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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The Trade Desk’s Blue Ocean Moment: How The DSP Can Rewrite Ad Tech’s Rules (AdExchanger)
The Trade Desk Claps Back at Reports That Walmart Is Pulling Back: ‘We’re Fully Committed’ (Adweek)
Mastercard awards WPP global media account, citing AI and data capabilities (Ad Age)
Meet the Retail Media Adtech Players Vying for Criteo's Business (Adweek)
Wondercraft Launches AI Tool To Speed Up Audio Ad Production (AdExchanger)
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Enters into Definitive Agreement To Acquire TEGNA Inc. for $6.2 Billion in Accretive Transaction (Nexstar)
Dentsu to Lay Off 8% of Staff, Refine Strategic Focus (Adweek)
The Future of Audio is Now with Ari Stein from SiriusXM
Ari Stein, Senior Director of Programmatic Sales at SiriusXM Media, shares insights into the evolution of audio streaming, the growth of podcasting, and the changing landscape of audio advertising.
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.
Walmart Scales Back Exclusive Deal with The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk’s stock has plunged nearly 40% after earnings concerns and fresh competition fears. Adding to the pressure, Walmart has renegotiated its agreement with The Trade Desk, ending the DSP’s exclusive status as the off-site and infrastructure provider for Walmart Connect. The 2021 deal, which had already required The Trade Desk to adapt its tech away from AWS to suit Walmart, is now no longer unique; Walmart can work with other ad platforms.
While the Walmart relationship might not have been highly profitable for The Trade Desk, it carried symbolic weight as a flagship account that distinguished the company from Amazon’s ad dominance. Losing exclusivity weakens that narrative and underscores Walmart’s leverage in retail media partnerships.
AI Is Pushing Young Workers Out of Advertising
Workers aged 20–24 now make up just 6.5% of advertising and PR jobs, down from 10.5% in 2019, federal data shows. The drop reflects shrinking entry-level opportunities as AI replaces roles once filled by recent graduates. Young college-educated workers now face higher unemployment than the general workforce, a reversal of past trends. Industry data also shows staff-level jobs in marketing and advertising have fallen over 10% since 2022, while management roles remain steady.
Best Buy Bets on Marketplace Ads to Revive Growth
Best Buy has launched a curated online marketplace with 500 vetted sellers and 20+ new categories, from cookware to sports gear. While U.S. sales have slipped from $47.2 billion in 2022 to $41.5 billion in 2024, the bigger play is advertising. Each seller fuels Best Buy Ads, giving brands access to sponsored listings, homepage banners, and promotions across 200 million annual site visits.
Are You Being Paid Fairly in Media Buying and Planning?
Ad Age’s recent salary guide highlights that entry-level media buying and planning roles in New York typically pay between $40,000 and $55,000, while mid-level roles range from $70,000 to $90,000. Some of the highest-paying opportunities include the NBA’s media sales strategic planner position at $85,000 to $105,000 and Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s paid social media planner role, which ranges from $89,400 to $206,500.
At the same time, the industry is under pressure from AI and offshoring, both of which could reduce opportunities, particularly at the entry level. With these benchmarks in mind, do you feel your current compensation is fair? Are these figures in line with what you see in the industry, or do they differ from your expectations?
Personally, I can’t wrap my head around how anyone is expected to survive in New York City on $50,000 a year. It feels completely out of touch with the cost of living here.
Madison Avenue Embraces AI Ads
AI is rapidly transforming advertising, with nearly 90% of top marketers already using or planning to use it for video ads. From voice-overs to hyper-realistic visuals, the tech cuts costs, speeds up production, and gives brands more creative options. Smaller companies are especially benefiting, producing professional-quality ads in hours instead of weeks. While concerns remain about job loss and misleading content, industry leaders agree AI is here to stay in advertising.
AdTechGod’s commentary: No shit.
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