Welcome to The Refresh, your weekly download of what actually matters in advertising. Brought to you by Marketecture Media and written by AdTechGod.
Google expands AI Search, shopping, and content verification tools (MarketingTech)
Are Chatbots Replacing Search?; AI Is Muddying How Ad Tech Describes Itself (AdExchanger)
Google Revamps Its Iconic Search Bar for the First Time in 25 Years (ADWEEK)
The Trade Desk's Jeff Green Made More Than Any Other Adtech CEO Last Year (ADWEEK)
Jaguar Land Rover appoints WPP: inside the new model (Campaign)
Kars4Kids ordered to pull ads in California over claims donors were misled (NBC News)
NBCU Ads Leader Says Brands Are Still Betting on Late Night TV (ADWEEK)
Why Programmatic Advertising Needs a Reset with David Nyurenberg of InterMedia Advertising
David Nyurenberg, SVP of Digital at InterMedia Advertising, joins the AdTechGod Pod to discuss the realities of programmatic advertising, CTV transparency, and why the industry might need a complete reset.
From Show to Scene: Why Moment-Based Targeting Is the Future of CTV with Lauri Baker from KERV
Lauri Baker, Senior Vice President, Head of Partnerships at KERV, explains why audience targeting alone is no longer enough in CTV. She explores the shift from broad audience and genre-based buying toward scene-level, moment-based targeting, where ads align with what is happening on screen in real time.
Publicis Buys the Pipes, Not Just the Platform
Publicis’ $2.2 billion acquisition of LiveRamp is sending shockwaves through ad tech. LiveRamp has long been one of the industry’s key neutral data and identity platforms, and now competitors are questioning whether that neutrality can really last under Publicis ownership.
The deal also shows just how aggressively Publicis is pulling ahead. Between Epsilon, Lotame, Influential, Captiv8, and now LiveRamp, the company keeps stacking its infrastructure powering AI, identity, and modern media buying, while rivals scramble to catch up.
The message to the rest of the industry is pretty clear: Build, buy, partner… or risk falling behind.
Omnicom Was Already Leaving LiveRamp
Omnicom was already planning to move away from LiveRamp by 2028. Publicis buying the company just sped things up.
CEO John Wren said the holdco now expects to fully separate within a year, leaning instead on Acxiom’s in-house identity solution, Real ID. His reasoning: Identity infrastructure only works when it’s viewed as neutral, and once LiveRamp sits inside Publicis, that neutrality disappears.
Other holdcos and CMOs are expected to feel the same way. Stagwell CEO Mark Penn warned that brands might hesitate to route sensitive data through a platform owned by a competitor.
The bigger shift here is clear: Holding companies want to own their identity infrastructure, not depend on someone else’s.
Paramount-WBD Merger Could Close Earlier Than Expected
Paramount’s $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery might be moving faster than expected. While the companies have publicly said the deal is on track to close by the end of Q3, a new report from Status says executives are internally targeting July 15 to finalize the merger.
The deal, led by David Ellison, would create one of the largest media companies in the world and further reshape the already chaotic entertainment landscape. Paramount declined to comment beyond previous guidance, while Warner Bros. Discovery stayed quiet on the report.
If the July timeline holds, the industry could see major leadership, streaming, and advertising changes arrive much sooner than expected.
Meta’s AI Ad Tools Start Doing the Busy Work
Meta’s new ads MCP server lets advertisers connect AI agents like ChatGPT directly into campaign management across Facebook and Instagram. Right now it’s automating routine media-buying tasks, but agencies believe it could eventually help advertisers optimize faster, customize campaigns at scale, and gain an edge in Meta’s ad auctions. Another sign agentic AI is quickly becoming part of the media buying workflow.
Sign up for Hot Takes at Cannes 2026!
Think you’ve got a spicy take on where Agentic, CTV, and Commerce are headed next? This is your mic.
IAB Tech Lab + Marketecture Media are teaming up to bring the industry’s boldest marketing predictions to the Croisette in 2 minutes or less on Wednesday, June 24th from 10 AM - 1 PM.
We’re looking for brand, agency, and marketing leaders ready to share sharp, unfiltered opinions and predictions with the industry.
Fill out the form linked below to get started.
Activate with Marketecture Media at Cannes Lions
Marketecture Media is back at Cannes, and this year, we’re doing even more!
From our signature hosted dinners to our Hot Yachts series, 1:1 interviews, and our always-on content studio, we create the content and gatherings where the advertising industry comes together.
Want to work with us? Click the button below.
Thanks for reading this week’s The Refresh by Marketecture.
Marketecture Media is committed to bringing you the latest news, opinions, and community updates.
If you are interested in advertising on this newsletter, our podcasts, The Advertising Forum, or in our Slack community, you can contact us here.
