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Marketecture: Get Smart. Fast.

Ari Paparo

The Marketecture Podcast is hosted by industry experts Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi. Every Friday they publish an interview with an important thinker in the advertising and marketing industries, and cover that week's most important news. On Mondays there's an in-depth vendor interview where you learn about interesting companies.

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Monday · 21 min
In AI We Trust: The Future of AI Advertising, Agentic Ad Tech & Measurement
Can advertisers truly trust AI to transform the future of digital advertising? Jeremy Bloom, CEO of Marketecture Media, sits down with Kyle Spraker, SVP of North America at Integral Ad Science (IAS), to explore the evolving role of AI in advertising. From AI-powered search and agentic media buying to measurement, transparency, and the future of the open web, they discuss how brands can build confidence in emerging technologies while driving measurable results. The conversation also explores publisher consolidation, changing consumer behavior, and the growing influence of athletes and women's sports in modern marketing. Takeaways AI Is Evolving Search, Not Replacing It: Conversational AI introduces new opportunities for personalized discovery, consumer engagement, and advertising. Measurement Is Essential to AI Adoption: Standardized metrics, cross-platform measurement, and clear ROI will help advertisers confidently invest in AI-powered environments. Transparency Builds Trust: Advertisers need visibility into AI algorithms, data inputs, and campaign performance to ensure technology delivers brand-specific results. Agentic AI Could Transform Programmatic Advertising: AI agents may automate manual media buying workflows, reshape DSP and SSP capabilities, and enable faster campaign optimization. The Open Web Faces New Challenges: Declining publisher traffic and potential consolidation could reshape advertiser relationships, placing greater emphasis on quality content and trustworthy measurement. Traditional Marketing Funnels Are Changing: AI-driven discovery is blurring the boundaries between awareness, consideration, and conversion, encouraging more customized measurement strategies. Sports and Influencer Marketing Continue to Grow: Athletes are increasingly controlling their own audiences and content, creating new opportunities for brands, particularly in women's sports. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: In AI We Trust at Marketecture Live Chicago 01:19 Is AI Advertising the Next Evolution of Search? 02:13 AI Discovery, Consumer Behavior, and Advertising ROI 02:52 Building Standardized Measurement for AI Advertising 04:52 Measuring Performance and Marketing Outcomes 06:20 Building Advertiser Confidence Through Transparency 08:01 Agentic Ad Tech: The Future of DSPs, SSPs, and Media Buying 09:50 The Open Web, Publisher Traffic, and Consolidation 12:04 Publisher Quality, Mid-Funnel Measurement, and Trust 13:14 How AI Is Reshaping the Traditional Marketing Funnel 14:11 Emerging Advertising Trends and Brand Strategies 16:21 From Professional Baseball to Advertising Leadership 17:18 Athletes, Influencer Marketing, and Audience Ownership 17:56 The Growth of Women's Sports and Brand Investment 19:52 Closing Thoughts and Final Takeaways Guests: Ari Paparo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#197
Friday · 50 min
Episode 197: Chris Harihar on What Aristotle Can Teach Us About AdTech PR
What makes great PR in ad tech, and how is AI reshaping the advertising industry? Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi welcome Chris Harihar, EVP at Mod Op, to discuss the future of ad tech PR, effective storytelling, and the challenges of communicating AI and agentic advertising strategies. The conversation explores Yahoo DSP's agentic vision, PubMatic's AI announcements, and why traditional PR tactics are no longer enough. Chris also shares how Aristotle's principles of persuasion can help brands build credibility and connect with audiences. Plus, the team breaks down Google's and Microsoft's earnings, FreeWheel's future with NBCUniversal, Pinterest's partnership with Magnite, Stagwell's acquisition of Freestar, the announced DoorDash and Instacart deal, and Walmart's move into agentic commerce. Takeaways Why traditional ad tech PR needs a fresh approach. How Yahoo DSP and PubMatic are shaping agentic AI messaging. The role of storytelling and credibility in effective PR. Google's AI monetization challenges and advertising growth. FreeWheel's future and the evolving CTV landscape. How major acquisitions are reshaping ad tech and retail media. Walmart's move into AI-powered shopping and agentic commerce. Chapters 00:00 Marketecture Live 2027 Announcement 00:55 Welcome to Marketecture Podcast 02:34 Chris Harihar Joins: The Fortune Cookie Advertising Debate 07:46 What Makes Great PR in Ad Tech? 09:29 Yahoo DSP and PubMatic's Agentic AI Strategies 13:24 When AI Advertising PR Backfires 18:52 Apple, Privacy, and Industry Backlash 20:43 Aristotle's Three Principles of Effective Storytelling 23:17 PR Lightning Round: Research, Executives, and Social Media 24:58 Do Press Releases Still Matter in AI Search? 27:04 Google Earnings and the Future of Search Advertising 31:33 YouTube's Growth and Instagram's CTV Opportunity 33:00 Chris Harihar on AI Tools and Muse 34:16 Microsoft Earnings and Cloud Growth 35:11 FreeWheel, Universal Ads, and NBCUniversal 38:44 Could Paramount Skydance Move Away From FreeWheel? 39:51 Pinterest Opens Programmatic Advertising With Magnite 41:38 Stagwell Acquires Freestar: Agency and Publisher Tech Converge 44:03 DoorDash and Instacart: Retail Media Consolidation 47:04 Walmart's MCP Server and the Future of Agentic Commerce 50:11 Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Chris Harihar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#196
October 23 · 43 min
Episode 196: Ads in Fortune Cookies? Yes, and A Lot More.
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. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:05 Meta Earnings, AI Growth, and New Ad Formats 08:43 Meta Muse and AI Productivity 10:09 Apple's Privacy Restrictions and Identity Resolution 13:02 Salesforce Acquires Braze 16:30 Kevel's $52 Million Funding Round 19:10 Netflix's Advertising Growth Challenges 22:26 Netflix's Measurement Tools and DSP Integration 23:03 ChatGPT Ads Expansion and AI-Powered Creative 25:55 Publicis and LiveRamp Acquisition Update 27:13 Meet Carlo Palomino, President of OpenFortune 28:19 Turning Fortune Cookies into Advertising Experiences 29:22 How Branded Fortune Cookie Ads Work 31:39 Building OpenFortune's Distribution Network 33:25 Global Reach and Advertising Inventory 34:21 Gary Vee's Investment and Campaign Results 35:22 Creative Fortune Cookie Advertising Campaigns 36:42 Measuring QR Code Engagement and Brand Lift 38:26 OpenFortune's Expansion and Fortune Tacos 41:29 MrBeast Partnership and Collectible Fortune Cookies 42:51 Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Carlo Palomino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 19 · 16 min
It’s All in Your Pocket: The Phone Connects the Pieces
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 Chicago 00:54 Meet Blis and T-Mobile Advertising Solutions 02:05 How Pura Uses Smart Technology and Customer Data 03:19 Pura's Evolution From DTC to Omnichannel Retail 04:51 Consumer Behavior and Audience Segmentation 06:12 Using Mobile Data to Drive Target Store Traffic 07:56 Connecting Mobile Data With CTV Advertising 08:23 Combining First-Party and Third-Party Data 10:33 Improving CPG Audience Targeting and Measurement 11:21 Data Clean Rooms, Identity Resolution, and Incrementality 13:09 Marketing Trends and Opportunities for 2027 14:42 Brand Storytelling and Platform-Specific Content 15:40 Measuring Marketing Impact and Final Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#196
October 16 · 52 min
Episode 195: Scott Messer Answers the Question, Is There Crying in Ad Tech?
