Welcome to The Refresh, a weekly newsletter from Marketecture Media. Every Thursday we’ll bring you the latest advertising news, commentary, and memes.

• Google And Amazon Flex Their AI-Powered Ad Tech And Creative Suites (AdExchanger)

• WBD Ad Leaders Explain How IP Like Harry Potter Adds to Adtech Wizardry (AdWeek)

• Retail media’s next frontier? Why self-driving cars could be the new ad space battleground (The Drum)

• After Xandr: Why The Open Internet’s Future Hinges On Integration, Not Fragmentation (AdExchanger)

• Revisiting ‘Future of News’ one year later: Stagwell investigates news advertising (Campaign)

• Why The Small Get Smaller; Call It Community College (AdExchanger)

Microsoft Shuts Down Invest DSP, Bets Future on Copilot-Powered AI Ad Buying

Microsoft is shutting down its demand-side platform, Microsoft Invest formerly known as Xandr DSP and AppNexus by March 2026. The move marks a significant shift away from third-party programmatic advertising as Microsoft doubles down on first-party data and generative AI. Ad buying on Microsoft’s platforms will instead be powered by a conversational AI experience via Copilot, the company’s in-house large language model.

This change does not affect Microsoft Monetize, the SSP side of the business, which will continue operating. The decision mirrors a broader industry trend of major platforms like Meta and Google retreating from the open web to focus on monetizing their owned properties and user data. Microsoft will still integrate with external DSPs, but its emphasis is on connecting demand with its assets, including Xbox, LinkedIn, Bing, and Outlook.

The shutdown reflects not just a strategic pivot but also a response to increasing regulatory scrutiny around third-party ad tech. Microsoft framed the move as aligning with a future that’s “conversational, personalized, and agentic” or in other words, AI-driven and privacy-conscious.

Read Ari’s take

Read AdExchanger

Marketecture Acquires Serial Marketers and AI Marketers Guild, Adds David Berkowitz as Chief Community Officer

Marketecture Media has officially added two powerhouse marketing communities to its growing media and events portfolio: Serial Marketers and the AI Marketers Guild. Founded by veteran marketer and author David Berkowitz, both groups have become go-to spaces for education, networking, and collaboration among thousands of brand and marketing professionals. With this acquisition, Berkowitz joins Marketecture as Chief Community Officer, bringing his expertise and community-building vision to the company’s expanding global reach. These mark Marketecture’s fifth and sixth acquisitions in just one year, signaling a continued investment in uniting and empowering the advertising and marketing ecosystem.

Join Serial Marketers

Join AI Marketers Guild

Charter to Acquire Cox in $34.5B Deal, Creating Cable Giant Amid Industry Shakeup

Charter Communications is set to acquire Cox Communications in a $34.5 billion deal that would merge two of the top three U.S. cable providers. This aims to create greater scale and cost efficiencies in a market facing major disruption from streaming platforms and mobile internet alternatives. Under the deal, Charter will absorb Cox’s commercial fiber, IT, and cloud operations, while Cox’s residential cable business will join Charter Holdings, a subsidiary co-owned with Cox Enterprises.

The combined entity, which will eventually rebrand as Cox Communications, will serve nearly 39 million customers across 41 states and maintain headquarters in Stamford, CT, with a strong Atlanta presence. Charter CEO Chris Winfrey will lead the merged company, while Cox Chairman and CEO Alex Taylor will become its board chairman. Cox will also hold two board seats and own about 23% of the new company.

Read AP News

Comcast Advertising Launches AI Tool to Simplify and Scale TV Commercial Production

Comcast Advertising has launched a new AI-powered creative platform, built in partnership with Waymark. The platform allows advertisers to generate TV-ready ads in minutes simply by entering a website URL, with AI pulling in brand assets and enabling easy customization of messaging, visuals, and voiceovers. This solution removes the traditional time and cost barriers to TV ad production, allowing businesses to quickly create and deploy campaigns across news, entertainment, and live sports.

Read Business Wire

Meme of the week

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