If they'd had access to a crystal ball at the time, Vox Media might have chosen a different month to launch its first party data solution, Forte. The product was made available across the publisher's client base March 2020 -- an inopportune time to launch any kind of ad product -- but even with the shock of the pandemic, Forte wound up having a very good year. More than 100 brands tried using Forte in campaigns last year, and by the end of 2020, Forte data was used to drive “nearly half” of Vox Media’s display ad revenue, chief revenue officer Ryan Pauley said. Read more below.

• Even with its strong start, Vox Media is in a race to figure out what Forte is good at and how many ways its clients can use it as the demise of third-party cookies looms.
• For Digiday+ members, Facebook is reducing the distribution of political content, including politics-related news articles and videos, in people's news feeds in a new test that will extend to the U.S.
• Alcohol brands like Guinness, Babe Wine and Cutwater, are spending more ad dollars on Drizly, the on-demand alcohol delivery app.
• Staffers are overworked, underpaid and under appreciated for the work they have done to make up for the work affected by Covid-19.
• Marketers are looking to capitalize on comfort as Valentine's Day approaches amid the international Covid-19 pandemic.