Open Market OpenAds’ Steven Liss on Which AI Advertising Pitches Are Landing
14 snips
Dec 3, 2025 Steven Liss, CEO and co-founder of OpenAds, shares insights on leveraging AI to revolutionize open-web advertising. He discusses the importance of openness in ad tech and how AI can enhance performance through context rather than identity. Liss humorously likens AI's potential in unlocking publisher value to fracking and outlines different sales strategies for SMBs versus large brands. He emphasizes the need for quality in formats and warns of risks for pure-play ad tools as larger platforms emerge. Liss optimistically believes AI can significantly boost ad efficacy and help publishers regain revenue.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Is The 'Fracking' For Open-Web Yield
- AI unlocks latent value in fragmented open-web inventory, akin to fracking shale oil.
- That unlock can dramatically increase yield and advertiser interest in the open web.
Pitch SMBs With Performance And Price
- Lead with performance and cost when selling to SMBs: show better-than-open-web results at lower CPMs than Meta.
- Offer an affordable test and they'll try it.
Sell Brands On Originality Then Explain Safeguards
- Lead with creative when selling to big brands and CMOs: show emotionally compelling, unique visuals they can't get elsewhere.
- Explain limits and the human role to manage excitement and risk.