Episode 150: Thanksgiving Mailbag. Listeners ask questions, Eric and Ari give answers

Jenny Wall from VideoAmp joins Ari Paparo to unpack why CTV measurement has to evolve past impressions and demos. They dig into outcomes, advanced audiences, clean room data, and the growing need for multiple currencies across linear, streaming, and walled gardens. Expect practical examples, a clear case for audience first buying, and a candid look at what happens if the industry stays locked to legacy metrics. Takeaways TV works, but modern measurement must prove business outcomes instead of just delivery. Advanced audiences reduce waste and can lift sales by focusing on the right households. Cross channel measurement is essential now that viewing and spend are split across many platforms. Third party validation matters because platforms grading their own homework limits trust. Dual currencies and clean room matching are messy today, but they create price flexibility and innovation. Chapters00:10 Ari sets up the shift from impressions to outcomes in CTV measurement. 02:16 Jenny explains why TV is a really emotional video and why that still drives results. 02:59 The conversation moves to tying fragmented channels to real KPIs like sales. 04:11 Jenny argues that advanced audiences beat demo buying for most brands. 05:18 Examples show how deep audience targeting can go, from retail intent to pharma switching. 10:53 Walled gardens and the need for independent measurement come into focus. 12:48 Dual currencies are framed as painful now but necessary for the market to progress. 15:14 Jenny warns that unstable metrics could wipe out long tail networks. 18:02 Real time optimization in TV is closer than most marketers think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi discuss a variety of topics, ranging from the latest developments in the Google trial to the implications of AI in advertising. They provide insights on consulting strategies for data companies, share their personal pizza preferences, and explore the future of marketing mix models. The conversation also touches on job security in ad tech, the impact of media personalities on careers, and the cultural significance of Thanksgiving side dishes. Takeaways The Google trial's outcome may not favor a spin-out. Data companies should focus on use cases rather than just data. AI serves as an enabler in advertising, not a standalone solution. Job security in ad tech is closely tied to revenue generation roles. Identifying AI native companies requires understanding their vision and strategy. The cultural significance of Thanksgiving side dishes varies regionally. Mac and cheese has become a modern staple in Thanksgiving dinners. The pace of AI innovation is rapidly changing the advertising landscape. OpenAI is likely to enter the advertising space due to market demands. The future marketing mix will see shifts among search, walled gardens, and open platforms. Chapters 00:00 Thanksgiving Greetings and Podcast Introduction 00:58 Insights from the Google Trial 04:22 Consulting Advice for New Entrants in Data Marketing 08:05 The Role of AI in Advertising 12:01 Pizza Preferences and Cultural Reflections 15:45 AI Innovation and M&A in Advertising 18:57 OpenAI's Potential Move into Advertising 20:31 The Future of Advertising and OpenAI 22:41 Marketing Mix Modeling in Fortune 500 Brands 25:09 Shifts in Advertising Spend: Search vs. LLMs 29:02 Job Security in Ad Tech Amidst AI 30:40 Identifying AI Native Companies vs. AI Posers 33:04 The Impact of Media Personality on Career 37:34 Thanksgiving Traditions and Food Preferences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Marketecture Live, Alexis Gossard, Senior Manager of Media Strategy at Bayer, and Lisa Perez, General Manager for Pain/Cardio/Derm and Nutritionals, discuss the recent shift in strategy behind the One A Day brand. They outline how the team revisited brand fundamentals, updated the visual identity, refined audience-specific messaging, and adjusted the media approach across video, social, retail, and emerging channels. The conversation offers a clear look at the decision-making process, cross-functional collaboration, and early learnings from the brand’s updated direction. Takeaways Bayer Consumer Health aims to reach more households. The mission is described as the road to billions. A dedicated team focuses on media outcomes. Every media plan outcome is linked to new brand initiatives. The strategy involves analyzing various channels for effectiveness. Household penetration is a key performance indicator. The company is committed to understanding market dynamics. Media planning is crucial for brand growth. The focus is on measurable outcomes in marketing. Bayer is leveraging data to inform its strategies. Chapters 00:10 Opening & Brand Challenge 00:50 Brand Overview & Market Realities 01:06 Audience Complexity & Strategic Shift 03:06 Rebuilding the Brand Foundation 04:39 Visual Identity & Packaging Refresh 06:32 Cross-Functional Collaboration 08:45 Turning Insights Into Media Strategy 09:48 Awareness Strategy & Football Integration 13:23 Advanced Targeting, AI, and Geo-Clustering 18:38 What’s Next & Q&A Highlights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi sit down with Steven Liss, CEO of OpenAds, to discuss the company’s shift from placing ads inside AI chat to using AI to transform display advertising. They explore why contextual intelligence is gaining new traction, how AI-generated creative performs in practice, and what the new IAB standards AdCP and UCP signal for the future of programmatic buying. The conversation also covers the challenges of embedding interoperability, the complexities of building an AI native DSP, and how agencies are adopting creative generation tools. Takeaways Ads inside AI chat are constrained by a limited supply, while ads powered by AI offer far more scale New language models improve contextual classification, which leads to more accurate targeting AI creative becomes stronger when grounded in a real webpage context and variety Agencies are driving demand for efficient AI-powered creative, while creative and media teams remain separate Building a DSP from scratch is now possible because coding models accelerate engineering work AdCP helps unify signals between buyers and publishers, which cuts waste in programmatic UCP faces hurdles because embeddings created by different models cannot interpret one another Open source or shared industry models may be needed to support reliable embedding exchange Chapters 00:00 Introduction and guest setup 02:10 Thanksgiving banter and mailbag announcement 06:40 Stephen Liss joins the show 07:30 The “OpenAds” naming confusion with TTD 10:00 Why ads inside AI did not scale 15:45 Rise of contextual and AI-driven creative 21:00 Building an AI-native DSP 25:25 Examples of surprising AI-generated creative 31:00 ADCP and UCP: standards, embeddings, and challenges 47:20 Why shared models matter + closing thoughts and wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo sits down with Sergio Serra, PM Lead for RTB Fabric at AWS, to explore how Amazon is transforming the foundations of programmatic advertising. They break down how RTB Fabric eliminates data egress costs, improves latency through deterministic routing, and introduces a per-billion transaction model built specifically for ad tech. Recorded at Marketecture, this conversation reveals how AWS is creating purpose-built infrastructure for SSPs and DSPs, the power of modular services like real-time throttling and OpenRTB filtering, and why Fabric might redefine the economics of ad exchanges. Takeaways RTB Fabric removes the dual tax of data egress and load balancing costs. Deterministic availability zone routing cuts latency and boosts reliability. Built-in modules add rate limiting, filtering, and error masking without extra cost. The pricing model aligns with ad tech’s transaction-based economics. AWS is opening Fabric beyond its own backbone, allowing external connectivity. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and AWS’s Focus on Ad Tech 01:00 What RTB Fabric Solves for SSPs and DSPs 03:00 Eliminating Data Egress and Load Balancing Costs 05:00 How Deterministic Routing Improves Latency 07:00 Built-In Modules: Rate Limiting, Filtering, Error Masking 10:00 Pricing Model Based on Transactions 12:00 Internal vs. External Fabric Connections 14:00 Launch Partners and Future Expansion 15:30 Competitive Edge and Vision for RTB Fabric Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi sit down with Paul Bannister, Chief Strategy Officer of Raptive, unpack new research on how audiences respond to AI-written content, why trust changes depending on labeling and experience, and what shifting traffic patterns mean for publishers. The conversation moves from consumer behavior to the realities of the open web, the role of strong brands, and how AI tools are reshaping ad operations. Takeaways Readers trust AI content less when labeling is unclear. Suspicion of AI drops trust more than actual AI writing. People struggle to identify whether content is AI or human. Heavy AI users become highly skeptical of AI content. Traffic declines hit factual verticals harder than lifestyle. Strong brands cushion publishers from search volatility. Smaller sites dependent on SEO face the greatest risk. Reducing ad clutter can improve both outcomes and revenue. AI tools are speeding up slow ad ops and campaign setup. CTV continues to drive most of the open web growth. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 03:00 AI and Content Trust Issues 09:00 Impact of AI on Traffic and Branding 15:00 Earnings Reports and Industry News 21:00 AI in Programmatic Advertising 27:00 Challenges for Small Publishers 33:00 The Role of Human Involvement in AI Content 39:00 Future Trends in Digital Advertising Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nik Sharma, CEO, Sharma Brands, and James Borow, VP, Product & Engineering, Comcast, explore how direct-to-consumer performance tactics are transforming traditional TV advertising. Recorded at Marketecture Live, they discuss the rise of real-time measurement, the merging of walled gardens and open web ecosystems, and how Universal Ads is making TV as accessible and data-driven as social platforms. The conversation highlights creative testing, AI’s