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.
Google’s Adtech EU Fine Put on Hold (Adweek)
Conversion APIs Are Becoming Table Stakes – But Not All Brands Have Bought In (AdExchanger)
Symmetri Raises $6 Million to Help Brands Compete in the ‘AI Agent Economy’ (Adweek)
Microsoft's Copilot Outpaces ChatGPT in US Mobile Growth, Data Shows (Adweek)
Perplexity Ad Chief Taz Patel Departs (Adweek)
Podcasting’s Next Wave: Growth, Metrics, and Monetization with Sharon Taylor
Sharon Taylor, Chief Revenue Officer at Triton Digital, joins AdTechGod Pod to explore the evolution of podcasting and audio advertising. Sharon shares her journey into the audio space, insights into global podcast growth, and Triton’s role in driving podcast monetization.
CTV’s Next Chapter: Context, Data, and Real Results
Molly Schultz, EVP of Investment Strategy at IPG Mediabrands, and Field Garthwaite, Co-Founder and CEO of IRIS.TV, join us. The conversation digs into how contextual targeting is reshaping CTV advertising, why data consistency is critical, and how solutions like Acxiom Contextual CTV are unlocking new levels of performance.
Google Verdict
I’d love to share my thoughts on the Google verdict, but I’m not exactly an expert at breaking it all down. Personally, I don’t think the ruling went far enough. Still, I’ll let the real experts at The Monopoly Report take it from here.
Media Buyers Cut Off Publicis’ Epsilon SSP Amid Data and Trust Concerns
Some of the biggest advertising groups, including WPP, IPG, Dentsu, and Havas, have stopped using Publicis Groupe’s Epsilon SSP after realizing they were buying inventory through it without knowing.
The issue comes from multi-hop reselling, where ad impressions pass through several platforms before reaching buyers. Many agencies worry this setup has allowed Publicis, which owns the only major SSP run by a holding company, to see sensitive information such as budgets, creative assets, and audience strategies. Publicis says its buy-side and sell-side operations are kept separate with firewalls and third-party audits, but many buyers remain skeptical. Several agencies and brands reported millions of impressions flowing through Epsilon without their awareness, leaving some frustrated that they were funding a competitor. The push to block Epsilon is now part of a larger move to cut down on resellers and demand more transparency in programmatic advertising.
Google Ad Manager Experiments With Direct Buying as Antitrust Pressure Mounts
Google Ad Manager is testing ways to let agencies buy directly through its platform, according to The Information. The move would bypass Google’s own DSP, DV360, and comes with new buyer discounts similar to those already offered by rival SSPs like PubMatic and Magnite. This shift could make GAM operate more like an independent ad tech company, but it also raises internal conflicts since it would put the SSP in direct competition with DV360.
The timing is significant: In April, a Virginia judge ruled Google held a sell-side monopoly, and regulators are now considering remedies that could include spinning off GAM entirely. These product changes might be designed to help GAM stand on its own if a breakup becomes unavoidable.
Retail Media Expands as AI Transforms Search
Retail media is taking a larger share of search advertising as AI reshapes how consumers shop online. PwC data shows retail search rose from 32.7% of global paid search revenue in 2020 to 38.7% in 2024, with eMarketer projecting it will account for nearly a third of all search spend by 2029.
AI-driven answers are cutting clicks in traditional search, pushing brands toward retailer platforms where purchase intent is higher and sales are easier to track. While generative AI could eventually reduce retailers’ direct role in product discovery, it also opens the door for more personalized, effective ads. With e-commerce expected to hit 20% of retail sales by 2029, retail media networks are poised to keep growing.
The AdTechGod and MadConnect Party Is Back!
Why Sponsor Madison Ave Returns in NYC?
Sponsoring the AdTechGod Party in New York on Oct. 6 offers an opportunity to connect with senior buyers, agency leaders, publishers, and AdTech founders all in one place. Partners receive visibility through event branding and on-site activations, along with extended reach via AdTechGod and Marketecture channels through social promotion, newsletter mentions, and day-of coverage.
Interested in learning more about how you can get involved? Want to sponsor?
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Tickets are selling faster than our first event in March. If you’re planning on reaching out a week before the event to ask for a ticket, we’ll be sold out. Please, for the love of AdTechGod, buy a ticket now before it sells out.
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