The Variable’s big data play, plus Nielsen’s bad math: Datacenter Weekly
Also: Ad Age Agency Report 2023, ad industry employment rebounds, macroeconomic news in a nutshell—and more.
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Welcome to Ad Age Datacenter Weekly, our data-obsessed newsletter for marketing and media professionals.
U.S. ad business employment rebounds
“Employment in advertising, public relations and related services jumped by 2,100 jobs in April, a surprising rebound that marked the biggest monthly gain since last summer,” Ad Age’s Bradley Johnson reports.
The details: “U.S. employment in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classification of advertising, public relations and related services came in at 494,800 jobs in April based on seasonally adjusted figures,” Johnson notes. “The ad market gained 2,100 jobs in April following a loss of 1,900 jobs in March.”
Keep reading for Johnson’s drill-downs by BLS classifications.
The Variable acquires Data Crunch
“Independent agency The Variable has acquired Data Crunch, an applied AI and advanced analytics company,” Ad Age’s Aleda Stam reports.
The details: “Data Crunch, founded in 2019, will operate under The Variable name,” Stam adds. “Co-Founder Curtis Seare will become The Variable’s VP of emerging technology and Co-Founder Ryan Nokes will become VP, data strategy and insights.”
Essential context: “The Variable will assume duties for Data Crunch’s client list, which includes brands such as Deloitte, American Express, USAA and Qwoted,” Stam reports. At the same time, “The Variable will immediately launch applied AI and emerging tech consulting offerings using Data Crunch’s custom software engineering, data visualization and web development and optimization abilities for the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based agency’s clients, which include NAPA Auto Parts, Procter & Gamble, Frigidaire and Char-Broil.”
U.S. agency growth by discipline
One key insight (one of many!) in Ad Age Agency Report 2023: Agencies focused on promotion and experiential marketing just had a very good year.
Nielsen’s Super Bowl audience errors
“Errors that led Nielsen to restate Fox Super Bowl audience numbers are also having broader impact,” Ad Age’s Jack Neff reports, “leading to reprocessing of data in 12 local markets and raising questions about how much value the company’s recently restored Media Rating Council accreditation brings.”
The details: “Nielsen sent a letter to clients May 2 that it will reprocess local TV data in 12 of its 44 Portable People Meter markets across the U.S. after finding the error that led to undercounting out-of-home viewing of the Super Bowl broadcast also had affected broader local ratings,” Neff notes. “Those markets include Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Norfolk (Virginia), Pittsburgh, Providence (Rhode Island) and San Antonio.”
Essential context: “While big in absolute terms because it involved the Super Bowl, each error represented less than 1% of the average minute audience for the game, so might easily be missed for the vast majority of lower-rated programming,” Neff adds. “Collectively, however, the adjustments Nielsen made, were they to apply across a U.S. TV market estimated by various researchers at $65 billion to $68 billion, would come to more than $1 billion.
The newsletter is brought to you by Ad Age Datacenter, the industry’s most authoritative source of competitive intel and home to the Ad Age Leading National Advertisers, the Ad Age Agency Report: World’s Biggest Agency Companies and other exclusive data-driven reports. Access or subscribe to Ad Age Datacenter at AdAge.com/Datacenter.
Ad Age Datacenter is Kevin Brown, Bradley Johnson and Joy R. Lee.
