OFF-PLATFORM MARRIAGE:  First up today is news of a partnership between Apple and NBC/Universal, in which NBC will begin selling Apple Newsfeed inventory on its ad network.  Apple is a great device company but it’s historically struggled in the media sales arena – remember them shuttering iAd a year ago?  So this move seems to make sense for both sides.  Apple and its partners get to monetize their content while NBC gets to sink its media sales teeth into a new batch of off-platform inventory.  Not all of these deals work out, but this one seems to have some of the right elements to make it successful.  (link)

NOW THAT’S MINNEAPOLIS COOL:  You might recall last month when Pandora’s Chicago office won the “Crain’s Coolest Office” Award.  Not to be out done, our Minneapolis office is getting in on the action with their own accolades.  This time it’s from the Minneapolis Business Journal, who is featuring Pandora as one of their Cool Offices in the city.  I think I see a trend here . . . create a modern floor plan with a tech flair, pack that space with talented people who love coming to work, and you end up with one of the best offices in the city.  Pandora knows this formula works in market after market, which is why so many of their offices have a certain look and feel.  Now the rest of the world is discovering the secret too!  (link)

THE GHOSTS OF AD TECH PAST: And finally, AdExchanger published a good look back piece on the last 10 years of AdTech, as a way to predict where the industry might be headed.  It’s interesting to think that entire innovation-based sub-industries within AdTech/MarTech can reach maturity within just 8-10 years (yes, that’s how quickly tomorrow’s innovation will lap even today’s shiniest tech toys).  I also liked the “winter is coming” reference to traditional media platforms who are trying to compete with digital measurement and attribution.  Learning lessons like this from the past can help us all compete on tomorrow’s digital battlefield.  (link)

Have a great Wednesday guys!