Next in Media
The media, marketing, and advertising business is being completely transformed by technology and data. This podcast features conversations with industry leaders as they guide their companies through this constant change. Each episode explores the disruption and innovation shaping the future of the industry.
Episodes
Why Social Video Is Beating Connected TV
As US video ad spend reaches $82 billion, media buyers are demanding granular audience targeting capabilities alongside bottom-funnel performance metrics. IAB Vice President Chris Bruderle breaks down the shifting dynamics between CTV and social video, the rise of multimodal contextual AI, and why live sports platforms must prove direct ROI to capture long-tail budgets.
Key Highlights
🎯 Targeting
Connect YouTube Ad Buys to CTV Campaigns
Traditional media buying breaks down when attitudinal audience data gets lost between upstream research and downstream media activation. Bright Mountain's Andy Davidson and Deep Focus's Kyle Krueger unpack how synthetic personas, unified YouTube-to-CTV strategies, and responsible creator management keep ad campaigns aligned and effective.
Key Highlights
🔄 Audience research usually gets mangled lik
Ace Hardware Retail Media Launch & Strategy
Ace Hardware's RedVest Media is rewriting the retail advertising playbook by turning a late market entry into a strategic advantage across its 5,200 store footprint.
Head of Retail Media Molly Hjelm joins Mike Shields to explain why friction-free Pacvue integration, closed-loop endemic attribution, and re-embracing physical stores outperform legacy off-platform tactics.
Key Highlights
⏰ The Late-
Collectively's Natalie SIlverstein on How to Optimize Creator Video Content
Collective CIO Natalie Silverstein joins Next In Media to explore how creators are evolving into full-fledged media networks and what it takes for brands to scale authentic partnerships in a hyper-fragmented landscape.
Natalie, also breaks down real-time crisis agility, strategies for training AI language models on video content, and how to combat the algorithmic reach recession with targeted pai
How Smart Agencies Really Use AI
Recorded live at Cannes, Wpromote CEO Andrea Bendzick exposes why agile independent agencies are eating traditional holding companies' lunch while everyone else scrambles to build overpriced tech platforms. She maps out how mixing performance marketing, smart M&A, and hard revenue-backed brand metrics gives modern agencies an unbeatable edge.
Key Highlights
⚖️ Independent agencies sit in a sweet s
Cadent's Doug Rozen on How to Unify Your TV, CTV, and YouTube Strategy
Cadent President Doug Rozen unpacks the hidden organizational silos and ad frequency nightmares plaguing modern video advertising at Cannes. Discover why shifting from audience persistence to contextual TV and total video planning is the ultimate fix for bruised brand performance.
Key Highlights
📺 Internal agency silos are ruining the viewer experience by slamming consumers with the same ad over a
Inside Spotify’s Ad Exchange Takeover
Spotify is shifting from a traditional audio platform into a powerful multi-format ad engine driven by advanced data targeting and transparent, value-exchange sponsorship models.
Through innovative automated tools and natural language API plugins, the streaming giant is eliminating traditional production barriers so brands of all sizes can easily deploy high-ROAS campaign creative.
Key Highlights
Why Creators Actually Need Brands (And Not The Reverse)
Recorded live at Cannes, this episode explores the shift from surface-level ad efficiency to true business effectiveness in a hyper-fragmented media landscape.
VaynerX's Jon Morgenstern delivers a masterclass on navigating the creator economy, leveraging YouTube's cross-screen dominance, and using common-sense attribution to cut wasteful ad spend without harming the bottom line.
Key Highlights
🤝
Inside the Ad Tech Alternative Saving Brands Millions
Relying solely on programmatic CTV auctions locks brands out of premium live sports and high-value cultural moments while racking up heavy middleware fees.
This deep dive reveals how direct-to-ad-server tech and large language models are restructuring streaming media execution to protect brand safety, automate delivery, and enforce flawless frequency capping.
Key Highlights
🏎️ The streaming lands
Stop Buying Video in Silos: A New Playbook for Brands
YouTube has officially outgrown traditional media taxonomies to become a unique, multi-surface ecosystem spanning streaming, social, and commerce.
