NBCUniversal's Insights at Advertising Week New York 2023: From Future Advertising to Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

October 31, 2023

Through a combination of speaking engagements, strategic media relations, and marketing activations, the team pulled back the curtain on the division’s larger go-to-market strategy under the new leadership of Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, and with the help of executives across the division, NBCUniversal previewed what’s to come for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games. The team also participated in several speaking opportunities that demonstrated our continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The Future of Advertising  

Mark Marshall kicked off the week on the Advertising Week mainstage for a candid conversation with Savannah Sellers (Anchor, “Morning News Now” & Correspondent, NBC News) about the Future of Advertising.   

Mark and Savannah discussed a range of topics from the power of premium content to inform, entertain and shape culture, and NBCUniversal’s ability to tie marketing into its iconic IP. Mark also emphasized the importance of cross-platform advertising to meet brand and performance needs and how to execute effectively with media strategies and campaign planning. Mark rounded out the conversation by spotlighting the value proposition of NBCUniversal’s One Platform approach. 

“For a while, tech companies wanted to be content companies. And content companies wanted to be tech companies. We sit in the middle of that,” said Mark Marshall. “And what we’ve been able to do is say, take the reach and scale that we provide, layering in this new technology, and we can talk to advertisers in a completely different way. Where dollars may have migrated to either social or retail media networks, we can now pair that together with this ultra-premium content that we have across multiple platforms.” 

The Road to Paris 2024 

With less than one-year until the Olympic & Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Advertising Week participants got into the Parisian spirit.  

With Café Olympique, NBCUniversal brought a little bit of the Paris 2024 Games to New York with an on-the-ground activation featuring a one-of-a-kind Olympic AR photo experience and Parisian treats. 

Plus, Dan Lovinger (President, Olympic & Paralympic Partnerships, NBCUniversal) and Jenny Storms (CMO, Entertainment and Sports, NBCUniversal) shared a marketing and sales pacing update with key journalists to celebrate our successes and help drive sales. With 10 months to go until the Opening Ceremony, NBCUniversal is ahead in sales at this point in time compared to previous years, further proving the anticipation for these upcoming games and the value it brings to advertisers. 

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games is the great aggregator of viewership bringing cultures and communities together to celebrate the pinnacle of athletic achievement and root for their favorite athletes and team,” said Dan. “With this level of comradery, the Olympic & Paralympic movement offers sponsors and advertisers a premium environment to reach dedicated and engaged consumers anywhere and everywhere they are and builds long-lasting impacts for brands within and beyond the Games.” 

Ongoing Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion  

Throughout the week, NBCUniversal’s Global Advertising & Partnerships executives Peter Blacker (EVP, Streaming & Data Products and Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Kimberly King (VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Carla Kelly (SVP, Client Partnerships) and Chris Rodriguez (Senior Director Ad Sales & Creative Partnerships Development) participated in several conversations surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Group Black, The Female Quotient, and Variety. Topics ranged from diversity in the media industry, fostering empathic leadership, and the importance of mentorship and authenticity.  

Back in June, it was announced that Group Black will sell ads for Black-led content on Peacock, marking the first time NBCUniversal has allowed another company to sell part of its streaming ad inventory. This panel discussed the next iteration of our partnership, the importance of diversity in media, and our commitment to working together to foster always-on diverse and inclusive initiatives.  

And with a continued partnership, NBCUniversal and The Female Quotient hosted the Annual Equality Dinner during Advertising Week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of equal prize money at the US Open and the 50th anniversary of the iconic 1973 tennis match, “Battle of the Sexes,” with Sports Icon and Equality Champion, Billie Jean King and CEO, Billie Jean King Enterprises, Illana Kloss in conversation moderated by Dylan Dreyer, Co-host 3rd Hour of TODAY. 

The Importance of Brand Safety & Transparency  

To conclude the week, NBCUniversal and partner Omnicom Media Group (OMG) announced a first-to-market capability that delivers program-level reporting at scale in the connected TV universe. Dom Vangeli (SVP & GM, Advanced Advertising Partnerships) was quoted in the press release that showcase how this first-to-market capability leverages NBCUniversal’s NBCUnified clean room technology to give advertisers visibility into where their ads are delivered. This was a teaser announcement that primes the company for its upcoming appearance at Brand Safety Week in early November where the company will dive further into this narrative