AdTechGod Pod

In this conversation, Ari Stein, Senior Director of Programmatic Sales at SiriusXM Media, shares insights into the evolution of audio streaming, the growth of podcasting, and the changing landscape of audio advertising. He discusses his journey in the audio industry, the importance of company culture, and the future of audio in relation to AI. Ari emphasizes the growing demand for audio content and the unique opportunities it presents for marketers. Takeaways Ari Stein has been with SiriusXM Media for over 13 years, evolving from an account executive to a senior director. The audio industry has seen tremendous growth, particularly in podcasting and streaming. Audio advertising is becoming more recognized for its impact on both upper and lower marketing funnels. The shift from traditional media buying to digital audio is happening, but at a slower pace than desired. Smart speakers have significantly contributed to the growth of audio consumption. Audio provides a unique opportunity for brands to connect with consumers in a personal way. Company culture plays a crucial role in employee satisfaction and retention. The demand for audio content continues to grow, presenting opportunities for marketers. Ari believes in the importance of education in the audio space to drive recognition and investment. Balancing work and personal life is essential, and Ari finds motivation in his family and team. Chapters 00:00 The Evolution of Audio Streaming 02:48 Ari's Journey in the Audio Industry 05:19 The Growth of Podcasting and Its Impact 08:07 Understanding Audio Advertising 10:47 The Shift in Media Buying Behavior 13:41 The Power of Audio in Marketing 15:41 The Importance of Company Culture 18:02 The Future of Audio and AI 20:25 Balancing Work and Personal Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode of The Refresh dives into Walmart’s evolving partnership with The Trade Desk, signaling potential changes in retail media alliances. We explore Google’s use of large language models to combat ad fraud, achieving significant reductions in invalid traffic. Finally, we break down Variety’s latest upfronts report, showing a continued decline in primetime TV ad commitments and notable growth in streaming investment. This week we cover: Walmart and The Trade Desk’s relationship is moving from exclusive to open, raising questions about Walmart’s retail data strategy and potential in-house platform development. The Trade Desk faces growing competition from vertically integrated giants like Amazon, Google, and Meta, which benefit from owned inventory and rich first-party data. Google’s traffic quality team, in collaboration with Google Research and DeepMind, deployed large language models to detect and reduce mobile invalid traffic by 40%.Variety reports primetime TV ad commitments fell for the third consecutive year, with broadcast down 2.5% and cable down 4.3%. Streaming ad commitments surged nearly 18% year over year, driven by advanced targeting, programmatic buying opportunities, and high-value live sports content moving to digital platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachael Savage, Senior Vice President of Ad Revenue Operations at Hearst Magazines, shares her extensive background in the publishing industry, discussing her journey from early experiences in computer camp to her current role overseeing revenue operations for various media brands. She highlights the transition from traditional news publishing to lifestyle content, the challenges and opportunities in revenue operations across print and digital, and the impact of AI on advertising and content creation. Rachael also reflects on the importance of collaboration, personal happiness, and maintaining a sense of humor in a fast-paced industry. Takeaways Rachael's career began unexpectedly at a computer camp in seventh grade. She transitioned from the New York Times to Hearst, focusing on lifestyle brands. The shift to mobile has changed how news is consumed and monetized. Revenue operations are evolving, with a focus on both print and digital. AI is becoming increasingly important in advertising and content creation. Collaboration across teams is essential for successful revenue operations. Rachael emphasizes the need for creativity in engaging audiences. The upcoming fashion month in September is a critical time for revenue generation. Maintaining personal happiness is crucial in a demanding industry. Building a supportive network helps navigate challenges in the ad tech space. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Rachael Savage and Her Background 01:02 Career Journey: From Computer Camp to Ad Operations 04:40 Transitioning from News to Lifestyle Publishing 08:51 Revenue Operations: Print vs. Digital 11:08 Opportunities in the Second Half of the Year 18:28 The Role of AI in Advertising and Content Creation23:32Personal Insights: Balancing Work and Happiness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode of The Refresh, Kait breaks down one of the biggest sports media deals in years: Disney’s ESPN has struck a landmark agreement with the NFL to take full control of the NFL Network, expand access to RedZone, and launch its long-awaited direct-to-consumer app. The episode also unpacks Instagram’s latest copycat features, Meta’s shifting engagement strategy, and a series of high-impact headlines from across the advertising and tech space, including lawsuits, mergers, and AI transparency battles. Disney’s Massive NFL Deal: ESPN will gain operational control of the NFL Network and distribution rights to RedZone, while the NFL secures a 10% stake in ESPN, valued between $2.5 and $3 billion. ESPN's Streaming Leap: The new ESPN standalone app launches August 21 for $29.99/month, offering 47,000+ live events annually, betting features, and personalized content — a key move amid declining cable economics. Instagram’s TikTok Dupes: Instagram launched a repost tool, Snapmap-style location sharing, and a visibility control feature for Reels, all met with mixed reactions and privacy concerns. Meta's Monetization Playbook: Zuckerberg emphasizes “engagement” as Meta’s primary revenue driver, while critics say the company’s product strategy feels increasingly erratic and creator-hostile. Industry Roundup: Omnicom-IPG merger clears another hurdle; OpenX sues Google post-DOJ loss; Cloudflare accuses Perplexity AI of stealth scraping; ChatGPT adds mental health features for user well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walt Dublin, Vice President of Enterprise Publisher Development at Raptive, shares his dynamic journey through the ad tech landscape. He discusses the evolution of publisher partnerships and the pressing challenges posed by AI on content monetization. Walt emphasizes the importance of protecting publishers while championing diversity in tech, highlighting how varied perspectives enhance problem-solving. Passionate about education and mentorship, he underscores the need to prepare the next generation for success in this rapidly changing industry.