This week, Tinuiti's Sean Odlum explains how brands can leverage first-party CRM data and the Ads Data Hub, to bypass mobile-heavy biases and measure true impact across every screen.
Key Highlights
🇨🇭 YouTube operates as a media "Swiss army knife" that
Inside The Global Rebrand Of Sam's Club Connect
The traditional retail media playbook is undergoing a massive transformation as platforms shift away from transactional clicks toward holistic, real-world shopping experiences.
This week, Sam's Club VP and GM Harvey Ma, breaks down how their membership data and cross-enterprise synergy with Walmart are setting a new standard for full-funnel brand measurement.
Key Highlights
💳 Every single purchas
Vizio’s Strategy to Dominate the Smart TV OS Market
As streaming behavior dominates the living room, Vizio's operating system has claimed the top spot in U.S. television sales by turning the home screen into an active search and discovery storefront.
In this exclusive Cannes interview, Chief Revenue Officer Mike O'Donnell explains how partnering with Walmart Connect allows advertisers to move beyond last-click attribution and track the complete cu
Inside SharkNinja's Ad Optimization Playbook
SharkNinja has rewritten the modern commerce playbook by embedding a "threshold of virality" directly into pre-product development and abandoning rigid, weekly campaign reviews for hourly optimization.
Global Head of Media Dave Kersey shares how this social-first, digital-only approach skyrocketed the brand to the top of TikTok Shop ecosystems globally while establishing a hyper-transparent, API-
How Netflix is Changing Live Sports and Connected TV Ads
The shift from traditional television to connected TV has accelerated rapidly, requiring publishers to offer both massive culture-shifting scale and ultra-precise targeting capabilities.
In this deep dive, Netflix Advertising VP Nicolle Pangis pulls back the curtain on how the platform built an independent, proprietary ad server to give global brands the exact mix of automated programmatic buying
How Georgia Pacific Modernized Its Marketing Mix Modeling
Achieving true cross-channel attribution remains an uphill battle as walled gardens restrict access to critical log-level data.
Georgia Pacific's Vice President of Integrated Media and Brand Analytics, Javier Bustillos, reveals how his team combats these fragmentation challenges by accelerating in-house Marketing Mix Modeling and adopting a disciplined, test-and-learn approach to automation.
Key
Why Live Sports and - Bravo (?) Are Dominating the Upfronts
As television viewership shifts, NBCUniversal is proving that premium IP like live sports and reality television can compete with digital channels by integrating advanced programmatic ad tech.
Through initiatives like real-time AI context-scanning and the Performance Insights Hub, they are closing the data loop to deliver immediate, measurable outcomes across the entire marketing funnel.
Key High
Why Warner Bros Discovery Ditched and Rebuilt TV Targeting
After briefly de-emphasizing targeted TV ads during the Discovery merger, Warner Bros. Discovery has rapidly rebuilt its infrastructure to offer clients unprecedented transparency and accountability.
In this live recording from the GoAddressable upfront breakfast, learn how premium IP content is joining forces with sophisticated data waterfalls to challenge the dominance of walled gardens.
Key Hi
iSpot CEO on the Future of TV Ad Outcomes & AI
Discover how the future of TV advertising is shifting toward outcome-based measurement and AI-driven optimization coming out of the 2026 upfronts .
iSpot CEO Sean Muller joins the show to break down their fundamental "Creative + Audience = Outcome" equation, the integration of their new AI platform Sage, and why the industry must prioritize trusted, neutral data over ongoing currency debates.
Key
How to Monetize Arguments - Without Getting Cancelled
Jubilee Media founder and CEO Jason Y Lee joins Next in Media to break down how the digital-first studio builds scalable, format-driven IP that captures Gen Z's massive attention span without relying on a single face.
Discover the monetization strategies behind their unscripted content, why creators are turning down Hollywood, and how authentic human conversation is outperforming AI in the modern
The Power of Nostalgia: Reaching Gen Alpha Through Their Parents’ Childhood
Gen Alpha has completely fragmented away from traditional TV, leaving advertisers scrambling to connect with kids and parents across YouTube, FAST channels, and gaming platforms.
