AdTechGod Pod

AdTechGod sits down with Philip Inghelbrecht, CEO and Co-Founder of Tatari, to explore the future of connected TV (CTV), programmatic advertising, and AI-powered media buying. Philip shares how Tatari is transforming television advertising through direct publisher integrations, smarter measurement, and AI-driven optimization with Upstream and Tatari Max. They also discuss performance TV, brand building, and why traditional DSP models may face serious challenges.

Takeaways

• Rethinking Programmatic TV: Philip explains why traditional programmatic infrastructure may not be the best fit for connected TV advertising.
• The Power of Direct Publisher Connections: Tatari's Upstream platform helps advertisers access premium CTV inventory while reducing intermediaries and associated fees.
• AI-Powered Advertising: Tatari Max uses first-party data and AI-driven decisioning to improve media buying efficiency and campaign performance.
• Beyond Performance TV: Philip emphasizes why advertisers should balance measurable conversions with brand awareness and long-term growth.
• The Future of DSPs: Philip shares his bearish outlook on traditional DSP models in CTV, citing rising computational costs and infrastructure challenges.
• The Next Evolution of TV Advertising: Tatari is exploring ways to make its technology more modular and accessible across the advertising ecosystem.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Podcast
00:13 Meet Philip Inghelbrecht, CEO & Co-Founder of Tatari
02:18 From Google and TrueCar to Building Tatari
06:46 How Tatari Changed TV Advertising Measurement
08:37 Why Traditional Programmatic Infrastructure Falls Short
10:48 Inside Upstream and Direct Publisher Integrations
13:23 Premium CTV Inventory and Benefits for Advertisers
15:34 How Tatari Uses AI and First-Party Data
18:06 Introducing Tatari Max and AI-Powered Optimization
21:28 Performance TV vs. Brand Awareness
25:10 The Challenges of TV Performance Measurement
26:35 The Future of CTV and Tatari's Technology
28:27 Bullish or Bearish: Traditional DSPs in CTV
30:02 Final Thoughts and Closing

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Connected TV is becoming Commerce TV!

AdTechGod is joined by Arthur Querou, CEO and Co-Founder of Vibe.co, for an exclusive platform demo showcasing how Vibe.co's integration with Walmart is transforming CTV advertising.

Discover how Walmart's shopping and commerce signals enable smarter audience targeting, how AI simplifies campaign creation, and how advertisers can leverage retail data to drive measurable performance and incremental ROAS.

Takeaways:

• Walmart Commerce Data Meets CTV: Vibe.co integrates Walmart's shopping and purchase-intent signals to help advertisers reach more relevant audiences.
• Simplified Campaign Creation: A streamlined three-step process makes CTV advertising accessible to small businesses and performance marketers.
• AI-Powered Audience Targeting: Smart audience selection helps advertisers identify relevant shopper segments based on product categories and purchasing behavior.
• Agentic Advertising: Vibe.co's MCP, API, and AI agents enable automated campaign creation and more sophisticated targeting strategies.
• Performance and Incremental ROAS: Advertisers can measure campaign effectiveness using Vibe.co's measurement tools and independent measurement partners.
• From Connected TV to Commerce TV: The Walmart integration brings retail commerce intelligence into CTV advertising to support more measurable business outcomes.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the Special Vibe.co Episode
00:26 Vibe.co's Walmart Integration and Commerce Audiences
01:18 Bringing Walmart Shopping Signals to CTV
01:54 Live Demo: Creating a CTV Campaign
02:42 AI-Powered Audience Targeting with Walmart Data
03:45 MCP, API, and Campaign Optimization
04:20 Making CTV Advertising Accessible to SMBs
05:25 Driving Performance with Commerce Data
07:08 Smart Audience Selection and AI Intelligence
08:29 Agentic Campaign Creation and Automation
09:24 CRM Targeting, Retargeting, and ROAS
10:32 Measuring Campaign Performance and Incrementality
11:35 Final Thoughts: The Future of Commerce TV
12:02 Outro

Guests: AdTech God

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Aliya J. Daniels, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Revry and President at PrismRiot, joins AdTechGod to discuss the future of multicultural advertising, privacy-first connected TV (CTV), and inclusive streaming. She shares her journey from entertainment law to building a global LGBTQ+ streaming network, explains how PrismRiot helps publishers scale without compromising audience privacy, and explores why authentic brand engagement, cultural understanding, and human oversight remain essential in an AI-driven advertising landscape.

