AdTechGod Pod

In this week’s episode of The Refresh from Marketecture, host Kait unpacks three major developments across measurement, streaming, and advertising. Nielsen is facing renewed industry skepticism as data irregularities emerge in its TV measurement tools. Meanwhile, the future of cable TV may hinge on how live sports migrate to streaming, with ESPN’s direct-to-consumer plans threatening traditional models. Lastly, Meta delivers a strong Q2 earnings report, signaling that its investment in AI is paying off—especially for its ad business. 5 Key Highlights: Nielsen Faces Backlash Over Data Discrepancies: Nielsen’s panel-plus-big-data TV measurement product is under fire due to inconsistencies in key demographic groups, like adults 25–54. The issues stem from its machine-learning model HDAM, which is used to assign household demographics. Industry Pushes for Multi-Currency Measurement: Growing distrust in Nielsen’s accuracy has reignited interest in alternative providers like iSpot, VideoAmp, and ComScore, especially as advertisers demand more reliable and accredited audience insights. ESPN Streaming Could Reshape Cable's Last Stronghold: ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer service will bring its marquee live sports content online, accelerating cord-cutting trends and further weakening cable’s grip on viewers. Cable TV Tries to Rebrand Through Sports Bundles: Providers like DirecTV are pivoting with sports aggregation bundles to compete with streaming. However, whether that’s enough to woo non-sports viewers back remains questionable. Meta Crushes Earnings with Ad Growth and AI Investment: Meta reported 22% revenue growth in Q2, with ad revenue reaching $46.5 billion. The company is leaning heavily into AI tools for advertisers and remains committed to evolving its ad ecosystem through advanced tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edina Kalamperovic, SVP of Retail Growth at Epsilon, shares her journey from agency life to the world of ad tech. She highlights the necessity of understanding client relationships and the ever-evolving digital landscape. Key discussions include the importance of data utilization and personalized marketing strategies. Edina emphasizes that customer loyalty is a mindset, not just a program, and explores how retail media opens new pathways for brands to connect. She also underscores the impact of enriched in-store experiences on fostering consumer loyalty.

In this episode of The Refresh, host Kait unpacks some of the most significant shifts in media, search, and publishing. Alphabet reported record-breaking Q2 earnings driven by cloud and search, despite concerns about AI competition. Newsweek is proactively adjusting its business model to combat AI-related traffic threats, and the Paramount–Skydance merger finally got the FCC’s green light, complete with political controversy and a timely South Park takedown. Alphabet's Blowout Quarter: Alphabet hit $96.4 billion in Q2 revenue, driven by strong performance in cloud (up 32%) and ad sales (up 10.4%), with YouTube capturing nearly 13% of all U.S. TV screen time. Publisher Impact from Generative AI: Google’s AI overviews and search innovations are reducing referral traffic to publishers, with its network division down $100M this quarter—an early signal of monetization shifts. Newsweek’s Monetization Overhaul: Facing declining search-driven traffic, Newsweek aims to lower its ad revenue dependency by investing in healthcare adtech, subscriptions, and syndication deals to charge AI bots for crawling content. Paramount–Skydance Merger Approved: The FCC approved the controversial Paramount-Skydance deal, just days after a $16M Trump settlement and CBS’ cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. South Park Weighs In: South Park’s season premiere mocked the Paramount merger and its political ties—airing hours after a $1.5B content deal was finalized between the show’s creators and Paramount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Austin Scott, CCO and founder of Bedrock Platform, brings a wealth of experience from giants like Microsoft and TubeMogul. In this chat, she dives deep into the evolution of connected TV and emphasizes the necessity of redefining the marketing funnel for today’s digital landscape. Austin discusses the challenges of data control in ad tech and highlights the importance of collaboration to meet buyer needs. She also contrasts U.S. and European business cultures, offering insights into adapting strategies across markets for sustainable programmatic advertising.

This week’s episode of The Refresh skips the usual industry drama to spotlight three major developments in advertising and media. Host Kait walks through The Trade Desk’s milestone entry into the S&P 500, NBCUniversal’s record-setting upfront performance, and Delta’s bold use of AI for personalized airfare pricing. From validating independent ad tech to the future of programmatic sports buys and the controversy surrounding dynamic pricing, the episode unpacks where innovation is winning, and where it’s raising eyebrows. The Trade Desk Joins the S&P 500: The Trade Desk became the first pure-play ad tech company in over 20 years to join the S&P 500, a sign of its financial strength, consistent profitability, and key role in the digital advertising ecosystem. Stock Surge Following Announcement: Following news of its inclusion, The Trade Desk’s stock jumped 14% on July 14. Historically, companies newly added to the index see a 13–14% gain over the next year. NBCUniversal’s Best Upfront Ever: NBCU reported a 15% YoY increase in total upfront commitments, with a 45% spike tied to sports. One-third of upfront spend went to Peacock, marking its largest digital upfront to date. Programmatic Drives New Advertiser Growth: NBCU attracted more small and midsize advertisers this year, many of whom used programmatic buying. Their programmatic revenue alone reached $1 billion in this cycle. Delta’s Controversial AI Pricing Rollout: Delta plans to use AI to set prices for 20% of domestic tickets by the end of 2025. While positioned as innovation, critics have raised concerns over potential bias and lack of transparency in AI-driven fare models. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zach Lain, Director of Global Data Partnerships at PepsiCo, shares insights from his unique journey through law and data strategy in marketing. He emphasizes the shift from vanity metrics to meaningful outcomes in advertising. Lain discusses the transformative role of clean rooms in data collaboration and how AI can spark creativity, turning errors into innovation at events like Cannes. He also raises awareness about the growing threat of CTV ad fraud, reinforcing the vital need for integrity in digital advertising.