This week, Mike sits down with Emma Witkowski, VP of Media Solutions at WildBrain, to unpack the massive market disconnect in children's media, the power of nostalgia in family co-viewing, and how upcoming privacy regula
Amazon Ads Chief Alan Moss on Connecting Live Sports, Streaming, and Retail
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields sits down with Alan Moss, VP of Global Advertising Sales at Amazon Ads, to talk about Amazon's rapid transformation into a full-funnel advertising powerhouse. Alan walks through how he joined Amazon mid-COVID in 2020 and within a few years helped land an 11-year NFL deal, launch Prime Video ads, and close an NBA partnership that made Prime Video a yea
Why Independent Agencies Are Having a Renaissance – with CMO Kristina Canada
Episode description
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields sits down with Kristina Canada, CMO at Net Conversion, a 19-year-old independent marketing and analytics agency based in Orlando that's in the middle of a serious growth push — with a new Chicago office, a recent acquisition of CTV specialists Elevate the Outcome, and a philosophy rooted in measurable business outcomes over vanity
From Trick Shots to Tour Buses – Inside Dude Perfect’s Media Playbook
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields sits down with Andrew Yaffe, CEO of Dude Perfect, to talk about how the iconic trick-shot brand has evolved into one of the most diversified properties in digital media. Eighteen months into the role after a long run at the NBA, Andrew walks through Dude Perfect's three-part strategy of content, products, and experiences — including a 22-city summer t
How Lenovo Is Putting AI to Work in Marketing — with CMO Emily Ketchen
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Emily Ketchen, SVP & CMO of Intelligent Devices Group & International Markets at Lenovo, to talk about what it actually looks like to operationalize AI inside a global marketing organization. Emily shares how Lenovo is standing up the AI PC and AI phone category, why contextual and generative AI drove efficiency gains in the brand's Formula One par
How Michael Wolf Is Rethinking Attention in the Age of Multitasking
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Michael Wolf, CEO and Founder of Activate Consulting, to break down the findings from the firm’s 11th annual Technology and Media Outlook. Michael walks us through Activate's "Attention Clock" and how multitasking stretches the average American's day well past 24 hours, leaving brands to fight for partial attention while still paying like they're g
What's So Challenging About Cross Platform Measurement?
Explore how the "cookie apocalypse" evolved into a hyper-fragmented identity landscape where iPhone users, cookieless browsers, and diverse CTV signals have created massive monetization gaps for the unprepared.
I sit down with Intent IQ’s Fabrice Beer-Gabel to reveal why the future of programmatic advertising isn't a choice between deterministic or probabilistic data, but a high-stakes race to ba
How Mike Law Is Navigating the CTV Targeting Puzzle at Carat
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Mike Law, CEO of Carat North America, to talk about one of the biggest tensions in modern media: the push for more targeted TV advertising versus the risk of going too narrow and losing brand growth. Mike and I discuss how brands have at times gotten too addressable, siloing themselves into repeat customers while forgetting to grow the top of the f
Ryan Detert on Why Publicis Made Its Biggest Bet on Creator Marketing
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, the creator marketing company that was acquired by Publicis in 2024. Since the acquisition, Influential has seen massive growth, also acquiring Captiv8 to build out a global offering combining technology, services, and measurement all in one place. Ryan and I dig into how brands are structuring their creator teams,
How Yahoo DSP Is Winning the Identity and CTV Wars with Adam Roodman
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Adam Roodman, General Manager of Yahoo DSP, to talk about how Yahoo has quietly built one of the most compelling demand side platforms in the market. Adam walks through Yahoo's positioning in the ongoing DSP wars, why their identity graph and ConnectID solution give advertisers an edge in a world of increasing signal loss, and how the platform's de
How Sam Garfield Is Building Adobe's AI Operating System for Advertising
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Sam Garfield, Head of Digital Strategy for CMT Data and AI Platforms at Adobe, to explore how Adobe is quietly becoming the backbone of modern marketing. Sam breaks down how Adobe operates across three core layers: the creative layer (Creative Cloud and Firefly AI), the content supply chain layer (Workfront and asset management), and the data and e
Why Philip Inghelbrecht Is Betting Against Programmatic CTV
