IT’S A BEACON WORLD, AND WE’RE JUST LIVING IN IT:  Ever think cell-based lat/long targeting could become obsolete?  Well that may happen if beacons and proximity-based targeting hits critical mass.  The following AdAge article lays out some very compelling stats on this emerging sector of media.  As of Q4’16 there were roughly 13M proximity sensors (aka beacons) in stores throughout the US.  That’s triple the total in the field from Q4’15. Approximately 20% of these beacons have the capability of delivering some sort of ad message to your mobile device when it’s within the proximity range.  The messages could be simple in-store ads (think of a digital version of POS display), or third party network advertising, or even couponing from the retailer or from brands who have products on the shelves of the store you’re currently in.  This could be a game changer for any location-heavy category – so think Retail, CPG, QSR, etc..  We may end up living in a beacon world sooner than you think!  (link)

RIP NET NEUTRALITY?:  Right before Donald Trump took office, I mentioned the FCC’s current policy of Net Neutrality could be modified or completely reversed.  For a refresher NN is a government regulation which prohibits cable and cellular providers from prioritizing the delivery of certain content over others.  Proponents of the regulation say without NN we’ll see the creation of “high speed data lanes” where individuals can pay a premium for higher speed delivery, effectively slowing down non-premium content delivery.  Critics say NN in non-competitive and will dampen overall tech innovation.  What’s important now is that the FCC’s new Chairman Ajit Pai is firmly against NN, which was established during the Obama administration.  Therefore the industry is expecting a modification or full rollback of the policy.  However, Mr. Pai hasn’t indicated how he’ll try to change the rule.  Full details are in the attached Reuters link.  (link)

CHEETOS TAKING A STAND FOR IMMIGRATION?:  Finally today, if you didn’t catch the SNL/Cheetos skit on Saturday night its worth a quick watch.  It speaks to the creative dilemma and possible trap brands can find themselves in right now.  Every client wants their brand to have a positive image, and sometimes that image can extend past the intrinsic nature of the product itself.  Think of De Beers  promoting diamonds as a symbol of forever love, and not just a hard shiny stone you can wear as jewelry.  But can this thinking go too far, like trying to make a cheesepuff snack stand for immigration freedom or transgender equality?  We saw this happen a few times in the Super Bowl (especially the Airbnb ad), and my guess is we’ll see several more of these social cause overextensions in the months to come.  (link)

Have a great Monday guys!