MadTech Daily: Price Drops for ChatGPT Ads; Google in Talks with Pentagon; Publishing Giants Plan Cuts

What was the minimum spend commitment from advertisers on ChatGPT ads? Which marketing spend category was the standout performer in Q1 of 2026? What is the percentage of active social media users in the UK in 2026?In this quiz edition of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire's head of marketing, Grainne Reid, is joined by COO Lindsay Rowntree and head of content, John Still. They look into advertising on AI platforms, the latest IPA Bellwether Report, and the decline of social media use in the UK.---0:00 Introduction1:05 Price drops for ChatGPT ads9:51 IPA Bellwether Report: Q1 2026 marketing spend20:36 Active UK social media users decreasing

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover WBD shareholders approving the Paramount–Skydance merger, WPP restructuring its commerce capabilities, and PayPal targeting streaming TV ads.

On today’s MadTech Daily we discuss Bedrock Platform piloting Index Exchange’s new Index Cloud, the Consumer Federation of America suing Meta Platforms over alleged scam advertising practices, and Radiocentre urging MPs to reject advertising on BBC platforms. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover California filing a price-fixing legal claim against Amazon, Singapore proposing a global standard for generative AI testing, and Apple naming John Ternus as CEO successor to Tim Cook.

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover Meta planning to begin a new round of layoffs on 20th May, the White House and Anthropic holding “productive” AI talks, and ByteDance’s profit being hit by AI costs despite an overseas surge.

Today's MadTech Daily covers advertisers reporting prices dropping for ads on ChatGPT, Google holding discussions with the Pentagon for a Gemini deal, as well as the BBC and Bauer Media planning massive workforce cuts. 

In this special episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire CEO Rachel Smith is joined by Jaren Loy, business marketing lead at Fairprice in Singapore. They discuss the value and challenges of retail media, from the availability of first party data to cross-channel measurement for proving better outcomes, and how the APAC market compares to other regions.Based on a panel for ATS Singapore 2026: Retail Media Reality Check: Building Networks, Data Pipes & In‑Store Scale. Retail media in APAC is exploding, but standards, tech stacks, and measurement are still evolving. This discussion covers in‑store screens, loyalty engines, data monetisation, and partner evaluation. Speakers explore how they’re navigating the region’s dominant walled‑garden commerce ecosystems. A session that dives into what it takes to build a retail media business in APAC.0:00 Introduction1:57 Current state of APAC’s retail media landscape6:34 Challenges for advertisers, marketers, and retail media network owners10:23 Measurement and standards in retail media14:33 How retail media fits into the broader commerce ecosystem in APAC19:53 Cross-channel strategies for brands and retailers23:35 What differentiates APAC from global markets26:28 Where retail media is headed in the next 12 months

Today’s MadTech Daily covers OpenAI building a tool to track ChatGPT ad conversions, UK MPs voting down under-16 social media ban for a second time, and Publicis’ CEO ruling out launching a rival for The Trade Desk. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover investor expectations for Netflix after its Warner bid, the IAB unveiling guidelines for AI-driven commerce media, and WPP reportedly launching talks to sell Burson, its PR arm

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover Meta set to overtake Google in ad revenue for the first time, Publicis marking its 20th consecutive growth quarter despite momentum slowing, and Freely launching FAST ‘Spotlight Channels’.