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

• Tariffs at Possible—ad leaders confront disruption in retail, ad tech and upfronts (AdAge)

• Publishers: Don’t Fear Curation Fees, They’re Just The Same Old Ad Tech Tax (AdExchanger)

• Walmart Pitched Its Adtech To Retailers. Now It's Pulled the Plug (adweek)

• DOJ Wants Google to Share Search Data, but Privacy Risks and Tech Hurdles Loom Large (adweek)

• Google will make PMAX more transparent - channels, search terms, creative assets (AdExchanger)

The Google Ruling Was Inevitable. Now Comes the Real Story.

Nobody in AdTech is shocked that Google was found to have monopolized parts of the online advertising market. This ruling has been years in the making. Between the DOJ’s detailed case, growing bipartisan pressure, and Google’s sheer scale in ad tech, a decision like this felt less like a surprise and more like a formality.

But what matters is what happens next.

Will this lead to real structural changes like spinning off parts of Google’s ad business or will it become just another multi-year legal case with minimal impact? The court’s ruling zeroed in on publisher ad servers and exchanges, which represent a fraction of Alphabet’s revenue, but they’re foundational to how the web is monetized. If those systems change, the entire digital ad supply chain shifts with them.

This is a moment of opportunity and risk. The industry should be thinking less about Google’s statement that they “won half the case,” and more about how this ruling could finally unlock a more competitive and potentially more innovative ecosystem.

Read MSN

Apple Faces Criminal Referral Over App Store Antitrust Violations

Apple’s legal troubles deepened after a federal judge referred the company for potential criminal contempt, accusing it of deliberately defying a court order to loosen its App Store rules. The order, stemming from the Epic Games case, barred Apple from blocking developers from directing users to alternative payment methods. Instead, Apple imposed a new 27% fee—prompting the judge to slam the move as “willful” and “anticompetitive.” Internal documents showed CEO Tim Cook overruled compliance advice, and a top exec allegedly lied under oath. The decision could allow companies like Spotify and Netflix to bypass Apple’s infamous “App Store tax” and adds fuel to the DOJ’s broader antitrust case against the tech giant.

Read Hollywood Reporter

Possible 2025: From Buzzwords to Breakthroughs. AdTech’s Year of Change Begins

At Possible 2025, the big themes were AI, retail media, CTV and omnichannel. In a series of candid Tech Talks from the DRUM, industry leaders pulled back the curtain on what it actually takes to make these innovations work in practice. The sessions highlighted real-world challenges like outdated workflows, siloed systems, and signal overload—but also showcased real momentum.

AI’s greatest promise? Not flashy tools, but streamlining operations to scale campaigns efficiently. Retail media is getting physical, expanding to in-store shelves with programmatic ease. CTV is no longer just “TV,” it’s now the starting point of media plans. Even in-flight screens and second-screening on social are being reimagined as critical touchpoints in a fragmented media world.

I personally loved this summary and felt it should be shared. Read the full article below.

Read The Drum

Preach on the Beach: Where Industry Meets Intention in the 305

Last week in Miami, Preach on the Beach brought the heat and not just from the sun. Across two packed days at POSSIBLE, we turned our beachfront suite into a sanctuary for honest conversation, breakthrough ideas, and some of the best energy this industry has ever seen.

From spontaneous vision quests to game-changing product drops, we covered it all with zero panels, all vibes, and maximum signal.

Who Showed Up and Showed Out:

• FreeWheel announced their Streaming Hub, a move to simplify how publishers manage and monetize CTV — cutting through the clutter with direct connections and real-time innovation.

• Comscore made it local (and loud), spotlighting Barbershop Beauty, their Currency Crawl, and original art from Miami native Ray Ramirez to show how real insights start at the community level.

• Adelaide broke down the future of attention as a currency, revealing how their AU metric is quietly rewriting media contracts and refocusing the industry on quality over CPMs.

• Sojern and PubMatic teamed up to own the travel space turning real-time intent and curated supply into serious performance for advertisers, with plans to lead the next wave in travel data strategy.

• KERV and Digitas pulled unicorn duty, sharing how AI, shoppability, and cultural relevance are reshaping creative commerce, one outcome at a time.

• Exte made their official U.S. debut, with Matt Doherty joining Jeremy Bloom to talk about their outcome-based media platform and decade-long foundation that’s ready to scale stateside.

• VIANT dove into clean rooms, retail media, and the real work behind AI showing how structured, privacy-safe data can actually drive performance. No hype, just real strategy.

Thank You to Our Friends & Sponsors: Shoutout to FreeWheel, Comscore, Sojern, Adelaide, KERV, and EXTE and Viant for trusting the format and bringing your full selves to the suite.

Watch Preach on the Beach on YouTube

Meme of the week

Will Farrell, Pharrell Williams? Are they now Will Williams and Pharrell Farrell? Food for thought.

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