of the Southern California country rock sound, whose breakout album is 50 years old this year. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz assembles an elite PR team as he considers running for president—A key player in Schultz's growing team is Steve Schmidt, a former vice chairman at public relations powerhouse Edelman.HQ Trivia was a blockbuster hit —but internal turmoil and a shrinking audiencehave pushed its company to the brink—A boardroom battle and more alleged management issues have raised new questions about HQ’s future.