The Future of Opting Out of Targeted Ads; Vice Media Group and Refinery 29 Announce Merger: Thursday's First Things First

Welcome to First Things First, Adweek’s new 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. Will We Soon Be Able to Opt Out of Targeted Ads? If you could opt out of having your personal information sold to third parties, would you? It should be no surprise that you're not alone and most people would. According to a recent poll, 87% of consumers share similar sentiments and their hopes may be fulfilled when a new privacy act is signed into law. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) would require publishers to inform visitors of their right to opt out of online ad targeting. Read more: What ad targeting could look like under CCPA Terms. Introducing Adweek's New Video Series, Top of Mind Don't call it a pivot to video just yet, but Adweek is excited to announce a new video series where we talk to leading executives as they reimagine what it means to be CMO. Titled "Top of Mind," the new series is hosted by Inside the Brand's Nadine Dietz and features leaders from the NFL to Calvin Klein. Read more: Adweek sits down with global marketing leaders to ask, "What's 'Top of Mind?'" Vice Media Group Will 'Combine Forces' With Refinery29 Merging seems to the the name of the game in today's ever-changing media landscape. Last week, Vox Media and New York Media announced its plan to merge. This week, Vice Media Group and Refinery 29 announced a similar initiative, or an effort to "combine forces." As media struggles to secure a business model that works, Vice Media Group noted that the deal would combine services and allow for an accelerated path to profitability. Read more: Vice Media Group and Refinery 29 announce merger. What should you know about it? Just Briefly: The Rest of Today's Top Insights and News TripAdvisor Ends Sales to Attractions Featuring Captive Whales and Dolphins Tariff Wars Between China and the US Could Negatively Impact the Holiday Shopping Season Newseum, the Museum Dedicated to Press Freedom, Has a Closing Date A Brewery Made This Record From Ocean Plastic, With Sales Helping Clean Coastlines Ad of the Day: Here's What Happens When a Book Promo Finally Gets Real About the Agony of Writing [kickout id="1" label="Amanda Rosenberg | That's Mental"] If you're a first-time author, you're expected to hit social media and promote your book non-stop and tirelessly. But British writer Amanda Rosenberg flipped the script with her twist on a self-promotional video for her upcoming book, "That's Mental. What starts as a usual, cheery book promo quickly veers into darker place that will feel eerily familiar to anyone who's ever tried writing anything they care about. "My goal was to take the piss out of myself for being the book promo clown I am," she tells Adweek, "and to make other people in the same position laugh because promoting your work is hell." Hispanic Heritage Month: 3 Questions With Sharon Brogdon, director of diversity and inclusion, RetailMeNot When filling a position, what do you do to ensure a diverse pool of candidates? Ensuring a diverse pool of candidates at RetailMeNot requires deliberate and proactive sourcing from where the talent is, versus waiting for them to come to us. Companies need to know what aspects of their workplace and culture are differentiating, and which of those aspects would resonate with the talent they are looking to attract. What do you think your company is doing well to support Hispanic employees? At RetailMeNot, our Hispanic/Latinx employees are supported by our Mosaic employee resource group (ERG). This ERG provides the opportunity for all employees to engage in events that help increase the cultural acumen of our entire workforce, to give back to Hispanic/Latinx community organizations both in-kind and financially, and to network and connect with fellow co-workers who may have similar lived experiences. In what ways do you think marketers can make their efforts more genuine during Hispanic Heritage Month? Efforts to celebrate and recognize Hispanic and Latinx heritage are most genuine when they’re done continuously, not just in a designated month or time. Hispanic and Latinx employees, their culture and their contributions should be recognized all year long rather than solely one month out of the year. Authenticity is best demonstrated when marketers take the time to focus on these audiences in ways that are respectful versus exploitative or over the top, and ensure they are portraying positive images and working to dispel stereotypes.