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

• AdTech CEO jailed for financial fraud after $1.3 million transaction (Campaign)

• JW Connatix appoints John Nardone as CEO (AdExchanger)

• How probe of ads on inappropriate content is sparking transparency, ad tech reforms and refunds (AdAge)

• A+E Global Media Selects FreeWheel to Power Advertising Evolution on Heels of Its Strategic Expansion Announced at Upfronts (Businesswire)

• Stagwell Announces Goal to Increase 2025 Ad Spend in News Media by 22% Year-Over-Year (PR News)

• Journalists more active on Bluesky than X, report reveals (Campaignlive)

• Discord is getting mobile ads (The Verge)

Oracle Eyes TikTok Takeover as U.S. Deadline Looms

As TikTok faces a looming April 5 deadline to divest from its Chinese owner ByteDance or face a U.S. ban, Oracle has emerged as a potential buyer. Oracle met with congressional aides to discuss its role and ensure any deal would comply with U.S. law, which demands elimination of Chinese control over the app. Though the White House has final say, political tensions and national security concerns remain high. Trump has delayed enforcement and hinted at a possible extension, while lawmakers warn that any deal falling short of the law’s standards could spark legal and constitutional issues.

Read Yahoo

The Brand Forum with Alex Birchmeier from Conagra Brands Magic

The Brand Forum is a new weekly series from Marketecture Media hosted by Jeremy Bloom and Josh Palau, diving deep into what really matters to today’s brand marketers. Each episode features candid conversations with top brand leaders, offering insider perspectives on the shifting landscape of advertising, media, and marketing. Kicking things off, Josh and Jeremy sit down with Alex Birchmeier of Conagra Brands to talk channel testing, bold moves, and how he juggles a powerhouse portfolio. Don’t miss it!

Listen here

AI Isn’t Magic: a Reality Check in Ad Tech’s AI Hype Cycle

AI is being hyped in ad tech as a fix for everything from privacy to performance but Shirley Marschall argues the industry needs to pause and critically assess these claims. While AI holds potential, many solutions are unproven, over-promised, or simply rebranded machine learning. Blindly adopting AI without proper oversight or infrastructure risks amplifying problems, not solving them. Instead of chasing the hype, the industry should demand transparency, test rigorously, and remember: speed without direction is just chaos.

Read Exchangewire

Aisle Be Back: Grocery Ad Wars!

Instacart and DoorDash are intensifying their competition in grocery delivery and retail media. Instacart unveiled new ad capabilities for its AI-powered Caper Carts, allowing brands to run omnichannel campaigns both online and in-store. It also expanded its Carrot Ads platform to Hy-Vee’s 300+ stores. Meanwhile, DoorDash introduced a new “Banner” ad format on its DoubleDash service, targeting users post-checkout with cross-store add-on suggestions. Both companies are pushing for greater reach in the omnichannel grocery sector as they compete for ad dollars and retail partnerships.

Read Yahoo Finance

No news is good news for Google

Google ran an experiment in eight European markets (excluding France and Germany) where it removed news from search results for 1% of users over 2.5 months. The company claims the results show news content has negligible value to its ad business, arguing that publishers overestimate their worth. Google plans to use the findings in payment negotiations under EU copyright law, but this strategy could backfire, especially given past antitrust fines in France and ongoing scrutiny in Germany. The test was halted in France due to legal warnings and not conducted in Germany.

Read TechCrunch

iSue: Apple Faces Backlash Over ‘Intelligent’ Promises

Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly misleading consumers about its AI features, dubbed “Apple Intelligence.” The suit claims Apple heavily promoted advanced AI capabilities in its devices to drive sales but failed to deliver on those promises at launch. It accuses Apple of overstating Siri’s AI upgrades, some of which have been delayed until 2026. The legal action highlights Apple’s struggle to keep pace with rivals like Amazon and Google in the AI race, amid internal leadership changes and pulled advertising campaigns.

Read PYMNTS

Warner Bros. Discovery Taps OpenPath to Boost Display Ads but CTV Still on Hold

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has launched The Trade Desk’s OpenPath for its display ad inventory but is holding off on adding CTV for now. WBD aims to use OpenPath’s direct-to-publisher model to boost demand, increase transparency, and counter advertiser hesitancy around news content. Early results show higher fill rates and better pricing insights. The setup integrates into WBD’s existing tech stack with a direct connection to its display ad server, improving speed and control. While WBD sees potential, CTV integration remains a “test and learn” decision for the future.

Read AdExchanger

Miami Lights is almost here—and spots are limited.

After our packed Thriving in Chaos event in NYC, we’re heading to Miami this April for the ultimate AdTech, marketing, and media experience.

Entry priority is for sponsors. If you want in, now’s the time to reach out.

Join us at the exclusive Soho Beach House for premium cocktails, top-tier networking, and live Marketecture interviews. The MadTech Blowout Bar offers glam for female leaders, and Preach on the Beach brings oceanfront real talk from The Advertising Forum.

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