Meta CMO: How Advertising Works Under the Hood
The a16z Show
Common Critiques of Online Advertising
Erik asks to steel‑man critiques; Antonio and Alex discuss privacy fears, surveillance capitalism, and content incentives.
Ads pay for the internet—and they’re about to change again. a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg, entrepreneur and author Antonio García Martínez, and Meta CMO Alex Schultz dive into growth and performance marketing, privacy myths, retail media, and the AI future of “audience-of-one” advertising—plus Instagram what-ifs, WhatsApp as a super-app, and how Meta’s feed shifted from social graphs to AI-ranked content.
Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
0:38 Book Inspiration & Positive Perspective on Advertising
4:43 Critiques of Online Advertising & Data Privacy
7:34 The Evolution of Media Business Models
10:12 Content Moderation and Platform Shifts
11:43 Connected vs. Unconnected Content & The Rise of AI
13:34 The Future of AI, Personalization, and Advertising
28:18 Retail Media Networks & First-Party Data
38:18 Alternative Histories: Instagram, Libra, and Industry What-Ifs
46:31 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Company Structure
55:00 The Metaverse, VR, and Future Platforms
Resources:
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Find a16z on X
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Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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