Innovating at Speed: Nexxen’s Journey through the GenAI Hackathon

At Nexxen, we recently held a unique event at our Tel Aviv Engineering site: Nexxathon TLV. This two-day hackathon focused on Generative AI and the use of OpenAI’s API, bringing together a diverse group of our team members. From developers to data scientists, product managers to BI experts, more than 70 of our colleagues collaborated in an environment that fostered both learning and creativity.  Nexxathon TLV was more than just a competition; it was an opportunity for our teams to deepen their understanding of AI technologies and explore practical applications in our work. In this blog, we’ll share insights from the hackathon, discuss the innovative solutions developed and reflect on how this event showcases Nexxen’s commitment to ongoing technological growth.  The Practical Choice of OpenAI’s API Our decision to center Nexxathon TLV around OpenAI’s API was driven by a clear objective: to enable our teams to create tangible, working AI implementations within a limited timeframe. This choice distinguished our hackathon from others, where the focus often leans more towards conceptual designs and presentations.  OpenAI’s API provided an accessible yet powerful tool that allowed our teams to see their ideas come to life. It simplified the learning curve, making it possible for our diverse teams to not only conceptualize, but also materialize their AI-driven projects. This approach was pivotal in moving beyond the theoretical and into the realm of practical, usable solutions — a cornerstone of Nexxen’s ethos in embracing and implementing new technologies.  It simplified the learning curve, making it possible for our diverse teams to not only conceptualize, but also materialize their AI-driven projects. It simplified the learning curve, making it possible for our diverse teams to not only conceptualize, but also materialize their AI-driven projects. The Hackathon Experience The format of Nexxathon TLV was carefully designed to maximize productivity and innovation within the short span of two days. Day one was dedicated to planning – a crucial phase where teams brainstormed and laid out their strategies. This initial stage set the foundation for what was to come, allowing each group to clarify their ideas and approaches.  Day two was all about execution. This is where the magic happened, with each team transforming their plans into reality. The diverse makeup of the teams – including members from Data, Webapps, IT and BI – proved to be one of the event’s greatest strengths. By bringing together individuals from various domains, we not only fostered a dynamic exchange of ideas, but also enhanced the overall camaraderie within the company. This cross-functional collaboration is essential in a field as interdisciplinary as AI, and it was inspiring to see how different perspectives and expertise contributed to innovative solutions.  Spotlight on Innovation Nexxathon TLV was a platform for groundbreaking ideas, where each team brought something unique to the table. A remarkable example was the winning team’s creation of a JavaScript tool for enhancing user interaction within our UI. This tool allows users to get context-sensitive insights on specific terms just by selecting and highlighting them in any application.  Equally impressive was the development of ‘Segmentor,’ a clever tool aimed at aiding advertisers in selecting the right audience segments. By uploading their creative content and a brief campaign description, Segmentor utilizes data from our internal systems to suggest the most effective audience targeting strategies.  These innovations illustrate Nexxen’s commitment to practical and impactful technological solutions. The hackathon wasn’t just about ideas; it was about turning those ideas into functional tools that can enhance our operations and user experience.    The hackathon wasn’t just about ideas; it was about turning those ideas into functional tools that can enhance our operations and user experience.  The hackathon wasn’t just about ideas; it was about turning those ideas into functional tools that can enhance our operations and user experience.  Integrating AI into Nexxen’s Future The success of Nexxathon TLV goes beyond the two days of the event –it marks the beginning of a new chapter in Nexxen’s journey with AI technology. The hackathon’s innovative outcomes are stepping stones towards integrating AI more deeply into our products and operations.  The tools developed are not just hackathon projects, they are prototypes of what will soon be integral features of our offerings. Their integration into our existing systems will enhance the user experience and operational efficiency, illustrating our commitment to not only exploring AI, but making it a core component of our business strategy.  This initiative is a clear indication of Nexxen’s future direction, one in which AI is a fundamental part of how we operate and innovate. As we move forward, these AI-driven tools and methodologies will play a crucial role in shaping our products, services and customer interactions. In addition to developing AI solutions, the hackathon played a pivotal role in enhancing our organizational dynamics –proving that when we work together without barriers, we can achieve remarkable things. Nexxathon TLV exemplified Nexxen’s commitment to innovative collaboration. This hackathon not only showcased our technical expertise but also promoted a transformative company culture. As we build on these achievements, Nexxen is poised for a future where teamwork and technology continue to drive our success in the industry.  Read Next