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 Therapy 01:08 Upcoming Ad Tech Events and Apparium Summit 02:16 Scott Messer on Fixing Broken Ad Tech Operations 05:23 Declining Open Web Traffic and Publisher Challenges 06:37 Building Publisher Loyalty and Protecting Content from AI 08:03 AI Bots, Content Licensing and Publisher Compensation 13:12 Advertising to AI and the Future of Sponsored Content 17:08 The Ethics of Advertising to AI Agents 18:37 Google's Antitrust Ruling and Prebid's Future 22:49 How Publishers Can Benefit from Agentic Advertising 25:11 Reducing Programmatic Fees Through Agentic Direct Buying 28:29 Prebid Summit and Ad Tech M&A Outlook 30:01 Apple's Safari Privacy Changes and Publisher Revenue 33:43 Character.AI and the Risks of AI Advertising Inventory 37:49 OpenAI's Advertising Strategy and Behavioral Targeting 41:24 Google's Search Scraping Defense and Data Co-op 45:06 Retailers Blocking AI Shopping Agents 47:00 Agentic Commerce and AI-Powered Product Discovery 49:04 Uber, TripleLift and the Future of Retail Media 51:31 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
October 13 · 14 min
Independent Agency Global Overview on Powering Streaming TV Ads by Pairing AI & Human Storytelling
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 unBoxed 00:50 Meet Global Overview and Amazon Ads 01:52Traditional Medicinals' Streaming TV Opportunity 02:59 Why AI-Generated Ads Need Creative Intelligence 04:09 Creating Video Ads with Amazon's Creative Agent 05:12 Brand Guidelines and Creative Performance 07:05 Human Judgment in AI-Powered Advertising 08:57 How AI Helps Agencies Scale Creative Production 09:28 Adapting Creative Across Advertising Formats 10:34 Reducing Video Production Costs 11:30 Traditional Medicinals' Campaign Results 11:59 The Future of AI-Powered Streaming TV Ads 13:18 Closing: The Marketecture Animal Question Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#195
October 9 · 32 min
Episode 194: Hooray for Advertising Week. Ari and Eric Talk About Everything That Happened
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. Chapters 00:29 - Introduction and Advertising Week Recap 02:29 - Mediaocean AI Fund and Ad Tech Industry Events 04:07 - LiveRamp Demo Day and Agentic AI Innovation 06:14 - Advertising Week Trends: CTV, Open Web, and Agentic Commerce 07:52 - Sell-Side Decisioning and the Future of DSPs 09:33 - Apple's Safari Tracking Restrictions and Identity Challenges 12:28 - Walmart's Retail Media Expansion and Yahoo DSP Partnership 16:04 - Dentsu, NBCUniversal, and Agentic AI TV Buying 20:16 - OpenWeb's Financial Troubles and Publisher Monetization 24:01 - Zeta's Acquisitions of Senso and Digital Audience 26:23 - Paramount, WBD, and the Future of Ad Tech Infrastructure 30:36 - PubX's Agentic Advertising Strategy and Compliant Acquisition 32:07 - Final Thoughts and Closing Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#193
October 2 · 59 min
Episode 193: Adam Epstein on Muse & Agentic Commerce, Plus TTD Blocked on Safari and Amazon UnBoxed
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. Chapters 00:00 Amazon unBoxed and conference highlights 03:02 Meta Muse and real-world AI agent use cases 06:37 The Trade Desk blocked from serving ads on Safari 11:37 Amazon’s AI-powered advertising updates 12:38 Branded Conversations and conversational commerce 15:14 Delta enters the travel media network space 17:19 OpenAI, LiveRamp and AI advertising 19:00 The battle for consumer AI assistants 20:45 Meta expands Muse for SMBs and enterprise 23:11 Anthropic, AI economics and the future of adtech 26:15 Adam Epstein joins the podcast 26:49 Amazon unBoxed and Sponsored Reviews 30:00 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 tasks 38:00 Why Amazon is blocking third-party AI agents 42:46 Instacart, AI agents and grocery commerce 44:18 Why travel could be transformed by agentic commerce 45:21 How brands could compete inside AI agents 48:12 Testing Muse in real-world situations 51:35 Meta, Shopify and the future of agentic commerce 53:39 Closing thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Adam Epstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 1 · 11 min
