Goldbach Group vs Overwolf

Goldbach Group Restructures, Cuts Up to 35 Jobs in Audience-Media Fusion

Swiss ad marketer Goldbach Group is cutting up to 35 positions following the merger of its audience and media sales units. CEO Christoph Marty discusses the move in an interview, citing the need for leaner structures and agility in a changing media market. This is the third restructuring in three years, with over 110 positions eliminated since 2024. The company states no further measures are planned, but processes are continuously reviewed. The restructuring is backed by shareholders TX Group, RTL, and Seven.One.

• Goldbach Group eliminates up to 35 jobs due to fusion of audience and media marketing.
• Over 110 positions cut since 2024.
• Restructuring is backed by shareholders TX Group, RTL, and Seven.One.

HWZ names joint heads for two CAS

HWZ has appointed Iris Blättler and Ursula Nötzli as joint directors of its continuing-education programmes CAS Corporate Communications with AI and CAS Strategic Communications Management with AI. Nötzli, who previously led both programmes alone, is now a partner at Swiss consultancy Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten after leaving TX Group in 2024. Blättler brings around 20 years' experience in communications, marketing and journalism, having served as Head of Corporate Communications at Goldbach and previously as Nötzli's deputy at TX Group; she left Goldbach in a redundancy and will begin a new role in September. Valerio Stallone of HWZ welcomed Blättler as a complement to the team. Together they plan to advance the curricula with dialog-driven, practical teaching that emphasizes leadership and cautious, human-responsible use of AI (e.g., human review for crises and avoiding confidential data in open tools).

• Iris Blättler and Ursula Nötzli appointed co-directors of CAS Corporate Communications with AI and CAS Strategic Communications Management with AI at HWZ.
• Ursula Nötzli previously served as sole programme director; she is now a partner at Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten and left TX Group in 2024.
• Iris Blättler has ~20 years' experience, was Head of Corporate Communications at Goldbach, previously deputy to Nötzli at TX Group, left Goldbach in a redundancy and will start a new role in September.

IAB PlayFronts 2026: Gaming Advertising at an Inflection Point

The 2026 IAB PlayFronts event, held on September 17th, 2026, showcased the growing maturity and investment potential of gaming as an advertising channel. Key themes included the shift from experimental to investable, the unique cross-platform attention ecosystem, the importance of player-first creative, and the ability to drive the full marketing funnel. With 212.3 million US gamers, platforms highlighted programmatic inventory, rewarded video, and third-party measurement. The industry's main hurdle is systemic - educating brands and agencies on gaming's nuances - not consumer adoption.

• The IAB PlayFronts event took place on September 17, 2026.
• 212.3 million Americans play games regularly, with 67% of 5-90-year-olds playing at least an hour per week.
• Presenters highlighted LIVAD's virtual product placements, Overwolf's In-Game Audience Discovery Map, and Zynga's Ads+ 'Game Path Optimization'.

Overwolf Ads Launches the In-Game Audience Map

This week, exclusive on Variety and unveiled live at IAB PlayFronts 2026, Overwolf Ads launched the In-Game Audience Map: a free tool that shows brands exactly where their audience is playing, across 5,000+ of the world's biggest games.

Gaming Platforms Seek Omnichannel Integration at IAB PlayFronts

At the fifth annual IAB PlayFronts, gaming platforms showcased efforts to align with standard omnichannel buying while emphasizing unique gaming attributes. IAB CEO David Cohen urged resisting adaptation of old models, yet many platforms, including Overwolf, Zynga, and IGN, introduced tools and networks that mirror traditional media channels. Overwolf launched an In-Game Audience Map for media planning across 5,000 game titles. Zynga Ads+ extends its publisher network to third-party apps. IGN partnered with AI platform Firsthand for interactive display ads for AMD. The industry highlights a significant mismatch between gaming's audience and ad spend, with gaming attracting only 2.4% of media spend despite 67% of Americans gaming weekly. Experts advocate for treating gaming as a distinct channel with unique value, as demonstrated by Sam's Club's rewarded video campaign on Roblox, which drove store sales.

• IAB PlayFronts 2026 highlighted gaming's push for omnichannel integration.
• Overwolf launched an In-Game Audience Map for targeting across 5,000 game titles.
• Zynga introduced Zynga Ads+, a third-party publisher network for mobile apps.