Spring Studios–a creative agency and production studio creating premium branded content and experiences for global brands–has appointed Nicole V. Cramer as global chief of staff working across its offices in London, New York, Milan and Los Angeles. Cramer will report into Spring Studios’ global president and chief creative officer Tom Punch, working closely with him, the leadership team and staff worldwide. Cramer joins Spring Studios after a two-year hiatus from the advertising industry during which time she has been running two of her own companies: brand consultancy NicNic Productions and My Grandma Baked A Cookie, a small-batch baking company. She started her first company at the age of 18. She has spent over 15 years in global operations roles in some of the world’s leading marketing communications companies, including JWT, DDB Worldwide and most recently as SVP and global chief of staff at McCann Worldgroup. She also has 20 years of consulting experience. A graduate of Cornell University, the United Nations International School, and Mannes College of Music, Cramer is certified by REACH personal branding and also by the Health Coach Institute. She has also worked with numerous charitable organizations….
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More