The Big Story

2025 M&A is off with a bang. T-Mobile bought Vistar Media. The Trade Desk bought Sincera. With a special guest from LUMA Partners, Conor McKenna, we explore the rationale for these ad tech acquisitions.

In this episode, Dave Meeker, Monk's EVP and Head of AI Innovation, shares insights on the cutting-edge intersection of AI and advertising, recorded live from CES. He discusses the transformative power of AI in marketing, emphasizing responsible integration and hyper-personalization. The conversation dives into AI's role in user experience research and the balance between efficiency and human creativity. Meeker also explores how smart home devices are reshaping advertising and highlights the importance of transparency and privacy in AI technologies.

To close out the year, The Big Story team is posting one of our favorite AdExchanger Talks episodes of 2024. Who better to give her take on programamtic transparency than an ex-FBI agent? Listen to this interview with Sherine Ebadi, Kroll managing director of investigations, who worked on the ANA's transparency report.

The IAB gave us new retail media standards for Christmas. But will the industry actually adopt them? Also, we discuss where the use of AI in advertising could be headed in 2025.

Omnicom is acquiring IPG. We unpack the nuances of the proposed deal with ad agency expert Brian Wieser, founder of the constancy Madison and Wall.

This year, Black Friday stretched on for more than a week. And the retail holiday is evolving as online shopping takes over.  

It's Thanksgiving, so we are sharing our podcast feed by posting an episode of AdExchanger Talks. Recorded right after the closing arguments of US vs. Google, ad tech antitrust edition, Digital Content Next CEO Jason Kint shares insights from inside the courtroom.

The odds of RFK Jr. implementing a ban on TV drug ads are slim, says our guest this week, BranchLab’s Josh Walsh. Still, pharma advertisers could face other regulatory changes over the next four years. Plus: We break down Forrester’s picks for the top 10 SSPs.

Jessica Alter, co-founder of the nonprofit Tech for Campaigns, believes political campaigns should model their digital ad strategy on that of seed-stage startups. She joins the podcast this week to talk through this year’s unexpected election results.

Join Jordan Lieberman, CEO of Powers Interactive, a pioneer in political ad tech, and Antonio Miller, Research Manager at Activision Blizzard Media, as they dissect the impact of ad dollars in the 2024 election. They explore how gaming immersion changes consumer behavior and the challenges of aligning campaigns with digital platforms. The conversation delves into the shift towards addressable media in political advertising, the evolution of voter dynamics, and the crucial role of authenticity in today’s election landscape.