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Philip Inghelbrecht, Co-Founder and CEO of Tatari, to unpack why one of the most innovative companies in TV advertising has built its entire thesis on a contrarian idea: that programmatic CTV is the wrong tool for most of the television market. Philip walks through how Tatari operates as a full infrastructure holding company, combining a demand-sid
How Leanne Perice Is Building the Future of Creator Management at Made by All
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields sits down with Leanne Perice, founder and CEO of Made by All, one of the creator economy's most distinctive talent management firms. Leanne shares how she built the company from the ground up over nine years, starting with a single $1,000 deal in 2014 and growing it into a global powerhouse that doubles revenue year over year. She explains how her ear
Charles Manning on Why Measurement Is the Secret Weapon in the Age of Agentic AI
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down live at the Kochava Summit in Sandpoint, Idaho, with Charles Manning, founder and CEO of Kochava. We go deep on one of the most pressing questions facing the industry right now: how profound is the shift to agentic advertising and AI-driven workflows? Charles argues it is not a decade-long evolution like programmatic was. It is breathtakingly faster, an
Navigating Data Identity and AI in Marketing with Matt Spiegel
This week on Next in Media, I sat down with Matt Spiegel, EVP of Marketing Solutions Growth Strategies at TransUnion, to unpack one of the most pressing questions in advertising right now: what's actually changed since cookies started disappearing and privacy laws started piling up? And just as importantly, what hasn't changed? Matt brings a refreshingly practical perspective to the conversation,
David Freeman on the Case for a Capital Infusion in Creator Media
In this episode, I sit down with David Freeman, who just launched Kynetic Media Partners after an incredible 15-year run at CAA. David was one of the first executives I knew who truly understood the business impact of digital talent and the creator economy - back when most people in Hollywood were still asking "why do you care about that?" He walks us through his journey from starting CAA's digita
The Future of Retail Media with Kiri Masters
In this episode of Next in Media, I sit down with Kiri Masters, host of the Retail Media Breakfast Club podcast, to explore the biggest shifts happening in retail media advertising. We dive into the recent announcement about ads coming to ChatGPT and what that means for brands trying to meet consumers where they are. Kiri shares her perspective on whether AI-powered shopping will truly disrupt the
Why the NFL is Leaning So Hard on Creators - with Ian Trombetta
In this week's episode of Next in Media, I sat down with Ian Trombetta, SVP of Social Influencer and Content Marketing for the NFL. We dove deep into how the league is winning the creator economy by building long-term partnerships with rising stars like Kai Cenat, Sketch, and Mr. Beast. Ian shared how his team identifies talent before they blow up, creating authentic relationships that benefit bot
How Smosh Endured Numerous Pitfalls Before Becoming a 70-Person Media Powerhouse
I never thought I'd be running a 70-employee media company built around two guys who started making Pokemon sketches in their bedroom. But here we are. When I stepped into the role of CEO of Smosh in early 2023, I wasn't just taking on a business - I was stewarding a 20-year legacy that spans five active YouTube channels, a 15-person cast, and millions of fans worldwide. My background in talent ma
Media Predictions for 2026 with Evan Shapiro
I sat down with Evan Shapiro, the legendary media cartographer and author of the must-read substack Media War and Peace, to kick off 2026 with bold predictions about where our industry is heading. Evan didn't hold back as he unpacked the tension between AI-driven automation and the raw authenticity that makes creators so powerful. We explored how scale and reach are becoming vanity metrics, while
Shane Atchison and Seth Gordon on Building Zaaz Collective for the Creator Economy
This week on Next in Media, I sat down with Shane Atchison, CEO of Zaaz Collective, and Seth Gordon, a film director and co-founder of Zaaz. We dove into their mission to help micro and mid-level creators (those with 5,000 to 100,000 followers) think and act like media companies. With 96% of creators making minimum wage or less, Shane and Seth saw an opportunity to build a collective where creator
The Digital Banking Company Chime Wants CTV to Work Just Like Meta
This week I had the chance to sit down with two fascinating guests who are at the forefront of bridging the worlds of digital performance marketing and traditional television advertising. Nick Fairbairn, VP of Growth Marketing at Chime, and Andy Schonfeld, CRO at Tatari, walked me through how they've transformed Chime from a pure digital-first, DTC neobank brand built on social and search into a s
Can Brands Really Spend $37 Billion with Creators?
I had the incredible opportunity to bring together some of the brightest minds in the creator economy for an evening of candid conversation about where this industry is headed. From ad tech innovations to creator authenticity, we covered the full spectrum of what it takes to turn creator content into scalable, revenue-generating partnerships. Conor McKenna from Luma and Zoe Soon from the IAB kicke
How the New York Times Is Evolving Advertising with Tusar Barik
I sat down with Tusar Barik, the SVP of Marketing at the New York Times, who's just past his first year in this newly created role. We explored how the Times has transformed from a traditional newspaper into a multifaceted media company spanning news, games, podcasts, cooking, sports, and more. Tusar leads a comprehensive team managing everything from measurement and data insights to product marke
🎬 Inside the Micro-Drama Boom with Erick Opeka
Summary:This week on Next in Media, Mike Shields talks with Erick Opeka, President & Chief Strategy Officer at Cineverse and board member at the startup Micro Co. Opeka breaks down how short-form “micro-dramas”—already attracting hundreds of millions of daily viewers in China—are taking shape in the U.S. and why they could become a $20 billion category.He explains how Cineverse’s 22 streaming serv
Why Brands Should Stop Avoiding News with Jack Marshall
Why Brands Should Stop Avoiding News with Jack MarshallBrands have long shied away from advertising in news, fearing controversy or association with “negative” stories; but that hesitation is costing them results. This week, Mike Shields talks with Jack Marshall, Head of News at DoubleVerify, about why avoiding news is a missed opportunity and how advertisers can take a smarter, more nuanced appro
Fire TV, Alexa Plus & the Future of Shoppable CTV with Amazon's Charlotte Maines
In this special episode recorded live at Amazon UnBox in Nashville, I sit down with Charlotte Maines, Head of Device Advertising for Fire TV at Amazon. We dive into the massive reach of Fire TV—over 300 million devices sold globally—and what that means for brands aiming to connect with high-value, logged-in Amazon customers.Charlotte shares how Amazon is evolving the ad experience from simple tune
AI, Audience Measurement & Media’s Future with Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao
This week on Next in Media, I sat down with Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao to get an inside look at the company’s transformation in a fast-evolving media landscape. From the explosive rise of YouTube on connected TVs to tackling fragmentation across platforms, Karthik breaks down how Nielsen is reinventing itself with big data, AI, and a mission to future-proof measurement.We talked about the company’s r
Meet the People Magazine of the Ad World
Robert Wheeler — longtime communications leader at WarnerMedia, AT&T/Xandr, and GroupM — shares why he left the corporate world to build At the Moment Media (ATM), a people-first, video-led publication spotlighting personalities across advertising, technology, and media.He walks through how the brand came to life — from the black-and-white design and animated “M” mascot to its 5–6 minute storytell
How Google Reinvented Search with AI
Google Ads just turned 25, and it’s entering a new era—one driven by AI, conversations, and context. In this episode, Dan Taylor, VP of Global Ads at Google, joins Mike Shields to unpack how the search giant is transforming its ads business for the age of AI Overviews, Performance Max, and long-form conversational queries. He explains why this shift feels bigger than mobile, how advertisers are ad
How Roku Is Powering the Next Wave of CTV Advertising
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields speaks with Peter Hamilton, Head of Ad Innovation at Roku, about the rapid evolution of connected TV (CTV) advertising and how Roku is bridging the gap between big-brand budgets and small-business accessibility.Peter shares what’s really happening behind the scenes as digital-first advertisers and DTC brands move into television, the challenges of onb
From Viral Photographer to Skincare Empire with His Daughter Salish
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields sits down with Jordan Matter, the YouTuber, photographer, and entrepreneur behind one of the most surprising creator success stories of the year. What started as a simple series of dance photography videos turned into a global family brand with more than 300 million monthly views—and now, a Sephora skincare line that drew an unbelievable 87,000 fans t
Inside Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat with Janina Lundy
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields sits down with Janina Lundy, EVP and Head of Marketing & Brand Partnerships at Hartbeat, the production company founded by comedian and actor Kevin Hart. Heartbeat has become a creative force at the intersection of comedy, culture, and branded entertainment — developing hit shows like Cold as Balls with Old Spice and original films like Group Therapy
Reinventing Ad Tech, Criteo’s CEO on Retail Media, AI, and the Future of Addressability
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields sits down with Michael Komasinski, CEO of Criteo, to unpack how one of ad tech’s best-known companies has reinvented itself for a privacy-first world. Once synonymous with retargeting, Criteo has successfully evolved into a powerhouse in retail media, supporting more than 230 retailers and $160 billion in GMV.Michael shares how the company’s early inv
What's It Like to Ride the YouTube Wave for Nearly 20 Years
Next in Media talked to Michael Wayne, co-founder and CEO of Kin, about his nearly 20-year journey building a media company alongside YouTube's evolution. Wayne shared how his company navigated multiple business model shifts—from the MCN era to working with traditional celebrities on digital platforms, licensing content to streaming services and cable networks during the pandemic, and experimentin
How is a Giant Marketer Like Unilever Going to Spend Half of Its Media Budget on Creators?
Next in Media talked to Selina Sykes, Global Marketing Transformation Leader for Beauty and Wellbeing at Unilever, about the company's ambitious goal to allocate half of its media budget to creators. The conversation explored how a legacy CPG giant is reimagining its marketing model to stay relevant in a social-first world.Sykes discussed Unilever's shift from traditional broadcast advertising to
Dhar Mann Wants to Make YouTube Shows With Big Brands
Next in Media talked to Dhar Mann, Creator and founder of Dhar Mann Studios, and Sean Atkins, CEO of Dhar Mann Studios, about building one of YouTube's most successful scripted content operations. They discussed creating family-friendly scripted series at scale, working with brands beyond traditional advertising, and expanding their studio model to support other creators.Mann and Atkins also cover
Amazon's Kelly MacLean on How the eCommerce Giant Built a Killer DSP
🔖Chapters:[00:01:12] - Kelly's Background: From Soccer to Ad Tech[00:03:22] - Making the Move from Meta to Amazon[00:04:44] - Amazon DSP's Evolution from Single to Multi-Purpose[00:06:10] - Adapting to the Streaming TV Revolution[00:07:31] - Technical Differentiators and Competitive Positioning[00:13:30] - AI Integration and the "Crystal Box" Approach[00:16:54] - The Future of Automated Advertisin
Dazn's Walker Jacobs on Lessons From Streaming Global Sports Events, and What YouTube in for with its First NFL Game
🔖Chapters:00:00 - Introduction and DAZN Overview01:12 - DAZN's Global Sports Streaming Scale03:58 - Creating the FIFA Club World Cup Tournament07:43 - Managing Complex Global Live Streaming14:26 - The State of Sports and Streaming Industry18:40 - Lessons from Amazon's Thursday Night Football Launch27:30 - DAZN's US Growth Strategy and Original Content💡Takeaways:🌍 DAZN operates as the world's larg
Why Creators Like Kai Cenat are Playing Dodgeball for $500K
Next in Media spoke with Drew Muller, VP and General Manager of House of Highlights, about how the Warner Discovery-owned property is looking to bridge sports fandom with top creators' content via the Creator League. The event, founded in 2023, features top creators such as Kai Cenat, Jesser and FaZe Rug playing a series of tournaments in sports such as slamball, dodgeball and basketball for big p
How Tubi is Embracing Creators - and Trying to Shake up Streaming
Next in Media chatted with Rich Bloom, GM, Creator Programs & EVP, Business Development at Tubi, about the Fox-owned streamers new creator program, which has quickly expanded for five to 50 participants. Bloom also talked about Tubi's overall growth, Gen Z misconceptions, and whether TV needs to adopt more YouTube-like qualities.💡Takeaways:🎬 Creator Content is Blurring the Lines with Traditional T
Ad Tech Forrest Gump Ari Paparo on his New Book, and Whether the Feds Should Have Nailed Google Sooner
Next in Media spoke with Marketecture CEO Ari Paparo, author of the new book "Yield: How Google Bought, Built, and Bullied Its Way to Advertising Dominance" about how Google was able to build a monopoly on programmatic ads, despite so many people in the ad industry shouting about it for years - and whether we can stop the next one.💡Takeaways:🏛️ The initial small scale of programmatic advertising i
Creators, Campaigns, and Cannes: Navigating the Evolving Media Ecosystem
Next in Media spoke with WPP Media's Jessica Brown and Spark Foundry Worldwide's Kelly Metz, focusing on YouTube's growing role in the TV marketplace, the shift towards holistic video measurement, the increasing importance of AI and streamlined approaches in media buying, and the evolving challenges and opportunities in creator partnerships and cross-platform attribution.💡Takeaways:📺 YouTube's Gro
What Happens to Retail Media When Agents Start Taking Over Shopping?
