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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Netflix Strikes Global Marketing Deal With Beverage Giant AB Inbev (Exclusive) (Hollywood Reporter)
Google seeks to avoid ad tech breakup as antitrust trial begins (Reuters)
Business Insider Accuses Google of Suppressing Publisher Ad Revenue in Federal Lawsuit (Adweek)
Nexstar and Sinclair Will Not Air Kimmel Despite Show's Return (Adweek)
Kroger Precision Marketing expands offsite media capabilities (Grocery Dive)
From Standards to Streaming: Hillary Slattery on Programmatic, Curation, and AI
Hillary Slattery, Senior Director of Product Management at IAB Tech Lab, discusses the rise of programmatic advertising in CTV, challenges in transparency and data sharing, innovations in live event advertising, the role of curation, and the impact of AI on the advertising industry.
From Last-Click to Lasting Impact: Rethinking Performance Marketing in Streaming
Jason Fairchild, co-founder and CEO of tvScientific, discusses streaming advertising. He emphasizes the need for performance marketers to adapt their strategies to the new environment, focusing on ROI and the importance of data analytics.
News summaries from AdTechGod
Novacap to Acquire Integral Ad Science in $1.9 Billion Deal
Private equity firm Novacap will acquire digital ad verification company Integral Ad Science (IAS) in a $1.9 billion all-cash deal. That’s pretty much all I know.
The Trade Desk Retires Kokai’s Signature Periodic Table View
The Trade Desk is redesigning its Kokai platform and axing one of its most polarizing features: the infamous periodic table campaign view.
It was meant to be a creative alternative to spreadsheets but quickly earned a reputation as clunky and confusing. Traders have been loudly pointing out for months that the feature wasn’t ideal for real campaign management. Now, The Trade Desk is pulling it from advertiser- and campaign-level views, keeping it only at the ad group level.
AI Is About to Make Video Ads Easy (and Messy) for Small Businesses
Magnite’s acquisition of Streamr.ai signals that the tools enabling small or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to launch CTV video ads in a couple of minutes are no longer science fiction. As generative AI makes it ever cheaper and faster to create video creatives, the industry will see many more unique creatives flowing through the ad supply chain.
AI in Marketing: The Next Disruption (#Ad)
AI has moved from experiment to necessity in marketing, with adoption now near universal. But while efficiency gains are clear, true differentiation is still out of reach for most. The latest AI and the Future of Marketing report from Basis reveals how custom models, agentic AI, and first-party data could soon collapse campaign cycles and transform team structures. With most leaders expecting AI to radically reshape digital advertising within three to five years, the real question is how to adopt it strategically—and fast. This report shows the steps every leader should take now to stay ahead.
Google Ad Tech Trial, Part 2: What to Watch
The DOJ’s ad tech antitrust case against Google has moved to the remedies phase after a ruling found it monopolized ad serving and exchanges. Proposals include requiring AdX to compete through Prebid, open-sourcing GAM’s algorithm, creating publisher-friendly APIs, placing revenue in escrow, and potentially spinning out GAM or AdX. Judge Brinkema’s decision may be influenced by Google’s recent favorable search case ruling. Meanwhile, Google faces parallel civil suits and a $3.4 billion EU fine, adding pressure as regulators push for structural changes to curb its dominance.
Amazon Opens Marketing Cloud to All Sponsored Product Advertisers
Amazon has made its clean room, Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), available to all sellers buying Sponsored Product ads. Previously limited to registered advertisers or third-party vendors, AMC now gives small and mid-sized brands direct access to Amazon’s shopping, browsing, and streaming data through the self-service console. Advertisers can pull detailed performance and audience insights, with the ability to query up to five years of purchase data. The update expands powerful analytics tools to a wider range of Amazon advertisers.
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