Marketecture: Get Smart. Fast. Episode 149: Steven Liss of OpenAds on AI start-up, AdCP, UCP, and how The Trade Desk stole his name
13 snips
Nov 21, 2025 Steven Liss, CEO and co-founder of OpenAds, dives into the evolution of AI in advertising, detailing their shift from AI chat placements to enhancing display ads with contextual targeting. He highlights how improved language models are reshaping contextual intelligence, boosting ad relevance. Liss shares insights on building an AI-native DSP and the importance of unifying signals through AdCP, while emphasizing the potential of AI-generated creatives. The interview reveals the challenges of embedding interoperability and the need for collaborative standards in the industry.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From AI Chat Ads To Open Web Pivot
- Steven Liss explains OpenAds started as an AI-native network placing ads inside AI search and chat.
- They built the tech but found ad supply limited and pivoted to use AI to improve open web display advertising.
Contextual Targeting Reborn By Modern LLMs
- Steven Liss predicts a new golden age for contextual advertising driven by better language models.
- Improved contextual classification yields more accurate targeting and makes contextual verification valuable.
Pair Creative With Contextual Targeting
- Combine contextual targeting with contextual creative to maximize relevance and performance.
- Build integration between targeting and ad serving rather than treating creative and media as separate silos.