In this week’s episode of The Refresh from Marketecture, host Kait unpacks three major developments across measurement, streaming, and advertising. Nielsen is facing renewed industry skepticism as data irregularities emerge in its TV measurement tools. Meanwhile, the future of cable TV may hinge on how live sports migrate to streaming, with ESPN’s direct-to-consumer plans threatening traditional models. Lastly, Meta delivers a strong Q2 earnings report, signaling that its investment in AI is paying off—especially for its ad business. 5 Key Highlights: Nielsen Faces Backlash Over Data Discrepancies: Nielsen’s panel-plus-big-data TV measurement product is under fire due to inconsistencies in key demographic groups, like adults 25–54. The issues stem from its machine-learning model HDAM, which is used to assign household demographics. Industry Pushes for Multi-Currency Measurement: Growing distrust in Nielsen’s accuracy has reignited interest in alternative providers like iSpot, VideoAmp, and ComScore, especially as advertisers demand more reliable and accredited audience insights. ESPN Streaming Could Reshape Cable's Last Stronghold: ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer service will bring its marquee live sports content online, accelerating cord-cutting trends and further weakening cable’s grip on viewers. Cable TV Tries to Rebrand Through Sports Bundles: Providers like DirecTV are pivoting with sports aggregation bundles to compete with streaming. However, whether that’s enough to woo non-sports viewers back remains questionable. Meta Crushes Earnings with Ad Growth and AI Investment: Meta reported 22% revenue growth in Q2, with ad revenue reaching $46.5 billion. The company is leaning heavily into AI tools for advertisers and remains committed to evolving its ad ecosystem through advanced tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edina Kalamperovic, SVP of Retail Growth at Epsilon, shares her journey from agency life to the world of ad tech. She highlights the necessity of understanding client relationships and the ever-evolving digital landscape. Key discussions include the importance of data utilization and personalized marketing strategies. Edina emphasizes that customer loyalty is a mindset, not just a program, and explores how retail media opens new pathways for brands to connect. She also underscores the impact of enriched in-store experiences on fostering consumer loyalty.

In this episode of The Refresh, host Kait unpacks some of the most significant shifts in media, search, and publishing. Alphabet reported record-breaking Q2 earnings driven by cloud and search, despite concerns about AI competition. Newsweek is proactively adjusting its business model to combat AI-related traffic threats, and the Paramount–Skydance merger finally got the FCC’s green light, complete with political controversy and a timely South Park takedown. Alphabet's Blowout Quarter: Alphabet hit $96.4 billion in Q2 revenue, driven by strong performance in cloud (up 32%) and ad sales (up 10.4%), with YouTube capturing nearly 13% of all U.S. TV screen time. Publisher Impact from Generative AI: Google’s AI overviews and search innovations are reducing referral traffic to publishers, with its network division down $100M this quarter—an early signal of monetization shifts. Newsweek’s Monetization Overhaul: Facing declining search-driven traffic, Newsweek aims to lower its ad revenue dependency by investing in healthcare adtech, subscriptions, and syndication deals to charge AI bots for crawling content. Paramount–Skydance Merger Approved: The FCC approved the controversial Paramount-Skydance deal, just days after a $16M Trump settlement and CBS’ cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. South Park Weighs In: South Park’s season premiere mocked the Paramount merger and its political ties—airing hours after a $1.5B content deal was finalized between the show’s creators and Paramount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Austin Scott, CCO and founder of Bedrock Platform, brings a wealth of experience from giants like Microsoft and TubeMogul. In this chat, she dives deep into the evolution of connected TV and emphasizes the necessity of redefining the marketing funnel for today’s digital landscape. Austin discusses the challenges of data control in ad tech and highlights the importance of collaboration to meet buyer needs. She also contrasts U.S. and European business cultures, offering insights into adapting strategies across markets for sustainable programmatic advertising.

This week’s episode of The Refresh skips the usual industry drama to spotlight three major developments in advertising and media. Host Kait walks through The Trade Desk’s milestone entry into the S&P 500, NBCUniversal’s record-setting upfront performance, and Delta’s bold use of AI for personalized airfare pricing. From validating independent ad tech to the future of programmatic sports buys and the controversy surrounding dynamic pricing, the episode unpacks where innovation is winning, and where it’s raising eyebrows. The Trade Desk Joins the S&P 500: The Trade Desk became the first pure-play ad tech company in over 20 years to join the S&P 500, a sign of its financial strength, consistent profitability, and key role in the digital advertising ecosystem. Stock Surge Following Announcement: Following news of its inclusion, The Trade Desk’s stock jumped 14% on July 14. Historically, companies newly added to the index see a 13–14% gain over the next year. NBCUniversal’s Best Upfront Ever: NBCU reported a 15% YoY increase in total upfront commitments, with a 45% spike tied to sports. One-third of upfront spend went to Peacock, marking its largest digital upfront to date. Programmatic Drives New Advertiser Growth: NBCU attracted more small and midsize advertisers this year, many of whom used programmatic buying. Their programmatic revenue alone reached $1 billion in this cycle. Delta’s Controversial AI Pricing Rollout: Delta plans to use AI to set prices for 20% of domestic tickets by the end of 2025. While positioned as innovation, critics have raised concerns over potential bias and lack of transparency in AI-driven fare models. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices