Episode 196: Ads in Fortune Cookies? Yes, and A Lot More.

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi sit down with Carlo Palomino, President of OpenFortune, to explore how the company transformed fortune cookies into a powerful advertising channel. Carlo shares how OpenFortune built its global distribution network, drives brand engagement through creative campaigns, and partners with brands and creators like MrBeast. Plus, in The Refresh, Ari and Eric discuss Meta's earnings and new ad formats, Apple's privacy restrictions, Salesforce's acquisition of Braze, Kevel's $52 million funding round, Netflix's advertising challenges, and the expansion of ChatGPT ads. Takeaways - OpenFortune is transforming fortune cookies into an advertising channel that connects brands with consumers through memorable real-world experiences. - Meta's strong advertising growth and new premium ad formats highlight its expanding opportunities for brand advertisers. - Apple's WebKit privacy restrictions raise new challenges for identity resolution and cross-site tracking. - Salesforce's acquisition of Braze and Kevel's $52 million funding round reflect continued investment in MarTech and commerce media. - Netflix's advertising challenges highlight the importance of balancing premium brand campaigns with performance marketing. - OpenFortune's distribution network, QR code engagement, and partnerships with Gary Vee and MrBeast demonstrate the potential of experiential advertising. Chapters00:00 Introduction02:05 Meta Earnings, AI Growth, and New Ad Formats08:43 Meta Muse and AI Productivity10:09 Apple's Privacy Restrictions and Identity Resolution13:02 Salesforce Acquires Braze16:30 Kevel's $52 Million Funding Round19:10 Netflix's Advertising Growth Challenges22:26 Netflix's Measurement Tools and DSP Integration23:03 ChatGPT Ads Expansion and AI-Powered Creative25:55 Publicis and LiveRamp Acquisition Update27:13 Meet Carlo Palomino, President of OpenFortune28:19 Turning Fortune Cookies into Advertising Experiences29:22 How Branded Fortune Cookie Ads Work31:39 Building OpenFortune's Distribution Network33:25 Global Reach and Advertising Inventory34:21 Gary Vee's Investment and Campaign Results35:22 Creative Fortune Cookie Advertising Campaigns36:42 Measuring QR Code Engagement and Brand Lift38:26 OpenFortune's Expansion and Fortune Tacos41:29 MrBeast Partnership and Collectible Fortune Cookies42:51 Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Carlo Palomino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded at Marketecture Live Chicago, Will Hoyt of Blis, part of T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, sits down with Danielle Mathews, Senior Director of Integrated Marketing at Pura, to explore how mobile data, first-party insights, and omnichannel advertising are transforming retail marketing. Danielle shares how Pura evolved from a direct-to-consumer brand into an omnichannel business, using behavioral targeting, connected TV, retail media, and data partnerships to discover new audiences and drive incremental growth. They also discuss measurement, data clean rooms, AI, and why brand identity and platform-specific content will be essential for marketing success in 2027. Takeaways Mobile Data Unlocks Consumer Insights: Mobile app behavior helps brands discover new audiences, validate assumptions, and improve advertising strategies. First-Party and Third-Party Data Drive Growth: Combining customer insights with external behavioral signals strengthens targeting across retail, connected TV, and digital channels. Omnichannel Marketing Expands Reach: Pura's transition from DTC to retail highlights the importance of connecting digital advertising with in-store shopping experiences. Clean Data Improves Measurement: Identity resolution, data clean rooms, and incrementality measurement help marketers identify genuinely new customers and optimize spending. Brand Identity and Content Shape 2027: Maintaining a consistent brand identity while creating platform-specific content will be critical as AI and consumer behavior evolve. Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Marketecture Live Chicago00:54 Meet Blis and T-Mobile Advertising Solutions02:05 How Pura Uses Smart Technology and Customer Data03:19 Pura's Evolution From DTC to Omnichannel Retail04:51 Consumer Behavior and Audience Segmentation06:12 Using Mobile Data to Drive Target Store Traffic07:56 Connecting Mobile Data With CTV Advertising08:23 Combining First-Party and Third-Party Data10:33 Improving CPG Audience Targeting and Measurement11:21 Data Clean Rooms, Identity Resolution, and Incrementality13:09 Marketing Trends and Opportunities for 202714:42 Brand Storytelling and Platform-Specific Content15:40 Measuring Marketing Impact and Final Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi welcome Scott Messer, founder of Messer Media and co-founder of AdTech Therapy, to discuss the challenges facing digital publishers as AI reshapes advertising and the open web. They explore declining publisher traffic, AI content licensing, Google's antitrust ruling, and how agentic advertising could transform direct media buying by reducing programmatic fees. The conversation also covers Apple's Safari privacy changes, Prebid's potential role in a unified auction, OpenAI's advertising strategy, the future of agentic commerce, and emerging retail media partnerships involving Uber, TripleLift, and Instacart. Takeaways: Declining Open Web Traffic: Scott Messer explains how AI and declining search traffic are forcing publishers to rethink their business models, prioritize audience loyalty, and diversify revenue streams. AI Content Licensing: Publishers are exploring bot restrictions, licensing agreements, and regulatory action to protect their content and secure compensation from AI platforms. Agentic Advertising: AI-powered direct media buying could reduce DSP and SSP fees, streamline reservations, and create more efficient transactions between advertisers and publishers. Google Antitrust and Prebid: Google's antitrust ruling could reshape programmatic advertising by opening opportunities for Prebid Server and alternative ad-serving technologies. AI Advertising and Privacy: The hosts examine OpenAI's behavioral targeting approach, Apple's Safari restrictions, and the implications for publisher monetization and consumer privacy. Retail Media and Agentic Commerce: Partnerships involving Uber, TripleLift, and Instacart highlight new opportunities for commerce data, while retailers continue to evaluate AI shopping agents. Chapters:00:29 Introduction to Scott Messer and Ad Tech Therapy01:08 Upcoming Ad Tech Events and Apparium Summit02:16 Scott Messer on Fixing Broken Ad Tech Operations05:23 Declining Open Web Traffic and Publisher Challenges06:37 Building Publisher Loyalty and Protecting Content from AI08:03 AI Bots, Content Licensing and Publisher Compensation13:12 Advertising to AI and the Future of Sponsored Content17:08 The Ethics of Advertising to AI Agents18:37 Google's Antitrust Ruling and Prebid's Future22:49 How Publishers Can Benefit from Agentic Advertising25:11 Reducing Programmatic Fees Through Agentic Direct Buying28:29 Prebid Summit and Ad Tech M&A Outlook30:01 Apple's Safari Privacy Changes and Publisher Revenue33:43 Character.AI and the Risks of AI Advertising Inventory37:49 OpenAI's Advertising Strategy and Behavioral Targeting41:24 Google's Search Scraping Defense and Data Co-op45:06 Retailers Blocking AI Shopping Agents47:00 Agentic Commerce and AI-Powered Product Discovery49:04 Uber, TripleLift and the Future of Retail Media51:31 Will Retail Media Become Programmatic?52:04 Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Scott Messer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from Amazon unBoxed in San Francisco, Marketecture host Ari Paparo sits down with Claire Magruder, Director of GO Studio, Global Overview, and Santosh Gunaseelan, Director, Amazon Ads, Creative Intelligence & Optimization, Amazon, to explore how AI-powered creative tools are making streaming TV advertising more accessible. They discuss Amazon's Creative Agent, the importance of human creativity and brand guidelines, and how Traditional Medicinals used AI-generated video ads to drive new-to-brand purchases, improve efficiency, and expand its advertising reach. Takeaways AI-Powered Video Creation: Amazon's Creative Agent helps brands produce streaming TV ads faster and at a lower cost. Human Creativity Still Matters: AI supports creative execution while strategists guide storytelling, brand alignment, and approvals. Smarter Creative Optimization: Amazon combines performance signals, brand guidelines, and human feedback to improve ad effectiveness. Traditional Medicinals' Results: The campaign achieved 1.24x higher new-to-brand purchases and 1.14x greater new-customer acquisition cost efficiency. Expanding Streaming TV Access: AI reduces production barriers, allowing more brands to reach audiences across video and streaming formats. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Live from Amazon unBoxed00:50 Meet Global Overview and Amazon Ads01:52Traditional Medicinals' Streaming TV Opportunity02:59 Why AI-Generated Ads Need Creative Intelligence04:09 Creating Video Ads with Amazon's Creative Agent05:12 Brand Guidelines and Creative Performance07:05 Human Judgment in AI-Powered Advertising08:57 How AI Helps Agencies Scale Creative Production09:28 Adapting Creative Across Advertising Formats10:34 Reducing Video Production Costs11:30 Traditional Medicinals' Campaign Results11:59 The Future of AI-Powered Streaming TV Ads13:18 Closing: The Marketecture Animal Question Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi recap Advertising Week and break down the biggest developments shaping ad tech. From Apple's Safari tracking restrictions and Walmart's expanding retail media ambitions to agentic AI in TV buying, OpenWeb's financial troubles, Zeta's acquisitions, and the future of Paramount's ad tech strategy, they explore what these shifts mean for advertisers, publishers, and the broader programmatic ecosystem. Takeaways Advertising Week illuminates the growing influence of agentic AI, CTV, and sell-side decisioning. Apple's Safari tracking restrictions raise new challenges for identity providers and advertisers. Walmart expands its retail media and CTV ambitions through Vibe and Yahoo DSP. Dentsu, NBCUniversal, and FreeWheel explore agentic AI for TV buying optimization. OpenWeb's financial struggles highlight challenges facing the open web. Zeta's acquisitions strengthen its AI search and first-party data capabilities. Paramount's media consolidation raises questions about its future ad tech strategy. PubX expands into agentic advertising through its acquisition of Compliant. Chapters00:29 - Introduction and Advertising Week Recap02:29 - Mediaocean AI Fund and Ad Tech Industry Events04:07 - LiveRamp Demo Day and Agentic AI Innovation06:14 - Advertising Week Trends: CTV, Open Web, and Agentic Commerce07:52 - Sell-Side Decisioning and the Future of DSPs09:33 - Apple's Safari Tracking Restrictions and Identity Challenges12:28 - Walmart's Retail Media Expansion and Yahoo DSP Partnership16:04 - Dentsu, NBCUniversal, and Agentic AI TV Buying20:16 - OpenWeb's Financial Troubles and Publisher Monetization24:01 - Zeta's Acquisitions of Senso and Digital Audience26:23 - Paramount, WBD, and the Future of Ad Tech Infrastructure30:36 - PubX's Agentic Advertising Strategy and Compliant Acquisition32:07 - Final Thoughts and Closing Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Epstein, CEO of Gigi, joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to explore the rise of agentic commerce and what AI agents like Meta’s Muse could mean for shopping, advertising, and consumer behavior. They discuss Amazon’s decision to restrict third-party AI agents, the role of advertising revenue in protecting commerce ecosystems, opportunities in travel and retail, and whether consumers will trust AI to make purchases on their behalf. Plus, Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi break down The Trade Desk’s Safari ad-serving issue, Amazon unBoxed announcements, AI assistants, and the growing battle for consumer AI adoption. Takeaways AI agents are shifting from answering questions to taking actions for consumers. Consumer trust and permissions will be critical to agentic commerce adoption. Amazon has strong incentives to protect its shopping experience and advertising revenue from third-party AI agents. Travel could become a major use case for AI-powered transactions and bookings. Meta’s ecosystem could give Muse a powerful path to adoption, particularly for commerce and small businesses. Chapters00:00 Amazon unBoxed and conference highlights03:02 Meta Muse and real-world AI agent use cases06:37 The Trade Desk blocked from serving ads on Safari11:37 Amazon’s AI-powered advertising updates12:38 Branded Conversations and conversational commerce15:14 Delta enters the travel