MAM
Advertising picks up in 2012: Nielsen
MUMBAI: Advertising spending across television, newspapers, radio, outdoor, Internet and cinema see an increase in the beginning of 2012 compared to last year, according to Nielsen’s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report.
Though TV continues to attract the majority of ad dollars, Internet advertising sees the biggest increase, with advertisers spending 12.1 per cent more in Q1 2012 than one year prior. During that time, ad spend overall increased 3.1 per cent globally.
Across the regions, the findings are markedly different as each media has taken root and evolved uniquely.
Television: Dollars devoted to TV advertising grew 4 per cent in North America, second only to outdoor, and 7.5 per cent in Latin America. In the Middle East and Africa, TV ad spend grew a whopping 33.8 per cent.
Internet: Online ad spend was a bright spot for the industry, with growth around the globe. Growth was particularly notable in Europe (12.1 per cent), Latin America (31.8 per cent) and the Middle East and Africa (35.2 per cent).
Print (Magazines and Newspapers): Magazines saw a minor decline compared to last year, but newspapers grew by 3.1 per cent. In Latin America and Asia Pacific, both media grew by 7.6 per cent and 10.3 per cent respectively in Latin America, and 3.6 per cent and 5.4 per cent in Asia Pacific. North America saw nominal declines in print ad spend.
Radio: Radio saw increases in every region around the globe, including a 2.6 per cent increase in North America and 2.8 per cent in Europe. In emerging markets in Latin America and Middle East and Africa, those increases were much higher. Radio grew 18 per cent in Latin America and 21.1 per cent in the Middle East and Africa.
Cinema: In the Asia Pacific, cinema grew by 27.1 per cent, offsetting the declines seen in Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.
Outdoor: Still a nascent industry, outdoor is growing rapidly. In the past quarter, outdoor ad spend increased by 6.4 per cent globally. This included gains of 4.4 per cent in North America, 45.3 per cent in the Middle East and Africa and 21.1 per cent in Asia Pacific. Only Europe experienced a decline.
Digital
OpenAI drops Sora AI video tool, ends planned $1 billion Disney deal
Pivot to coding and AGI leaves media giant rethinking AI tie-up plans
CALIFORNIA: In a move that has sent ripples through both Hollywood and Silicon Valley, OpenAI has pulled the plug on its much-hyped AI video tool Sora, abruptly ending what was shaping up to be a landmark partnership with The Walt Disney Company.
According to media reports, the decision came with little warning. Teams from both sides had been working on a Sora-linked project when the shutdown was communicated, catching even those close to the collaboration off guard.
The fallout is significant. The move effectively scraps a proposed $1 billion, three-year agreement that would have seen Disney invest in OpenAI while opening up access to its vast library of characters for AI-generated short-form video content. The deal, however, had not been finalised and no funds had changed hands.
Sora, unveiled in early 2024, had dazzled the industry with its ability to generate cinematic-quality video from simple text prompts, triggering a wave of competing launches from AI players across the United States and China. Its sudden exit marks a sharp turn in OpenAI’s strategy.
The company is now redirecting its focus towards more commercially scalable areas such as coding tools, enterprise solutions and the long-term pursuit of artificial general intelligence. Internally, resources required to run the video model are understood to have weighed on other priorities, accelerating the decision.
Leadership roles are also evolving to match the shift. Sam Altman continues to steer the broader vision, while Fidji Simo’s remit has been realigned towards deploying AGI capabilities as part of a wider push to consolidate offerings into a unified platform.
For Disney, the setback is more strategic than financial. The company is said to be evaluating alternative ways to collaborate with OpenAI, even as it recalibrates its approach to generative AI in storytelling.
For the wider industry, the episode is a reminder that in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence, even the most dazzling innovations can have a surprisingly short shelf life.