This episode is brought to you by Walmart Connect. From homepage to home improvement. Win Carts and Minds with Walmart Connect.Next in Media spoke with Sarah Hofstetter, chairwoman of Profitero, a division of Publicis, about the haves and have nots in retail media, whether the big players TV presence is going to cause a bifurcation in the market, and what agentic shopping might do to the whole cat
Are You Ready for Gen Alpha? Insights from Razorfish CEO Dani Mariano
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields interviews Dani Mariano, CEO of Razorfish, about their research into Gen Alpha, highlighting this generation's unique media consumption habits, brand maturity, and influence on household purchasing decisions, as well as Razorfish's "creator collab" program designed to meet the evolving demands of creator-centric marketing.💡 Takeaways:👶 Gen Alpha is mo
Snap's CMO Grace Kao: Beyond Social Media - Connecting Audiences, Brands & Developers
Grace Kao, CMO of Snap, discusses Snapchat's unique position as a platform focused on authentic connection and creativity, highlighting its diverse audience (consumers, B2B, developers) and innovative features like Promoted Places on the Snap Map and opportunities for brands in Chat, emphasizing the platform's ease of use and its appeal to a generation valuing real self-expression.💡Takeaways:📸 Cam
Kasha Cacy, Known CMO: Navigating YouTube's "Other" Category for Advertisers
Chief Media Officer at Known, Kasha Cacy, discusses YouTube's growing prominence against traditional television, despite challenges for brands regarding content predictability and measurement. Cacy, also touches on the evolving landscape of big creators acting as media companies and the current economic outlook from a business perspective.💡Takeaways:📈 YouTube's Continued Growth: YouTube consistent
How to Bring Creators and Commerce Together Without Alienating Your Audience
Next in Media discusses the evolving role of influencers in marketing with Megan Pagliuca, Chief Product Officer at Omnicom Media Group, and Khurrum Malik, Head of Marketing for Walmart Connect, focusing on how data and new strategies are integrating influencers into broader media plans to drive sales and brand building.💡Takeaways:🛒 Retail Data for Influencer Selection: The integration of retail d
Retail Media's Future with Anne Harrell of Pacvue in Cannes
In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields interviews Ann Harrell, Head of Product Enablement at Pacvue, about the evolving landscape of retail media. Harrell explains the challenges of data availability and cross-channel attribution in retail media, highlighting the role of data clean rooms and the blurring lines between retail, social, and traditional search as all become channels for commer
A Tale of Two TV Upfronts
As part of its exclusive series on the YouTube Ecosystem, Next in Media spoke with John Terrana, President, Americas at VaynerMedia, about why most clients aren't racing to lock up much inventory beyond sports this year, and the 'weirdo' spot YouTube still finds itself in.💡Takeaways:🏈 Sports Media Dominance: Live sports, particularly NFL and NBA, are highly competitive and fast-moving in the media
Can Spotify Become a Bigger (Video) Ad Player?
Next in Media sat down with Chloe Wix, Head of Global Product & Commercial Growth at Spotify at the company's beach venue in Cannes, to talk about AI-generated audio ads, why Spotify is leaning more into monetizing non-subscribers, and whether the 'background' medium can graduate into the video ad market.💡Takeaways:🎧 Shifting Perception of Spotify's Business Model: While initially perceived primar
Walmart Connect's Ryan Mayward on Pushing Beyond Retail Media
Next In Media spoke with Ryan Mayward, SVP of Retail Media Sales for Walmart Connect, about the company's expansion of its retail media capabilities beyond its own platforms. Walmart Connect is focusing on off-platform strategies through partnerships in CTV (NBC Universal, Disney, Paramount Plus), social media (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest), and new integrations like Vizio. 💡Takeaways:🌐 Off-Platform Re
Google's Sean Downey on YouTube Playing Matchmaker Between Creators and Brands
Next in Media and Sean Downey of Google discuss YouTube's evolving role in connecting brands with creators, highlighting new platforms like Brand Connect and "Peak Points" to foster authentic partnerships and drive full-funnel outcomes for advertisers. They also touch on YouTube's expansion into live events like the NFL's global broadcast and the growing potential of shoppable content across all f
Should Paypal be building an ad business?
