Marketecture: Get Smart. Fast.

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

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi sit down with Jeremy Hobson, host of The Middle with Jeremy Hobson, to explore the shift from traditional radio to digital podcasting, audience growth, monetization, and the changing media landscape. Plus, Ari and Eric break down Google’s ad-tech remedies, OpenAI’s advertising growth, and Amazon’s alleged ad auction practices. Takeaways: Radio meets digital: Jeremy Hobson shares how The Middle combines live call-in radio, podcasts, video, and social media. Building a sustainable media business: Station fees, grants, crowdfunding, and advertising all contribute to The Middle’s revenue model. Google avoids an ad-tech breakup: Ari explains why behavioral remedies could still create meaningful changes for competition. AI advertising is evolving: Ari and Eric examine OpenAI’s advertising growth and why AI ads may develop differently from traditional search advertising. Amazon faces scrutiny: The FTC and 22 states accuse Amazon of using soft floors in its ad auctions, raising questions about auction transparency. Chapters:01:04 Welcome to the Marketecture Podcast04:18 Introducing Jeremy Hobson07:03 Jeremy Hobson Joins the Show08:01 Building The Middle11:23 Radio vs. Podcast Advertising13:25 YouTube Shorts & Podcast Growth16:16 From Public Radio to Entrepreneurship17:21 Building a Sustainable Revenue Model21:43 Politics, Podcasts & the Influencer Era25:10 The Future of Political Media & AI28:29 This Week’s Ad-Tech News30:01 Google Avoids an Ad-Tech Breakup30:28 Ari’s Three Takes on Google’s Remedies38:21 OpenAI’s Advertising Growth41:01 How AI Ads Differ From Search Ads45:21 Amazon’s Ad Auction Controversy50:06 Closing Thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Jeremy Hobson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo sits down with Nick Troiano, CEO of Cadent, to discuss how Cadent is evolving from its linear TV roots into a unified advertising platform spanning CTV, digital, YouTube, and more. They explore audience-first advertising, measurement, AI-powered optimization, walled gardens, and why marketers should prioritize business outcomes over individual channels. Takeaways: Unified advertising is about intelligence, not a single vendor. Troiano explains why unification should connect audience planning, activation, and measurement while preserving data throughout the workflow. Audience and ROI should come before channel. Instead of starting with separate TV or YouTube budgets, marketers should begin with their audience and business objectives. AI is only as powerful as the data behind it. Fragmented data and disconnected AI tools can limit the technology's ability to improve advertising performance. Walled gardens are creating new silos. Independent platforms can play an important role in connecting advertising strategies across multiple closed ecosystems and the open web. Chapters:00:00 Introduction: Ari Paparo and Nick Troiano00:35 What Cadent Looks Like Today01:14 From Linear TV to a Unified Advertising Platform02:06 Building Cadent's Identity and Audience Capabilities03:13 Expanding Into Performance, Digital, and YouTube04:06 Why Marketers Are Moving Beyond Point Solutions05:37 What Advertising Unification Really Means06:35 Connecting Audiences Across DSPs, SSPs, and YouTube08:18 Why Advertising Should Be Audience and ROI First09:40 Cadent's Approach to AI11:29 Where AI Still Falls Short13:14 Walled Gardens, the Open Web, and Advertising's Future14:59 Lightning Round with Nick Troiano Guests: Ari Paparo, Nick Troiano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Greenfield, Co-Founder of LightShed Partners, joins Ari Paparo and Paul Knegten, CMO of Large, to break down the biggest shifts across media and ad tech, from Meta’s social media settlement and AppLovin’s next move to Fox’s Roku strategy and the growing pressure on The Trade Desk. Takeaways: Meta’s social media restrictions could reduce ad inventory and make younger audiences harder to reach. AppLovin’s biggest challenge is expanding its advertising technology beyond gaming into areas like e-commerce and CTV. Fox’s Roku acquisition could give it a powerful digital gateway into the streaming and CTV ecosystem. Rich argues that The Trade Desk’s reluctance to own first-party data is a major strategic weakness. AI-driven media buying could put DSPs under increasing pressure while creating new opportunities for SSPs. Chapters:00:00 Intro and Corgi’s viral marketing strategy05:49 Can higher ad prices offset declining web traffic?07:17 Marketecture Live Chicago preview08:28 Introducing