Tag: Branded Content

Singapore – IPG Mediabrands has announced a partnership with Google Cloud to develop a suite of generative AI-powered applications that put brands at their center. Under the terms of the partnership, IPG Mediabrands will develop two pilot platforms, ‘Branvoice AI’ for branded content generation, and ‘BrandPortrait AI’ for audience and research insights.

The ‘BrandVoice AI’ pilot will use Google Cloud’s latest generative AI technology to codify the essence of brands so that written and image-based content can be ideated, briefed, and drafted in an automated, safe, and on-brand manner.

Meanwhile, the ‘BrandPortrait’ pilot will use the advanced conversational capabilities of Google’s large language models to provide IPG Mediabrands strategists and planners with the ability to generate and summarize proprietary research and audience data. 

All content will be approved by the brands – IPG Mediabrands clients – before being utilised by the AI pilot platforms. The first phase of the platform will completed by the third quarter this year.

The IPG Mediabrands Data & Technology Innovation department has been working exclusively on AI-based solutions for nearly four years, seeing AI as the ideal technology to augment the people and capabilities of IPG Mediabrands agencies. The innovation team has first experimented with generative AI technologies several years ago. Since then, it has built applications and prototypes that generate ad copy, imagery, reporting insights and SEO content, all proven out in real-world campaign scenarios.

IPG Mediabrands will now also use the power of Google Cloud’s generative AI support in Vertex AI, specifically the PaLM 2 language model, to take its solutions to the next level.

Eileen Kiernan, global CEO at IPG Mediabrands, said, “We are excited to partner with Google Cloud to develop this new platform. Not only does this partnership let us leverage market leading technology, but also we are aligned to Google’s responsible approach on data governance which ensures our clients information is well protected.”

She added, “We know that the potential of this technology is just scratching the surface, but we believe that by placing brands at the center of AI solutions, we get to a place where the true potential can be unlocked for brands and the industry overall.”

Meanwhile, Manvinder Singh, managing director of partnerships at Google Cloud, commented, “IPG Mediabrands will help to empower brands in new ways with their AI-based platform. The ability to quickly and effectively create content that is both engaging and aligned with brand values has the potential to help companies save money and more deeply connect with customers.”

Australia – Val Morgan’s digital publishing arm Val Morgan Digital has expanded its team to establish new appointments for its agency partnership and content management functions.

Two account management experts – Alyce Thomas and Claudia Pearce will be joining as agency partnership managers, while Nicola Laing and Jack Revell were roped in to assume the roles Strategy & Content Manager and Branded Content & Weekend Editor of VMD’s platform TheLatch—, respectively.

Laing was a former strategy and response manager at Pedestrian Group, the company behind publications POPSUGAR and Business Insider, while Revell is a writer having covered arts, culture, and politics for titles SBS Voices, VICE, Rolling Stone, Pedestrian, and The Urban List.

Meanwhile, Thomas boasts an extensive online media experience, with previous positions in sales and account management in formerly Bauer Media, Are Media and at media site The Urban List. Pearce on the other hand, joins from lifestyle and travel online publication Time Out, having worked across a variety of publications and brands, building partnerships with both top-tier clients and media agencies.

VMD said that the expansion comes as it continues to experience a rise in demand for its digital offerings as well as increased demand from the audience of its media site TheLatch—for more entertainment, wellness, and lifestyle content.

“With consistent MoM growth, we’re carving out a solid space in market, with thought-provoking content that helps our audience dig deeper on issues like sustainability and mental health. We’ve learned a lot from our readers over the past six months, with those learnings driving some exciting brand developments at the end of this year. Watch this space,” said Amanda Bardas, executive editor of VMD.

Managing Director of VMD Brian Florido also commented, “I am extremely proud of the tenacity shown by the digital sales and editorial team this year. Under Adam and Amanda’s leadership, they have navigated unprecedented challenges, and have evolved our digital arm from ‘new kid on the block’ to a sophisticated and legitimate digital offering. In turn, we continue to attract phenomenal talent to our expanding business. Alyce, Claudia, Nicola, and Jack each bring their own set of skills to their roles which will be valuable assets in helping us continue to grow VMD.”