Episode 145: The current state of digital B2B with Scott Stedman of Imaginarium

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi recap the highlights from Marketecture Live II, discussing the event's success, key speaker insights, and upcoming plans for the next event. They delve into recent earnings reports from major tech companies, including Meta and Google, analyzing market trends and the implications of Google's antitrust cases. The conversation also covers PayPal's partnership with OpenAI for payments on ChatGPT, and features a segment with Terry Kawaja, who shares his thoughts on the future of AI in advertising and the evolving landscape of ad tech. Takeaways Marketecture Live II was a sold-out success with great energy. The next Marketecture Live event will be double the size. Meta's revenue growth is impressive, but spending concerns linger. AI is becoming a significant driver in advertising revenue. Google faces serious antitrust challenges that could reshape the industry. PayPal's partnership with OpenAI could revolutionize online payments. The ad tech industry is entering a new phase with AI at the forefront. Terry Kawaja emphasizes the importance of AI in advertising's future. The need for transparency in advertising is often overstated. The landscape of ad tech is rapidly changing, with new opportunities emerging. Chapters 00:00 Intro & Marketecture Live II Recap 03:45 Speaker Highlights 10:00 Earnings Roundup 17:30 YouTube Reorg & Amazon Layoffs 23:00 Leadership Changes 27:30 Google Civil Antitrust Case Update 30:00 PayPal + OpenAI Partnership 34:00 Introducing Terry Kawaja 35:30 Terry Kawaja Live: AI, Ad Tech, and M&A 52:30 Closing Reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pixability Chief Product Officer Jackie Paulino joins Ari Paparo to discuss how their new AI agent, Pixie, is revolutionizing YouTube ad curation. Discover how Pixability combines data, agentic AI, and human insight to enhance performance, ensure brand safety, and navigate the world of AI-generated video content. Takeaways Pixability introduces Pixie, its first agentic AI tool for YouTube ad curation. Pixie moves beyond GenAI by making decisions and taking actions. Data from years of YouTube experience drives Pixability’s advantage. AI handles 80% of the work, leaving creativity to humans. AI-generated video brings new brand safety and copyright risks. YouTube Shorts are fully integrated into the wider ad ecosystem. Advertisers seek both performance and transparency. Pixability’s main challenge is keeping pace with rapid AI and platform changes. Pixie’s evolution reflects the blend of automation, data, and human input. Pixability’s “elephant” spirit symbolizes intelligence, memory, and teamwork. Chapters 00:01 Welcome to Marketecture with Jackie Paulino of Pixability 01:16 What Pixability Does and the Launch of Pixie 03:41 How Pixie Uses Agentic AI for YouTube Curation 05:44 Manual vs. AI Workflow and the 80/20 Adoption Rule 07:56 Pixie’s Personality and Expanding Into Reporting 08:34 The Impact of AI on Video Creation and Brand Safety 15:48 Lightning Round and Closing: Data, Challenges, and “Pixie the Elephant” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi sit down with Scott Stedman, founder and CEO of The Imaginarium, to unpack how business-to-business marketing is changing. They discuss the evolution of account-based marketing, the move toward more flexible and data-driven strategies, and why distinctiveness, not just differentiation, is what makes brands stand out. Takeaways ABM is shifting from single platforms to flexible, modular systems. Distinctiveness matters more than differentiation in B2B. Connected TV and Reddit are new frontiers for account-based marketing. Authentic leadership can be a powerful brand asset. AI enhances creativity instead of replacing it. Originality and voice define effective content. Thought leadership and community drive influence. Unbundled tools give marketers more control and precision. B2B success depends on standing out, not scaling up. Chapters 00:10 Intro & Marketecture Live Preview 02:50 Scott Stedman on B2B Marketing 08:00 Unbundled ABM & Account-Based CTV 17:50 Branding, CEOs & LinkedIn Strategy 24:00 Podcasting, AI & Content Creation 29:50 Industry News: Google, OpenAI, Reddit, Amazon 51:10 Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo interviews Steven Yap, the Global Chief Revenue Officer of Perion Network, during Advertising Week in New York. They discuss the evolution of Perion, the launch of Perion One, and the importance of unifying technology in advertising. The conversation delves into the role of AI in optimizing marketing strategies, the future of CMOs as portfolio managers, and the state of the open web. The episode concludes with quickfire questions that highlight Perion's competitive advantages and challenges. Takeaways Perion has evolved to unify multiple technologies under Perion One. AI serves as the connective tissue for optimizing advertising strategies. CMOs are transitioning to a role similar to portfolio managers. The open web is facing challenges, but it is not fully destroyed. Perion aims to make marketing budgets feel more impactful. The advertising industry is grappling with silos in AI development. AI can help clean up the ecosystem of bad actors in advertising. Perion's technology is seen as a competitive advantage. The importance of brand familiarity in a rebranding effort. The Honey Badger symbolizes Perion's resilience. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Advertising Week 03:01 Introducing Perion and Perion One 07:04 The Role of AI in Advertising 12:39 The Future of CMOs and AI 17:46 The State of the Open Web 20:58 Quickfire Questions and Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi speak with Rich Greenfield from LightShed Ventures about the state of traditional and digital media. They discuss Paramount’s evolving strategy, Larry Ellison’s growing role in media and technology, TikTok’s U.S. restructuring, and The Trade Desk’s Ventura OS. The conversation also touches on how AI and new ad protocols may reshape advertising and what these shifts mean for the broader media landscape. Takeaways Legacy media struggles with tech execution Larry Ellison connects media, capital, and AI TikTok’s U.S. setup eases advertiser uncertainty Ventura OS success depends on key app adoption AdCP could streamline agent-based transactions TV ads decline as digital engagement expands Spotify video boosts reach but product issues persist Ad tech contracts need better legal protection Chapters00:00 Intro and housekeeping 03:30 Traditional media updates and Paramount–Skydance 09:00 Larry Ellison’s media influence 15:00 Why advertisers should care about these mergers 20:30 TikTok’s U.S. ownership structure explained 26:00 The Trade Desk’s Ventura OS and its hurdles 33:00 Ad Context Protocol and AI in ad buying 41:00 Shifting search behavior and Google’s AI role 48:00 Spotify video, Netflix deal, and ad strategy 54:00 Rich Media Club lawsuits and wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo talks with OpenX CRO Matt Sattel about how supply-side platforms are evolving in 2025, from simple “pipes” to intelligent systems focused on quality, transparency, and outcomes. They discuss trends shaping the ecosystem, including curation, data-driven SPO, MFA, and request duplication, as well as the growing influence of AI and automation. The conversation also looks at the challenges of operating in a two-sided marketplace and why agility and accountability matter more than ever. Takeaways OpenX positions itself as a “smart pipe,” emphasizing innovation and quality over raw scale. SPO should be data-driven, not just a commercial negotiation. Request duplication and MFA inflate metrics—OpenX focuses on clean, direct supply. OpenX Select enables agencies and partners to curate transparent, self-built deals. Real-time automated data-fee discounts push more dollars into working media. AI powers “Results by OpenX,” optimizing toward performance outcomes like CTR and CPA. Transparency and reporting through Snowflake-based tools remain central to OpenX’s pitch. AI’s impact on web traffic is most visible in commerce and shopping verticals. OpenX’s agility and independence let it respond faster than larger SSPs. Sattel sees rebuilding trust and collaboration in the two-sided marketplace as the industry’s biggest challenge. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Advertising Week Banter 01:31 OpenX’s Evolution and Buy-Side Perspective 02:59 Defining the “Smart Pipe” Approach 05:09 Redefining Supply Path Optimization (SPO) 07:07 Quality, Duplication, and Clean Supply 10:27 Curation and the OpenX Select Platform 14:06 Automated Discounts and Data Transparency 17:25 AI-Driven Performance: Results by OpenX 20:58 The Broader Impact of AI on Audiences 22:06 Agility, Independence, and Market Challenges 23:45 Closing Thoughts and the “Sleeping Giant” Analogy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi speak with Omar Tawakol, CEO of Rembrand, about how artificial intelligence is influencing advertising and media. They explore the role of virtual product placement, its implications for creators and publishers, and how automation is shifting the ways audiences engage with content. The conversation also covers broader industry movements—from The Trade Desk’s evolving strategy to Amazon’s DSP and emerging ad networks from PayPal and Amex—offering perspective on the changing dynamics of attention and monetization. Takeaways Consumers are seeking fewer interruptions, pushing brands toward more natural ad integrations. AI tools are making virtual product placement more scalable and adaptable. Future ad innovation may focus on blending into content rather than surrounding it. Successful acquisitions depend on maintaining team culture and creative integrity. The intersection of retail media, AI, and creator monetization signals a major industry shift. Chapters  00:00 Ari and Eric welcome Omar and joke about his old Facebook photo.  