Next in Media spoke with Dr. Mark Grether SVP & General Manager, PayPal Ads, on why he thinks the company's 'transaction graph' may be even more powerful than some retailers' data for advertising, and why there's nothing to worry about with a company that has so many people's banking information to use that data for ad targeting. 💡Takeaways:🌐 The Power of Transaction Graphs: PayPal's advertising s
Mike and Emily Riley talk media agency paralysis, Amazon vs Trade Desk, Paramount Drama and Sydney Sweeney Soap
Mike and Emily Riley talk media agency paralysis, Amazon vs Trade Desk, Paramount Drama and Sydney Sweeney Soap.💡Takeaways:📉 Agency Turmoil and Risk Aversion: Ad agencies are experiencing significant internal issues, including layoff fears, client shifts, and restructuring (e.g., WPP). 🤝 Innovation Through Established Channels: While direct sales to agencies are difficult, ad tech innovation is st
Should Brands Care More about Sports, Creators, or Creators Who Care About Sports?
Canvas CEO Paul Woolmington on why everyone needs the NFL, and why brands need to weigh the value of running ads in live games vs. becoming part of the religion of sports fandom - with creators' help.💡Takeaways:Sports Dominance & Cultural Anchor: Sports have become a dominant force in media, serving as a critical aspect of live content and a shared cultural experience that transcends demographics
Emily and Mike talk about the ad world's new obsession with models, and whether brands are too trusting of AI ad buying
Emily and Mike talk about the ad world's new obsession with models, and whether brands are too trusting of AI ad buying.💡Takeaways:The resurgence of Marketing Mix Models (MMMs) is a significant topic in Ad Tech, with varying opinions on their effectiveness, especially when pitted against AI-driven tools from major platforms like Meta and Google. 📊Historically, MMMs were expensive and data-intensiv
Why Ad Tech Might Finally Get a Piece of That Creator $
Next in Media spoke with Conor McKenna, partner at Luma Partners, about what's held ad tech back from exploiting the creator economy, and why creators themselves - along with a new competitive dynamic among the tech platforms - may lead the industry in a whole new direction.💡Takeaways:Creator Economy's Spending Gap 🤯: Despite excitement and increased brand activity, there's a significant gap betwe
Mike and Emily do a post upfront breakdown, mourning Xandr while debating whether Amazon is out ad teching Google
The ad industry is seeing major shifts, with Microsoft stepping back from Xandr amidst the rise of AI and the complexities of CTV advertising at the forefronts. Meanwhile, the value of local advertising is in question, as it struggles to keep up with the evolution of digital platforms and measurement.💡Takeaways:Microsoft Exits Ad Tech (Again): 📉 The tech giant is sunsetting Xandr, citing a shift t
Emily and Mike Talk AI in Media Buying, Agency Layoffs, and Trade Desk Bounceback
This week, Mike and Emily dive into the recent positive performance of The Trade Desk, questioning if the earlier concerns about the ad tech market were overblown, and then shift gears to discuss the evolving landscape of search with the rise of sophisticated AI prompting and its implications for information access and optimization.💡Takeaways:Trade Desk's Resilience: Despite earlier concerns, Trad
YouTube Enters the Upfront Season in the Driver's Seat
Next in Media spoke with Brian Albert, Managing Director, YouTube Media Partnerships & Creative Works, about YouTube's ascent on the TV screen, how the company plans to bring top creators to the table during upfront talks, and whether brands are about to pull back on commitments amidst all this tariff uncertainty.💡Takeaways:YouTube's Enduring Influence: Even after 20 years, YouTube remains a centr
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