New Breed

Considering The California Privacy Law; A New Breed Of Media Holding Company

AdExchanger’s news round-up surveys implications of California’s privacy landscape alongside notable corporate moves in digital media. It notes that the California Consumer Privacy Act tightens controls on personal data, with a threshold tied to 50,000 residents who opt out and an expanded notion of personal data to include browsing history and inferences; the law could push advertisers toward first-party data platforms. The piece also highlights Magnet Companies’ launch as a holding company for digital media, signaling a trend toward centralized services around content production and ad sales. Separately, high-profile figures like Jeffrey Katzenberg are financing new vehicles such as WndrCo, AT&T has taken full ownership of Otter Media, and Group Nine Media restructured as a holding company. In luxury e-commerce, Farfetch filed to go public on the NYSE after JD.com’s $397M investment, with the firm projected to reach a valuation above $1B.

All-Star Analysts Launch Kaleido, A New Breed Of Research Firm

Kaleido Insights, an independent boutique research firm, launched on October 4, 2017, founded by Rebecca Lieb, Jeremiah Owyang, Jessica Groopman, and Jaimy Szymanski. The firm differentiates itself by planning to publish its research openly during its first year, aiming to disrupt the traditional paywalled research model. Founders emphasize journalistically agnostic work with no pay-to-play; sponsored research may exist but will not influence reporting. Kaleido will focus on horizontal pillars such as customer experience, marketing, and automation, and view technology through market forces affecting a broad ecosystem of vendors and marketers. Positioned as a strategic adviser rather than an executor of client technology, Kaleido distinguishes itself from firms like Deloitte and Accenture, which operate more product and implementation-oriented models. Owyang will cover the collaborative economy; Groopman will focus on digital experience, IoT, blockchain, and machine learning, underscoring Kaleido’s aim to guide digital transformation and cross-department alignment for the next consumer experience.

Agency And Ad Tech Expertise Create A New Breed Of Marketing Talent

The article describes a growing trend of ad tech professionals who began their careers in agencies returning to senior agency roles, bringing a blend of client-service experience and data-driven technical skills. Accuen CEO Megan Pagliuca warns that hiring ad tech talent without agency background can neglect the consumer experience, while agencies increasingly seek marketers who can fuse data tools with traditional marketing know-how. The piece highlights several career moves: Mike Racic (formerly of Universal McCann and Rocket Fuel) now leads iCrossing’s cross-functional media team to apply data-driven planning; Rob Marshall (Maxus) moved from Arena Media to Rocket Fuel and back to Maxus to deepen programmatic strategy; Damian Blackden (former Adnologies CEO, co-founder of Device[9], acquired by Flashtalking) is Maxus’ worldwide chief strategy officer and helped launch Maxus Technology Consulting. Together, these moves indicate a maturing industry that prioritizes data-driven, tech-enabled marketing leadership.