Rich Greenfield, Co-Founder of LightShed Partners09:48 Meta’s $17.1B settlement and the impact on advertisers15:03 Ad scarcity, pricing and social media regulation20:02 AppLovin’s next growth opportunity24:44 Why Fox and Roku make sense together30:48 AI’s potential impact on the future of television32:33 What’s wrong with The Trade Desk’s strategy?36:58 Walmart’s growing advertising ambitions40:37 Meta restrictions and the news of the week43:45 Scope3 teases its next product move46:30 Netflix advertising leadership changes48:09 The Taboola and NBC deal50:57 AI-driven ad buying and the threat to DSPs55:03 Reddit’s changing role in AI and AEO56:54 Closing though Guests: Ari Paparo, Richard Greenfield Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and guest co-host Paul Knegten sit down with Jack Raines, author of Young Money, to discuss how viral LinkedIn posts, humor, and attention-driven marketing helped him build a 61,000-subscriber newsletter, land a book deal, and create a personal brand. The episode also covers OpenAI, WPP, Walmart Connect, Taboola, Google’s AI advertising strategy, LiveRamp, and Higgsfield. Takeaways: Jack Raines turned provocative LinkedIn posts into a subscriber acquisition engine for his newsletter. Authentic personality and calculated controversy can generate attention, but the product still needs to deliver. Free content can create indirect value through book sales, consulting opportunities, and deal flow. Making a product or brand easy and fun to share can create an organic marketing flywheel. The episode also explores major developments across AI, retail media, ad tech, and the open web. Chapters:00:00 Introduction with Ari Paparo and Paul Knegten02:20 Meet Jack Raines, Author of Young Money04:02 Turning LinkedIn Trolling Into a Growth Strategy07:23 The Viral Hotel Breakfast Post10:32 Is Shitposting a Real Marketing Strategy?13:16 Knowing Where to Draw the Line14:38 From Viral Posts to Newsletter, VC, and a Book Deal18:00 Writing and Marketing Young Money24:23 Building Buzz Around a Book Launch27:03 The Marketing Lessons Behind Jack’s Strategy29:17 What Brands Can Learn From Internet Personalities31:47 OpenAI Leadership Shakeup33:55 WPP Rebate Fraud Allegations37:31 Walmart Connect’s Advertising Growth40:55 Teads, Taboola, and NBCUniversal44:56 Are Ad Networks Making a Comeback?45:01 Google’s AI-Powered Advertising Strategy47:44 LiveRamp Deal and Executive Pay51:47 Higgsfield and the Future of AI Video Advertising54:04 Closing Guests: Ari Paparo, Jack Raines, Paul Knegten Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi sit down with Matthew Drengler, Head of Partnerships at Podscribe, to unpack the messy reality of podcast measurement. They explore attribution, incrementality, the shift from audio to video, social clips, HLS, and why advertisers still need reliable performance data.The conversation then turns to the changing ad tech landscape, including the open web, Nielsen’s acquisition of DoubleVerify, measurement industry pressure, The Trade Desk’s earnings, PubMatic, Viant, and advertising to AI agents. Takeaways: Video is expanding podcast audiences, but it is also creating new measurement silos across YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and other platforms. Podcast attribution can use RSS prefixes, pixels, and listener-level signals, but those approaches become harder as consumption spreads beyond traditional RSS. Promo codes and vanity URLs capture only part of podcast-driven conversions, making more sophisticated attribution important for performance advertisers. Measurement can unlock more advertiser investment, while independent measurement and trust remain major industry concerns. Ad tech is shifting toward CTV, retail media, apps, creator channels, and AI while traditional open-web and measurement businesses face increasing pressure. Chapters:00:00 Welcome and Episode Introduction02:04 Marketecture Live Chicago03:08 Meet Matthew Drengler, Head of Partnerships at Podscribe04:43 What Podscribe Does05:45 Why Podcasts Are Moving to Video07:56 The Growing Podcast Platform Problem08:32 Apple HLS and the Future of Video Podcast Measurement09:58 What Actually Counts as a Podcast?11:41 Should Social Clips Be Part of Podcast Ad Packages?13:15 Why Social Podcast Clips Are Hard to Measure15:07 How Podcast Attribution and Incrementality Work18:02 Should Podcasts Be Treated Like Influencer Marketing?20:27 Why Better Measurement Unlocks Advertising Budgets20:47 Networks, Independent Podcasts and Performance22:17 AI-Powered Podcast Ad Verification23:55 Spotify's Podcast Ad Skip Discussion26:07 Ad Tech News Begins26:51 Is the Open Web Dying?34:38 Phia