Mike and Emily Riley talk media agency paralysis, Amazon vs Trade Desk, Paramount Drama and Sydney Sweeney Soap

📉 Agency Turmoil and Risk Aversion: Ad agencies are experiencing significant internal issues, including layoff fears, client shifts, and restructuring (e.g., WPP).

🤝 Innovation Through Established Channels: While direct sales to agencies are difficult, ad tech innovation is still happening by "hitching wagons" to established platforms.

🛍️ Retail Media's Rise: Retail media, particularly through platforms like Amazon, is a significant area of opportunity for ad spending.

🧱 Amazon's Walled Garden Advantage: Amazon is increasingly influential in the ad tech space, acting as a "walled garden" with rich shopping data.

🔍 Google's Potential Shift and Amazon's Search Play: The potential breakup of Google (e.g., selling Chrome) could open up the search market significantly.

📉 Legacy Media's Struggle and Live Content's Value: Traditional media companies like Paramount are facing significant challenges due to outdated business structures and internal conflicts.

📱 Mobile-First TV Consumption: Younger generations are increasingly watching TV content on their phones, highlighting a shift in consumption habits.

🤖 AI's Role in Creative - Automation vs. Innovation: There's a debate about AI's role in creative advertising.