Nexxen Enhances TV Intelligence Solution with Premium Streaming Data Through Exclusive Agreement with PeerLogix

Linkedin Icon-xtwitterlogo-black The enhancement empowers brands and advertisers with aggregated and scaled viewership insights. NEW YORK, February 15, 2024 – Nexxen, a global, unified advertising technology platform with deep expertise in video and Connected TV (“CTV”), today announced the augmentation of its TV Intelligence solution with exclusive aggregated and scaled premium streaming viewership data from platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus. As streaming services continue to gain traction, a new partnership with PeerLogix, Inc. – the audience discovery platform recognized as the standard in tracking over-the-top (“OTT”) data across smart TV, desktop and mobile – further enables brands and advertisers leveraging Nexxen’s platform to reach as many as 50 million households, empowering them to effectively target a unified TV audience. Using proprietary technology, PeerLogix captures and catalogues global consumer viewership data from various leading CTV platforms in real-time. Integrated with traditional television viewership data (to which Nexxen also has exclusive access), these comprehensive segments enhance Nexxen’s TV Intelligence solution – an expansive dataset inclusive of Set-Top Box (“STB”), Automatic Content Recognition (“ACR”) and cross-screen panel data – so advertisers can craft and reach personalized audiences based on a variety of factors, such as genre or viewing habits. “The integration of PeerLogix’s data into our TV Intelligence solution enhances our capacity to deliver unparalleled value to our clients through real-time, premium insights,” said Jessica La Rosa, Vice President, TV Partnerships and Strategy at Nexxen. “We’re thrilled to be expanding our already holistic and representative dataset with cutting edge streaming viewership data, allowing brands and advertisers to elevate the effectiveness of their campaigns in the fast-evolving CTV landscape.” “Our partnership with Nexxen represents a significant advancement in the evolution of advertising to streaming audiences, introducing a more holistic approach in today’s complex media landscape by uniting PeerLogix’s robust viewership data with Nexxen’s market-leading platform,” said William Gorfein, Chief Executive Officer at PeerLogix. “This strategic partnership is a pivotal step forward which offers clients unparalleled insights and enhanced precision in the targeting of streaming audiences, bridging the gap between linear and streaming channels via the Nexxen platform to engage diverse television audiences.” About Nexxen Nexxen empowers advertisers, agencies, publishers and broadcasters around the world to utilize video and Connected TV in the ways that are most meaningful to them. Comprised of a demand-side platform (DSP), supply-side platform (SSP), ad server and data management platform (DMP), Nexxen delivers a flexible and unified technology stack with advanced and exclusive data at its core. Our robust capabilities span discovery, planning, activation, measurement and optimization – available individually or in combination – all designed to enable our partners to reach their goals, no matter how far-reaching or hyper niche they may be.     Nexxen is headquartered in Israel and maintains offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and is traded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM: NEXN) and NASDAQ (NEXN). For more information, visit nexxen.com.    About PeerLogix PeerLogix serves as the go-to audience discovery platform for advertisers navigating the evolving OTT/streaming TV ecosystem. The company boasts a library spanning over seven years of streaming video data, powered by a patented technology platform that collects and catalogs real-time OTT data, while utilizing both licensed and publicly available databases to gain insights into consumer preferences. This capability allows PeerLogix to precisely build and target advertising audiences across the entire spectrum of ‘cord-cutters.’ For more information, please visit www.peerlogix.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “can,” “will,” “estimates,” and other similar expressions. However, these words are not the only way Nexxen International, or any of its affiliates, identifies forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding anticipated benefits of PeerLogix partnership and settlement, or any other partnership, settlements, our tech stack, and any other offerings of Nexxen and any affiliates. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Nexxen’s actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from its expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Nexxen cautions you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in Nexxen’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) on March 7, 2023. Any forward-looking statements made by Nexxen in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and Nexxen does not intend to update these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release, except as required by law. Nexxen, and the Nexxen logo are trademarks of Nexxen International Ltd. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word “partner” or “partnership” in this press release does not mean a legal partner or legal partnership. Read Next Connect With Us Learn how you can effectively and meaningfully leverage today’s video and CTV opportunities with our end-to-end platform, data and insights. Contact Us

