ExchangeWire rounds up some of the biggest stories in the European digital advertising space, including Facebook and Google's attempts to further their lead on mobile, more acquisitions in the ad tech space, plus more expansion of US companies in Europe. 

Facebook and Google eye further domination of mobile 

Separate developments in the last week from the industry’s two behemoths of mobile advertising (Facebook and Google) show no signs of letting their stranglehold on the platform loosen. Facebook is launching cross-device reporting, plus Google is reportedly testing a way to track how we move between apps and mobile web.

Facebook this week announced it is launching cross-device reporting for Facebook ads, enabling advertisers to see how Facebook users move between devices — across mobile apps and the web — before they convert.

Facebook already offers targeting, delivery and conversion measurement across devices. But with the new capability, advertisers are now able to view the devices on which people see ads and the devices on which conversions subsequently occur.

Meanwhile, Google’s tests, if successful, mean it will be able to combine how mobile users switch between web and mobile apps using code that effectively combines cookies (used to track web users) with other forms of tracking mobile app users.

A statement from Google reads: “As an alternative to less transparent methods, we’re doing some tests to help businesses run consistent ad campaigns across a device’s mobile browser and mobile apps, using existing anonymous identifiers, while enabling people to use the established privacy controls on Android and iOS.”

With a near universal view of audience’s movements around the web the pair are set to dominate digital spend even more with universal ID’s the rest of the industry will have to use. At ATS London a panel will explore the options around this?  And just how do we build these out - and then use them.

Acquisitions see (even more) ownership pass to the US

This week was marked by the separate acquisitions of European outlets by US firms, in a round of industry consolidation that enriches the coffers of entrepreneurs here, but is the continuation of a trend of power in the digital industry concentrating in the US.

The acquisitions in question are IPG Mediabrands buying Netherlands-based search marketing firm Traffic4U, plus UK-founded social agency TBG Digital acquired by Sprinklr. The financial details of both deals have not been discussed publicly at present. 

Traffic4U was founded in 2000 and provides companies with SEO services, as well as offering its own bid management software, bGenius, with the acquisition giving IPG a competitive advantage at a time when search and digital performance marketing, as well as e-commerce, are of ever increasing importance for all clients. 

Diederik Breijer, IPG Mediabrands Benelux, CEO, said: “Our clients demand strong search and performance marketing capabilities and Traffic4U is highly respected as both a market and thought leader. 

“It operates at scale and always with superior quality. Search and performance marketing is the front door of digital and I am confident our two companies can push each other to bold new heights.”

Meanwhile, TBG Digital – a social media agency that was this week quoted in an ExchangeWire piece on contemporary media practice – has been bought by Sprinklr, a social media management system, to deliver unrivalled business information and performance from social media. 

Simon Mansell, TBG Digital, CEO, says there are no plans to retire the existing brand, or for him to move on elsewhere in the near future. 

Elsewhere, IgnitionOne this week announced that it has completed the acquisition of mobile advertising specialist Human Demand  to bolster its cross device tracking capabilities. 

Human Demand currently handles 65 billion mobile real time bidding requests per month. The acquisition also brings to IgnitionOne Human Demand’s partnerships with all major mobile ad exchanges, leading third party data providers and access to thousands of top mobile publishers.

Human Demand features the industry’s first and only complete index of brand safety for over 2 million apps and proprietary mapping of 2,300+ chains, businesses across the US.

AdRoll opens London office, Criteo names new president, Drawbridge names marketing chief

Retargeting company AdRoll announced the opening of its London office and the appointment of Michael Bertaut as its managing director of EMEA Strategic Sales.

Bertaut, Google’s former country manager for Italy and ex-head of new business sales in Latin America, will be responsible for building out a London-based strategic sales organisation.

Over the next year, AdRoll will look to grow from 100 employees to 250 employees across London and Dublin as the company rapidly expands its presence.

Meanwhile, Criteo this week named Eric Eichmann as president and COO, succeeding Greg Coleman, who had been president since 2011.

JB Rudelle, Criteo, CEO, said:  “This move will help us further capitalise on Eric’s experience and industry expertise, enabling us to continue delivering superior performance to our clients and partners. Eric has been an instrumental member of our leadership team and he shares my passion for innovation that breaks the mould of display advertising.”

Elsewhere, cross platform ad targeting firm Drawbridge announced that it has appointed Brian Ferrario as its VP of marketing, as it steps up efforts to gain global traction.

Ferrario joins from Sociomantic, the programmatic advertising firm that was acquired by dunnhumby, a Tesco company. Prior to this he was at Rocket Fuel, which he joined in 2008 where he was employee number 13.

Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, Drawbridge, CEO, said: “We have had our heads down focused on building a successful company, and now that we have a technology stack that has solved the problem of cross-device identity, the time is right to focus on building the right buzz for our brand.”

IAB Europe figures point to 90% growth in mobile advertising

Figures released this week by the IAB Europe claims that mobile advertising in the region grew 90% between 2012 and 2013, with the its share of the global mobile advertising market pegged at 17.3% behind North America (41.9%) and Asia Pacific (38.9%).

The study carried out by IHS Technology revealed global mobile advertising spend totalled €14.6bn in 2013 with mobile display advertising increasing 123.4%, search 92.1% and messaging up 19.4%.

Search remains the dominant segment representing 48.9% of the total global mobile advertising revenue in 2013 at €7.1bn ($9.5bn), while display approaches parity with a 41.5% share at €6bn ($8bn), and messaging takes a 9.6% share at €1.4bn ($1.9bn).

Townsend Feehan, CEO, IAB Europe, says: “Businesses of all sizes are now able to engage their customers via mobile and demonstrating a clear opportunity for publishers to take advantage of.

“However many publishers still need to hone their mobile advertising strategies and acquire mobile skill sets as growth has been largely driven through in-app and native advertising whilst the delivery of a qualified audience at scale with demonstrable campaign impact is still a work-in-progress in some markets.”

Marrying Data And Creativity 

This week ExchangeWire explored how the ‘data crunchers’ and ‘creatives’ (historically polar opposite ends of the advertising industry spectrum) are becoming ever closer as ad agencies more commonly associated with Cannes Lions than ATS London start to change tack.

Despite derision from established creatives such as Sir John Hegarty, ExchangeWire caught up with leading creative agencies who differ from the view that data and creativity are two incompatible forces. Read here for more on how many creatives see data-lead creativity as a must-have to been seen as fit for purpose.