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.
Want faster updates and sharper takes on what’s happening in advertising, media, and AdTech? Follow me on LinkedIn for the latest news, insights, and commentary as it happens.
Publishers see double-digit growth from The Trade Desk’s OpenPath, but volatility remains (Digiday)
The Trade Desk Rivals Swoop In on the Heels of Publicis, Omnicom Auditing Drama (ADWEEK)
AI Is Moving Fast. The Law, Not So Much (AdExchanger)
How Bayer Uses AI to Avoid Sending Customers to its Competition (ADWEEK)
Why Unilever Gave Up Its Most Beloved Food Brands (ADWEEK)
Katie Daleo, GM of CPG Ads at DoorDash, on Retail Media Innovation and Dish-Level Targeting
Katie Daleo, GM of the CPG ads business at DoorDash, joins the AdTechGod Pod to discuss how retail media is evolving and how DoorDash is helping CPG brands reach consumers in new ways. She shares her journey from Right Media and Unilever to building retail media capabilities at Jet and DoorDash, along with insights into data, targeting, and the future of advertising.
Tom Burke and Kevin Zoss on Open Ecosystems, AI Workflows, and Agency Growth
In this episode of the Advertising Forum’s Open Garden Series, sponsored by AI Digital, Jeremy Bloom, AdTechGod, Tom Burke (AI Digital), and Kevin Zoss (Lazy Boy Agency) break down platform openness, AI-driven workflows, and how agencies can future-proof their marketing stack.
They discuss fragmentation in ad tech, the return of agency partnerships, the rise of AI tools in media buying and creative development, and why human taste and strategy remain critical in modern marketing.
This is a sponsored piece on AdExchanger, but it genuinely caught my attention so I wanted to share it anyway.
This article digs into a persistent problem in programmatic video: a significant portion of spend, estimated at 20% to 30%, is lost due to misrepresented supply, invalid traffic, and low-quality placements. It argues that the industry has relied too heavily on labels like “instream” and “CTV,” which no longer reliably reflect the actual viewing experience.
Instead, the future of optimization lies in analyzing how video actually behaves at the placement level, including player functionality, autoplay behavior, and context within content. By shifting toward these deterministic signals, advertisers can redirect spend toward genuinely high-quality inventory, improving performance while reinforcing the economics of premium publishing.
The Trade Desk Shifts Identity Economics Toward Incrementality
The Trade Desk is changing how it compensates identity partners within its Identity Alliance, moving away from a volume-based payment model to one focused on “incrementality.”
Under the new approach, partners will be rewarded based on the unique value their data contributes rather than how much data they supply. This shift aims to reduce duplication and prioritize differentiated identity signals, potentially improving targeting accuracy and measurement outcomes for advertisers. However, the transition has raised concerns among partners about transparency, timing, and financial impact, especially as new evaluation tools are not yet fully available. While some see this as a logical evolution toward efficiency, others view it as another step in DSPs exerting greater control over data economics and partner relationships.
Our CSO and Co-Founder, Sam Khoury, shared his take on this, and the comment section quickly turned into an industry discussion.
Walmart–Vizio Push Shows Promise, but Measurement Questions Remain
Walmart is building toward closed-loop CTV measurement through its Vizio integration, aiming to connect ad exposure to purchases. Early results show solid engagement and growing advertiser interest, but concerns around incrementality and attribution persist. Some brands report weak sales impact or require custom analysis, while others have paused testing altogether.
Walmart believes its control over hardware and OS will strengthen targeting and measurement over time. For now, many advertisers are treating campaigns as awareness plays while waiting for clearer proof of performance.
The Rise of Omnichannel Ad Platforms Signals a New Era for Marketers
A new evaluation shows advertisers moving away from standalone DSPs toward omnichannel ad platforms that unify media, creative, data, and AI. As DSP capabilities become commoditized, vendors are expanding to meet demand for more holistic solutions.
The report highlights the need to balance strong signals from walled gardens with unbiased decisioning from open platforms, while also improving collaboration between media and creative teams. Leading platforms differentiate through the integration of predictive, generative, and agentic AI, enabling faster and more effective decision-making. Overall, omnichannel platforms are emerging as critical tools for reducing complexity and accelerating performance.
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