Publishers, we know it’s been a wild ride lately. Between the impending third-party cookie total annihilation and generative AI nibbling away at referral traffic, finding ways to keep your audience — and your revenue — intact is more important than ever.

That’s why, in our new survey, we’re diving into audience amplification strategies. We want to hear from YOU about how you’re reaching audiences beyond your site and where you see the next wave of revenue opportunities.

Take the Amplify Your Audience Survey Now!

Your input will help uncover what’s working, what’s not, and what’s on the horizon for publishers. We’ll explore the balancing act of leveraging first-party data without losing your competitive edge and dive into tactics from retargeting to renting access to segmented data. With your insights, we’ll map out the best strategies to amplify your audience, drive revenue, and keep your content thriving in these ever-shifting digital waters.

The post It’s Time to Unlock Audience Amplification: Share Your Insights Now! appeared first on AdMonsters.

Are advertisers afraid of the news? That’s the question Jana Meron, VP of Revenue Operations and Data at The Washington Post, asked at Programmatic IO. 

For many brands, the answer seems to be a resounding “yes,” especially during politically charged election cycles. But Meron had a different take. She argued that this fear-driven approach is outdated and costs advertisers big opportunities.

Just a few months earlier, she spoke to publishers at AdMonsters Publisher Forum in Boston, focusing on how publishers can balance brand safety with revenue using smarter, more nuanced solutions that respect journalistic integrity. 

Both advertisers and publishers should rethink what it means to be “brand safe” in the fast-evolving news world. So what lessons did we learn from Meron about why it’s high time to move beyond fear? 

A Tale of Two Audiences: Advertisers and Publishers
At Programmatic IO, Meron talked directly to advertisers, addressing their fears of placing ads near news content, especially political coverage. Armed with data, she made a compelling case for why this fear is misguided. 

For instance, she revealed that ads next to political and opinion pieces on The Washington Post see a 55% higher click-through rate than other parts of the site. That’s right—people are paying attention, and these are the valuable, engaged audiences that brands dream of reaching.

At AdMonsters Publisher Forum, Meron spoke to publishers about how they can proactively address brand safety concerns without sacrificing high-quality news content. She explained how The Washington Post uses AI and machine learning to analyze context, sentiment, and risk level of news content — creating a nuanced taxonomy allowing advertisers to set their omfort levels.

This move away from the old “sledgehammer” approach, towards a data-driven strategy, opens up more ad inventory without sacrificing journalistic integrity.

Why Are Advertisers Still Afraid?

Let’s get into the numbers. According to the 2024 Madison and Wall Ad Spend Forecast, 83% of US marketing executives expressed concern about advertising during elections. In fact, some advertisers blocked more than 40% of WaPo’s inventory this year to avoid “risky” content. This, Meron argues, is a shortsighted move.

The Washington Post reaches 10.9 million election-specific readers, 43% of whom are retail investors and many are decision-makers. These news consumers — particularly those engaging with political content — are some of the most valuable readers out there. These aren’t casual readers; they’re engaged, informed, and don’t mind ads.

The Brand Safety Double Standard

So, what’s the problem? Meron says it’s the old-school brand safety rules treating all news content the same way. The brand safety tools that once acted as a necessary shield against fraudulent or harmful content have morphed into blunt instruments, blocking swathes of legitimate news inventory.

The fear is that ads appearing next to controversial topics will hurt the brand’s image. But Meron pointed out that these worries don’t hold up. Most news consumers understand that ads don’t endorse the story next to them. In fact, they often see brands in news as more trustworthy.

Meron calls for a smarter approach. Instead of broad keyword blocklists, we need tech that can differentiate between high, medium, and low-risk content. The Washington Post uses AI to do just that, unlocking 15-25% more ad reach for advertisers. It’s proof that you don’t need to sacrifice quality for safety.

Tech Has the Answers—If We Use It Right

What’s the big takeaway from both of Meron’s talks? The tech is here to help us handle brand safety better. AI and machine learning can understand the context of news, including sentiment and bias. That means we can stop treating all news as risky and start making more informed choices.

“The fear that news is too risky is understandable but doesn’t make sense,” she said at Programmatic IO, emphasizing that modern tech can identify sentiment, bias, and context in ways that past tools could not.

At AdMonsters Publisher Forum, she pushed publishers to educate advertisers on this new reality. “It’s not the year of mobile or whatever,” she said. “It’s time to actually do something.” Publishers can use these tools to show advertisers that news content isn’t something to fear — it’s an opportunity.

Facing the Fear: Time to Rethink Brand Safety

It’s time for both advertisers and publishers to face facts and stop letting fear dictate brand safety strategies. Meron made it clear: advertisers are missing out by avoiding news content. Ads next to quality journalism have higher engagement and reach valuable audiences. Meanwhile, publishers should embrace advanced tools to offer nuanced brand safety solutions that align with their content’s integrity.

News Is Good News for Your Business

Brand safety in 2024 doesn’t mean avoiding news and risk entirely — it’s about understanding, navigating, and harnessing it to capture highly engaged, valuable audiences. And, publishers, for their part, must continue to advocate for smarter, more nuanced brand safety measures that respect the integrity of news.

The tools and strategies are there; it’s time for the industry to use them. The audience is waiting. As Meron said, “News is good news for your business.” The sooner we face the facts and acknowledge that, the better off the entire ad tech ecosystem will be.

The post Rethinking Brand Safety: Lessons from Jana Meron on News Advertising in 2024 appeared first on AdMonsters.

Last week, I had the honor of moderating a session at the IAB Connected Commerce Summit called “How to Supercharge Your Creative Strategy with AI.” Joining me on stage were Mike Brunick, SVP, Head of Commerce Media at Yahoo; Devrie DeMarco, Managing Director at MediaLink/UTA; and Wendi Dunlap, EVP, Business Intelligence and Audience Science at Mediahub Worldwide.

Together, we dove into how AI is reshaping creative strategies and, most importantly, how it’s knitting together the online and offline worlds to build seamless customer experiences.

One of the most compelling moments came from DeMarco, who reminded us that it’s not just about optimizing workflows, it’s about crafting journeys that resonate across every touchpoint. She said it powerfully: “If AI can free people from manual tasks, imagine the potential of a better in-store experience.”That struck a chord. We’re not just using AI for efficiency’s sake; we’re using it to enrich the entire shopping experience, connecting the digital and physical realms.

Brunick emphasized that personalization needs to go beyond immediate transactions. It’s about fostering long-term relationships. Picture a customer’s journey as a continuous thread weaving through both online and in-store experiences. AI helps us analyze behaviors, build meaningful touchpoints, and drive engagement that resonates across channels. But it’s most effective when it amplifies our ability to connect on a human level. We can’t let data and automation drown out the personal touch.

Dunlap added another layer, urging us not to overlook the ethical implications of AI in creative strategies. While AI can enhance creativity, without vigilance, we risk introducing bias into the strategies we create to connect with diverse audiences. “Bias” and “inclusivity” must be at the forefront of any AI-driven approach, Dunlap explained. The technology is only as good as the data it’s fed. Without human insight, we can easily miss the mark in reflecting our diverse audiences and their varied consumer experiences.  This isn’t just about algorithms; it’s about responsibility.

AI Strategy in Three Key Points

Our panel boiled down AI strategy to three essential takeaways:

1. Bridge the Online and In-Store Experience: It’s not about separate channels; it’s about guiding customers through a unified journey.
2. Enhance Creativity, Don’t Replace It: AI should augment the human touch, but always keep a sharp eye on data-driven biases.
3. Start Small: Test a few use cases, learn, and then scale up thoughtfully. Don’t try to boil the ocean.

The Power of Experience

After my panel, I attended several discussions that expanded on these ideas. But the last session of the day — “Unlock the Power of Innovation through Creativity in Commerce” — truly drove everything home for me. Featuring Michael Olaye, EVP, Managing Director at Hero Digital, and Lauren Chesley, Head of Industry, Retail + Restaurants at SiriusXM Media, and moderated by Pam Zucker, Chief Strategy Officer at IAB<, this session wrapped up many of the themes we’d explored throughout the day.

They picked up right where our panel left off and closed the loop on what Walter T. Geer III touched upon earlier in the day during his fireside chat: We need to be creating experiences. It’s not just about selling products; it’s about crafting a journey that resonates on multiple sensory levels and stays with the consumer long after.

Olaye framed it perfectly: “Creativity stays the same, but the canvas changes.” We’ve moved from TV and print to automation and digital platforms, and it’s about using technology to drive human thinking. His words encapsulated what we’d been circling all day — AI isn’t here to replace creativity; it’s here to enhance it, giving us new canvases to paint on.

Chesley illustrated this idea deeper, painting a vivid picture of a European hotel where every detail was designed to engage the senses. The scent in the lobby, the jazz music playing softly, the warm towel handed to guests, and the champagne toast at check-in. “The more senses you activate, the more connected you are to someone,” she explained. It clicked. The same principles apply to retail. She argued that audio is a powerful yet often underused channel, creating emotional connections in a world saturated with visuals. When was the last time you thought about a brand’s sonic identity?

Olaye also introduced the idea of Zero UI — a world that moves beyond screens and traditional interfaces. Imagine stores where sensors, AI, and connected devices know your preferences without you having to input anything. Zero UI is about blending the physical and digital worlds in seamless ways. This dovetailed perfectly with what we discussed during the session I moderated: AI is a tool to build customer journeys that speak to how people want to interact with brands, online or offline.

Key Takeaways from the IAB Connected Commerce Summit

1. Phygital Experiences Are Key: Rose Ferraro of Rockbot emphasized that consistency between online and in-store environments is crucial. Unified media across audio, signage, and other touchpoints strengthens the brand narrative and keeps consumers engaged.
2. In-Store Digitization as a Business Enabler: Nick Ashley of Tesco Media nailed it when he said that digitization isn’t just about media revenue; it’s about enhancing the overall business. Elevating the look and feel of stores fosters long-term customer loyalty.
3. Retail Data Drives Better Impact: Elizabeth Cotogno of Kroger Precision Marketing noted that incorporating retail data earlier in media planning can boost business impact by 50%. But the real challenge? Moving beyond outdated metrics like CPMs and focusing on real-world outcomes.
4. Creativity and Technology Must Work Hand-in-Hand: Walter T. Geer III reminded us that while AI and automation provide incredible tools, it’s the human element — our stories, ethics, and passion — that ultimately drives compelling campaigns.
5. Personalization, but Not at the Expense of Privacy: The summit repeatedly highlighted that AI should personalize and enhance consumer experiences while keeping privacy and ethics at the forefront of every interaction.

Creating the Connected Experience

If there’s one major lesson I walked away from the IAB Connected Commerce Summit with, it’s this: AI is an enabler, not the end goal. Whether we’re streamlining creative processes or building phygital retail environments, the focus should always be on crafting meaningful, holistic experiences.

AI can free us from mundane tasks, drive deeper insights, and open up new possibilities. But at its core, it’s the human touch that keeps the heartbeat of creative strategy alive. It’s about understanding what truly resonates with people and using technology to amplify those connections.

The post Supercharging Creative Strategies with AI: Top Takeaways from IAB Connected Commerce Summit appeared first on AdMonsters.

Digital advertising has presented challenges and opportunities for publishers looking to future-proof their businesses. In a recent LinkedIn Live event, I sat down with Justin Wohl, the Chief Revenue Officer of Snopes, to discuss the key trends and strategies shaping the future of ad ops and the ad tech stack. 

Wohll offered a unique perspective on the shifting dynamics between buyers and sellers. For instance, the supply side has been catching up to the buy side, becoming more sophisticated and aware of their value. This newfound empowerment is crucial to the industry’s evolution as publishers strive to optimize their partnerships and drive greater efficiency in their ad tech stacks. 

Beyond the changing publisher-buyer relationship, Wohl also delved into the potential impact of emerging technologies, such as AI and generative AI, on the future of ad ops. 

But he heeds a warning about Google’s trial with the DOJ. Wohl explains that the decisions made in this case could profoundly influence the future of pre-bid and header bidding, potentially unlocking more efficient and pure programmatic opportunities for publishers. “Should that unlock for us, it’ll create plenty of movement and opportunity for publishers to, like better, optimize and become more efficient with how we run our auctions and sell our inventory.”

Want to get the full scoop? Watch the full live below: 

Publishers Grow More Sophisticated as Ad Tech Evolves

Over the years, the ad tech industry has significantly transformed, and publishers are still learning to find their footing. According to Wohl, the dynamic between the buy-side and sell-side has been shifting, with publishers playing a more active role.

“I think that the experience of always being on the supply side, always being on the publisher side of this business, has been one of catching up to the buy side,” he explains.

Wohll notes that publishers are becoming more sophisticated and aware of their value proposition, leading to a more balanced understanding of the tech stack between buyers and sellers.

“We’ve become smarter, more sophisticated, more aware of our value proposition. As tech understanding comes to parity on both the buy and sell sides, we should keep seeing this evolution of more sophistication and self-determination on the supply side, where we know the value of our inventory and can sell it successfully,” said Wohl. 

Snopes FactBot: Integrating AI in Ad Tech 

Interest in integrating AI and generative AI technologies is growing. Wohl points out the difference between traditional machine learning, which has been valuable for data analysis, and the new opportunities generative AI presents for publishers.

One example of Snopes’ use of AI is its fact-checking bot, designed to be transparent when it doesn’t have an answer. Rather than generating inaccurate responses, the bot informs users when it cannot address a query. Snopes then logs those unanswered questions and uses large language models to analyze recurring topics, providing valuable insights for the editorial team to expand their fact-checking coverage.

This strategy helps Snopes understand audience interests while expanding its content. However, Wohl also emphasizes the high costs of using generative AI. The expense per query, he explains, is significantly higher than the revenue generated from those queries — about five times more. As publishers consider adopting these technologies, Wohl advises carefully evaluating the potential benefits and costs, focusing on practical applications that can optimize efficiency and revenue.

Practical Strategies for Optimizing the Ad Tech Stack 

Drawing from his own experiences, Wohl urges publishers to understand their programmatic partners’ contributions to revenue versus the opportunities provided. 

“One of the recurring conversations I have with our SSP partners is about their performance. We run a direct-only auction with no reselling, involving around 20 SSPs, each with a direct seat. Every quarter, they all ask where they rank—whether they were our third-largest or smallest buyer.”

Wohl suggests that publishers should come prepared for industry events, such as the upcoming Pub Forum Scottsdale conference, with this level of partner analysis. 

“I want to optimize my partners and know who sits where so we can talk about the business and why that is.” By understanding the nuances of their ad tech stack, publishers can make informed decisions about optimizing their partners, determining which ones to include or exclude from their auctions, and ultimately driving greater efficiency and revenue. 

During his session at AdMonsters PubForum Scottsdale, Wohl plans to explore this concept of partner optimization.

The post LinkedIn Live Replay: The Future of Ad Ops According to Snopes’ Justin Wohl appeared first on AdMonsters.

Choosing the right retail media provider is crucial for your advertising strategy. With US omnichannel retail media ad spend projected to hit $54.85 billion in 2024, growing 26% year-over-year, retail media will make up 21.8% of total US media ad spend by 2027. This growth demands that agencies select partners who can drive real business outcomes.

As retail media expands, so does its complexity. It’s no longer just about placing ads but leveraging retailer-specific insights, ad innovation, and personalization. The right provider will offer precision targeting, data transparency, and seamless campaign integration, helping advertisers achieve measurable, data-driven results in an increasingly competitive landscape. 

“When choosing a retail media network, we focus on finding a partner that can help us drive meaningful results for our clients,” said Chelsea Monaco, SVP Commerce Media at Digitas. “We look for networks that offer strong audience reach, flexibility in ad formats, and the ability to provide actionable insights. Ultimately, we want a platform that delivers high visibility and supports strategic, data-driven decision-making to maximize impact across the board.”

We’ve worked with some of the top retail media networks on the market to identify the top criteria ad agencies and brands look for when selecting a Retail Media Network (RMN). Here’s what we’ve compiled from those conversations: 

1. Retailer-Specific Customer Insights: What exclusive insights can you tap into? Retail media networks grant access to valuable first-party data directly from retailers. This data offers a window into detailed customer purchase behaviors and evolving shopping trends, empowering you to make smarter, more informed advertising decisions. By leveraging these insights, you can create highly targeted campaigns that align with real consumer interests and buying patterns, boosting relevance and effectiveness.
2. Ad Innovation and Personalization: How advanced is the technology? Seek out networks that provide innovative tools like dynamic ad creatives, personalized offers, and AI-powered product recommendations. These advanced capabilities help ensure your ads are more relevant to individual consumers, driving higher engagement and better overall performance. By harnessing technology to deliver tailored experiences, you can create more impactful, results-driven campaigns. 
3. Brand Alignment: Does the retail network resonate with your client’s brand? The retailer’s reputation and brand image significantly influence how consumers view your ads. It’s essential to select retail partners that share your client’s brand values and appeal to their target audience, ensuring that your message is consistent and strengthens brand perception.
4. Audience Targeting Capabilities: Who are you trying to reach? Make sure the retail media network provides comprehensive targeting tools, including insights into customer demographics, purchase behavior, and browsing patterns. The more refined and accurate the targeting, the greater the chance of connecting with the right audience and driving meaningful results.
5. Ad Placement Options: Where will your ads appear? Consider the range of placements offered, such as on product pages, checkout pages, search results, or homepage banners. The relevance of these placements to your target audience’s journey is critical.
6. Data Transparency and Reporting: How transparent is the data? Ensure the network provides real-time performance insights with granular reporting on key metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROAS (Return on Ad Spend). Access to detailed analytics will allow for continuous optimization. Also consider the pricing models (CPM, CPC, CPA) offered by the network. Compare the costs with the expected returns based on the network’s historical performance and your campaign objectives.
7. Integration with Other Campaigns: Does it complement your broader strategy? Evaluate how well the retail media network fits your broader digital and omnichannel advertising strategy. The ability to integrate with existing campaigns across channels like social media, search, or programmatic is crucial for holistic marketing.

“Selecting a retail media network is about finding a platform that provides deep customer insights and the flexibility to precisely target the right audience. It’s about finding a solution that offers strong brand alignment and the tools to create impactful, personalized ad experiences,” said Janine Flaccavento, EVP, Vertical Lead at Merkle. “Ultimately, I want a partner that can deliver measurable results and help drive real business growth for our clients.”

 The retail media landscape is rapidly transforming, with several key industry trends driving this growth. Retailer-specific customer insights powered by first-party data give advertisers unprecedented access to consumer behaviors and shopping patterns, allowing for highly targeted and relevant campaigns. Additionally, advancements in ad innovation and personalization, such as ad creatives and AI-driven recommendations, are helping advertisers deliver more engaging, tailored experiences that increase consumer interaction.

As retail media networks become more integrated into omnichannel strategies, advertisers focus on networks offering advanced audience targeting capabilities, real-time data transparency, and seamless integration with other marketing channels. These trends are forcing advertisers to rethink their approach, demanding more strategic partnerships that align with the evolving digital ecosystem and consumer expectations.

The post Inside the Buy Side: What Retail Media Network (RMN) Is Right for Your Ads? appeared first on AdMonsters.

We were all at the edge of our seats last week as the entire industry tuned in each day of the DOJ vs. Google antitrust trial. 

The ad tech world is on high alert, gripping the industry with every twist and turn. To help make sense of it all, the AdMonsters editors dive deep into the first week of the trial in our premiere episode of ‘Google on Trial.’ This is more than just a courtroom drama—it’s a potential turning point for publishers, advertisers, and digital media.

In this episode, Lynne, Andrew, and I unpack key moments, testimonies, and implications that could reshape how we think about Google’s role in ad tech. We explore everything from data brokerage and market manipulation to publishers’ challenging negotiations with Google. The discussion even touches on global regulatory impacts, secretive maneuvers by Google, and how small players might be the most affected.

Curious to hear the full breakdown? Watch the video and join us in dissecting this critical moment for the industry.

Lynne’s Takeaways:

Data Brokerage and Market Manipulation – Lynne references an AdMonsters article by Adam Heimlich, arguing that Google’s true power lies in its massive data trove and how it uses it to broker ad placements. Google’s dominance is not just about having better tech but leveraging data to manipulate the ad marketplace in its favor.

Global Regulatory Impact – The trial could have global implications. She mentions fines imposed on Google and Apple in Europe and the UK’s CMA pushing for more transparency in ad tech. This trial could be part of a larger global reckoning against tech giants like Google and Apple, or “GApple.”

Stephanie Layser’s Testimony – Lynne highlights former NewsCorp exec Stephanie Layser’s testimony about publishers feeling held hostage by Google’s dominance. The lack of transparency and the difficulty of finding alternative demand sources means that publishers are stuck with Google, despite the potential for higher costs and complications if they switch away.

Yakira’s Takeaways:

Negotiating with Google Was Never Easy – Yakira emphasizes Goodway Group’s Jay Friedman’s testimony, noting that negotiating with Google is almost impossible due to its dominance. Friedman compared the alternative options to Google’s services as choosing between high-end and budget hotels, underscoring the unrealistic nature of switching away from Google without suffering revenue losses.

Header Bidding Was ‘Not the Answer – Header bidding was supposed to provide an alternative to Google’s dominance, but it actually made things worse for some publishers. Gannett’s attempt to switch to header bidding led to a 15-20% increase in CPMs, illustrating the difficulty of finding viable alternatives to Google’s ad services.

Why Is Google Being So Secretive? – Google’s attempts to exclude certain testimonies and make the switch from a jury to a bench trial by paying the government $2 million. This move highlights Google’s extensive power and raises questions about their transparency and motives in the trial.

Andrew’s Takeaways: 

The Small Player’s Reliance on Google – Small businesses and publishers see Google’s ad tech as a cost-effective and streamlined solution. Breaking up Google’s ad business could complicate ad management and increase costs, negatively impacting their ability to advertise and grow.

Check My Ads’s Two Cents – Ariel Garcia from Check My Ads argues that Google’s monopolistic practices stifle competition and transparency in the ad tech space. The trial could lead to structural changes and more global regulation, and reignite discussions on legislative measures like the America Act for digital media transparency.

What’s Next?

The trial has highlighted the complexity of breaking up major tech monopolies, the potential ripple effects on small businesses and publishers, and the intricate balance between legislative oversight and market self-regulation.

Stay tuned for weekly updates and deep dives as we continue to unpack this monumental trial. We will bring you the latest developments and expert analyses on what it all means for the future of digital media and ad tech.

Bye everyone, and see you next week!

The post Inside the DOJ’s Big Tech Showdown: AdMonsters Breaks Down Week 1 of Google’s High-Stakes Trial appeared first on AdMonsters.

As the US vs Google ad tech trial unfolds, Chalice’s Adam Heimlich explores how Google used data to dominate display advertising, manipulate auctions, and crush competition. Discover the hidden tactics behind its market power and what it means for the future of digital advertising.

Since a broker is an intermediary, and the basis of audience targeting is data, there should be no doubt Google is an enormous data broker — maybe the biggest of all time. That’s the big takeaway from Week 1 of US vs Google, the ad tech case currently in session in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Google’s Doubleclick & Admeld Takeover

Instead of selling consumer data to ad tech companies, Google opted to dedicate its brokerage to the service of Google advertisers. By 2007, these were demanding more cheap clicks than Google search could drive.

In glaring contrast with what an honest broker would do, Google decided to acquire Doubleclick and Admeld, assume the role of a trusted sell-side broker helping publishers monetize, and then use buy-side data against those publishers.

Cream Skimming and Auction Manipulation

Google monopolized the market for intermediary auction software by replacing fair and open auctions with auctions manipulated through Google’s secret use case for consumer data: cream skimming.

It’s relatively easy to predict conversions if you know what nearly everybody has been searching for online lately. But Google wasn’t satisfied with simply bidding to place, say, Proactiv ads in front of people they knew were worried about pimples. Google felt it necessary to place relevant ads without ever paying above market rate on behalf of Proactiv or any other advertiser. Overbidding is a natural consequence of winning a lot of auctions, which is why sellers like them. There’s no way to know what bid price you have to beat to win. Usually!

Secret Projects: Bernanke, Jedi, and Poirot

Acting as a dishonest broker with unique auction privileges, Google implemented a series of secret tactics to place ads in front of future purchasers for prices lower — sometimes much lower — than those placements were worth.

These include First Look, Last Look, Project Bernanke, Project Jedi, and Project Poirot. (It says a lot that only the DOJ was able to uncover these conducts, despite intense publisher scrutiny and dozens if not hundreds of ex-Google employees knowing about them. The amount of power required to keep a secret so big for so many years is immense.) Though auction manipulation is rightly the focus of the federal case, advertising professionals should note it’s data that drove the outsize profits Google reaped from digital display.

Data Power vs. Market Power

There’s nothing illegal about having the most data or using it to win continuously in search. There’s also nothing illegal about selling data, though reputable data brokerages somehow came to be regarded as less ethical than Google (I wonder how that happened). Where Google crossed a line was in exporting its data advantage from search to display.

Cream skimming radically altered what had been thriving competitions for buy- and sell-side ad tech. US law looks askance at market winners crossing into adjacent markets for an excellent reason: success in this sort of “monopoly maintenance” closes off markets from what they need to grow properly. Without a route to success through competition, markets see less investment, a slower pace of innovation, and lower value at every price. This is what happened to display.

The Downfall of Display Advertising

The trial includes a great deal of evidence on CPMs: which way they changed, at which times, and by how much. We who worked in digital display over the last decade can recall what we saw: deteriorating quality, persistent fraud, opacity on fees even when transparency was promised, constant reputational and corporate risk, and routine non-disclosure of even the basic facts about what we purchased or sold. There has been a great deal of finger-pointing at allegedly bad actors, though not enough at the biggest one. Finally, we can be grateful to have reached a moment of accountability, and an opportunity to reset.

A Market in Need of a Reset

Google thrived while the market suffered because it used its data advantage to cherry-pick display opportunities of high value to search advertisers. Besides lowering the overall value of display and rewarding corrupt players, Google’s bias tilted the display market toward direct response advertising, which values last actions over persuasion and sentiment lift. This has been extremely costly to brands, whose use cases for advertising were simply not served by the dominant technology. Also victimized were quality publishers, as monetization was (and still is) determined almost entirely by decision algorithms that ignore quality signals such as ad-to-content ratio, refresh rate, and share of returning readers. No one knows as well as we do what drove the devolution of news toward clickbait.

If Google’s data had been left within its search walled garden or brought to an open market for display advertising, that market would not nearly be so ruined. Google’s case unravels if you doubt that winning an arms race in data should grant a company the right to dominate in AI. If the data world champions hoard what they know about us, and only use it to fuel their own predictions, they will kill competition in many markets. It will be better for America if the world’s biggest data collectors, with their detailed digital dossiers on us all, are forced to be honest brokers.

The post Google Is a Data Broker appeared first on AdMonsters.

Google Ad Manager’s Data Transfer Files (DTF) aren’t a new offering; many tech-savvy publishers already use them.

However, in many conversations with publisher adops professionals, they confide in me that while they want to utilize the data treasure stored in the DTF, they’re just not exactly sure what to do with it. Many industry publications and conference keynote speakers praise the value of log-level data, but few explain exactly what you should and could do with it.

So, as a quick guide for the perplexed, I have gathered five ways I think you should be working with your DTFs:

5 Analyses You Can Perform with Google Ad Manager Log Level Data

1. Segment Analysis

With the log-level granularity, you can see how targeting parameter combinations perform better than the API or UI-based reporting can offer. For example, you can answer questions such as:

• How much does a certain segment increase my CPM? Compare it by itself vs in combination with other segments; maybe it only increases the CPM when combined with another third-party ID for example, and thus, it is the other third-party ID that is providing the lift, but you’re paying a fee for both
• Do certain segments only work on certain parts of your inventory? Or does it give a boost to all of it?
• What other targeting parameters do segments work well with? Or, is it not necessary with certain parameters?

2. Key-Value Pairs Analysis

In the DTF, all the key values you have set up on your site are available for you in a deduplicated manner so you don’t get overlaps between combinations giving you flexibility to combine them freely and see how different combinations perform. This allows you to investigate combinations of key-key-values to figure out:

• Which combination of positions and custom parameters leads to a higher CPM?
• What targeting combinations are prebid vendors bidding on?

3. Latency Checks

Given the granularity of the data, you can measure the latency of your bid process to ensure you aren’t leaving money on the table and creating a bad user experience. For example, this could allow you to test latency when adding new bidders or turning on Google’s Protected Audience API.

4. Incremental Revenue Analysis

Compare your winning bids with other bids to determine potential efficiencies in your ad stack. Do you have a slew of bidders bidding within $0.01 on most auctions? Do all your vendors bid on the same auctions, and none on others? Well, all of these might be signs you should look over your ad tech stack and make it leaner.

5. Loss Reason Analysis

In the GAM UI/API reporting, you can get some basic metrics for loss reasons. However, to understand what really happened, you need to dig deeper and see all the targeting and other parameters that were set on the request. The only way to do this – is by digging into the log data.

Data Done Right: Navigating Log-Level Analysis with Ease

So now that we’ve established how powerful and useful it is to use the logs, how do you actually do it?

‌You need to have a data solution that can manage billions of rows of data each month. In addition to storing all your log data in one place, it is also recommended to aggregate subsets that you can query quickly for things you do a lot. For example, do you often have to query certain key values with e.g. the order dimension? Great. Pre-save that to ensure that the query runs quickly and you don’t spend hours waiting for results and waste money processing the same data over and over.

Given the technical nature of the log files and the complexity due to the size and lack of organization of the files, if your data team does not have specific expertise, it is recommended to partner with someone who has experience with DTFs and knows how to manage them.

Harnessing Data for Smarter Ad Operations

Google Ad Manager’s log-level data offers a treasure trove of information that can significantly enhance your ad strategies. By performing analyses, such as those suggested above, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your ad inventory and your sites’ performance.

This enables you to make data-driven decisions, optimize your ad stack, and ultimately achieve more revenue. Embrace the power of log-level data and transform your ad management approach into a finely tuned, high-performing operation.

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Rumors are swirling that The Trade Desk (TTD) is quietly working on a smart TV operating system. If true, this bold move could shake up the CTV market.

According to a scoop from Lowpass TTD  has been secretly assembling a team, including former Roku employees, to develop this OS. They’ve been working on this project since the pandemic, and are said to go live in 2025.

So, what’s the play here? Is this about controlling CTV ad inventory? Absolutely. If this project comes to fruition, it won’t just pit TTD against CTV giants like Roku, Amazon, and Google — it will fundamentally reshape how ads are bought and sold in CTV land.

Owning the Ecosystem: More Than Just Ads

The Trade Desk’s ambitions go way beyond simply building a TV OS. This is about controlling the entire advertising infrastructure — from retail media to CTV to the open web.

It’s no secret, TTD has been digging into the $500 billion retail media pie, building partnerships with Walmart, Target, and Home Depot to leverage their goldmine of first-party data for ad targeting — while going head-to-head with rivals like Criteo and CitrusAds.

If TTD controls the smart TV OS, they won’t just be competing with Roku and Amazon; they’ll own the pipes through which ads flow, transforming themselves into the ultimate gatekeeper.

This move dovetails perfectly with TTD’s other plays. Think about how OpenPath bypasses SSPs to create a direct line between advertisers and publishers. Now imagine OpenPath combined with control of the smart TV OS — TTD wouldn’t just control ad spend, they’d dominate how the entire ecosystem operates.

A Unified Consumer Profile: The Holy Grail of Targeting

Retail media gives TTD an edge, providing crucial data for advertisers in a world where third-party cookies are phasing out.

Combining that data with CTV viewing habits opens a treasure trove of insights about consumers — from what they’re binge-watching to what’s in their shopping carts. For advertisers, that’s the holy grail of targeting. Talk about a 360-degree view of the consumer journey.

According to AdAge, TTD’s smart TV OS project is also about safeguarding data. With data signals like third-party cookies and mobile identifiers diminishing, this OS would allow the ad tech giant to create a data-rich environment, integrated with their Unified ID 2.0 identity solution.

This move is about more than just controlling ad delivery — it’s a way for TTD to hedge against future restrictions on data collection. By owning the OS, TTD would have deeper access to first-party data, including key signals like hardware addresses and IPs, making ad targeting and measurement much easier.

The Real Power Play: Controlling the Pipes

TTD’s smart TV OS could become the new middleman for CTV advertising, deciding who gets access to ad inventory and who doesn’t. By providing better-revenue-sharing deals and more flexibility for hardware manufacturers than their competitors, TTD could easily entice them to adopt their system. This could also mean attracting publishers who are frustrated with the rigid terms of existing platforms.

What makes this move even more powerful is the potential to bake Unified ID 2.0 right into the fabric of the OS<. With privacy regulations tightening, controlling the OS would position the ad tech behemoth to offer the granular targeting advertisers crave — without relying on third-party platforms like Roku or Amazon.

For Publishers: Is This a Goldmine or a Trap?

But things could get tricky for publishers. On one hand, TTD’s OS could offer more transparency and control, streamlining the process of accessing high-value inventory. TTD’s Top 100 Premium Publishers List already hints at the company’s desire to curate who is considered “premium” in ad land. If this OS follows that pattern, publishers could find themselves inside a new lucrative ecosystem — or left out in the cold.

If TTD can cut out the middlemen by building their own OS, they can offer publishers better revenue splits while controlling the data that flows through the system. This would also give them a massive competitive advantage.

The potential downside? With TTD controlling the data and distribution, the ad-buying process would be streamlined. But it could also increase publisher reliance on TTD’s ecosystem — a double-edged sword if there ever was one.

The Challenges Ahead: Not So Fast

TTD’s ambitions are grand, but their road ahead isn’t paved smoothly. The company faces stiff competition< from established players like Roku, Google, and Amazon, all of whom currently dominate the CTV market. Convincing TV manufacturers to adopt a new OS is no easy task, especially when TTD would be relatively new to this space.

Additionally, TTD’s reliance on Android AOSP (the same open-source foundation that Amazon’s Fire TV OS uses) could create conflicts with Google. In the past, Google has clashed with companies using forked versions of Android, and TTD could find itself caught in similar struggles. Technical hurdles aside, TTD has to convince consumers to adopt their platform — a significant challenge given the dominance of today’s streaming kingpins.

The Bigger Picture: TTD’s Long Game

Ultimately, TTD’s play for a smart TV OS is a bold move to integrate retail media, CTV, and open web advertising into one seamless ecosystem.

For advertisers, the appeal is clear — seamless, cross-platform targeting powered by first-party data from multiple sources allowing them to track and target consumers across every screen. This could redefine targeting as we know it.

For publishers, the opportunity to tap into TTD’s unified infrastructure could mean more revenue, but it also comes with risking over-reliance.

One thing’s for sure: The Trade Desk isn’t just building a smart TV OS — they’re building the future of digital advertising, one pipeline at a time. With each move, TTD is tightening its grip on the ad supply chain, positioning itself as the essential middleman for advertisers, publishers, and consumers.

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For as long as retailers have existed, they have sought ways to monetize the audience they bring to suppliers. From end caps to circulars, retailers have been a pervasive, but understated, media partner to brands of all sizes. 

But nothing in history has the scope and potential of retail media–the process of selling inventory on their websites, and other owned channels, to brands. 

It’s quickly becoming a huge market for advertisers, reaching $46B of ad spend in 2023. That is significantly higher than CTV, which was estimated at $25B. It is also expected to reach $100B by 2026. 

While some might consider retail media a performance marketing channel, Upwave data busts that myth, showing it is also a brand-building powerhouse.

Upwave’s recent analysis of over 500 retail media campaigns, spanning 300+ brands, found that 96% of campaigns had a positive lift on at least one brand KPI, 87% of campaigns had at least one brand KPI that was above Upwave Norms, and 18.8% of campaigns exceeded Upwave Norms for all brand KPIs.

The Rise of Retail Media

As with other eCommerce advancements, Amazon deserves credit for building the modern retail media network environment. Once Amazon became the online store for virtually everything, they realized millions of people were coming by daily to buy a variety of things. Amazon could sell space on its various product and category webpages to companies looking to influence those visitors. That first-mover advantage has paid off. Over 75% of the current US Retail Media investment is spent on Amazon advertising. Walmart is second, via its advertising solutions division, Walmart Connect.

There’s a simple reason why so many retailers are joining the ranks of retail media: the channel can produce margins of up to 90%, according to the Boston Consulting Group. We’ve even heard that it’s not hyperbole to suggest retailers would gladly do away with selling goods if they could just make the same amount of money in the media. 

Now, brands as diverse as Uber, Sephora, Sam’s Club, and Best Buy all have their retail media networks.

Unsurprisingly, performance marketers have flocked to retail media as a way to monetize that audience immediately. And, sure, it makes perfect sense that people browsing a retailer’s website are considered to be in the market to buy now.

However, retail media is a huge opportunity for brand building, one not nearly enough companies are taking advantage of. That means industry watchers are potentially even underestimating the future revenue opportunities from retail media.

Here’s why.

• The massive first-party data retailers are sitting on. It’s no coincidence that retail media is at the top of the minds of all advertisers at a time when cookies are going away. Retailers are better equipped than almost anyone else to offer targeting capabilities to advertisers and their agencies. They have a plethora of data on hand about households, such as if they have kids. For example, a car manufacturer can more accurately advertise its suite of cars to the right buyers (e.g. a minivan to those with multiple children).

• Not everyone on those websites is in the market to buy. It’s hard to track down specific stats for how many people visit a website without adding something to their shopping cart but the overwhelming majority of visitors do not purchase at the time of visiting. Sometimes people are browsing and not looking for something specific. Even those looking to make a purchase could be stopped in their tracks by a brand-building ad regardless. 

• Non-endemic ads performed as well, if not better than endemic ones. Another myth busted for this channel, Upwave’s study found that advertisements featuring products not for sale on retail media sites outperformed those that you could buy in several key areas, including ad recall, consideration, and purchase intent. One reason is the ad stands out as unique amid dozens of product listings. For example, an ad for insurance may be more noticeable among kitchen staples on a grocery store website. 

• Its reach extends beyond the retail domain. Amazon has Prime, a video platform increasingly winning high-profile deals like NFL broadcasts and producing large-budget shows like Lord of the Rings. Walmart has agreed to acquire Vizio, a manufacturer of smart TVs. Rakuten purchased eBook company Kobo. That’s in addition to their ability to place ads on third-party sites they don’t own. Retailers and eTailers alike are looking to expand their reach as far as possible, given the data advantage they have on many other websites. Retail media offers much more than on-site placements because they can better validate those audiences.

• A strong trust factor. Individuals browsing their favorite retail websites, apps, or streaming from retailer-owned platforms, are likely to trust those who run ads on the site. A 2024 eMarketer study found consumers trusted ads on retail sites almost double that of social media or third-party marketplaces. Furthermore, slightly over 50% of respondents were more likely to buy items and try out a new brand they hadn’t purchased before if a retailer advertised them. This is especially important for newer brands looking to build up their name recognition and trust. Our study found retail media tied with online video as driving the most consideration against all other mediums. Frequent shoppers of a particular website could learn about a brand one day through a well-placed ad intended to drive consideration, and then return days or weeks later to make a purchase.

Now is the time for brand marketers to reevaluate their channel mix and take another look at this medium. By understanding that brand-building is a possibility in retail media it opens up the category for more growth than what is being predicted. All of our data demonstrates it’s a huge opportunity for brands looking to impact consumer behavior along the mid-lower brand funnel. Now is the time for brand builders to embrace the opportunity before the rest catch on.

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