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

• Backed by Scope3 CEO, Classify Emerges from Stealth focused on AI-Powered Contextual Targeting (Globalnewswire)

• MNTN is ad tech’s canary in the coal mine for future public listings (Digiday)

• What’s On The Agenda For Michael Komasinski, Criteo’s New Chief? (AdExchanger)

• Paramount Cuts Ties With WPP Media After Two Decades of Partnership (ADWEEK)

• GroupM becomes WPP Media as holding company prepares for future (MarketingDive)

• Making it Easier to Break Through the Noise and Get Results with Video (Linkedin)

• Ads From Verizon, Shell, and Others Ran Next to Explicit Videos on Top Android App (ADWEEK)

FTC Investigates Media Rating Firms Over Industry Ties and Bias Concerns

The FTC has issued Civil Investigative Demands to organizations like Media Matters and Ad Fontes Media, requesting extensive records on finances, operations, and communications since 2019. The probe centers on media rating practices and potential bias, with scrutiny extending to firms like NewsGuard, DoubleVerify, IAS, and trade groups like the IAB and WFA.

This follows last year’s congressional findings that GARM may have colluded to defund right-wing media, raising antitrust concerns. Some speculate the investigation is linked to Omnicom’s planned acquisition of IPG. Ad Fontes CEO Vanessa Otero criticized the demands as excessive but confirmed compliance. The FTC has not commented publicly.

Read Adweek

FCC Likely to Loosen Local TV Ownership Rules Under New Leadership

Brendan Carr, expected to become the new FCC chairman, wants to roll back long-standing rules that limit how many local TV stations a company can own. These rules were created before the internet and restrict any one company from reaching more than 39% of U.S. households or owning multiple top stations in the same city.

Carr and others say loosening these rules would help local broadcasters compete with Big Tech. Companies like Sinclair and trade groups like the NAB support the change, saying it would boost investment in local news.

But not everyone agrees. Cable and internet companies worry that too much control in one company’s hands could raise costs. Advocacy groups are also concerned that fewer owners could mean fewer diverse voices in media. The FCC is currently reviewing these rules and may make changes soon.

Read Axios

Retail Media’s Next Frontier: It’s All About the Data

Retail media is booming, but the shift to commerce media is raising the bar. With over 100 RMNs in the U.S., advertisers now expect more than scale. They want standardized, data-driven results.

Success hinges on data readiness: clean, connected, and privacy-compliant information that enables accurate targeting and cross-platform measurement. Retailers and new entrants alike must unify internal data, resolve identity gaps, and build systems that support real-time activation.

Without this foundation, even the biggest players risk falling behind. The next wave of winners will be those who invest in the backend—not just the hype.

Read AdExchanger

Who Needs Creative Teams Anymore? Said META!

Meta plans to let AI handle the entire ad process by the end of 2025. Advertisers will soon be able to upload a product image, set a budget, and let Meta's tools generate everything from copy, visuals, targeting and even spend. It’s a dream for small businesses and a nightmare for creative departments.

This supports Meta’s ad empire, which made up over 97% of its revenue last year, and fuels its massive AI investments. While some brands are excited, others aren’t thrilled about handing over more control or getting back AI-generated visuals that look like a glitchy video game. Meta says it's also looking to integrate tools like DALL·E and Midjourney, but creating quality AI ads still requires serious computing power and brand-specific models.

Read WSJ

Canada, Eh? A Nostalgic Look at 5 Decades of Canadian Ads

This week on AdLand, we're heading north to spotlight the quirky, charming, and uniquely Canadian flavor of advertising through the decades. From a 1981 A&W jingle that lives rent-free in our heads to Molson’s beer-fueled patriotism and a not-so-subtle reminder that Canada is not the 51st state—these ads offer a funny, heartfelt, and sometimes weird window into Canada’s culture and identity.

Read AdLand

Is Agentic AI the Future of Programmatic Advertising?

Agentic AI, autonomous systems that learn and act in real time, could be the breakthrough ad tech needs to deliver smarter, privacy-first targeting without relying on personal data. Unlike traditional models, agentic AI adapts on the fly using live performance signals and contextual inputs. Companies like Illuma are already applying this tech to scale campaigns across platforms like Connected TV and the open web, showing how AI agents can make fast, accurate media-buying decisions.

While the potential is huge, challenges like processing speed, transparency, and compliance remain. Still, agentic AI offers a compelling path forward for programmatic advertising in a post-cookie world.

Read AI Journal

AdTechGod crashes ADWEEK house

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