Seven & i Holdings

RTL's Contact+ TV: Progress Made, Standards Still Needed

RTL's Ad Alliance has introduced Contact+ TV, a TKP-based billing model that shifts from selling seconds to targeting contacts. ProSiebenSat.1 indicates willingness to support this direction. The article argues that while this contact-based approach is a positive step, it remains incomplete without industry-wide standardization. Key open questions include how a "contact" is defined and measured and how environment quality should be weighed. The market currently lacks alignment, with other players like Seven.One and ARD/WDR Media reportedly using different models, complicating cross-vendor comparisons. A future TKP framework would need a unified TV contact definition, a combination of reach and quality, adaptive optimization, transparent compensation rules, and cross-media integration. The piece emphasizes that TV must evolve into a cross-media currency that preserves premium environments and is not reduced to a mere volume metric.

Digital Ads: Mapping Their Social Impact on Media

IAB Europe released Beyond Reach: Mapping the Social Impact of Digital Advertising and Media on 17 December 2025. The report, developed by IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee, examines how the digital advertising ecosystem currently addresses social sustainability across Europe and beyond. It draws on submissions to a multi-stakeholder Request for Information, a structured mapping of emerging initiatives, and expert interviews to map current practices around social topics such as media plurality, misinformation, accessibility, and diversity across the media supply chain. Key findings show that social impact measurement remains fragmented, with no shared definitions, boundaries, KPIs, or sector-specific standards across markets and media types. The report calls for coordinated standards, interoperable KPIs that capture qualitative media value without bias, and governance tools to make public value, risks, and opportunities more visible in planning and buying. Findings will guide the committee’s work on social impact in the coming year.

Rethink Personalization: Unite Audiences Through Shared Experiences

Marketers are urged to rethink hyper-personalization: AI enables precise 1:1 messaging, but the article argues that constant tailoring can fragment audiences and overlook universal human signals. It calls for a smarter balance where personalization serves resonance and belonging, not just segmentation. Examples include Amazon’s 'Joy Ride' and Coca-Cola’s holiday campaigns, which aim for shared emotion rather than one-to-one targeting. The piece also highlights CRM and loyalty programs—like Marriott Bonvoy and 7-Eleven’s rewards—that align real-time behavior with brand identity and core emotional drivers such as convenience and recognition. It cautions against universal ultra-granular targeting and emphasizes knowing when to personalize versus when to unify. As brands explore AI-driven experiences, the message is to blend data insight with creativity to evoke emotional responses and bring people together. Data-Driven Thinking is a Razorfish/AdExchanger column by Dani Mariano, promoting nuanced, human-centered marketing.