The World's Most Beloved Brand; Google's Ad Revenue Drop: Tuesday's First Things First

Welcome to First Things First, Adweek’s daily resource for marketers. We’ll be publishing the content to First Things First on Adweek.com each morning (like this post), but if you prefer that it come straight to your inbox, you can sign up for the email here. It’s (Mostly) Official: Lego Is the World’s Most Loved Brand Lego sells seven sets every second and has produced enough bricks for everyone on the planet to have 80 of them. It's that kind of ubiquity and the wide, creative appeal of the toy that has made it the world's most beloved brand, according to social analytics firm Talkwalker. The ranking is determined by the use of phrases like ‘I love it when’ or ‘I would love if’ near the name of the brand in forums and online discussions. Talkwalker says beloved brands cultivate “vital emotional connections” to consumers through means such as strong customer service or corporate social responsibility, or evoking nostalgia. Who else made the list? Discover a few other brands that were most beloved based on these metrics. Google’s Ad Revenue Forecast to Drop 5.3% in 2020 The tech titan is forecast to fall behind other leaders in 2020 as its ad revenues drop—making it the first year it has not increased year over year. Meanwhile, the next most dominant brands in ad spend, Facebook and Amazon, are predicted to grow 4.9% and 23.5%, respectively, in 2020. Amazon has seen less of an impact from Covid-19, and Facebook has benefited from the continued popularity of Instagram. Behind the drop: Google is facing a number of challenges, including calls for more data privacy and scrutiny from antitrust groups. Premium | Legacy Agencies Help Startups Gain Footing in a Slippery Industry Wieden + Kennedy’s 2017 investment in startup Callen; Keith Cartwright's new eponymous agency launching with WPP's backing; The&Partnership's partnership with GroupM’s m/Six. These are all examples of a trend in recent years toward symbiotic relationships between advertising giants and startup shops. This sort of relationship opens the door for holding companies and large agencies to have a stake in smaller shops without acquiring them, while the smaller shops benefit from access to global networks and resources. For Adweek Pro Members: Discover the creative opportunities these relationships have afforded both smaller shops and their much larger partners. Get the insights and intelligence you need to succeed with an Adweek Pro Subscription, providing access to insider reporting, exclusive events and more. The Latest Updates from NewFronts The 2020 Digital Content NewFronts arrived today in their delayed, virtual format. We asked TV, streaming and media executives about what to expect in our annual NewFronts roundtable. The conversation touched many topics, but two stood out: First, the pandemic-induced migration from linear to streaming, and the need for flexibility in 2020 negotiations. In a panel discussion, the IAB's Eric John discussed with Mike Law, president of Amplifi US, and Cara Lewis, evp of video investment at Dentsu Aegis Network, how the two agency leads are helping their clients navigate dramatic technology shifts as people adapt to a new world. The scales have firmly tipped away from linear for viewers using Samsung's smart TVs. At its NewFronts panel Monday, the company reported that streaming took up 58% of time spent on the devices. After teasing its transactional ad format for almost a year, Hulu's Gateway Go is here, allowing ad-supported viewers to send special offers to phones and emails, and giving advertisers a more direct conversion route. In its presentation, Roku focused on its updated ad platform, OneView, which is exclusively available through the upfront and includes incremental reach guarantees and daily frequency management through the platform. Tubi's presentation put a heavy emphasis on kids and family programming to meet the rising trend toward co-viewing, as well as its new AI-driven management tool for advertisers, which can enforce frequency caps no matter the source. After attempting to move out of NewFronts and into upfronts five years ago, ad-supported streaming service Crackle returned under the ownership of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (CSSE), a new name (Crackle Plus), an expanded content slate and new formats, Freeview and Jumbotron, to improve the ad experience. Feeling out of the loop? In the latest episode of How S#it Works, Mark Book, head of content for North America at Digitas, tells us what the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s NewFronts are and how the event works. More of Today's Top News and Highlights TuneIn Plays Up Sports and News Audio in New Brand Campaign Focused on Mobility Climate-Focused Gen Z Is Driving Growth in Online Secondhand Shopping A Broadcast Event Producer on the Need for Diverse Teams and Black Freelancer Opportunities With a Quiet Approach You’re Sure to See More of, McDonald’s France Advertises Its Reopening Adweek Together: The Future of Social Media for Social Good Carnival Extends Pause, Along With the Rest of the Cruise Industry Vistaprint Celebrates Masks, Seeks to Depoliticize Them It’s a deft marketer that can navigate the political fray these days, especially on a hot-button topic like face masks. Vistaprint aims to do just that in a new ad. “This is not a mask,” the ad says. “This is a sign of love. This is solidarity.” [kickout id="1"] Quote of the Day [kickout id="2"] Allyn Shaw, president and chief technology officer at Recycle Track Systems, is one of the 15 leaders in media, marketing, sports and culture who is honored among our first annual Pride Stars. Read all of their insights here. More of the Latest Dreyer’s Ice Cream to Change the Name of Eskimo Pie What Brands Can Do for Black Fathers to Demonstrate True Understanding Krispy Kreme and Walmart Declare a Sweet New Partnership Jobs Site Monster Tries to Bring Levity to Mass Unemployment Samuel Adams and GLAAD Join Forces to Elevate the Black LGBTQ+ Community Adweek Podcast: Pride Stars and Problematic Brands

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The World's Most Beloved Brand; Google's Ad Revenue Drop: Tuesday's First Things First

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It’s (Mostly) Official: Lego Is the World’s Most Loved Brand

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