As part of its expansion strategy, digital platform for marketers, advertisers, communication professionals and media, Marketing Report has announced that it is expanding to Belgium and is in the process of launching a website. This, as it seeks to tap into the growing demand for marketing services and cement partnerships with Belgian partners. The platform will publish content in the Belgian website in English Dutch and French.

On, mergers and acquistions, Outbrain Inc., a recommendation platform for the open web, has announced that it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire video intelligence AG (“vi”), a Swiss-based contextual video technology platform for digital and Connected TV media owners. vi’s contextual and machine learning technology enables media owners to enhance user engagement and monetization by adding relevant video content to articles.

Entopic, one of the largest content agencies in the Netherlands, has been acquired by iO (formerly known as Intracto Group). The latter strives to deliver an end-to-end proposition in which strategy, creation, content, marketing and technology are provided all under the same roof. The acquisition of Entopic ads 75 online content experts to the iO Campus Amsterdam.

Credera, a global, boutique consulting firm focused on strategy, transformation, data, and technology, has acquired BrightGen, a UK-based Salesforce Summit Partner, to extend its depth in digital transformation, marketing technology, and customer experience capabilities.

Credera is part of Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG), the digital and customer relationship management specialist practice area within Omnicom Group Inc.

ViacomCBS Networks International has closed the acquisition of a majority stake in the acclaimed Spanish language content producer, Fox TeleColombia & Estudios TeleMexico from The Walt Disney Company.

On the partnership front, Global advertising technology company, The Trade Desk has announced that it is expanding its partnership with NBCUniversal.

As part of this announcement, The Trade Desk will add NBCU’s Peacock service to its industry-leading CTV platform.

As a result, the world’s leading advertisers will have access to premium Peacock video on-demand inventory on The Trade Desk, including NBC Sports; NBC and Sky News; NBC Next-Day Prime; Peacock originals such as The Lost Symbol and GIRLS5EVA; and an extensive catalog that includes The Office and Parks and Recreation

At the same time Creative Realities, Inc., a provider of digital marketing solutions, is expanding its collaboration with one of the world's largest automakers with 15 automotive brands in 130 countries.

CRI, whose omnichannel automobile platform is currently leveraged by approximately 2,600 automotive dealerships in the United States to drive customer satisfaction and retention, has been awarded the business of an additional 440 dealerships in Canada. Planning is currently underway, and deployment is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2022.

And ViacomCBS Inc. and Twitter have announced a new, multi-year global agreement to deliver premium digital content around ViacomCBS' biggest live events, hit shows and iconic franchises from the company's portfolio of entertainment, news and sports brands, including BET, CBS Television Network, CBS News, CBS Sports, Channel 5, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Network 10, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network and Telefe.

On matters sustainability, IKEA has said it will phase out plastic from consumer packaging solutions.

The phase-out will happen in steps, starting with all new range by 2025, and running range by 2028. With this phase-out, IKEA aims to reduce plastic waste and pollution, and drive the industry agenda to develop packaging solutions centred around renewable and recycled materials.

On the other hand, Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology says that five of its memory products achieved global recognition for successfully reducing its carbon emission, while 20 additional memory products received carbon footprint certification.

Samsung’s automotive LED packages also had their carbon footprint verification, a first in the industry for automotive LED packages, further expanding Samsung’s portfolio of eco-conscious ‘green chips’.

And new research released by Edelman Smithfield in Canada highlights a sharp rise in skepticism and increased scrutiny by Canadian institutional investors of environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and related disclosure by Canadian issuers.

The Canadian findings of the fifth annual Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Institutional Investors note that, while the majority of Canadian investors surveyed continue to believe that companies that deliver strong ESG performance deserve a premium valuation, the majority question the accuracy of the ESG disclosure they examine, have doubts about companies’ ability to achieve their stated ESG commitments, and are pushing for mandatory and standardized ESG disclosure requirements.

Bob Koigi is an editor at Marketing Report EU

www.marketingreport.eu