Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know in the world of advertising today.
1. Twitter’s China boss Kathy Chen has quit after just 8 months. Chen, who announced the news in a series of tweets, was brought in to lure more Chinese advertisers to the platform.
2. Funding for ad tech startups has dropped to its lowest level in five years as Google and Facebook become dominant, The Financial Times reports. The number of global ad tech venture financing deals dropped 17% compared to 2015.
3. According to VC investors, here are 33 startups to watch in 2017. We asked them to particularly focus on non-enterprise startups – companies that sell directly to consumers rather than businesses.
4. These are the 32 most powerful people in business technology in 2016. Meet the 32 people who left the biggest mark in enterprise tech in 2016.
5. Here are all of the advertising, media, and marketing figures named in the Queen's New Year Honours List. This year's list includes several well-known figures.
6. These are the 17 biggest ad tech exits of 2016. A predicted ad tech media bloodbath didn't happen.
7. The UK government is launching a campaign featuring Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes to promote Britain post-Brexit, The Drum reports. The "Great Britain" campaign will celebrate a year of literary heroes.
8. These are 11 of the most unusual company and celebrity trademark applications and disputes. From Taylor Swift's lyrics to Karl Lagerfeld's silhouette.
9. The Wall Street Journal has put together the biggest media and advertising questions for 2017. Can Snapchat please Wall Street? When does Facebook ratchet up video monetization?
10. Agencies across WPP's network will gain access to Spotify's audience insights, Ad Exchanger reports. The multiyear partnership will grant WPP access to Spotify's 100 million listeners across 60 countries.