How PMG Brought in New Customers for IQBAR Using Full-Funnel Advertising
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. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Ari Paparo and Ryan Walker 00:38 Full-Funnel Marketing at Amazon unBoxed 01:17 How PMG and IQBAR Use Amazon Marketing Cloud 02:54 Reaching Customers Across the Purchase Journey 03:22 Identifying IQBAR’s Growth Plateau 04:39 Shifting Targeting Toward New Customers 05:34 Tailoring Creative and Messaging 06:03 Performance Plus and Brand Plus 06:33 Expanding Across CTV and Video 07:11 Using Live Sports to Reach New Audiences 08:29 Amazon’s Closed-Loop Measurement Advantage 09:46 What’s Next for Full-Funnel Advertising 10:51 If PMG Commerce Were an Animal Guests: Ari Paparo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#193
September 25 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 192: The PE Guy and Cameo CEO Steven Galanis Close Out Marketecture Live Chicago
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 Recap 01:53 How LLMs Source Brand Information 02:59 What Marketers Were Talking About in Chicago 05:49 Steven Galanis on Cameo’s Growth 07:35 Cameo for Business and Brand Endorsements 12:04 The Rise of Micro-Influencers 13:44 Is Everyone an Influencer Now? 17:10 How Creators Diversify Their Revenue 19:12 The Future of Creator Platforms 20:40 Jonny Hilbrant, Creator of PE Guy, Joins 22:29 How PE Guy Was Created 25:15 Creator Platforms and Distribution 28:06 Why PE Guy Is Working on LinkedIn 30:18 Building Long-Term Brand Partnerships 33:02 Do Creators Still Need Agents? 35:25 Meta’s Muse AI Agent 45:00 Infillion Acquires Foursquare 47:33 Taboola Acquires Dianomi 49:08 Scope3 Rebrands 52:46 Citi Launches a Commerce Media Network 55:33 McDonald’s Launches Its Media Network 57:40 Closing Thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Steven Galanis, Johnny Hilbrant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#192
September 18 · 46 min
Episode 191: Corey Ferengul on the Newest Start-Up Category -- UMPs
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. Chapters 01:11 Welcome to Marketecture Podcast 02:18 Marketecture Live Chicago and Madjobs.ai 05:23 Corey Ferengul Joins the Podcast 05:49 The Rise of Unified Media Platforms 07:46 What Makes UMPs Different? 08:58 Companies Building Unified Media Platforms 11:33 Who Are UMPs Built For? 13:34 How Major Platforms Could Respond 15:56 Can UMPs Become Sustainable Businesses? 17:59 How UMPs Could Reshape Agencies and Ad Tech 20:38 Where to Find Aperiam’s UMP Market Map 22:18 The Refresh 23:01 Google’s Ad Tech Remedies Explained 29:56 Ad Tech M&A and DoubleVerify 32:02 AI Is Driving Ad Spend Growth 34:20 Mediaocean Launches AI Ventures 37:31 Adam Soroka Becomes CEO of PebblePost 40:31 33Across Becomes Wealthstage 42:49 FLAM and Profound Raise New Funding 45:17 OpenAI and Sponsored Agents 46:10 Closing Thoughts and Marketecture Live Chicago Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Corey Ferengul Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#190
September 11 · 40 min
Episode 190: Mike Zeman from Life360 on Selling to CMOs and Buying as a CMO
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 Show 03:39 Meet Mike Zeman, CMO of Life360 04:06 Lessons From Both Sides of Marketing 04:57 Why Relationships Still Matter 06:06 What CMOs Really Want From Vendors 07:13 How Ad Tech Vendors Can Differentiate 07:53 Start With a Pilot, Then Scale 08:11 Inside Life360’s Marketing Strategy 09:21 CTV as a Performance Channel 09:41 Measuring Long-Term Customer Value 10:15 Why Incrementality Matters 10:52 Building Life360’s Advertising Business 11:09 Life360’s Location Data Advantage 11:30 The Nativo Acquisition 12:07 Proving Footfall and Winning New Business 14:46 Building Life360 as an Advertising Brand 16:40 Why Life360 Embraces Bold Creative 19:19 The Refresh: Ad Tech News 19:31 The Trade Desk Layoffs 24:17 The Trade Desk and the S&P 500 27:09 Amazon, OpenAI and ChatGPT Ads 30:08 The Future of ChatGPT Advertising 31:20 LG and Smart TV Privacy Concerns 33:53 U.S. Military Disables Mobile Ad Trackers 35:20 AI Personal Assistants and Privacy 37:07 AI Bots Meet Restaurant Reservations 38:39 Meta and Second-Price Auction Lawsuit 40:25 Closing Thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Mike Zeman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#189