media network space17:19 OpenAI, LiveRamp and AI advertising19:00 The battle for consumer AI assistants20:45 Meta expands Muse for SMBs and enterprise23:11 Anthropic, AI economics and the future of adtech26:15 Adam Epstein joins the podcast26:49 Amazon unBoxed and Sponsored Reviews30:00 Is agentic commerce really the future?31:00 What makes an effective AI agent?33:30 Will mainstream consumers adopt AI agents?36:06 Why AI agents still struggle with everyday tasks38:00 Why Amazon is blocking third-party AI agents42:46 Instacart, AI agents and grocery commerce44:18 Why travel could be transformed by agentic commerce45:21 How brands could compete inside AI agents48:12 Testing Muse in real-world situations51:35 Meta, Shopify and the future of agentic commerce53:39 Closing thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Adam Epstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo sits down with Ryan Walker, Senior Director of Commerce at PMG, at Amazon unBoxed to explore how PMG helped IQBAR expand its full-funnel marketing strategy. Ryan explains how Amazon Marketing Cloud, audience segmentation, CTV, video, and AI-powered campaign tools helped the brand reach new shoppers, improve acquisition, and connect advertising performance to long-term customer value. Takeaways Full-funnel marketing goes beyond conversion: PMG builds messaging around each stage of the customer journey, from discovery to purchase. New customer acquisition required a targeting shift: Amazon Marketing Cloud helped PMG identify that IQBAR was repeatedly reaching existing audiences and needed to expand to new shoppers. CTV helped expand reach: Live sports and other CTV inventory helped IQBAR acquire new customers while measuring profitability against expected lifetime value. Closed-loop measurement connects media to sales: Amazon allowed PMG to connect upper-funnel video and display exposure with actual purchases. Chapters00:00 Introduction: Ari Paparo and Ryan Walker00:38 Full-Funnel Marketing at Amazon unBoxed01:17 How PMG and IQBAR Use Amazon Marketing Cloud02:54 Reaching Customers Across the Purchase Journey03:22 Identifying IQBAR’s Growth Plateau04:39 Shifting Targeting Toward New Customers05:34 Tailoring Creative and Messaging06:03 Performance Plus and Brand Plus06:33 Expanding Across CTV and Video07:11 Using Live Sports to Reach New Audiences08:29 Amazon’s Closed-Loop Measurement Advantage09:46 What’s Next for Full-Funnel Advertising10:51 If PMG Commerce Were an Animal Guests: Ari Paparo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi recap Marketecture Live Chicago before sharing a live conversation with Steven Galanis, Co-Founder & CEO of Cameo, and Johnny Hilbrant, Creator of PE Guy. They explore how Cameo is expanding beyond personalized videos into brand partnerships, how creators are building diversified revenue streams, and why platforms like LinkedIn are becoming valuable channels for creator content. Ari and Eric also break down Meta’s Muse AI agent, recent ad tech M&A, Scope3’s rebrand, and the rise of new commerce media networks. Takeaways: Cameo is expanding its role in brand and creator partnerships. Creators are diversifying revenue beyond traditional sponsored posts. LinkedIn is becoming a stronger distribution channel for creator content. AI agents could reshape how consumers discover and buy products. Commerce media is expanding into finance, restaurants, and other industries. Chapters:00:00 Marketecture Live Chicago Recap01:53 How LLMs Source Brand Information02:59 What Marketers Were Talking About in Chicago05:49 Steven Galanis on Cameo’s Growth07:35 Cameo for Business and Brand Endorsements12:04 The Rise of Micro-Influencers13:44 Is Everyone an Influencer Now?17:10 How Creators Diversify Their Revenue19:12 The Future of Creator Platforms20:40 Jonny Hilbrant, Creator of PE Guy, Joins22:29 How PE Guy Was Created25:15 Creator Platforms and Distribution28:06 Why PE Guy Is Working on LinkedIn30:18 Building Long-Term Brand Partnerships33:02 Do Creators Still Need Agents?35:25 Meta’s Muse AI Agent45:00 Infillion Acquires Foursquare47:33 Taboola Acquires Dianomi49:08 Scope3 Rebrands52:46 Citi Launches a Commerce Media Network55:33 McDonald’s Launches Its Media Network57:40 Closing Thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Steven Galanis, Johnny