01:30 Omar explains why ad-light consumer behavior is reshaping advertising. 04:00 Rembrand uses AI to automate and scale virtual product placement. 08:30 Automation reduces friction and improves brand safety for advertisers. 10:50 Attention-based metrics show “New News” campaigns perform best.  14:00 Rembrand grows through Spaceback and Myriad acquisitions.  20:00 Omar shares lessons on keeping acquired teams’ culture intact.  29:30 The group discusses AI, retail media, and industry headlines.  38:40 They close with thoughts on AI’s creative impact and media’s future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this session, Eric Franchi, Alan Chapell, and Ari Paparo discuss the Google remedies antitrust trial. They also cover OpenAI’s approach to monetization and Amazon’s recent collaborations with Spotify and Netflix. Takeaways The trial highlights whether behavioral fixes are enough or if divestiture is needed. Google once considered selling ADX, complicating its defense. OpenAI looks set to lean on ads and commerce for growth. Trade Desk and Amazon are both pushing harder for control of supply. Chapters 00:00 Updates on Marketecture Live 00:03 Google remedies trial overview 00:10 ADX divestiture debate 00:20 Publisher testimony and impact 00:28 OpenAI and ads 00:36 Trade Desk’s strategy shifts 00:49 Amazon DSP and Spotify/Netflix 00:52 Vibe funding news and wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi speak with Josh Walsh, founder and CEO of BranchLab, about how pharmaceutical advertising is changing. The discussion covers BranchLab’s use of neural networks with non-health data, the impact of new privacy regulations, and recent funding from Lance Armstrong’s Next Ventures. The conversation also touches on Deep Intent’s acquisition, ongoing federal policy debates, and the broader implications for healthcare marketing. Takeaways BranchLab’s Model: Neural networks trained on non-health data can help address privacy concerns while enabling audience insights. Funding Story: Next Ventures, led by Lance Armstrong, invested in BranchLab as part of a mission to support healthcare transformation. Industry Valuation: Deep Intent’s $637M sale demonstrates the scale of opportunity in pharma marketing technology. Regulatory Shifts: State laws like Washington’s My Health, My Data and New York’s S929 are influencing how data can be used in advertising. Federal Policy Outlook: A nationwide ban on pharma ads is unlikely, but new disclosure and targeting requirements may emerge. Public Health Link: Responsible advertising can encourage more patient-doctor interactions, which often align with improved outcomes. Chapters 00:00 – Introductions02:00 – What BranchLab Does05:00 – Funding from Next Ventures07:30 – Industry Context09:30 – Data and Privacy13:00 – Federal Policy16:30 – The Road Ahead20:00 – Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Marketecture Podcast, hosts Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi engage with Art Muldoon, Co-Founder of ArcSpan, to discuss the changing landscape of publisher data in ad tech. They explore topics such as leveraging AI to scale first-party data, the evolving future of the open web, and the intricacies of curation and transaction IDs (TIDs), emphasizing how publishers can regain control and succeed in a dynamic environment. The latter part of the episode covers industry updates, including mergers and acquisitions, shifts in DSPs, AI-driven creative tools, legal challenges facing Google, and the completion of the TikTok US deal. Takeaways ArcSpan helps publishers unify data and scale audiences. Publishers should expand beyond logged-in users using AI and surveys. Third-party validation boosts buy-side confidence. The open web is evolving, not dying. Curation can be a revenue opportunity if it is transparent. TIDs raise questions about fairness. M&A shows AI merging with media solutions. DSP competition is intensifying. Agencies are shifting towards AI workflows. Legal pressures on Google are increasing. Chapters00:00 - Ari and Eric introduce Art Muldoon from ArcSpan.02:00 - Explanation of Aggregate, Amplify, Activate.06:30 - Strategies for making 100% of audiences addressable.09:30 - Market caution and publisher pain points discussed.12:00 - How ArcSpan builds confidence on the buy-side.15:00 - Is it an opportunity or are margins being siphoned?17:00 - Comparing gaming, news, and sports publishers.19:00 - Reformulation, AI’s role, and the future of publishing.21:00 - TIDs, Prebid, and the risks of arbitrage.25:00 - Partnerships: Rembrandt + Spaceback, Verve + Captify.30:00 - Amazon’s GenAI tools and Yahoo’s discount strategy vs. TTD.35:00 - Agency transformation insights.38:00 - Privacy remedies and lawsuits involving Magnite & Pubmatic.42:00 - Discussion on a US-led governance framework.45:00 - Reflections and a preview of next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices