MadTech Daily: Publicis Acquires 160/90 to Expand Sports Marketing; Universal Music Gets €55bn Takeover Bid; Netflix Launches Kids Gaming App

In this special episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire CEO Rachel Smith is joined by Baptiste Graffin, VP of sales in APAC for Happydemics, to discuss brand building, brand lift, and performance. Their conversation looks at the importance of brand building beyond performance metrics, scaling and strategy in APAC markets, and data maturity in the region.Forrester report: Happydemics Brand lift delivered 47% ROI → https://get.happydemics.com/happydemics-total-economic-impact0:00 Introduction6:21 What are the key things needed to build and scale a business in APAC?16:23 How does Happydemics help brands and agencies prove advertising investment?34:29 Is APAC seeing an increase in data maturity?39:55 What is the future of the industry?

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Publicis acquiring 160/90 to expand its sports marketing capabilities and Ackman targeting €55bn takeover of Universal Music Group in bid to unlock value. We also look at Netflix launching a kids gaming app while an Italian court rules its price hikes illegal. 

On today's MadTech Daily we look at OpenAI's purchase of TBPN, CNN developing its own agentic infrastructure in preparation for AI-driven media transactions, and Elon Musk's alleged attempts to make banks associated with the SpaceX IPO subscribe to Grok. 

 On today’s MadTech Daily we cover UK social media use falling as video apps rise, ad spend in Australia dropping 3% year-to-date despite a 22.5% streaming boost from the Nine Olympics, and WPP Media launching ‘YouTube 5K’.

How can the ad tech industry create impact without precision targeting? What is the credibility of LLM visibility tools, and what are the barriers and accuracy of data? How likely is agent-to-agent buying in the future?In this mailbag episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and COO Lindsay Rowntree to answer our listeners’ biggest questions about ad tech and media. They discuss the need to prove advertising value, the rise of generative engine optimisation, and how SSPs and DSPs are adapting for an AI agent-led environment.Thank you to Generation Media's Lauren Whyman, eight&four's Chloe Singleton, and Responsible Marketing Advisory's Emily Roberts for this month's questions! Got a burning question for the ExchangeWire team? Drop your questions over to us and we'll answer in our next monthly mailbag special... https://forms.zohopublic.com/lindsay11/form/MadTechPodcastYourQuestionsAnswered/formperma/xpD2uD_a2V5POYx47TrUnf3ZCERYN28c1w6aS5RsuEE0:00 Introduction1:00 How can the industry create impact without precise, laser focused targeting?2:26 Ciaran's chutney moment3:22 Back on schedule14:14 What is the credibility of tools that showcase LLM visibility information?33:02 How likely is agent to agent buying? What does the future of the ad tech industry look like?

Today’s MadTech Daily covers OpenAI raising USD$3bn from retail investors in a USD$122bn funding round, Anthropic set to sign a deal with Australia on AI safety and economic data tracking, as well as Elon Musk being ordered to face a class action lawsuit over the late disclosure of his Twitter stake.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Australia’s eSafety Commission warning of ‘major gaps’ in the enforcement of the country’s under-16 social media ban, California defying Trump’s demands on AI with the introduction of a new executive order, and Disney+ striking its latest European deal with Italy’s Rai.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Claude’s paid user growth surging, AdGreen’s findings on how changes to advertising production could slash emissions by nearly a third while generating huge financial savings, and WBD setting a date next month for shareholders to vote on a $111bn Paramount–Skydance takeover.

On today’s MadTech Daily we look at OpenAI extending its ad pilot as it tests a global rollout of sponsored ChatGPT responses, Elon Musk’s X ad boycott being dismissed by a US Judge, and Disney+ striking a landmark next-day streaming deal with RTVE.

In this episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire COO Lindsay Rowntree is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and Zac Selby, SVP of global solutions for data & technology at dentsu.They look at IAB Australia’s 'Future of Measurement' initiative, Google securing a patent for AI-generated landing pages, and Apple introducing advertisements in Apple Maps.0:00 Introduction1:20 IAB Australia launches new initiative12:51 Google patents right to replace landing pages27:34 Apple to introduce ads in Maps