September 4 · 50 min
Episode 189: Jeremy Hobson is Bringing Live Radio to the Digital Era, Plus Google's Big Win in Court
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 Podcast 04:18 Introducing Jeremy Hobson 07:03 Jeremy Hobson Joins the Show 08:01 Building The Middle 11:23 Radio vs. Podcast Advertising 13:25 YouTube Shorts & Podcast Growth 16:16 From Public Radio to Entrepreneurship 17:21 Building a Sustainable Revenue Model 21:43 Politics, Podcasts & the Influencer Era 25:10 The Future of Political Media & AI 28:29 This Week’s Ad-Tech News 30:01 Google Avoids an Ad-Tech Breakup 30:28 Ari’s Three Takes on Google’s Remedies 38:21 OpenAI’s Advertising Growth 41:01 How AI Ads Differ From Search Ads 45:21 Amazon’s Ad Auction Controversy 50:06 Closing Thoughts Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Jeremy Hobson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 31 · 15 min
How Cadent Is Unifying Advertising Across TV, CTV, YouTube & AI with CEO Nick Troiano
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 Troiano 00:35 What Cadent Looks Like Today 01:14 From Linear TV to a Unified Advertising Platform 02:06 Building Cadent's Identity and Audience Capabilities 03:13 Expanding Into Performance, Digital, and YouTube 04:06 Why Marketers Are Moving Beyond Point Solutions 05:37 What Advertising Unification Really Means 06:35 Connecting Audiences Across DSPs, SSPs, and YouTube 08:18 Why Advertising Should Be Audience and ROI First 09:40 Cadent's Approach to AI 11:29 Where AI Still Falls Short 13:14 Walled Gardens, the Open Web, and Advertising's Future 14:59 Lightning Round with Nick Troiano Guests: Ari Paparo, Nick Troiano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#189
August 28 · 58 min
Episode 188: Rich Greenfield on the Meta Settlement and TTD's Stock Woes
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 strategy 05:49 Can higher ad prices offset declining web traffic? 07:17 Marketecture Live Chicago preview 08:28 Introducing Rich Greenfield, Co-Founder of LightShed Partners 09:48 Meta’s $17.1B settlement and the impact on advertisers 15:03 Ad scarcity, pricing and social media regulation 20:02 AppLovin’s next growth opportunity 24:44 Why Fox and Roku make sense together 30:48 AI’s potential impact on the future of television 32:33 What’s wrong with The Trade Desk’s strategy? 36:58 Walmart’s growing advertising ambitions 40:37 Meta restrictions and the news of the week 43:45 Scope3 teases its next product move 46:30 Netflix advertising leadership changes 48:09 The Taboola and NBC deal 50:57 AI-driven ad buying and the threat to DSPs 55:03 Reddit’s changing role in AI and AEO 56:54 Closing though Guests: Ari Paparo, Richard Greenfield Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#187
August 21 · 54 min
Episode 187: Jack Raines Trolls LinkedIn and Ends Up with a Book Deal
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 Knegten 02:20 Meet Jack Raines, Author of Young Money 04:02 Turning LinkedIn Trolling Into a Growth Strategy 07:23 The Viral Hotel Breakfast Post 10:32 Is Shitposting a Real Marketing Strategy? 13:16 Knowing Where to Draw the Line 14:38 From Viral Posts to Newsletter, VC, and a Book Deal 18:00 Writing and Marketing Young Money 24:23 Building Buzz Around a Book Launch 27:03 The Marketing Lessons Behind Jack’s Strategy 29:17 What Brands Can Learn From Internet Personalities 31:47 OpenAI Leadership Shakeup 33:55 WPP Rebate Fraud Allegations 37:31 Walmart Connect’s Advertising Growth 40:55 Teads, Taboola, and NBCUniversal 44:56 Are Ad Networks Making a Comeback? 45:01 Google’s AI-Powered Advertising Strategy 47:44 LiveRamp Deal and Executive Pay 51:47 Higgsfield and the Future of AI Video Advertising 54:04 Closing Guests: Ari Paparo, Jack Raines, Paul Knegten Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#188