and the Cookie-Stuffing Controversy37:36 Nielsen Acquires DoubleVerify40:19 Independence and Trust in Measurement43:40 Comscore and the Measurement Market Shakeup45:45 Viant's Measurement Layoffs and AI Push46:33 The Trade Desk Earnings Breakdown50:03 PubMatic's Growth and Agentic Opportunity51:26 Viant, CTV and the MySpace Question54:00 Perplexity, Mobian and Ads Targeted to AI Agents55:47 Closing With Matthew Drengler Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Matt Drengler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi are joined by Nikhil Lai, Principal Analyst at Forrester, to discuss the evolution of performance marketing, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), connected TV, incrementality, AI-powered advertising, and the future of marketing measurement. They also examine the latest ad tech news, including ChatGPT advertising, Walmart's acquisition of Vibe, AppLovin, retail media, and Q2 earnings across the digital advertising industry. Takeaways Why Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is fundamentally different from SEO and how brands should prepare. How marketers are redefining performance measurement with blended ROAS and incrementality. The opportunities and challenges of Performance TV, connected TV, and AI-driven advertising. What ChatGPT, AI agents, and creative automation mean for the future of marketing. Key insights from the latest ad tech acquisitions, earnings, and industry trends. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Summer Catch-Up01:24 Phishing Scam Warning for Advertising Professionals03:42 Introducing Guest Nikhil Lai, Principal Analyst at Forrester04:01 Nikhil Lai's Career Journey05:22 Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) vs SEO09:01 The Evolution of Performance Marketing11:09 Measuring Brand Advertising Effectiveness12:57 Incrementality and Modern Attribution14:28 AppLovin and Performance Advertising15:46 Performance TV and Connected TV18:38 Walmart Acquires Vibe and Pinterest's TV Strategy21:26 Is There an AppLovin for the Open Web?22:17 The Future of Marketing Automation and Creative23:59 Weekly Ad Tech News Begins24:38 BMW, Spider-Man, and In-Car Advertising30:31 Agentic Advertising and AI Search34:32 ChatGPT Advertising and Brand Agents40:02 Ad Tech Earnings Highlights45:18 Is MySpace Making a Comeback?46:50 Meta and LiveRamp Partnership47:58 Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Nikhil Lai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Edelman, independent consultant and longtime ad fraud investigator, joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to discuss the Phia affiliate controversy, the evolution of ad fraud, AppLovin's install practices, and what marketers should know about trust and attribution. They also cover Meta and Microsoft earnings, Google's Buyer Direct, creator marketing trends, FreeWheel's latest CTV update, and more. Takeaways: - Ben Edelman explains how affiliate fraud has evolved and why it remains a major issue. - A deep dive into the Phia browser extension controversy and affiliate attribution. - Lessons from the Blinkx adware scandal and AppLovin's forced install investigation. - Ari and Eric discuss Meta and Microsoft earnings, Google's Buyer Direct, and the future of creator marketing. - The latest updates from FreeWheel, Amazon, X, and the broader ad tech industry. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:12 Podcast updates and industry news preview 02:19 Meet Ben Edelman 03:20 The Blinkx adware investigation 10:04 How Ben investigates ad fraud 13:28 The Phia affiliate controversy explained 19:02 Can affiliate marketing be trusted? 23:50 AppLovin's install practices 27:37 Where to follow Ben Edelman 27:51 Meta and Microsoft earnings 33:37 Amazon becomes the largest Fortune 500 company 36:06 Google's Buyer Direct and antitrust concerns 40:14 The rise of micro and nano creators 42:44 AI-generated content in programmatic advertising 43:59 FreeWheel's new CTV reporting capabilities 45:08 X and the WFA legal settlement 46:25 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi welcome Olivia Kory, Chief Marketing Strategy Officer at Haus, to unpack one of advertising's biggest questions: do ads actually work? Olivia explains the critical difference between attribution and incrementality, shares why AppLovin has become a standout performance channel. She discusses the future of media measurement, AI-driven optimization, and agentic media buying. The episode also covers Google's latest earnings, AI search trends, OpenAI's advertising ambitions, and the challenges of measuring podcast advertising. Takeaways: Olivia explains why