Articles about Advertising

Amazon accused of rigging ad auctions to inflate prices in new suit filed by FTC and 22 states

State attorneys general and federal regulators have sued Amazon, alleging the tech giant deceptively inflated advertising prices by $20 billion through fake auction participants and hidden surcharges. Amazon denies the claims, arguing that its pricing structure reflects standard industry approaches and relies on ad relevance, boosting performance for advertisers. Read More

Startup Spotlight: MediaPact wants to reinvent digital ads for the AI era

As AI reshapes online search and advertising, Seattle startup MediaPact is building a marketplace to help brands and publishers strike direct sponsorship deals. Founder Lacie Thompson discusses launching the company, using AI to build without coding experience, and spotting a new opportunity in a rapidly changing digital media landscape. Read More

Amazon earnings preview: Big AI deals meet a $200B spending binge

Amazon reports Q1 earnings Wednesday with a $244 billion cloud backlog and blockbuster deals with Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic, but investors are watching whether the company’s $200 billion spending plan is starting to pay off. Read More

Seattle-area billboard takes a page from Bay Area playbook: ‘Startup energy should be more visible’

Tech company billboards are a big part of the landscape in Silicon Valley. Summation CEO Ian Wong said the Seattle/Bellevue area “has world-class technical talent, but the scene here has always been understated.” Read More

Seahawks, Satya, and scary Alexa: GeekWire’s Super Bowl LX notebook

From the Allen family legacy to the “AI Bowl,” here are GeekWire’s takeaways from Seattle’s Super Bowl triumph in the heart of Silicon Valley. Read More

Super Bowl tech ad roundup: Al can kill you — or help find your lost dog

rtificial intelligence is taking over the Super Bowl LX commercials much like the technology is taking over our lives. And that’s a good thing if your dog has gone missing. Or a bad thing if you’re paranoid about Alexa bringing the garage door down on your neck. Read More

LinkedIn tops $5B in quarterly revenue for the first time, and its TikTok pivot is paying off

LinkedIn crossed $5 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, putting Microsoft’s 2016 acquisition on a $20 billion annual pace. Video ads on the professional network grew 30% as LinkedIn leans into short-form content. Read More

Redfin’s first Super Bowl ad enlists Lady Gaga, who brings new life to a Mister Rogers classic

The 20-year-old real estate company, under new parent Rocket Companies, released a teaser video for a Super Bowl ad that will feature Lady Gaga performing the Mister Rogers classic “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Read More

Seattle startup Scowtt raises $12M to turn CRM data into better ad campaigns

Scowtt, a Seattle-based startup that wants to reshape how advertisers optimize paid campaigns, raised $12 million in Series A funding round led by New York venture firm Inspired Capital. Read More

Podcast

When AI becomes the creative director: Amazon VP Jay Richman on the future of media and ads

AI is transforming how ads are made, but it’s also raising bigger questions about creativity itself. Amazon VP Jay Richman joins the GeekWire Podcast to discuss the shift. Read More

Ad-services startup Xnurta opens new headquarters space in downtown Bellevue

Xnurta, a Bellevue, Wash.-based startup that uses AI to help brands and agencies manage their advertising on Amazon and other… Read More

Sister-led social commerce startup Nectar lands $10.6M, reveals more about marketing tech

Seattle-based social commerce startup Nectar Social is out of stealth and today announced $10.6 million in funding. Sisters Misbah Uraizee… Read More

Social commerce startup led by Seattle-area sisters uses AI to connect brands with younger shoppers

As everything gets more virtual, younger shoppers crave tangibility and personal engagement — or at least the perception of real… Read More

T-Mobile uses Super Bowl ad to officially launch public beta of satellite-to-cell texting via Starlink

Forget the ground game. T-Mobile is using Super Bowl LIX to kick off a new kind of air attack on… Read More

T-Mobile to acquire digital advertising leader Vistar Media for $600M

T-Mobile reached a $600 million deal to acquire Vistar Media, a leading provider of solutions for digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising,… Read More

Amazon’s new holiday ad featuring a singing janitor strikes similar tune to ‘America’s Got Talent’ winner

Dreams apparently do come true, for more than one singing janitor. Amazon’s new holiday ad, titled “Midnight Opus,” tells the… Read More

This ad is bananas: In sly dig at Amazon, shoe maker tells workers to peel away from their desks

Free bananas might be the one thing that’ll satisfy Amazon employees who have to return to the office five days… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: What Microsoft and Amazon earnings say about the state of AI and the economy

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we take a closer look at the latest earnings reports from Microsoft and Amazon… Read More

Direct-to-consumer casket startup says it’s time to bury our unhealthy switch to daylight savings

Before you spring forward this weekend into daylight saving time, a casket company hopes you’ll consider whether it’s time to… Read More

Amazon holiday ad captures the joy of friendship — and sledding — at any age

Amazon’s 2023 holiday ad campaign is intended to be a love letter to lasting friendships and joyful moments that don’t… Read More

Amazon to add commercial breaks to Prime Video shows and movies

Amazon is ready to interrupt Prime Video programming to bring commercial breaks to its streaming shows and movies, the company… Read More

Amazon’s Super Bowl ad starring a dog ranks highest among tech commercials

Amazon, the pet friendly tech giant where employees get to bring their dogs to work, scored high among Super Bowl… Read More

Super Bowl ad roundup: Travolta sings T-Mobile’s praises; Google’s fix is in; and more tech spots

In between the beer, Doritos, mayonnaise, Pepsi, Pringles and more beer, make sure to leave some room for the tech.… Read More

The story behind those ‘Homelessness’ billboards in Seattle — designed to ‘get people talking’

The crisis around homelessness in Seattle — and in cities across the country — is nothing short of a source of… Read More

Lawsuit alleges Amazon uses Alexa interactions for ad targeting without users’ knowledge or consent

Amazon’s Alexa is the target of a new lawsuit alleging that the company is using information gathered from users of… Read More

Has Amazon found its fourth pillar? Revisiting a key question for the company’s future

One year ago, the last question put to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos during his final shareholder meeting as the company’s… Read More

TV ad measurement startup iSpot grabs Tunity, its third acquisition in 14 months

iSpot, the Seattle-area startup that measures the reach and impact of television advertising, has made its third acquisition in the… Read More

Super Bowl ad roundup: Big stars push a range of tech, from travel to phones to electric vehicles

The focus of a lot of the Super Bowl LVI ads released ahead of Sunday’s games seems to be the… Read More

Microsoft to acquire AT&T’s Xandr advertising tech business, gearing up for a ‘post-cookie world’

Microsoft reached a deal to acquire AT&T’s advertising technology division, Xandr, seeking to strengthen its own advertising business as the… Read More

Sign of the retail times: Macy’s sues to block Amazon from taking over signature NYC billboard

Macy’s is suing a real estate company to prevent Amazon from taking over the iconic billboard next to its landmark… Read More