Takeaways

- Privacy-First Advertising: Protecting audience data and scaling advertising revenue can go hand in hand.

- Multicultural Audience Growth: Brands must recognize multicultural communities as valuable consumers rather than treating inclusion as a marketing checkbox.

- CTV Opportunities: Connected TV creates new opportunities for independent and multicultural publishers to expand their reach.

- Authentic Brand Engagement: Building lasting relationships with diverse communities requires consistent engagement and active listening.

- AI and Cultural Understanding: Human oversight remains essential because AI cannot always interpret rapidly evolving cultural nuances.

- The Future of Streaming: Independent streaming platforms can remain competitive through agility, specialized content, and strong audience relationships.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Podcast
00:13 Meet Aliya J. Daniels of Revry and Prism Riot
01:30 From Entertainment Law to Ad Tech
03:30 Building Revry and LGBTQ+ Streaming
04:44 Launching Prism Riot and Privacy-First CTV
06:49 Protecting Multicultural Audiences and Publisher Data
09:42 Balancing Audience Trust and Business Growth
11:03 Revry vs. Prism Riot: Understanding the Platforms
11:29 Multicultural Advertising and Brand Investment
13:54 Building Authentic Community Relationships
15:46 AI in Advertising and the Importance of Human Oversight
18:27 Streaming Consolidation and Independent Publishers
21:00 The Future of Multicultural CTV and Audience Privacy
24:26 Closing Thoughts

Guests: AdTech God

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AdTechGod sits down with Nicole Scaglione, Vice President of CTV at PubMatic, to explore the evolution of connected TV advertising, agentic AI, and the growing creator economy. Nicole shares her journey in ad tech, how PubMatic is simplifying programmatic buying, and why premium advertising is increasingly defined by outcomes. They also discuss creator monetization, live sports, vertical video, and micro dramas shaping the future of digital advertising.

Takeaways

• The Evolution of CTV: How PubMatic is connecting premium publishers with advertisers through programmatic technology.
• Agentic AI in Advertising: How automation is simplifying media buying and helping advertisers achieve better outcomes.
• The Creator Economy: Why creator-led content is opening new monetization opportunities beyond walled gardens.
• Premium Advertising: Why premium inventory should be defined by audience relevance and campaign outcomes.
• Emerging Advertising Trends: How vertical video, micro dramas, and live sports could shape the future of streaming advertising.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Podcast
00:13 Meet Nicole Scaglione, VP of CTV at PubMatic
01:22 Nicole's Career Journey in Ad Tech and CTV
06:03 PubMatic's Evolution From Publishers to Buyers
09:16 What Defines Premium CTV Advertising?
10:54 Agentic AI and the Future of Programmatic Buying
13:21 PubMatic's Creator Marketplace and Monetization
16:38 Balancing Creator Content and Premium TV
19:09 Emerging Trends in Advertising and Streaming
19:56 Vertical Video and Micro Dramas
21:08 Live Sports and New Monetization Opportunities
23:09 The Challenges of Monetizing Micro Dramas
23:39 Why Advertising Must Start With the Viewer
25:01 Final Thoughts and Closing
25:52 Outro

Guests: AdTech God

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Aaron Goldman, CMO of Mediaocean, joins AdTechGod Podcast to unpack some of the industry's boldest anonymous confessions from Marketecture Live Chicago. From questionable audience targeting and brand safety failures to the value of mid-funnel marketing and ROAS, they challenge common ad tech assumptions. Aaron also discusses Mediaocean's AI platform, NIVO, and how automation is helping marketers reduce repetitive work, improve campaign performance, and focus on creativity and strategy.

Takeaways

- Audience targeting requires a balance of first-party data, contextual signals, and creative strategy.

- Brand safety failures highlight the importance of accountability and stronger safeguards.

- Mid-funnel marketing remains essential for moving consumers from awareness to conversion.

- ROAS is valuable, but marketers must look beyond surface-level metrics to understand actual impact.

- Mediaocean's NIVO uses AI agents to automate advertising workflows and free up time for strategic work.