August 14 · 58 min
Episode 186: Matt Drengler on Why Ari is Wrong About Podcasting
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 Introduction 02:04 Marketecture Live Chicago 03:08 Meet Matthew Drengler, Head of Partnerships at Podscribe 04:43 What Podscribe Does 05:45 Why Podcasts Are Moving to Video 07:56 The Growing Podcast Platform Problem 08:32 Apple HLS and the Future of Video Podcast Measurement 09:58 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 Measure 15:07 How Podcast Attribution and Incrementality Work 18:02 Should Podcasts Be Treated Like Influencer Marketing? 20:27 Why Better Measurement Unlocks Advertising Budgets 20:47 Networks, Independent Podcasts and Performance 22:17 AI-Powered Podcast Ad Verification 23:55 Spotify's Podcast Ad Skip Discussion 26:07 Ad Tech News Begins 26:51 Is the Open Web Dying? 34:38 Phia and the Cookie-Stuffing Controversy 37:36 Nielsen Acquires DoubleVerify 40:19 Independence and Trust in Measurement 43:40 Comscore and the Measurement Market Shakeup 45:45 Viant's Measurement Layoffs and AI Push 46:33 The Trade Desk Earnings Breakdown 50:03 PubMatic's Growth and Agentic Opportunity 51:26 Viant, CTV and the MySpace Question 54:00 Perplexity, Mobian and Ads Targeted to AI Agents 55:47 Closing With Matthew Drengler Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Matt Drengler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#185
August 7 · 50 min
Episode 185: Nikhil Lai of Forrester on the State of AEO and Performance Marketing
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. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Summer Catch-Up 01:24 Phishing Scam Warning for Advertising Professionals 03:42 Introducing Guest Nikhil Lai, Principal Analyst at Forrester 04:01 Nikhil Lai's Career Journey 05:22 Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) vs SEO 09:01 The Evolution of Performance Marketing 11:09 Measuring Brand Advertising Effectiveness 12:57 Incrementality and Modern Attribution 14:28 AppLovin and Performance Advertising 15:46 Performance TV and Connected TV 18:38 Walmart Acquires Vibe and Pinterest's TV Strategy 21:26 Is There an AppLovin for the Open Web? 22:17 The Future of Marketing Automation and Creative 23:59 Weekly Ad Tech News Begins 24:38 BMW, Spider-Man, and In-Car Advertising 30:31 Agentic Advertising and AI Search 34:32 ChatGPT Advertising and Brand Agents 40:02 Ad Tech Earnings Highlights 45:18 Is MySpace Making a Comeback? 46:50 Meta and LiveRamp Partnership 47:58 Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Nikhil Lai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 31 · 49 min
Episode 184: Ben Edelman Will Send You to Affiliate Jail
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
#186
July 24 · 52 min
Episode 183: Ask Olivia Kory Whether AppLovin Ads Work & She Explains Attribution vs Incrementality
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 Returns 05:47 Attribution vs. Incrementality Explained 07:48 Do AppLovin Ads Really Work? 10:53 Which Products Perform Best on AppLovin? 12:30 Affiliate Marketing & Incrementality Challenges 16:04 CAPI vs. Pixels: The Future of Measurement 20:13 AppsFlyer, Attribution & Daily Optimization 23:30 AI-Powered Budget Allocation & Agentic Media Buying 28:48 Google's Earnings & AI Growth 32:36 AI Search and Google's Changing SERP 34:30 Is OpenAI Building an Ad Network? 41:51 Business Insider's FAST Channel Launch 43:50 Why Podcast Measurement Is Still Broken 49:16 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

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