The Digiday Podcast

On the Digiday Podcast this week, hosts Kimeko McCoy, senior marketing reporter and Tim Peterson, executive editor of video and audio, discuss the ripple effects of President Donald Trump's tariffs on the marketing and advertising industry (18:20). To make sense of all the tariff talk, they are joined by senior marketing editor Kristina Monllos and senior reporter Sam Bradley. Also on this episode, Peterson and McCoy discuss big tech’s antitrust trials, including the long-awaited ruling in Google’s ad tech antitrust battle with the Justice Department, OpenAI’s rumored X-like social media network and Netflix’s latest earnings.

In this engaging discussion, TikTok creator Alyssa McKay shares her insights on the potential impact of TikTok bans and the rise of platforms like Instagram Reels and Snapchat as alternatives. She delves into strategies for diversifying content and the importance of adaptability for creators in an ever-changing digital landscape. The conversation also touches on the complexities of retail media with Walmart's growing demands and the ongoing antitrust challenges faced by Meta, emphasizing the broader implications for advertisers and the social media ecosystem.

Amy Owen, Chief Commerce Officer at Kinesso, dives into the complexities of retail media networks and the impact of economic uncertainty on spending negotiations. She discusses the challenges of joint business planning amidst shifting market dynamics and the confusion caused by industry jargon. Owen also highlights the critical role of first-party data in navigating advertising strategies and the necessity for flexible agreements between brands and retailers to enhance effectiveness. Overall, it’s a candid look at the current state of retail media and its evolving landscape.

Delve into the gloomy ad market outlook, where economic trends spark turmoil for advertisers. Discover Apple’s App Tracking Transparency troubles and the rising costs that challenge marketing budgets. Explore the world of digital advertising, focusing on bot traffic and ad placement. Hear how OpenAI enhances contextual ad targeting with innovative tools. Uncover consumer behavior patterns through first-party data, linking kitchen content to teen dating insights. Finally, see how AI and data integration boost engagement strategies.

Sara Jerde, managing editor at Digiday, along with reporters Alexander Lee and Sara Guaglione, dive into the rapidly changing publishing landscape. They discuss the integration of AI in paywalls and innovative strategies for subscriber acquisition. The trio also explores the impact of recent shifts in Google's algorithm on publishers and the economic challenges they face. Additionally, they touch on the uncertain future of TikTok amid acquisition talks, raising questions about advertising dynamics and brand authenticity in a polarized world.

This week's episode of the Digiday Podcast covers recession fears and signals, and their impact on the market, how streaming networks are looking to scoop up YouTube creators for shows and Scope3’s plans to pivot, bringing the ad tech company into the AI era. Also on this episode, Digiday platforms reporter Krystan Scanlon walks through the ever-looming TikTok ban, and how it could impact marketers, users and creators alike.

This week's episode of the Digiday Podcast covers T-Mobile and Publicis Groupe's ad tech acquisitions amidst the "everything's an ad network" narrative, the TikTok ban tug-of-war and YouTube's new subscription service, Premium Lite. Also on this episode, Pinterest's chief revenue officer Bill Watkins walks through the platform's play for more ad dollars this year with AI-powered tools, a focus on performance marketing and balancing more ads with the user experience. 

Sarah Personette, CEO of Puck, shares her insights on transforming the newsletter business with a creator-centric model. She discusses how Puck has evolved from focusing solely on individual journalists to creating sub-brands that operate like franchises while highlighting the successes of notable newsletters. Personette also emphasizes growth strategies for subscriber retention, the importance of engaging audiences through diverse content, and innovative compensation models. The podcast reveals the adaptability and future potential of Puck in the rapidly evolving media landscape.

In January, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission finalized an updated version of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. And for as much attention as the update may have received, it probably merits more.“It is a big deal. And I think because there’s been so much other activity in the news, people haven’t really paid attention to it,” Debbie Reynolds, a privacy expert and founder, CEO and chief data privacy officer at Debbie Reynolds Consulting, said on the latest Digiday Podcast episode.The primary reason the COPPA update warrants attention is that it requires companies to receive verifiable parental consent before they can target ads to children. Clear cut as that requirement may appear to be, complying with it may be more complicated.“Part of the confusion around privacy and the challenge companies will have with the update of COPPA is trying to figure out how to do things like how do you get verifiable quote-unquote parental consent beyond just having someone click a button to say, ’Hey, yeah, my parents said, “Yes,“’” said Reynolds.Case in point: Will ad-supported streaming services start asking for parents to share copies of their driver’s licenses before their families can sit down to watch a show? And will parents be willing to do that?“Anything that you give to these companies, they’re collecting, they’re storing. And then that brings up, do I trust this company enough to give them my ID, especially seeing the rash of data breaches,” Reynolds said. “It’s just going to be challenging going forward to see how companies really try to handle this issue.”

Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media Group, shares his expert insights on the shifting landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in media. He discusses the pushback against DEI initiatives and its effects on multicultural brands like Essence and Refinery29. McDonald highlights the complexities of managing DEI budgets amidst societal debates and the impact on ad effectiveness. He also reflects on the rise of YouTube on TVs and the critical need for companies to maintain genuine connections with diverse audiences. A thought-provoking dive into a crucial industry topic!