NBCUniversal ad boss Linda Yaccarino is getting a new role

Hi! Welcome to the Insider Advertising daily for October 13. I'm Lauren Johnson, a senior advertising reporter at Business Insider. Subscribe here to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. Send me feedback or tips at ljohnson@businessinsider.com.

Today's news: NBCUniversal ad boss Linda Yaccarino's new role, SPAC deals are red-hot with advertising and media companies, and Facebook's NDAs with ad agencies.

NBCU ad boss Linda Yaccarino is taking on a larger role overseeing local ads, company-wide campaigns, and a new data unit

• Ashley Rodriguez reports that NBCUniversal's advertising boss Linda Yaccarino has a new expanded role as global chairman of advertising and partnerships.
• She will oversee local advertising, company-wide marketing strategies, and a new data-strategy team.
• The move positions Yaccarino to unify all of the different parts of NBC Universal's ad business.

Read the full story here.

A rush of media and advertising companies are going public via SPACs. Here's why Playboy, CuriosityStream and Digital Media Solutions are betting on blank-check deals.

• I reported that more media and advertising companies are going public via special-purpose acquisition companies as an alternative to the traditional IPO process of going public.
• Playboy Enterprises, CuriosityStream, Digital Media Solutions are going public this year through SPACs.
• While SPACs used to be viewed negatively by investors, the pandemic has changed that and experts say that SPACs can help ad and media companies that are building or already have strong recurring revenue models as traditional investment is getting harder for advertising and media companies to come by.

Read the full story here.

Strict Facebook NDAs reveal how the company bars some of its ad agencies from speaking about it and even confirming public information

• Patrick Coffee reports that Facebook's contracts with some of its ad agencies have a nondisclosure clause that prevents them from discussing any aspect of the company's business.
• While some small agencies confirmed they were held to these NDAs, some big holding companies said their contract language was looser.
• Jeffrey Greenbaum, partner at law firm Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, said being unable to comment on Facebook could affect an agency's ability to do business.

Read the full story here.

More stories we're reading:

• Disney just announced a major reorganization to prioritize streaming content as the pandemic hobbles things like theme parks and cruise ships (Business Insider)
• The most-watched public relations accounts including GNC and Expedia that are up for grabs (Business Insider)
• AVOD vs. SVOD viewer demographics: New research shows how the audiences of surging ad-supported streaming services compare to subscription rivals like Netflix (Business Insider)
• Why newsletters are the perfect medium for brands like Cuup and Burrow, as DTCs look beyond social media marketing and traditional ad agencies to spread their message (Business Insider)
• YouTube's CEO won't commit to kicking QAnon off the platform despite Facebook banning the conspiracy-theory movement last week (Business Insider)
• Levi's, Hilfiger push a new kind of online shopping. It looks a lot like QVC. (Wall Street Journal)

Thanks for reading and see you tomorrow! You can reach me in the meantime at ljohnson@businessinsider.com and subscribe to this daily email here.

— Lauren