Meet Your Customer: Personas & AI

AI is reshaping every corner of advertising, but what does that mean for the publishers whose content underpins the open web?In this episode of the IAB UK Ad Tech Podcast, Pat is joined by Damon Reeve, CEO of Ozone, to explore how AI is changing the ad tech landscape and the role publishers will play in its next chapter.Together they discuss the industry's biggest AI conversations, Ozone's approach to innovation, and why ensuring publishers remain at the heart of the ecosystem is essential as advertising continues to evolve. The conversation explores how technology can unlock new opportunities while protecting the value of trusted, premium content, and why collaboration across the industry will be critical in building an AI-powered future that benefits everyone.Plus, Alex and Joe round up the latest developments from across the ad tech industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Personas have long been a cornerstone of marketing, but AI is fundamentally changing how they're built, understood and activated.In this episode of the IAB UK Ad Tech Podcast, Pat is joined by Joe Mountford, Director Of Insights at Crimtan, to explore how AI is redefining audience modelling. Together they discuss the evolution from traditional survey-based personas to AI-powered audience intelligence built on real-time behavioural signals, omnichannel data and statistical modelling.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the inaugural episode of the New Ad Tech Podcast, the team explores the technology and industry developments moving digital advertising forward.Cadi Jones, SVP, EMEA at Index Exchange, joins the podcast to unpack containerisation, sell-side decisioning and Index Cloud. She explains how bringing custom algorithms and optimisation closer to supply can reduce latency, unlock greater scale and improve cost and carbon efficiency. Cadi also considers why this represents a structural change for programmatic advertising, potentially as significant as the arrival of header bidding, and shares the curiosity, scepticism and human judgement needed to navigate an increasingly AI-powered industry.Plus, the team discusses some of the recent headlines capturing the attention of the ad tech world, including the release of IAB Tech Lab's AAMP 2.3 and TIME's new plan to show ad to robots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special season finale, we look back on Season 19 of the IAB UK Podcast, from conversations on agentic AI, retail media and creator marketing to trust, audio innovation, measurement and cruise media.We also revisit some of the season’s standout moments, including recording live from SXSW London and going behind the scenes at Spotify and Snapchat. Plus, we look ahead to Season 20, launching later this year from IAB UK’s brand-new in-house studio, where episodes will be available to watch as well as listen to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode of the IAB UK Podcast’s summer sports two-parter, we look at how brands can win the moments that matter during one of the biggest cultural events in the world: the World Cup.Host James Chandler is joined by Andy Baker, Head of Strategy at Footballco, JT Tesfamariam, Content Sales Lead at YouTube, and Emma Newman, Chief Revenue Officer at PubMatic, to explore what it takes for advertisers to stay relevant across a tournament where attention can shift quickly and the conversation extends far beyond the match itself.With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams, a new round of 32, 104 matches and a longer tournament window, the opportunity for brands is bigger, but so is the competition for attention. This episode looks at how advertisers can balance long-term planning with real-time responsiveness, and why the moments around the game, from creator content and watch-alongs to memes, highlights and cultural conversation, are becoming just as important as the live action.Together, the guests discuss how younger audiences are engaging with sport through creators and digital personalities, how non-sponsor brands can still show up meaningfully, and how digital media is opening up new ways to tap into major sporting moments without relying solely on official sponsorship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of our summer sports mini-series, we dive into how major sporting events like the World Cup have evolved into cultural moments that extend far beyond the final whistle.Host James Chandler is joined by Matt Eschert, Head of Industry at Reddit, Imogen Blackwood, Business Director at Publicis Media, and Paul Lowrey, Director of Solutions Marketing & Enablement at GumGum, to explore how fans engage with sport across social platforms, communities, creators and group chats.Together, they discuss why some of the most memorable moments happen away from the action itself, how fandom is becoming more accessible to new audiences, and why participation, conversation and community are increasingly shaping the sports experience.The conversation also looks at how brands are adapting to this changing landscape, from understanding fan sentiment and audience mindset to finding authentic ways to show up during major sporting moments without simply capitalising on them.Whether you're interested in sport, media, culture or advertising, this episode explores what modern fandom looks like and why the biggest opportunities often exist beyond the game itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of the IAB UK Podcast, recorded live from SXSW London, James Chandler is joined by Sir Martin Sorrell for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of advertising, media and technology.As one of the industry's most influential figures, Sir Martin shares his perspective on the trends reshaping the marketing landscape, from the rapid rise of AI and changing consumer behaviours to the evolving relationship between brands, platforms and agencies.Together, they discuss the opportunities and challenges facing businesses today, how marketers can navigate an increasingly complex media environment, and what the industry needs to do to remain competitive in an era defined by innovation and disruption.Recorded live at SXSW London, this episode offers a candid look at where advertising is heading next, and the forces that will shape its future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the IAB UK Podcast, James Chandler is joined by Jake Thomas, UK General Manager at Snap Inc., to explore how Snapchat has evolved from its early beginnings into a platform that plays a growing role across the entire customer journey.They discuss the biggest misconceptions that still persist about Snapchat, the unique company culture that helps shape decision-making at Snap, and how the platform has adapted alongside its audience over time.Jake also shares his perspective on the future of the marketing funnel, why Snapchat is often underestimated as a performance channel, and how innovations in augmented reality and AI-powered lenses are creating new opportunities for brands to engage audiences in more creative and meaningful ways.From changing audience behaviours to major life milestones and purchase decisions, the conversation explores how brands can show up authentically on Snap and what the platform’s future priorities reveal about the next chapter of digital advertising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the IAB UK Podcast, James Chandler is joined by Anne-Marie Lavan, CMO at Bauer Media, to unpack the recent rebrand of one of the UK’s most recognisable audio brands: KISS.From refreshed visuals and unique identities across each KISS channel to the development of a new audio language and a high-profile launch event, the rebrand marks a major evolution for the brand.Anne-Marie shares the strategic thinking behind the transformation, the challenge of balancing individuality with a cohesive masterbrand, and how the team ensured the changes resonated beyond just aesthetics. They also discuss the future of audio branding, the role of live experiences in launching a new identity, and the moments that made the whole project feel like a success.Plus, a look at what this rebrand signals for the future of audio brands more broadly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trust has become one of the advertising industry’s biggest talking points, but what does it actually mean in practice for brands, publishers and audiences?In this episode of the IAB UK Podcast, Alex Kozloff sits down with Imogen Fox from The Guardian and Theo Luke from The Trade Desk to unpack the relationship between media environments, trust and advertising effectiveness. Together, they explore new research into how context influences the way advertising is received, remembered and believed, and discuss why premium publishers continue to play a critical role in building stronger connections between brands and consumers.From the commercial value of quality journalism to the tension between scale and responsibility, the conversation examines what it really means for brands to “show up well”, and why trusted environments can drive better outcomes for advertisers.Whether you’re a marketer, media planner or publisher, this episode offers practical insight into why trust and context should be central to every advertising strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.