Life At Nexxen with Joeyee Li

In our latest installment of Life at Nexxen, we sat down with Joeyee Li – a senior manager on our business strategy team. Read the article to see Joeyee’s day-to-day life at Nexxen and her favorite restaurants in New York.

What Can Brands Learn from the Top Ads of 2023?

By: Genevieve Wheeler Linkedin Icon-xtwitterlogo-black In the fast-paced world of advertising, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for brands aiming to capture the attention and hearts of their audiences – a reality made ever clearer by the competitive nature of Super Bowl ad breaks. In an effort to understand which ads truly packed a punch last year, Nexxen Studio – our in-house creative and insights studio – conducted an extensive study on 20 popular ads that graced major milestones throughout 2023 (including the big game). Leveraging advanced technology and surveying a diverse pool of 11,000 participants, the studio’s findings offer a comprehensive look at what made, and makes, certain ads a success. The Big Takeaways The Big Takeaways 61% higher level of active attention in the top five ads compared to the average US ad. 70% of the top 10 for attention also fell within the Holiday or Super Bowl category. 60% of the top 10 for attention also ranked in the top 10 for purchase intent. 40% of the top 10 for attention ranked in the top 10 for brand recall. Capturing attention is crucial, but it’s not the sole factor in brand recall. 61% higher level of active attention in the top five ads compared to the average US ad. 70% of the top 10 for attention also fell within the Holiday or Super Bowl category. 60% of the top 10 for attention also ranked in the top 10 for purchase intent. 40% of the top 10 for attention ranked in the top 10 for brand recall. Capturing attention is crucial, but it’s not the sole factor in brand recall. Get the study Nexxen Studio employed a meticulous approach, cross-testing the ads against various key performance indicators including active attention, brand recall, purchase intent and emotional response. The use of facial coding technology – capturing second-by-second reactions – provided an even more unique perspective on viewers’ engagement levels. By categorizing the audience into segments such as Live Sports Enthusiasts (primed for the Super Bowl), Bargain Hunters, Prime and Black Friday Shoppers and more, the study helped unveil the nuanced preferences of diverse consumer groups. According to the Nexxen Studio score, the top five performing ads of 2023 were: Coca-Cola, “The World Needs More Santas” Kroger, “Cuisine Exchange” Amazon, “Saving Sawyer” Tide, “MythBusters” NFL, “Run With It” Qchefsdental, Qchefsdental.de These ads outshone the competition on a variety of metrics, securing their place as the most impactful across the board.  It’s fair to say that the dynamics between active attention, consumer action and brand recall is key to crafting compelling and memorable campaigns – particularly ahead of the Super Bowl. So, how will the ads of 2024 fair? Only time will tell, but we’ll be tuning in on Sunday to see. Read Next

Data-Driven Videos: The Next Trend in Advertising?

While customers increasingly demand hyper-personalized experiences across a growing range of digital channels, brands find themselves falling short. We’re seeing a landscape where consumers increasingly embrace customized ads and anticipate tailored experiences – leaving room for a transformative opportunity for marketers to capitalize on data-driven insights.