incrementality measures causation while attribution measures correlation. AppLovin delivers strong short-term performance, particularly for lower-cost, impulse purchases. Incrementality testing is becoming essential for validating ad platform performance. AI is reshaping media measurement, budget allocation, and campaign optimization. The hosts discuss Google's AI investments, OpenAI's potential ad network, and why podcast measurement still needs major improvements. Chapters:00:00 Introduction & Olivia Kory Returns05:47 Attribution vs. Incrementality Explained07:48 Do AppLovin Ads Really Work?10:53 Which Products Perform Best on AppLovin?12:30 Affiliate Marketing & Incrementality Challenges16:04 CAPI vs. Pixels: The Future of Measurement20:13 AppsFlyer, Attribution & Daily Optimization23:30 AI-Powered Budget Allocation & Agentic Media Buying28:48 Google's Earnings & AI Growth32:36 AI Search and Google's Changing SERP34:30 Is OpenAI Building an Ad Network?41:51 Business Insider's FAST Channel Launch43:50 Why Podcast Measurement Is Still Broken49:16 Should Olivia Start Her Own Podcast?50:19 Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Olivia Kory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AppsFlyer President and General Manager Brian Quinn joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to discuss the company’s $1 billion funding round backed by Google, Meta, Unity, and Moloco. They explore independent measurement, mobile commerce, CTV attribution, and the future of AI advertising. Takeaways: - AppsFlyer’s strategic investors hold minority, non-controlling stakes, allowing the company to remain independent. - Google, Meta, Unity, and Moloco rely on independent measurement signals to improve advertising optimization. - E-commerce and retail are among AppsFlyer’s fastest-growing categories. - Connecting CTV, web, and app activity is essential for measuring the complete customer journey. - Last-click attribution remains vulnerable to manipulation and affiliate fraud. - AI advertising growth will depend on proving incremental returns for marketers. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction with Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi 01:09 Marketecture’s new MADDB MCP server 04:14 Brian Quinn joins the conversation 04:45 What is AppsFlyer? 05:39 Inside AppsFlyer’s $1 billion funding round 06:41 Why AppsFlyer selected strategic investors 07:19 Protecting independent measurement 08:34 Why Google and Meta invested 09:49 AppsFlyer as an optimization signal 11:28 How the unusual funding round came together 12:31 Strategic investors versus private equity 13:20 Competing with Adjust while partnering with AppLovin 15:56 Mobile advertising beyond gaming 17:35 Growth in retail and e-commerce apps 19:25 Connecting CTV, web, and mobile measurement 23:52 Ad tech news of the week 25:19 Fia and the affiliate attribution controversy 27:35 The problems with last-click attribution 31:13 Can AI advertising meet its revenue forecasts? 35:01 Questions around IP-based CTV targeting 37:03 Open-web ad supply falls sharply 38:35 The Trade Desk expands its leadership team 40:20 PubMatic exits the wrapper-management business 41:28 Closing thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when AI agents become media buyers and shopping assistants? Ari Paparo sits down with Abhay Singhal, Co-Founder and CEO of InMobi Advertising, to discuss the future of agentic advertising, AI-powered commerce, and conversational ad experiences, and how InMobi is preparing for a world where AI makes purchasing decisions. They also explore Glance's expansion to Samsung TVs, InMobi's acquisition of MobileAction, and how traditional ad tech workflows are being reimagined through AI. Takeaways: - Why AI agents will fundamentally change digital advertising - How InMobi's Agentic Selling Platform works - The future of conversational advertising - Glance's expansion to Samsung TVs and AI-powered shopping - How AI is reshaping the customer journey - Why advertisers need to move closer to the point of transaction - What the MobileAction acquisition means for app marketers - How conversational CTV ads are improving engagement Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:07 InMobi's Agentic Advertising vision 01:58 Inside the Agentic Selling Platform 03:01 Why advertising is moving closer to conversion 04:27 AI agents, DSPs & the future of media buying 06:34 Glance explained 08:13 Samsung TV partnership 09:38 Measuring AI-powered commerce 11:07 Why InMobi acquired MobileAction 12:58 Conversational AI ads on Connected TV 15:36 Lightning Round 16:01 Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices