Welcome to The Refresh, your weekly download of what actually matters in advertising. Brought to you by Marketecture Media and written by AdTechGod.
Every Thursday, we bring you the latest news, commentary, and memes that speak the truth about this industry. If it's happening in AdTech, media, or marketing and it’s interesting, it’ll be here.
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Google to pay $68 million over allegations its voice assistant eavesdropped on users (CBS)
The Trade Desk's CFO Is Out After Just 6 Months on the Job (ADWEEK)
What Meta’s Andromeda Update Actually Changes – And What It Doesn’t (AdExchanger)
Tegna Bets On Mobile Video With App Overhaul (TVNewsCheck)
Publicis partners with Decentriq for confidential data to support AI (Campaign)
ICE Asks Companies About ‘Ad Tech and Big Data’ Tools It Could Use in Investigations (Wired)
Inside 16 Years of AdTech: Nathan Thomas on Data, CTV, and What’s Next
Nathan Thomas, Principal at Thomas Media Consulting and former Playwire leader, joins the AdTechGod Pod to unpack his 16-year journey across publisher ops, programmatic sales, and data partnerships, plus his take on where the open web, CTV pricing, digital out-of-home, and publisher data control are heading next.
Inside Sweet Suites: CES 2026
Sweet Suites at CES 2026 brought high-energy suite walkthroughs and candid conversations with leaders from Life360, Sojern, LG Ad Solutions, and Affinity Solutions, digging into the latest shifts in data, identity, CTV, commerce, travel, and consumer trust.
TikTok Faces Technical Glitches and Censorship Scrutiny After U.S. Ownership Shift
TikTok is dealing with technical problems and political scrutiny following the finalization of its new U.S. ownership structure. A power outage at a U.S. data center partner caused bugs across the app, including incorrect view counts, slow load times, and posting issues.
TikTok said most services have been restored, though some glitches remain. Sensor Tower reported a sharp rise in app deletions, though daily active users and time spent on the platform continued to grow.
Liquid Content Pushes Publishing Toward Adaptive Storytelling
Publishers are using generative AI to make stories more flexible, allowing reporting to be reshaped into summaries, audio, video, or interactive formats based on reader preferences and context. Known as “liquid content,” this approach treats journalism as structured information rather than a fixed article.
The idea, highlighted in a recent Reuters Institute report, is already appearing in personalized podcasts and dynamic news feeds. Advocates say it helps publishers stay relevant as audiences turn to AI tools for information, while critics raise concerns about accuracy, ownership, and whether readers truly want highly adaptive content.
Paramount Extends Warner Bros. Bid as Netflix Deal Faces Growing Scrutiny
Paramount Skydance has extended its $30-per-share cash offer for Warner Bros. Discovery to Feb. 20, keeping pressure on a rival deal with Netflix. Warner Bros. continues to recommend Netflix’s $27.75-per-share bid for its studio and streaming assets, calling Paramount’s proposal inferior. Analysts say the extension could point to a higher Paramount offer, while regulatory concerns around Netflix’s market power add uncertainty as shareholders await the next move.
ChatGPT Ads Change the Game
ChatGPT advertising represents a meaningful shift in digital marketing for small businesses. With more than 800 million weekly users, OpenAI’s decision to introduce context-based ads inside conversations creates a new way for brands to reach customers at the moment of intent.
These ads appear at the end of chats, are aligned with user questions, and operate under strict privacy and trust principles, including no impact on organic answers and no sale of user data. Unlike traditional search and social ads, this model prioritizes conversational relevance, authority, and helpful information. For small businesses, this reduces dependence on large budgets and complex funnels while increasing the importance of strong content, clear answers, and measurable engagement beyond clicks. Those who adapt early are positioned to benefit most.
As the largest platform with online and in-store transaction data, you can confidently tailor ads to fit your target customer. Let's look amazing. Let’s spark sales.
Marketecture Live III
New speakers just added
Ready or Not: AI Is Changing Advertising
How Agencies Are Adapting to the AI Meteorite
Bob Lord, Horizon Media & Obele (Brown-West) Hinsley, Colle McVoy
Consumer Protection in the AI Era
Mark Meador, Federal Trade Commission & Alan Chapell, The Monopoly Report
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