Chapter

00:00 Intro and NIVO Sponsor Message

00:47 Ad Tech Confessions from Marketecture Live Chicago

01:23 Meet Aaron Goldman, CMO of Mediaocean

03:22 Aaron's Confession About AdTechGod

04:49 Inside the Ad Tech Confession Booth

07:16 Is Audience Targeting Data Reliable?

10:06 Contextual Targeting and Brand Safety Failures

11:38 Who Is Responsible for Brand Safety?

13:45 Is Mid-Funnel Marketing a Waste of Money?

17:00 ROAS, Attribution, and Incrementality

19:31 AI, Trust, and the Future of Advertising

21:16 The Story Behind the NIVO Jingle

22:22 What Would You Do with 10 Extra Hours?

24:57 How Mediaocean's NIVO AI Platform Works

28:40 Automating Repetitive Advertising Tasks

29:56 Final Thoughts and What's Next

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AdTechGod is joined by Jenny Yurko, WBD Advertising, A Skydance Company, to explore the future of identity, first-party data, and AI-driven advertising. Jenny shares insights on data clean rooms, interoperability, predictive analytics, and how publishers can leverage privacy-conscious data strategies to improve targeting and measurement. They also discuss the evolution of connected TV, the importance of premium audience signals, and why an open advertising ecosystem could create better outcomes for advertisers and publishers.

Takeaways

• First-Party Data: Turning audience insights into valuable advertising opportunities.
• Identity: Improving targeting through interoperability and universal IDs.
• Data Clean Rooms: Enabling privacy-focused data collaboration.
• AI and Analytics: Using predictive models to improve advertising decisions.
• Open Ecosystem: Strengthening collaboration between publishers and advertisers.
• CTV Measurement: Driving better outcomes with premium audience signals.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod
00:13 - Meet Jenny Yurko, VP at Warner Bros. Discovery
01:18 - Jenny's Career Journey in Data and Advertising
03:00 - Leadership, Mentorship and Career Growth
05:15 - Simplifying Complex Ad Tech Concepts
06:49 - Data Product Strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery
09:14 - Unlocking the Value of First-Party Data
10:57 - Data Clean Rooms, Privacy and Interoperability
12:53 - AI and Predictive Analytics in Advertising
14:53 - The Future of Identity and Data Collaboration
16:06 - Why the Open Advertising Ecosystem Matters
17:01 - The Next Evolution of Advertising Technology
20:48 - CTV, Streaming and Better Measurement
21:54 - Premium Audience Signals and AI-Powered Targeting
22:51 - Final Thoughts and Closing

Guests: AdTech God

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AdTechGod joined Abbey Ramsey, Chief Commercial Officer at Anoki AI, to explore the evolution of video advertising and how AI is reshaping CTV. Abbey shares lessons from her career at MTV, Tremor Video, and OpenAP, and explains how Anoki uses real-time video intelligence to understand what viewers are watching and turn those moments into actionable advertising opportunities. They also discuss contextual targeting, programmatic activation, live news and sports, and how AI is changing the way advertising leaders work.

Takeaways

• AI is reshaping CTV and video advertising.
• Real-time context enables smarter ad targeting.
• AI creates new opportunities across news and sports.
• Programmatic makes AI insights easier to activate.
• AI is helping leaders work faster and smarter.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Meet Abbey Ramsey
02:49 Abbey’s Journey Into Ad Tech
03:43 MTV and the Early Days of Streaming Video
05:34 The Rise of Pre-Roll and Tremor Video
07:17 ACR, Programmatic and the Evolution of TV
09:14 Building Audience-Based Advertising at OpenAP
10:16 What Anoki AI Does
11:11 Bringing AI Intelligence to FAST and VOD
12:10 Unlocking Advertising Opportunities in News
13:25 Why Context Matters for Advertisers
14:56 Real-Time Signals, Weather and News
16:27 Turning AI Intelligence Into Programmatic Activation
18:00 Where AI and CTV Are Heading Next
18:27 The Future of AI in Sports Advertising
19:39 Making AI Practical for the Advertising Industry
21:17 Abbey’s AI-Powered Operating System
23:30 Inside Anoki AI
25:37 Why Relationships Still Matter in Ad Tech
26:07 Closing Thoughts

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Ian Maier, General Manager of AdTech at Hightouch, joins AdTechGod to discuss how first-party data, identity, AI, and measurement are reshaping advertising. Ian shares his journey from performance marketer to ad tech leader, breaks down the challenges brands face when activating customer data, and explains how AI can help marketers turn complex data into smarter audience, creative, and media-buying decisions.

Takeaways:

• First-party data needs accessibility: Brands often struggle to connect conversion data across online, offline, mobile, and other systems for effective activation and measurement.
• Identity remains a major challenge: Customer data needs to be matched to addressable users for targeting, suppression, attribution, and optimization.
• Data and creative work together: Strong audience targeting alone cannot compensate for creative that fails to connect with consumers.
• AI can turn data into action: Hightouch is using AI agents to help marketers analyze customer and measurement data, develop segmentation strategies, and activate audiences.
• AI still needs structure: Ian argues that AI needs a marketing "harness" that understands workflows, approvals, business context, and measurement to support effective media decisions.
• Clean rooms still have a role: Ian sees value in data clean rooms but believes complexity and design currently limit their usefulness for some applications.

Chapters:
00:00 Meet Ian Maier, GM of AdTech at Hightouch
01:11 Ian’s Journey From Marketer to Ad Tech
04:09 Why Data and Creative Need Each Other
06:23 What Brands Get Wrong About First-Party Data
09:23 How Hightouch Activates Customer Data
10:59 Rethinking Identity and Data Onboarding
14:16 First-Party vs. Third-Party Identity Data
17:43 Identity and Targeting Across CTV
20:01 Using AI to Make Sense of Advertising Data
22:20 From AI-Powered Planning to Activation
22:45 Is AI Making Ad Tech Easier or More Complex?
24:14 Bullish or Bearish on Data Clean Rooms
25:49 Closing Thoughts

Guests: AdTech God

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AdTechGod joins with Gil Sommer, Vice President of Product Management at FreeWheel, to explore how connected TV advertising is evolving as live sports move deeper into streaming. They discuss the technical challenges of advertising at massive scale, contextual targeting, programmatic buying, measurement, advertiser outcomes, and how agentic AI could bring greater automation and precision to direct advertising.

Takeaways:

• Live sports are creating new opportunities and technical challenges for CTV advertising.
• Contextual targeting can make live ad breaks more relevant to the action viewers just watched.
• Programmatic and guaranteed buying are likely to coexist across premium streaming inventory.
• Better measurement and standardization could help CTV demonstrate stronger advertiser outcomes.
• Agentic AI could bring more automation and precision to direct advertising.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:42 Gil Sommer’s Journey Into Ad Tech
04:21 How Live Streaming Changes CTV Advertising
06:35 Contextual Targeting in Live Sports
07:44 Handling Millions of Concurrent Viewers
09:25 The Technical Challenges of Live Ad Delivery
11:30 Can Live Sports Become Fully Biddable?
13:50 Friction Between Advertisers and Publishers
15:11 Solving CTV’s Measurement Problem
18:49 Moving Ad Budgets From Linear TV to CTV
21:11 Does the Ad Tech Ecosystem Need Simplification?
23:33 What’s Next for Advertising
24:10 Outcomes and the Future of TV Measurement
25:05 Agentic AI in Advertising
26:25 Closing Thoughts

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AdTechGod is joined by Tanja Mimica, Co-Founder and COO of Kovva, to discuss her journey from building and selling Martin to PubMatic to launching an AI-powered platform for media buyers. Tanja explains how Kovva automates cross-platform operational workflows, what AI could mean for junior media buyers, and why the future of agencies may depend on turning institutional knowledge into intelligence that compounds over time.

Takeaways:

• Kovva automates operational workflows across media-buying platforms and productivity tools.
• AI could shift media-buying roles toward higher-value work rather than simply eliminating them.
• Kovva uses agency knowledge and playbooks to automate workflows within existing processes.
• AI can help agencies retain and scale institutional knowledge across teams.
• The future may be a “compounding agency” where organizational intelligence improves with every workflow.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:09 Tanja’s Journey Into Ad Tech
02:07 Building Martin and a New DSP
03:37 The Road to PubMatic
04:23 From PubMatic to Founding Kovva
05:49 Building a Company With Your Co-Founder and Spouse
07:19 Why Tanja Built Kovva
08:14 How Kovva Automates Media Buying Workflows
10:00 Where Kovva Fits Into the Media Buying Process
11:01 Playbooks and Agency Knowledge
12:29 Will AI Replace Media Buyers?
14:19 How Agency Roles Could Change
16:12 The AI Adoption Gap
18:21 Using AI to Train Junior Media Buyers
19:46 Kovva as an Orchestration Layer
21:57 What’s Next for Programmatic Advertising
22:18 AI and the Future of Agency Operations
24:18 Building the “Compounding Agency”
25:34 Closing Thoughts

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AdTechGod joins Alistair Hill, CEO and Co-Founder of OnDevice, to explore how advertising measurement has evolved beyond clicks. They discuss brand lift, data quality, incrementality, survey fraud, AI’s growing role in measurement, and why measurement should help improve the next campaign instead of simply reporting what happened.

Takeaways:

• Clicks don’t tell the full story of brand advertising effectiveness.
• Reliable brand lift depends on accurate exposure data and comparable audience groups.
• Data quality is increasingly important as fraud affects survey-based measurement.
• AI can turn brand lift data into smarter campaign planning and optimization.
• Measurement should be the starting point for improving the next campaign, not just a post-campaign report.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:13 Meet Alistair Hill, CEO & Co-Founder of OnDevice
01:21 How Alistair Got Into Advertising and Measurement
02:11 Why Clicks Were Never Enough
04:32 What OnDevice Is Solving in Brand Lift
06:12 The Problem With Misleading Measurement Metrics
09:59 Has Advertising Measurement Become Too Complicated?
11:16 What Good Brand Lift Measurement Looks Like
12:20 Data Quality, Survey Fraud and Real Audiences
14:40 AI and Machine Learning in Measurement
16:52 The Biggest Measurement Challenge Today
18:48 The Future of Brand Lift, Outcomes and AI
20:54 Why Log-Level Data Matters
21:27 Alistair’s Unexpected Excel Love Story
22:05 Closing

Guests: AdTech God

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AdTechGod joined Tommy Burton, VP, Global Partnerships at Pacvue, to discuss the evolution of retail media, his experience at Amazon Ads, and how AI and automation are changing commerce. They explore measurement challenges, Amazon Business, agentic shopping, CTV, and what’s next for brands navigating the growing commerce media landscape.

Takeaways:

- Retail media remains fragmented across platforms and retailers.

- Measurement continues to be a major challenge for brands.

- AI is making commerce data easier to access and understand.

- Automation helps advertisers save time and improve campaign performance.

- Agentic shopping is changing how consumers discover products.

- Commerce data is connecting branding, CTV, and performance marketing.

- Retail media is evolving toward a more connected commerce ecosystem.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:13 Meet Tommy Burton, VP, Global Partnerships at Pacvue
01:13 Tommy’s Journey Through Yahoo, AOL and Amazon
02:44 Joining Amazon Ads and the Rise of Retail Media
04:26 Key Lessons From Building Amazon DSP
05:58 From Amazon to Pacvue
08:06 What Pacvue Does for Brands and Agencies
09:28 Is Retail Media Still in Its Early Stages?
11:14 Fragmentation and the Retail Media Measurement Challenge
13:09 How Pacvue Is Using AI
14:58 Unlocking the B2B Opportunity With Amazon Business
17:12 Automation, Reach and Conversion Results
19:04 What’s Next for Commerce Media?
19:35 Agentic Shopping and the Future of Product Discovery
20:24 Connecting Media to the Point of Purchase
21:12 CTV, Branding and Performance Marketing
23:23 Why Commerce Data Could Break Down Media Silos
23:56 Where to Connect With Tommy and Pacvue

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AdTechGod is joined by Bill Condon, Head of Global Advertising Sales at Gracenote, to discuss why content-level transparency is becoming essential in connected TV advertising.

They explore how Gracenote’s content intelligence gives advertisers a clearer picture of where their ads appear, improves brand suitability, and helps identify premium inventory. Bill also discusses the importance of persistent content signals, the rise of truly live sports inventory, Gracenote’s work with The Trade Desk and other programmatic platforms, and what’s next for CTV advertising.

Takeaways:

• CTV needs greater transparency: Advertisers need clearer visibility into where their ads actually run.
• Content intelligence goes deeper: Gracenote provides detailed signals beyond broad genre categories.
• Better brand suitability: Content-level data helps brands choose what to align with or avoid.
• Transparency benefits buyers and publishers: Advertisers gain control while premium publishers can better demonstrate their value.
• “Live live” matters: More precise signals help distinguish truly live sports from other sports content.
• Content signals are becoming essential: Gracenote is bringing its content intelligence into major programmatic platforms.
• Outcomes are next: Content intelligence could help improve purchase intent, brand favorability, and campaign performance.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod
00:13 Introducing Bill Condon of Gracenote
01:26 Bill’s Journey to Gracenote
03:13 The Convergence of Streaming and Traditional TV
03:42 Do Advertisers Really Know Where Their Ads Run?
05:17 Why CTV Still Has a Transparency Problem
06:40 Gracenote’s Content Intelligence and Metadata
08:23 Going Beyond Basic Genre Targeting
09:01 Building a Deeper Content Graph
10:42 Brand Suitability and Show-Level Signals
11:22 Persistent Content Signals Across Platforms
13:15 Three Key Use Cases for Content Intelligence
14:09 Transparency, CPMs and the True Value of Inventory
15:25 Show-Level Reporting and Post-Campaign Validation
16:02 How Content Signals Benefit the Sell Side
17:55 Why Premium Publishers Benefit From Transparency
19:13 Dos Equis, Dentsu and the Power of “Live Live” Sports
21:32 Gracenote’s Partnership With The Trade Desk
24:02 The Future of Connected TV Advertising
25:40 Connecting Content Intelligence to Outcomes
26:22 Why Transparency Will Shape the Future of TV Advertising
28:39 Closing Thoughts

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AdTechGod sits down with Mike Brooks, Founder of Brooks Industries, to explore the convergence of CTV and mobile apps, the future of TV data, performance CTV, product-market fit, and how AI is creating new opportunities across advertising.

Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠ http://marketecturemedia.com

Takeaways:

• CTV and mobile apps are converging: Mike sees significant opportunity as the app and connected TV ecosystems increasingly overlap.
• TV data is still evolving: Advances in streaming and ACR data could unlock a new generation of advertising products and targeting capabilities.
• Product-market fit comes first: Startups need to focus on solving a specific problem instead of chasing every new opportunity.
• Performance CTV has real potential: Mike believes TV can drive measurable installs and conversions, particularly for mobile-first brands looking beyond traditional acquisition channels.
• AI is making big data actionable: Mike sees practical AI value in modeling large datasets and turning complex signals into useful insights for advertisers and streaming companies.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod
00:13 Meet Mike Brooks
01:05 Mike’s Journey Through Apps, Ad Tech, and CTV
05:06 Building Partnerships at LG Ad Solutions
06:10 The Convergence of CTV and Mobile Apps
08:27 What the Industry Is Underestimating
08:58 The Future of TV and Streaming Data
11:54 Why Product-Market Fit Matters
13:48 The Power of Focus for Startups
16:33 Is Performance CTV Really the Future?
18:06 Using CTV to Drive Installs and Conversions
20:00 Rethinking the “Performance TV” Label
21:58 AI’s Role in Advertising and Consulting
24:25 Final Thoughts and How to Connect

Guests: AdTech God

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AdTechGod is joined by Marissa Ramirez, Chief Commercial Officer at ShopSense AI, to discuss her journey from Amazon to the startup world, how AI is connecting content with commerce, the future of shoppable CTV, and why better ad experiences could help strengthen the open internet.

Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠ http://marketecturemedia.com

Takeaways:

• Marissa shares how her decade at Amazon shaped her approach to building and scaling ad tech products.
• ShopSense AI uses specialty AI to connect inspiration across video, audio, images, and text to commerce opportunities.
• Better, more relevant ad experiences could help the open internet compete with walled gardens.
• Shoppable CTV needs to go beyond simply adding QR codes and create more intentional consumer experiences.
• Specialty AI models could play an increasingly important role in media planning, creative, commerce, and advertising infrastructure.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Ad Tech God Pod
00:47 Marissa Ramirez’s Journey Into Ad Tech
03:07 Building and Scaling Products at Amazon
04:04 What Kept Marissa at Amazon for a Decade
05:44 Moving From Amazon to ShopSense AI
06:00 What ShopSense AI Does
07:06 Why Marissa Made the Startup Leap
09:25 The Open Internet vs. Walled Gardens
10:23 Why Better Ad Experiences Matter
13:04 Building a New AI and Commerce Category
15:06 What Drives Shoppable Content Engagement
16:58 Misconceptions About Shoppable CTV
19:37 Moving Beyond the QR Code
20:53 ShopSense AI’s Role in the Advertising Ecosystem
21:51 The Future of AI and Ad Tech
23:19 Closing Thoughts

Guests: AdTech God

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AdTechGod sits down with James Grant, SVP of Equativ, to explore the evolution of connected TV, AI-powered media planning, performance TV, and the future of streaming advertising. James also shares lessons from powering live sports advertising and why outcomes, identity, and new CTV ad formats are shaping the next era of ad tech.

Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠http://marketecturemedia.com

Takeaways:

- AI agents are making media planning more efficient and dynamic.

- Performance TV is creating new opportunities for measurable CTV outcomes.

- Live sports streaming requires scalable ad serving, testing, and strong project management.

- Pause ads and home-screen formats can create less intrusive CTV experiences.

- Contextual signals, outcomes, and deterministic identity will shape CTV’s future.

Chapters:
01:05 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod
01:18 Meet James Grant of Equativ
02:17 James’ Career Across TV and Ad Tech
05:08 Building Equativ’s CTV Business
06:25 The Biggest Opportunities in Connected TV
08:40 AI and Equativ’s Media Planning Agent
10:41 Moving Beyond Copy-and-Paste Media Buying
12:51 AI, Workflow Efficiency and Creative
15:27 Combining AI, Creative and Media Buying
16:50 Live Sports and Streaming Advertising
17:34 Equativ and MagentaTV
18:55 Lessons From Large-Scale Live Streaming
21:10 What Broadcasters Need to Get Right
23:54 The Changing CTV Ad Experience
24:48 Why Pause Ads Are a Major Opportunity
27:13 Equativ’s TV Operating System Partnership
28:15 The Future of CTV and Streaming
31:11 Deterministic Identity and What Ad Tech Is Missing
32:07 Closing Thoughts

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AdTechGod sits down with Alex Brownstein, CEO and Founder at AHB Advisors, to examine where advertising and ad tech are heading. They discuss The Trade Desk’s organizational evolution, why mid-size agencies could become active acquirers, how AI may reshape the agency model, and why the industry may need to rediscover memorable brand building alongside performance and measurement.

Read more from Alex Brownstein by subscribing to his Substack: https://ahbadvisors.substack.com/

Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact http://marketecturemedia.com

Takeaways

• Ad tech companies should evolve through thoughtful expansion rather than abrupt strategic pivots.
• Mid-size agencies could become more active acquirers as larger holding companies navigate structural complexity.
• AI will reshape agency work, shifting value from routine execution toward strategy and business outcomes.
• Agencies may find new value as intermediaries between brands and dominant technology platforms.
• Advertising needs a better balance between measurable performance and memorable, long-term brand building.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod
00:18 Meet Alex Brownstein, Strategic Advisor, former 3C Ventures and McKinsey
01:22 From investment banking to LiveIntent and ad tech
03:18 What finance taught Alex about advertising and business strategy
05:17 The Trade Desk, CFO changes and organizational alignment
09:02 Why ad tech companies are evolving their core businesses
12:04 Why mid-size agencies could become major acquirers
16:00 The complexity of large agency organizations
17:13 What McKinsey’s operating model can teach agencies
18:29 Will AI kill agencies or change how they work?
20:56 A new potential role for agencies between brands and platforms
22:27 Alex’s prediction for the next three years of advertising
23:25 Why memorable brand building could make a comeback
25:17 What advertising lost in the influencer era
26:05 Have advertisers gone too far toward data and measurement?
27:53 Brand recognition and the top of the marketing funnel
28:21 Closing thoughts with Alex Brownstein
28:38 Outro

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Mikey Garcia, VP of Advertising Engineering at Wurl, joins host AdTechGod to explore how AI, contextual intelligence, and FAST are reshaping connected TV advertising. They discuss scene-level targeting, smarter CTV signals, ad relevance, overlay ads, and why contextual advertising could unlock the next wave of CTV ad spend.

Takeaways:

• AI is making scene-level contextual targeting in CTV more accurate and scalable.
• FAST enables real-time contextual signals that can better match ads to what viewers are watching.
• Whirl found viewers changed channels 60% more when ads were irrelevant.
• Contextual works best alongside audience targeting, adding relevance and improving performance.
• Better content intelligence could drive more transparency, smarter buying, and greater CTV ad spend.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod
00:54 Meet Mikey Garcia of Wurl
01:27 From Maker Studios to a Career in Product
04:02 The Startup Lesson That Changed Mikey's Career
04:49 Joining Wurl and Building Streaming Products
05:40 From Creator Technology to Advertising
07:47 AppLovin, Wurl and the Meaning of Contextual CTV
09:29 How AI Changed Contextual Advertising
10:38 Bringing Scene-Level Signals to the Bid Stream
12:35 Why FAST Is Built for Real-Time Contextual Targeting
14:14 Can Contextual Targeting Work for VOD?
15:13 Contextual Advertising for Media Planners
16:19 Why Irrelevant Ads Make Viewers Tune Out
17:45 The Future of Contextual CTV
20:25 Why Contextual Is Reaching a Turning Point
21:43 Overlay Ads and the Next CTV Ad Experience
22:47 Programmatic Product Placement and AI
23:41 Why AI Still Needs Human Oversight
24:37 Final Thoughts from Mikey Garcia
25:28 Outro

Guests: AdTech God

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Josef Najm, Principal Investor at Thomson Reuters Ventures, will discuss his career journey from MediaMath and global brands to venture investing. Josef shares what investors look for in founders, the technologies that stand out, the impact of AI on advertising, and where he sees the biggest opportunities for startups over the next five years.

Takeaways:

• Josef Najm shares his journey from MediaMath, L'Oréal, and Diageo to Thomson Reuters Ventures.
• Learn how venture investors evaluate founders, products, and market timing.
• Discover why clean data, AI workflows, creator economy, and trust are shaping the future of ad tech.
• Hear Josef's predictions for AI agents, industry consolidation, and startup opportunities over the next five years.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:17 Meet Josef Najm, Principal Investor at Thomson Reuters Ventures
00:48 Josef's Career Journey into Ad Tech
05:23 Transition into Venture Capital
08:23 What Makes a Great Founder?
11:10 Identifying Long-Term AI & Ad Tech Opportunities
17:33 The Rise of the Creator Economy
19:24 Separating Innovation from Industry Hype
22:49 When Is the Right Time to Raise Funding?
29:10 The Future of AI, Data & Ad Tech
34:52 Final Thoughts

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Jonathan Frohlinger, CEO of Big Happy, shares why creative remains advertising's biggest competitive advantage. From building high-impact 3D and CGI campaigns to discussing the future of mobile, digital out-of-home, and AI, Jonathan explains how brands can stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Takeaways

• Jonathan shares his journey from Starcom and Verve to founding Big Happy.
• Why creative is still the biggest driver of advertising effectiveness.
• How CGI and 3D advertising help brands stand out and improve recall.
• Why emotion is processed before logic and what that means for marketers.
• The role of mobile and digital out-of-home in modern media strategies.
• Why creative matters more than targeting once the right audience is reached.
• How AI should enhance creativity instead of replacing it.
• Why brands should focus on outcomes instead of simply being "AI-powered."
• Leadership lessons from growing Big Happy over the past seven years.
• Advice for marketers looking to build successful careers in advertising and technology.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Jonathan Frohlinger & Big Happy

01:08 Jonathan's journey into advertising and founding Big Happy

03:18 What Big Happy does and its unique value proposition

04:02 Why high-impact creative and CGI capture attention

06:45 The emotional science behind memorable advertising

08:03 Why brands buy on emotion but stay for performance

09:22 Mobile and digital out-of-home as growth channels

10:55 Creative vs. targeting: Which matters more?

12:20 The future of mobile advertising and media investment

15:25 What's next for mobile, DOOH, and ad tech

16:02 AI's impact on creativity and advertising workflows

19:40 AI hype versus real business value

24:20 Scaling Big Happy and building a strong company culture

27:02 Closing thoughts and farewell

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