growing role in production, and what marketers need to unlearn to thrive in the next phase of connected TV. Takeaways Direct-to-consumer brands are driving a shift toward more measurable, performance-focused TV advertising. The creative process for TV is moving closer to social media’s rapid testing and iteration model. Lower production barriers and ad tech integration are making TV more accessible to smaller brands. Incrementality and third-party measurement are replacing outdated metrics and first-party trust. Creative quality and adaptability now matter more than expensive, polished production. TV’s role is increasingly about amplifying social campaigns and driving results on mobile. AI is unlocking faster creative workflows, but still requires human direction and testing. CMOs need to think like measurement product managers, balancing creativity with data literacy. The future of TV advertising lies in accessibility, automation, and integration with digital platforms. Chapter 00:00 Introduction and Background of Nik Sharma and James Borow 02:00 Understanding D2C Brands and Their Approach to Ad Tech 03:30 Why Now Is the Moment to Rethink TV Advertising 05:00 The Shift from Brand Spend to Performance-Driven TV 06:30 Integrating TV into a Modern Media Mix 08:00 How Ad Tech Evolution Made TV Accessible 09:30 From Polished Commercials to Test-and-Learn Creative Models 12:00 TV as the Second Screen and the Rise of Social-Led Storytelling 14:00 Changing Creative Standards Across TV and Social Platforms 15:30 What CMOs Need to Unlearn About TV Buying 17:00 The Role of AI and Automation in Modern TV Advertising 18:30 The Future of Generative AI in Creative Production 19:00 Career Advice for the Next Generation in Ad Tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi are joined by Mathieu Roche, CEO of ID5, to discuss the recent acquisition of TrueData and its implications for the identity market. They explore the integration of identity graphs and IDs, the challenges of maintaining privacy and data security, and the evolving landscape of identity solutions. The conversation also touches on the importance of match rates, the role of identity in advertising, and the future of identity technology. Takeaways ID5's acquisition of TrueData aims to enhance identity solutions by integrating identity graphs with IDs. The acquisition increases ID5's staff and revenue by 30-40%, marking a significant expansion. ID5 focuses on making devices addressable and recognizable over time, enhancing match rates. TrueData specializes in connecting data at the user and household level, acting as a 'Rosetta Stone' for identity. The integration of ID5 and TrueData offers a unique end-to-end identity solution for clients. Identity is crucial for targeting, optimization, frequency capping, and measurement in advertising. The debate between deterministic and probabilistic identity solutions continues, with trade-offs in scale and precision. ID5's global presence and strong match rates provide a competitive edge in the identity market. The acquisition process involved extensive due diligence, highlighting the complexity of transatlantic deals. The future of identity technology involves balancing privacy concerns with the need for effective data solutions. Chapters 00:11 Introduction and Guest Welcome 03:42 ID5's Acquisition of TrueData 09:56 Identity Graphs and Device IDs 13:33 AI's Role in Advertising 29:49 The US Market and Global Scale 50:19 Deterministic vs. Probabilistic Solutions 57:23 Future of Identity in Ad Tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo interviews Luke Schoenberger, Executive Vice President of Product Engineering at Playwire. They discuss Playwire's role as a major sales house for publishers, the development of a custom wrapper for ad monetization, and the challenges and opportunities in the display advertising landscape. Luke shares insights on the transition to in-app monetization, the competitive advantages of Playwire's offerings, and the future of display advertising amidst changing market dynamics. Takeaways Playwire is one of the largest sales houses in the industry. They provide a simple integration for publishers to monetize their websites. Playwire is building its own wrapper to improve ad monetization. The new wrapper allows for A/B testing and custom configurations. Publishers can benefit from a single payment instead of multiple SSPs. In-app monetization is a growing focus for Playwire. The app ecosystem has different monetization needs compared to the web. Analytics is a key feature of Playwire's wrapper solution. Competition in the ad tech space is increasing. The display advertising market is facing challenges due to generative AI. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Playwire and Its Business Model 02:57 Building a Custom Wrapper for Publishers 05:49 Advantages of Playwire's Wrapper Over Prebid 08:54 The Role of GAM and Alternatives 11:46 Expanding into App Monetization 14:55 Challenges in App Monetization 17:52 Competitive Landscape and Market Challenges 20:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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