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.
Nativeads.ai Brings Generative AI to Power the Future of Dynamic Advertising(ADWEEK)
Omnicom expects to close IPG deal by late Wednesday after EU approval (Ad Age)
Broadsign Announces Acquisition of Place Exchange (Business Wire)
Genius Sports Partners with Publicis Sports to Reimagine Future of Fan Engagement (Business Wire)
Apple cuts jobs across sales team (Reuters)
Airtory Partners with CultureSync Media to Elevate Rich Media Advertising(Yahoo Finance)
Mark Read Lands First Post-WPP Role as Kantar Media Chairman (Adweek)
Media Buyers Are Being Pushed to Switch to The Trade Desk’s Kokai—and Hitting Glitches on the Way (Adweek)
Priti Ohri on Reinventing Native Ads and Leading with Purpose
AdTechGod speaks with Priti Ohri, Co-Founder and CEO of Advertible, about how she turned a layoff into a launchpad for innovation. From her early days at MTV Networks and LVMH to founding a company to reshape native advertising, Priti shares how Advertible simplifies native ad delivery for SSPs while improving user experience across formats and devices.
AI-Powered Publishing: Josh Markham on Automating Revenue with Mula
Josh Markham, Chief Product Officer at Mula, discusses the transformative impact of AI on product management and publisher engagement. He emphasizes the importance of automation and delegation in enhancing revenue per session for publishers. The conversation explores how Mula leverages AI to create a competitive advantage for publishers against social platforms, while maintaining editorial integrity.
2026 Predictions According to AdTechGod
Hi everyone,
Before we all slide into the Thanksgiving haze of travel, turkey, and pretending to understand our relatives’ cryptocurrency opinions, I wanted to send a quick note of gratitude. Over the past year, AdTechGod and Marketecture have gone from that “different kind of content/events business” into something so much bigger. We’ve expanded to nearly 12 total staff, including our awesome contributors. We’ve held two conferences, three parties, and produced hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of audio and video content distributed across LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. In simple words, we’ve grown up thanks to all of you.
I appreciate every one of you who reads, argues, and forwards these updates. It’s all part of the fun.
It’s admittedly early for predictions. But over the weekend, I found myself with more free time than usual, so naturally I did what any normal person would do: fired off a tweetstorm of 2026 predictions. Some were solid, some were questionable, and every single one managed to trigger a different pocket of agreement and outright disagreement. Since the reactions were all over the map, I figured I might as well bring the list here and let you be the judge.
So here they are. My early (and probably ill-advised) Thanksgiving-week predictions for 2026. What do you think? (Just FYI, these were tweets…)
DOOH, unfortunately, continues to be the outcast of digital advertising.
In 2026, streaming keeps growing, but the surprising momentum comes from cable companies and their streaming extensions and not the streaming-native platforms everyone’s obsessed with.
The division that takes the biggest hit in 2026 is ad operations. AI improves productivity and reduces the need to scale large teams. I’m unsure about actual downsizing of teams in 2026, but the job-creation side slows dramatically.
SSPs gear up for a full-blown war, scaling buy-side teams, increasing incentives, and/or slashing fees.
AdTech companies built on a single feature or solution either get acquired or fade out.
GenAI-driven creative scales, but API pricing pressure squeezes margins. Great for self-serve platforms; less great for anyone chasing big profits.
Shoppable TV remains a good idea that never quite becomes the cultural or commercial rocket ship people keep promising.
And finally, this one is not a prediction but more of a look-back on what we once cared about: Remember when everyone was passionately focused on saving the environment and then, somehow, we all drifted right back to prioritizing profits again?
If any of these predictions inspire a reaction, whether it’s agreement, outrage, or a sudden desire to email me 12 paragraphs on why I’m wrong, I’d love to hear it. This is the best time of year for a little spirited debate.
Wishing you a great Thanksgiving week,
ATG
I stumbled upon this research from Comcast’s Universal Ads the other day and found it really insightful. So I wanted to share it with my readers. New research from Comcast’s Universal Ads reveals a powerful opportunity: Combining streaming TV with social media advertising drives significantly stronger brand growth. Whether you're new to TV or looking to expand your media mix, this report, "Beyond the Scroll: How TV Drives Performance for Emerging Brands," offers guidance to get started.
Advertisers Report Severe ‘Glitchmas’ Breakdowns Across Meta’s Ad Platform
Meta is facing another “Glitchmas” as advertisers report persistent breakdowns in campaign setup, delivery, and AI-driven creative tools. Budgets are being spent in the first hour of the day, sometimes above 150% of the daily limit, and driving low-quality traffic. Conversion campaigns are acting like cheap reach buys, while Meta’s AI creative tools are producing distorted images, off-brand copy, and misformatted ad units. Some advertisers say AI promo features are turning on automatically and applying incorrect pricing. Although Meta claims issues are fixed, many buyers say problems continued through last week. Reaching human support remains difficult as automated responses dominate Meta’s service model.
Vegas, we’re coming for you
Marketecture is taking over Sin City for CES! We are bringing the heat with next-level content, conversations, and can’t-miss gatherings.
If you want to know what we’ve got up our sleeve, hit the link below and we’ll be in touch shortly.
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