In this July 14th edition of The Refresh, host Kait recaps a whirlwind week in advertising marked by major leadership changes, surprising earnings news, and critical shifts in the social media and AI sectors. From Linda Yaccarino's headline-making exit at X to the rise of Threads and AI-powered browsers challenging Google, this episode covers the most important updates marketers need to know. With WPP's new CEO pick and YouTube's monetization policy pivot, it's clear the industry is evolving rapidly, both in people and platforms. Linda Yaccarino Exits X (0:38): After a tumultuous tenure trying to stabilize X’s advertiser relations post-Elon Musk acquisition, Yaccarino stepped down, raising fresh concerns over the platform’s future ad revenue and signaling a deeper pivot toward AI integration via XAI. WPP Names Cindy Rose as Next CEO (2:11): With a background at Microsoft, Virgin Media, and Disney, Rose’s appointment signals WPP’s strategic shift toward becoming a more AI- and tech-centric organization amid falling revenue forecasts and mounting competitive pressure. WPP Cuts 2025 Revenue Guidance (3:15): In an unscheduled earnings update, WPP downgraded its 2025 outlook to a 3–5% decline, citing macroeconomic headwinds and major client losses including Coca-Cola and Paramount. Threads Closes in on X (4:06): Threads hit 115 million daily mobile users in June, up 128% year-over-year, while X saw a 15% drop. The user shift, particularly in the U.S., signals growing momentum for Meta’s Twitter alternative. AI-Powered Browsers Challenge Google (6:13): Perplexity released its new Comet browser and OpenAI’s rumored offering aims to make browsing fully conversational. Both aim to reshape search and ads with real-time, assistant-driven experiences that could threaten Google’s dominance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this engaging discussion, Taylor Simons, founder of TCHT and former MediaMath executive, shares his intentional journey into ad tech. He reflects on the painful lessons learned from MediaMath's bankruptcy and the current trends reshaping the industry, such as the dynamics of SSPs versus DSPs. Taylor sheds light on the complexities of bid duplication and advocates for Supply Path Optimization. He emphasizes the limits of the open exchange and reveals how AI could revolutionize programmatic advertising, creating new opportunities in the process.

In this week’s episode of The Refresh (July 7, 2025), Kait breaks down the top stories reshaping advertising and media. Apple’s massive push into theatrical releases hits a milestone with F1, raising questions about the long game for Apple’s entertainment ambitions. Meanwhile, Google launches OfferWall, a monetization tool built for the post-cookie, AI-dominated internet. And on Wall Street, Barclays delivers a sobering forecast for holding companies despite their AI investments. It’s a week that highlights how media, monetization, and market pressure are colliding across the ecosystem. 5 Key Highlights:  Apple’s F1 film makes a strong debut, grossing $144 million globally in its opening weekend, but with production and marketing costs over $375 million, profitability is still uncertain. Apple’s aggressive marketing strategy for F1 leveraged its entire ecosystem—from WWDC tie-ins and haptic trailers to in-phone ticket discounts via Apple Wallet—sparking debate over consumer boundaries.  Google launches OfferWall, a new feature within Google Ad Manager allowing users to unlock premium content through ads, surveys, payments, or newsletter opt-ins, aiming to help publishers recover lost revenue in the AI-search era.  OfferWall signals a move toward an incentivized internet, where users explicitly trade data, time, or small payments for content, though infrastructure and behavioral shifts are still major hurdles. • Barclays downgrades major ad holding companies (IPG, Omnicom, WPP), citing slow growth and AI disruption to traditional business models—but notes their current AI product launches and scale could pay off long-term.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fariba Zamaniyan, Global Vice President of Data Monetization at TiVo, shares her inspiring journey from immigrant to AdTech leader. She discusses TiVo's transformation from a simple DVR to a data powerhouse, showcasing how they adapt to the streaming revolution. The conversation dives into the vital role of metadata in a cookie-less world and the industry's shift towards alternative currencies for audience measurement. Fariba expresses her passion for the creative aspects of advertising and the exciting trends shaping its future.