Hilbrant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey Ferengul, Managing Partner at Aperiam, joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to explore the rise of Unified Media Platforms (UMPs), a new category of AI-powered tools designed to manage media buying, optimization, creative, and budgets across multiple advertising platforms. Plus, Ari and Eric break down Google’s latest ad tech remedies, AI-driven ad spend growth, Mediaocean’s new AI venture initiative, and other major industry moves. Takeaways Unified Media Platforms use AI to manage campaigns across multiple advertising platforms from one interface. UMPs can continuously adjust budgets, analyze performance, and adapt creative with less manual work. Vendors are differentiating through customer segments and capabilities such as creative, data, and optimization. Google’s remedies could give publishers more flexibility to move away from Google Ad Manager while retaining access to AdX demand. AI-powered advertising tools are contributing to increased ad spend, particularly across major platforms. Chapters01:11 Welcome to Marketecture Podcast02:18 Marketecture Live Chicago and Madjobs.ai05:23 Corey Ferengul Joins the Podcast05:49 The Rise of Unified Media Platforms07:46 What Makes UMPs Different?08:58 Companies Building Unified Media Platforms11:33 Who Are UMPs Built For?13:34 How Major Platforms Could Respond15:56 Can UMPs Become Sustainable Businesses?17:59 How UMPs Could Reshape Agencies and Ad Tech20:38 Where to Find Aperiam’s UMP Market Map22:18 The Refresh23:01 Google’s Ad Tech Remedies Explained29:56 Ad Tech M&A and DoubleVerify32:02 AI Is Driving Ad Spend Growth34:20 Mediaocean Launches AI Ventures37:31 Adam Soroka Becomes CEO of PebblePost40:31 33Across Becomes Wealthstage42:49 FLAM and Profound Raise New Funding45:17 OpenAI and Sponsored Agents46:10 Closing Thoughts and Marketecture Live Chicago Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Corey Ferengul Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life360 CMO Mike Zeman joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to unpack what CMOs really want from advertising partners, why relationships and business outcomes matter more than buzzwords, and how Life360 balances brand building, performance marketing, and incrementality. Then, Ari and Eric break down the latest ad tech news, including The Trade Desk’s layoffs, Amazon and OpenAI’s ChatGPT ads partnership, emerging privacy concerns, AI personal assistants, and advertising auction lawsuits. Takeaways: Sell business outcomes, not buzzwords: CMOs want solutions tied to revenue, profitability, and company value. Start small and prove value: Mike recommends pilots that demonstrate measurable results before scaling. Incrementality matters: Life360 uses marketing mix modeling and long-term customer value to evaluate marketing effectiveness. Creative needs to break through: Life360 embraces bold advertising designed to make audiences laugh or cry rather than blend in. Ad tech keeps shifting: Ari and Eric discuss The Trade Desk, ChatGPT ads, privacy risks, AI assistants, and auction practices. Chapters:01:24 Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi Open the Show03:39 Meet Mike Zeman, CMO of Life36004:06 Lessons From Both Sides of Marketing04:57 Why Relationships Still Matter06:06 What CMOs Really Want From Vendors07:13 How Ad Tech Vendors Can Differentiate07:53 Start With a Pilot, Then Scale08:11 Inside Life360’s Marketing Strategy09:21 CTV as a Performance Channel09:41 Measuring Long-Term Customer Value10:15 Why Incrementality Matters10:52 Building Life360’s Advertising Business11:09 Life360’s Location Data Advantage11:30 The Nativo Acquisition12:07 Proving Footfall and Winning New Business14:46 Building Life360 as an Advertising Brand16:40 Why Life360 Embraces Bold Creative19:19 The Refresh: Ad Tech News19:31 The Trade Desk Layoffs24:17 The Trade Desk and the S&P 50027:09 Amazon, OpenAI and ChatGPT Ads30:08 The Future of ChatGPT Advertising31:20 LG and Smart TV Privacy Concerns33:53 U.S. Military Disables Mobile Ad Trackers35:20 AI Personal Assistants and Privacy37:07 AI Bots Meet Restaurant Reservations38:39 Meta and Second-Price Auction Lawsuit40:25 Closing Thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Mike Zeman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices