Podcast appearances and mentions of ari paparo

Ari Paparo speaks with Matthew Doherty, CEO of EXTE North America, about the company's recent rebranding and its approach to entering the U.S. market. They cover EXTE's contextual targeting technology, how its optimization functions across various media environments, and the challenges of fitting into existing ad tech workflows. The discussion also explores broader industry topics such as supply-side developments and the influence of creativity on performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi are joined by David Berkowitz, a longtime marketer and founder of Serial Marketers and the AI Marketers Guild. They talk about the evolving role of community in marketing, how AI is reshaping creative work, and the uncertain future of entry-level marketing jobs. Plus, reflections on Mountain's IPO, WPP's AI push, and what it's like to build a brand when your name comes with unexpected baggage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo speaks with Aaron McKee, CTO of Blis, recently acquired by T-Mobile. They discuss Blis's unique geo-based approach to omnichannel media planning and measurement, how it delivers performance across hard-to-reach environments like iOS and CTV, and why traditional cookie-dependent strategies may fall short. Aaron also explains how Blis handles optimization, measurement through geo holdout groups, and compliance in a shifting regulatory landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Franchi and Ari Paparo are joined by Olivia Kory, Chief Strategy Officer at Haus, Olivia explains her research on YouTube and AppLovin as well as how the methodology can work across media. The group discusses the big news that Xandr Invest is shutting and recaps the DMS conference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taboola CEO Adam Singolda joins Ari Paparo to explore the company's role in the open web, from evolving publisher monetization models to the impact of AI on content personalization. They discuss the balance between relevance and quality, the rise of commerce content, and how platforms like Taboola are navigating scale and trust in a changing digital landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo speaks with Andy Batkin, CEO of Duration Media, about the launch of Curation Media, a new approach to programmatic advertising. They explore the shift away from middlemen, how real-time viewability tech is creating unique, high-quality ad impressions, and what “scarcity at scale” really means for both publishers and buyers. It's a thoughtful dive into how supply path optimization and sustainability intersect with innovation in the ad tech space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TripleLift CEO Dave Helmreich joins Ari Paparo to discuss his first 60 days at the helm and how the company is evolving beyond its native roots. They explore TripleLift's push into creative as a differentiator for programmatic, its role in powering retail media through adaptive commerce solutions, and how it's helping publishers and advertisers innovate in CTV. Dave also shares thoughts on balancing infrastructure with innovation, where the biggest growth opportunities lie, and why he thinks TripleLift is like a hummingbird. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Ari Paparo interviews Eric Tilbury, Head of Operations at Inouvo, to explore how their platform moves beyond traditional keyword targeting using a proprietary “concept graph.” Tilbury explains how Inouvo identifies the underlying meaning and sentiment of content at the sentence level, enabling more precise ad targeting—even without user identifiers. He shares the company's origins from a UCLA machine learning lab, their dual business model spanning ad tech and publishing, and the ongoing challenge of attribution in a post-ID world. The conversation also touches on how Inouvo integrates with Microsoft's SSP and why building trust around alternative measurement remains a key hurdle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Marketecture, Ari Paparo sits down with Gary Mittman, CEO of KERV.ai, to discuss how AI-driven video analysis is transforming contextual relevance and shopability. Mittman explains how KERV's technology identifies key moments in video content to enable dynamic, targeted ad placements, creating new opportunities for publishers and advertisers. The conversation covers use cases with major media companies, the role of AI in ad compliance, and the challenges of integrating contextual targeting into the evolving ad tech landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the *Programmatic Digest Podcast*, we hear the unique career journeys of Shannon Rudd and Allie Lichtenberg into adtech. Allie, who started in biology and chemistry, now runs her own programmatic media buying company, Ad Lucem. Shannon shares her experience moving from publishing to consulting for midsize publishers, showing how the ad tech world is always changing.   We also talk about important industry topics like privacy (specifically PETs) and diversity at tech conferences. Women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) representation matters, and we highlight the humor, support, and progress happening at these events.   The episode also dives into the hidden heroes of programmatic advertising, the "programmatic ninjas" in ad operations. We discuss new tools for brand safety and media trading, as well as insights from ad tech pioneer Brian O'Kelley on improving user experience. Plus, we look at how community-driven brands like Marketecture Live and Advance Women are shaping the future of the industry.     Special shoutout to our honorary mentions: Advance Women: https://advancewomenofficial.com/  Priti Powell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pritip7/  Hollis Guerra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollisguerra/  Sophia Westrich:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiawestrich/   Melinda Han Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindahan/  Mike Hauptman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljhauptman/  ATG: https://www.adtechgod.com/  Admonster: https://www.admonsters.com/conferences-and-events/  Lynne D Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnedjohnson/   Advance Women: https://advancewomenofficial.com/  Priti Powell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pritip7/  Hollis Guerra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollisguerra/  Sophia Westrich:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiawestrich/   Jeremy Bloom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremypbloom/  Amelia Tran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliatran/  Ari Paparo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aripaparo/  Chris Luna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-luna-a85017b/  Rob Beeler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertabeeler/  Melissa Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissashaychapman/   Brian O'Kelley: https://youtu.be/_kjfCrHvnGk?si=RM3IQpcXpAQXFCXx  Iesha White: https://youtu.be/2edt1xrHNdQ?si=cFS2eQfejKLW21mz  Albert Thompson: https://youtu.be/fd_zzQZx-PI?si=o1eI_IFuAtsFvFfp  Announcement   We have opened The Reach and Frequency MEMBERSHIP, exclusive to programmatic ninjas, adops, adtech unicorns looking for a community where we can learn freely and judgement free.  https://programmaticdigest14822.ac-page.com/executivemembership    About Us: We teach historically excluded individuals how to break into programmatic media buying and land their dream jobs. Through our Reach and Frequency® program, an engaged community, and expert coaching, we offer: Customized training roadmaps for teams focusing on campaign performance, cross-departmental communication, and revenue growth. Request a sample training roadmap A hybrid model where we activate and train in DSPs. Book a Free Call   Programmatic Training & Coaching: Accelerator Program: A 6-week structured program with live coaching, hands-on DSP exercises, and real-time feedback. Sign Up Self-Paced Course: Learn at your own speed with full content access. Enroll Here Waitlist for Future Workshops: Join Here  Timestamp: (00:02) - Programmatic Industry Insights From Mockitecture (14:39) - Privacy and Diversity in Tech Conferences (18:45) - Industry Diversity and Inclusion Discussion (31:52) - Ad Ops in Ad Tech (40:28) - Brand Safety and Ad Tech Innovations (46:59) - Evolution of Tech Industry Insights     Meet Our Guest: Allie Lichtenberg https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonmottolalichtenberg/  Shannon Rudd https://www.linkedin.com/in/srudd/ Meet The Team: Hélène Parker - Chief Programmatic Coach https://www.heleneparker.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-parker/ Learn Programmatic As a TEAM: https://www.heleneparker.com/workshop/  As a Programmatic Ninja: https://www.heleneparker.com/course/ Programmatic Coaching Newsletter:https://www.heleneparker.com/newsletter/    Programmatic Digest https://www.linkedin.com/company/programmatic-digest-podcast https://www.youtube.com/@programmaticdigest    Manuela Cortes - Co-Host  Programmatic Digest In Espanol  https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-cortes-/   Looking for programmatic training/coaching?    Sign up to our Accelerator Program:  A 6-week structured program with live coaching, hands-on within DSP(s) exercises, and real-time feedback—perfect for those who thrive on accountability and community, and looking to grow their technical skillset https://reachandfrequencycourse.thinkific.com/courses/program    Self-Paced Course: Full access to course content anytime, allowing independent learners to study at their own speed with complete flexibility. https://reachandfrequencycourse.thinkific.com/bundles/the-reach-frequency-full-course  Join our next workshop by signing up to our waitlist below: https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/     

Have feedback or a question? Text us!SummaryIn this episode of the Marketecture podcast, host Ari Paparo is joined by Eric Franchi and Tim Rowe, founder of the OOH Insider podcast, to dive into the world of Out-of-Home (OOH) and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising. The episode kicks off with an exciting scoop about a recently published deck from DoubleClick (get it here), revealing insights that highlight their conservative estimates regarding media revenue.  From there, it's an action-packed conversation about Why DOOH Matters, how it's being traded, and speculation on winners and losers as the programmatic pieces fall into place.TakeawaysMarket Size and Growth: The global DOOH market is approximately $21 billion, with $5 billion in the U.S. Despite growth, its share of advertising spend is declining, indicating challenges in capturing a larger market share.Fragmentation Challenges: The DOOH industry faces fragmentation, with many screens and networks leading to inefficiencies. Most programmatic transactions occur through private marketplaces (PMPs), complicating the buying process.Future of DOOH: The integration of DOOH with connected TV (CTV) and advancements in technology, such as first-party data utilization, are seen as key opportunities for growth and innovation in the sector.Attention Measurement: The collaboration between IAB and MRC for attention measurement accreditation is a significant step towards validating attention as a metric in advertising, which could benefit OOH advertising strategies.Chapters00:02:05 - Why Care About OOH/DOOH?00:02:23 - Case for DOOH00:02:49 - Market Size of DOOH00:04:07 - Growth Challenges in DOOH00:07:16 - Programmatic Transactions in DOOH00:08:03 - Leading Programmatic Companies in DOOH00:13:08 - Measurement in DOOH00:16:33 - Future of DOOH and CTV Convergence00:21:45 - Roku's Role in DOOH00:37:41 - Attention Measurement in OOHCheck out the Marketecture Podcast at https://www.marketecture.tv/Join OOH Insider and Placer.ai at The Premier Leadership Conference for those Building the Future with Location Analytics, December 10th, 2024 at Pier Sixty. Use discount code OOHInsider70 to save 70% at registration. Learn more here.

Now that the Google antitrust trial focused around digital advertising has ended, the next move will be the Department of Justice and Google coming back to the courtroom November 25 for closing arguments.Marketecture's Ari Paparo, who has covered the entire trial, dives into what he thought of Google's defense, what the ruling might be and what the next steps could be for the digital advertising industry._______ To read the full stories included in this episode: ‘They were holding us hostage': Inside the groundbreaking Google ad tech trial: https://www.thecurrent.com/whats-happening-at-the-google-ad-tech-trialBeyond Day 15: What's next for Google? https://monopoly.marketecture.tv/p/beyond-day-15-d0efDay 13: The end is nigh! https://monopoly.marketecture.tv/p/day-13-the-end-is-nighReaders Are Flocking To Political News, Says WaPo – And Advertisers Are Missing Out: https://www.adexchanger.com/publishers/readers-are-flocking-to-political-news-says-wapo-and-advertisers-are-missing-out/_______ The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what's happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH_______ Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world's most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR

Covering Google's ad tech antitrust trial in Virginia is surreal for anyone who's been in ad tech as long as Ari Paparo. He knows most of the people on the stand.

In this week's episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast, I speak with notable ad tech authority and former podcast guest Ari Paparo about the specifics of the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Google in its ad tech lawsuit, which recently went to trial. Ari is the CEO of Marketecture, which recently launched a new sub-site dedicated to Google's antitrust lawsuits called The Monopoly Report. I used this opportunity to speak to Ari to have him explain the various allegations made in the lawsuit (which I originally covered here). Among other things, Ari explains the specifics of: Google's restriction of its demand to AdX; Google's restriction of real-time bidding to AdX, while giving AdX "first look" (dynamic allocation); Project Bernanke / Global Bernanke / Project Bell; Header bidding and why Google wanted to suppress it; Project Poirot; Unified Pricing Rules / removing per-exchange price floors; Who was harmed by these tactics, and how. Thanks to the sponsors of this week's episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast: Kayzen. A mobile-first DSP that is built to democratize programmatic advertising. INCRMNTAL⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on. Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact ⁠Marketecture⁠.

This week marks an important moment in the history of digital advertising as the U.S. Department of Justice presses its case that Google is a monopolist in ad tech. The seeds of this case were planted in 2007, when Google bought DoubleClick, a critical piece of internet advertising infrastructure that was widely used by advertisers and publishers in running ad campaigns. With DoubleClick in the fold, Google methodically grew to dominate all phases of digital advertising by piecing together a full stack solution for ad tech, supplying the tools used to both buy and sell ads as well as the exchange used for transacting. And Google was the biggest source of demand for the exchange. The go-to comparison of this situation is if Goldman Sachs owned the New York Stock Exchange.On this week's episode of The Rebooting Show, I spoke to Ari Paparo, a former DoubleClick executive and ad tech veteran who now runs Marketecture. Ari, in addition to being the funniest person in ad tech, knows the history. We go back in time to when the Google-DoubleClick deal took place, just as programmatic advertising was becoming a reality, and get into the weeds about why controlling the plumbing of digital advertising created an unavoidable set of misaligned incentives.

AdTechGod sits down with Paul KnegtenPaul Knegten is a marketing expert with an impressive career that spans across some of the most innovative companies in the adtech industry. Paul is best known as the former CMO at Beeswax, a company that was successfully acquired by Comcast, working alongside my current boss, Ari Paparo. But that's just the beginning of his successful story.Paul has also served as the CMO at Outbrain, bringing his unique vision and expertise to one of the leading content discovery platforms. As a co-founder of Amitree, he demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit and ability to innovate in an often very competitive space.Thanks to LiveIntent and AdQuick for sponsoring this episode.

My guest on this week's episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast is Ari Paparo, a prominent entrepreneur and thought leader within the digital advertising ecosystem. The impetus of our conversation is a newsletter that he published several weeks ago for Marketecture in which he asked, Did it have to be this way?. From that piece: "After reading this, you're forgiven for thinking that the web is dead. Not dead yet, but certainly in decline. Media companies have pivoted to CTV. The NY Times makes more money from games than news. The advertisers are finding more of their customers on retail sites through Commerce Media. When you zoom out, these are all parts of the same story, but it could have maybe been different." Ari and I discuss the history of and future prospects for the open web, including: The benefits of closed-loop advertising systems over the open web; Whether a fractured and stratified ecosystem of closed-loop walled gardens is a best-case scenario for digital advertising; The notion of the “open internet”; How the digital advertising ecosystem evolved differently than Ari would have expected at the time of Google's acquisition of DoubleClick; Netflix's announcement that it will develop its own advertising platform; What Ari predicts for the future of third-party cookies in Chrome. Thanks to the sponsors of this week's episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast: ⁠⁠⁠Clarisights⁠⁠⁠. Go to⁠⁠⁠ clarisights.com/demo⁠⁠⁠ to try it out for free. You'll see why thousands of performance marketers trust Clarisights every day.⁠⁠ INCRMNTAL⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on. Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact ⁠Marketecture⁠.

The VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) standard, as explained by Ari Paparo, was developed to facilitate the integration of video ads across various platforms, addressing early challenges in the digital advertising space such as the lack of a unified method for embedding video content in ads. Initially created during Paparo's tenure at DoubleClick, VAST aimed to standardize the delivery of video ads, enabling a more straightforward interaction between video publishers and advertisers. This standard was crucial for simplifying the ad-serving process, allowing publishers to implement a single ad-serving template that could work across multiple platforms, thereby increasing the efficiency and reach of video advertising. The development of VAST was a pivotal moment that not only enhanced video ad operations but also led to the formation of the IAB Tech Lab, an entity focused on creating technical standards for the digital advertising industry.For more in-depth discussion of these topics and links to the news we discuss, subscribe to the Marketecture newsletter at https://news.marketecture.tvCopyright (C) 2024 Marketecture Media, Inc.For more in-depth discussion of these topics and links to the news we discuss, subscribe to the Marketecture newsletter at https://news.marketecture.tvCopyright (C) 2024 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Apple's New iOS 17 Software Is A Positive Step For Podcast Advertisers And Content Creators John Wordock and Pierre BouvardTriton Digital US Podcast Report 2023Audiobooks Are Booming. Spotify Wants in on the Action by Alexandra AlterThe Results Are In: Here's What Americans Streamed in 2023 by John KoblinAmazon rolls out ads on Prime Video by Jasmine Sheena…as for the rest of the news: Ari Paparo interviews Spotify's Per Sandell to discuss the company's targeting and adtech, Linkfire announces Engaged Listeners metric for Apple Podcasts, branded podcast production Pop by Pacific Content launches, and MediaPost interviews Ad Results Media's Gretchen Smith about podcast advertising.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Apple's New iOS 17 Software Is A Positive Step For Podcast Advertisers And Content Creators John Wordock and Pierre BouvardTriton Digital US Podcast Report 2023Audiobooks Are Booming. Spotify Wants in on the Action by Alexandra AlterThe Results Are In: Here's What Americans Streamed in 2023 by John KoblinAmazon rolls out ads on Prime Video by Jasmine Sheena…as for the rest of the news: Ari Paparo interviews Spotify's Per Sandell to discuss the company's targeting and adtech, Linkfire announces Engaged Listeners metric for Apple Podcasts, branded podcast production Pop by Pacific Content launches, and MediaPost interviews Ad Results Media's Gretchen Smith about podcast advertising.

Marketplaces allows any media or ad tech business with unique data, creative formats or KPIs to curate inventory and transact across Index's publisher exchange.In this conversation with Ari Paparo, CEO Andrew Casale describes how the product works and where it sits in the landscape. (Competing solutions include Xandr Curate and Criteo CommerceGrid.) He calls Marketplaces a response to a world where buyers have consolidated their bidding with a handful of leading DSPs and publishers have fewer resources to directly integrate with vendors. By bringing their demand to bear across the fattest possible programmatic pipe, Casale argues they can more effectively scale campaigns and spend budgets. Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2024 Marketecture Media, Inc.

FreeWheel Chief Product Officer David Dworin offers a detailed overview of the Comcast-owned ad platform. While many people know FreeWheel as the ad server and SSP of choice for traditional broadcasters, it has other products too — including a DSP (Beeswax), an agency transaction management product (Strata) and a media business (Audience Express). In this conversation with Ari Paparo, Dworin walks through each of these products in turn and situates FreeWheel within the competitive landscape — including vis a vis Google. Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2023 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Next in Media's new Week In Review show features Ari Paparo and Mike breaking down the biggest stories in media and advertising this week, including the debacle that is The Messenger and the worst case scenario for cookies.TakeawaysThe failure of The Messenger highlights the challenges faced by digital media companies in the current landscape.Mainstream media companies need to adapt to changing consumer preferences and business models to stay relevant.Personal biases can influence opinions and perceptions of media companies and their success or failure.The advertising industry is facing challenges with the proliferation of retail media networks and the impending cookie deprecation.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Experimentation00:28 Discussion on The Messenger01:47 The Failure of The Messenger03:01 The Challenges of Mainstream Media04:33 Personal Bias and Schadenfreude05:09 High Paying Journalism Jobs06:30 The Success of Semaphore07:59 Quibi's Failed Partnership08:55 Quibi's Unusual Content11:10 Issues in the Ad Business11:56 Proliferation of Retail Media Networks12:56 Frustration with Cookie Deprecation14:08 The Impact of Cookie Deprecation17:22 Shift to CTV and Disruption in Advertising19:12 Consolidation in the Streaming Industry

There are few better placed to critique and narrate the history of the digital media landscape, never mind the sub-sector of ad tech, than Ari Paparo. The serial entrepreneur and ‘first influencer of ad tech' – sorry @AdtechGod – now helps to demystify and humanize the often dry milieu of digital media PR in his missives over at Marketecture. This week, he speaks with Digiday reporter Ronan Shields in the second installment of Digiday's Oral History Of Ad Tech in a conversation that focuses on the state of the industry during the opening decade of the 21st Century. His insights include: The hustle that was ad tech in the 1990s Paparo's input to DoubleClick's turnaround, and eventual sale to Google The incredible business model of ad networks in the 2000s How the rise of the ad exchange became the fall of the ad network And just who invented what in ad tech In the coming weeks, Digiday's History of Ad Tech, produced by Digiday Media's audio producer Sara Patterson, lifts the lid on some of the key undercurrents in ad tech over the last 20 years with Seb Joseph, senior news editor, and Ronan Shields, senior reporter, advertising technology, in conversation with some of the key players during that time.

A conversation with Ari Paparo. In this episode we're joined by Ari Paparo the famous host of the very popular Marketecture Podcast and the CEO and founder of LaunchScience, a newly launched (pardon the pun) startup in the category of process management for GTM and product teams. Prior to these two new ventures, Ari founded and exited Adtech platform Beeswax to Comcast and worked stints at Google, Nielsen, and AppNexus.In this conversation, we speak about the overlap between the Adtech and finance industry, antipatterns in product launches, the fool's errand of software businesses doing media, the surprising second-order effects hitting Adtech in the shift to a more private web, and how Ari feels about all the negative press directed towards the Adtech industry. See timestamps below. Go here for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠show notes, links, and resources.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Juan Mendoza on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Listen on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Google⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠everywhere else.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can find Ari on LinkedIn. Timestamps Time Topic(0:21)  Guest intro(10:50)  The overlap between the Adtech and finance industries(17:59) Launch Science and anti patterns in product launches(38:35) The fool's errand of software businesses doing media(50:56) The surprising second-order of effects hitting Ad tech Industry in the shift to a more private web(59:53) Ari's thoughts on the negative press towards ad tech industry

Spaceback's creative automation tools turn high-performing social posts into production-ready ads for brands like CB2, UGG, Ulta and Corkcicle. In our interview, Ari Paparo asks CEO Casey Saran to explain why brands need a vendor for this when they already have creative assets and production tools at hand (short answer: automation and authenticity). Saran also explains how Spaceback turns social video into production-ready CTV placements in 4K. Includes a demo. Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

ActionIQ is a customer data platform with a focus on data activation and orchestration.For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/action-iq-tasso-argyros .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

The ad network formerly known as CPXi has evolved to offer media execution, attribution, and analytics for campaigns that span all digital media.For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/digital-remedy-mike-seiman .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Formerly known as Centro, Basis has been around longer than pretty much any other ad tech company. Its customers are primarily mid-market agencies who use it to manage a host of processes — including planning and buying media across search, social, CTV programmatic, radio, and other ad types. Basis also enables centralized collaboration between agencies and vendors. In our interview, CEO and founder Shawn Riegsecker discusses Basis's and current use cases with Ari Paparo. For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/basis-shawn-riegsecker .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

BidSwitch's new product, LiteSwitch, shapes traffic by ingesting all of a seller's requests and aligning them with the filters that are set by DSPs. For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/bid-switch-isaac-schechtman .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi get all the latest privacy and data protection news from Alan Chapell, Chairman of the NAI, and author of the Chappell Report. We also go into some depth on the latest ad quality scandal from Google. In this episode:Google selling low-quality video ads: https://archive.fo/thXPFIn-Game ad company Anzu raises $48 million: https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hkzc2ldunMedia Trust claims Russia is sending bad ads to Ukraine: https://mediatrust.com/blog/admixer-ukraine-malware-case-study/Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2023 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Viant CEO Tim Vanderhook talks about the scaled ad tech company's company's current approach to identity and bidding and explains why he doesn't buy into the recent trend toward unified programmatic platforms. For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/viant-tim-vanderhook .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi from Aperium Ventures are joined by mParticle CEO Mike Katz who explains CDPs, Reverse ETL, and a bunch of other buzzwords. Also Ari learns how to pronounce Nas.Twitter going programmatic: https://digiday.com/marketing/with-advertising-in-flux-twitter-is-outsourcing-ad-monetization-to-ad-tech/ Nvidia and WPP: https://www.wpp.com/en/news/2023/05/wpp-partners-with-nvidia-to-build-generative-ai-enabled-content-engine-for-digital-advertising Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2023 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi are joined by Time CEO, Jessica Sibley to talk about publisher monetization, technology, and her decision to remove the paywall.In this episode:TTD's Kokai: https://twitter.com/TheTradeDesk/status/1660670631644364801Facebook's record fine from the EU: https://mobiledevmemo.com/metas-sticky-wicket/ GroupM says Twitter is AOK: https://www.inventiva.co.in/trends/groupm-advertising/ Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2023 Marketecture Media, Inc.

MiQ is an agency-like company that offers ad trading, data science, and other support to clients — often other agencies — in need of programmatic expertise. For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/freeclip-mi-q-gurman-hundal .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

A tour of the company's marketing solutions, including identity, audience targeting, and lead-based optimization. For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/linked-in-abhishek-shrivastava .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Chief Strategy Officer Samantha Jacobson walks through the demand-side platform's products for managing data and improving identity signals. The interview covers Galileo (first-party data management), Unified ID 2.0 (interoperable identity for the open web), and Identity Alliance (TTD's partner program with leading ID graphs).For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/the-trade-desk-samantha-jacobson .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Uber Advertising VP and General Manager Dr. Mark Grether provides an overview of the company's key advertising pillars (the Uber ride-sharing app, Uber Eats, in-car tablets, and car-top displays).For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/uber-mark-grether .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Matt Goldstein, or "msg" as he's known, publishes the voluminous quarterly newsletter "What I Saw" covering all kinds of publisher and media trends. He and Rich Caccappolo, CEO of dmg media, join Ari Paparo to cover the state of the media business. We talk AI, SSP consolidation, vertical video, Google algo changes, and more.Magnite going direct:https://digiday.com/media/in-a-shrinking-marketplace-magnite-explores-media-trading-without-dsps/Tom Tiscari estimates Magnite and Pubmatic's take rates:https://triscari.substack.com/p/43-magnite-pubmatic-unknown-takeLou Paskalis has a new job monitoring news quality:https://www.wsj.com/articles/media-veteran-lou-paskalis-joins-group-to-encourage-brands-to-advertise-on-news-8ba7f363?mod=djemCMOTodayVisit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2023 Marketecture Media, Inc.

CEO Mark Zagorski describes DoubleVerify's progress in measuring with TikTok and other walled gardens, its investment in brand suitability, and other product initiatives. For more information about our expert, Ari Paparo: https://www.marketecture.tv/authors/ari-paparoThe full version of this episode is available at https://www.marketecture.tv/programs/double-verify-mark-zagorski .Visit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2022 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Veteran ad tech reporter Ronan Shields from Digiday joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to talk about his Netflix scoop, the state of B2B journalism, and the undeclared war between DSPs and SSPs.In this episode:Sovrn take rates go to zeroCompetition act from Senator Mike LeeSemaphor on the history of OpenAIEU pubs don't like contextual dataVisit Marketecture.tv to join our community and get access to full-length in-depth interviews. Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms. We are launching with extensive coverage of the marketing and advertising verticals with plans to expand into many other technology sectors.Copyright (C) 2023 Marketecture Media, Inc.

Ari is a well-known influencer, media mogul, former DoubleClicker, Nielsen patent holder, founder of Beeswax and LaunchScience and much more.More

Ari is a well-known influencer, media mogul, former DoubleClicker, Nielsen patent holder, founder of Beeswax and LaunchScience and much more.More

Manuela: This is The Download from Sounds Profitable, the most important news from this week and why it matters to people in the business of podcasting. I'm Manuela Bedoya. Shreya: And I'm Shreya Sharma.This week: The ‘slippery slope' of podcast endorsements, Netflix's ad-supported tier has teething troubles, why ad buyers are hesitant to embrace DSPs, and a look at modern contextual advertising. Let's get started.Navigating the ‘slippery slope' of personal endorsements in podcast adsManuela: Over the past few years there have been multiple headlines spotlighting instances of social media influencers butting up against the Federal Trade Commission. This period of adjustment as new media incorporates modern advertising rules has matured to the point the FTC has a official page just for coaching influencers on advertisement disclosure. As MarketingBrew's Alyssa Meyers pointed out this week: the FTC hasn't similarly cracked down on podcast advertisements just yet, but it has come close. Listeners of The Download might remember a case in November when Google and iHeartRadio settled with the FTC out of court. The case concerned allegations that several iHeart on-air radio personalities were given ad copy with personal endorsements for a Pixel phone the hosts had not used. From Meyers' article: “Though the FTC's guidelines for endorsements and testimonials in advertising don't mention podcasts, the agency proposed a change last May that would, if approved, add an example concerning a podcast host related to disclosing material connections.”Podcasting is no stranger to ad copy that flirts the line between advertisement and personal endorsement. Meyers opens her article asking if the reader has ever questioned if podcasters really made the meal kits they endorse, or if their mattress sponsor actually fixed their back problems. Hyperbolic, perhaps, but endorsements are a big factor in the appeal of host-read ads. David Plotz, CEO of City Cast told MarketingBrew he has experienced advertisers requiring ads to contain personal endorsements or, more worryingly from an FTC perspective, attempt to slip a personal endorsement into the ad copy. Meyers spotlights two approaches that eliminate any FTC concerns: Lauren Lograsso and NPR. Lograsso prefers ad deals with required endorsements and the authenticity of having tried the product herself. Conversely, NPR has a blanket policy of zero personal endorsements, a byproduct of the company carrying over its radio journalism ethos into podcasting. The article then closes out with advice from Veritone One VP of podcasting Hilary Ross Shafer and Adopter Media CEO Glenn Rubenstein: onboarding calls between podcasters and advertisers are useful, if not vital, tools to establish goals and prevent miscommunication. While host-read remains the preferred method of podcast advertising, it's worth remembering Sounds Profitable's first study, After These Messages, found the gap between host-read and announcer-read was smaller than conventional wisdom might suggest. 81% of respondents trusted host-read ads, followed by 71% trusting announcer-read.While it's certainly possible podcasting will get a headline or two on par with, say, Instagram influencers selling teas that claimed to cure cancer, the data shows there's no need for such extremes. Podcast listeners, especially in comparison to other forms of media, are quite accepting, if not supportive of advertising. Netflix Ad-Supported Tier Experiences Teething TroublesShreya: Time for an update on a continuing story involving Netflix. Back in early November we covered the details of Netflix's new Basic tier with advertisements, as well as the big brands buying space at a reported CPM between $60 and $80. Now Basic with Ads has been out a few months and experienced its first teething troubles. Danielle Long, writing for The Drum, reports the streamer has had to issue refunds to Australian advertisers after failing to meet projected audience numbers. From the article: “Media reports suggest Netflix's Basic with Ads subscription tier, which launched in November, has underperformed by as much as 70% in the first three months of operation.”While Australia's ad refunds are the most eye-opening headline, Basic with Ads is reportedly slower to start than expected on a global scale. From a US perspective, last week an Insider Intelligence piece from Sara Lebow digs into the question of why, in the face of a recession, consumers aren't downgrading their Netflix memberships to Basic with Ads. In fact, as economic worries mount, CivicScience numbers show there has been a three percent decline in US citizens who only have one subscription video-on-demand service since January of 2022. From Insider Intelligence analyst Daniel Konstantinovic: “Not only have people shown they are willing to pay for entertainment through difficult economic times, but they're actually adding more.”One bright spot for Basic with Ads is the recent rollout of Netflix's password-sharing restrictions in certain markets, with plans to implement them in more places over time. While controversial on social media, kicking people off shared accounts will likely drive Basic with Ads subscriptions as people begin to sign up and see the ad-free experience they've grown accustomed to comes with the sticker shock of $16 a month.Audiences can be ad-averse and comfortable with paying to get away from ads. Even in podcasting, where we have seen audiences be particularly accepting of ads, there's a booming market of premium subscriptions that frequently offer ad-free feeds. The question remains if consumers will value ad-free Netflix at the price point of three premium subscriptions on Apple Podcasts. Why podcast ad buyers are hesitant to spend through demand-side platforms Manuela: It's no secret that programmatic has yet to be wholly adopted by podcast advertisers. This Valentine's Day, Sara Guaglione of Digiday has published a piece specifically to investigate why the hesitancy still exists. From the article: “There are a variety of reasons for this: host-read ads are still king in the medium, not all podcast networks or shows have inventory available to buy programmatically, and buyers often feel the need to vet the content to ensure contextual alignment when targeting specific audience segments or category verticals across a number of podcast networks.”This commitment to host-read and lack of programmatic accessibility also leads to a shortage of inventory available to plug into an SSP. Podcasting is also light on SSPs, with few exceptions past AdsWizz and Triton Digital. As Marketecture founder Ari Paparo told Digiday for another piece, it's not likely we'll see a lot of new SSPs pop up anytime soon. Paparo's quote from that article: “I think that, fundamentally, the SSP business is not very attractive … It's not growing, and it's very competitive as publishers really treat you like a commodity, they have like 10 or 20 of them implemented on every page.”It's not all grim news, though.Guaglione reports some buyers Digiday spoke to are either in the testing phase or outright investing in programmatic podcast ads for the first time this year. She also cites a prediction from Insider Intelligence that programmatic's 2% of total podcast ad spend in 2021 will grow to just under 10% by 2024. That said, there are still some outliers who take issue with programmatic as a concept. From the article: “One buyer — who did not feel comfortable speaking on the record to summarize agencies' hesitancy to buy podcast ads programmatically — said there is a “sect of the podcast ecosystem that is anti-programmatic that does not exist in other mediums,” which they believe is due to being “burned” by issues with programmatic display ad buying.”It's perfectly fine if buyers prefer host read. It's a proven and sound strategy, but it's also not a good look to trash alternatives that appeal to a larger buy-side. As has been said many times on this podcast: programmatic advertising is a tool, not a magic button. When used correctly, it can do amazing things. When implemented suboptimally, it can deliver suboptimal results. Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading.Before we get into the articles, we want to take a quick second to point you to a new video from Sounds Profitable partner Tom Webster. The first episode of Data Decoded, a series where Tom breaks down interesting data from studies done in podcasting in bite-sized videos, is live now. Check it out for context on some numbers from the newest study out of audio fiction network Realm.fm. Benedict Evans' latest annual presentation on macro and strategic trends in the tech industry - The New Gatekeepers - is now live on his site in both slide and video form, as well as an excellent breakdown of three takeaways by Conor McKenna on LinkedIn.YouTube's influencer program pivots to self-service after staff cuts, an article by Amanda Perelli, Lara O'Reilly, and Geoff Weiss. This piece breaks down the upcoming transition from YouTube's previously hands-on program that helped connect creators with relevant marketing campaigns. The Royal Rumble Is On For Who Wins Contextual Advertising by James Hercher. A bird's-eye view of contextual advertising, what it looks like in a post App Tracking Transparency world, and potential issues it faces with older brand safety methods like keyword-blocking. Here's what a $7M, 30-second Super Bowl ad can purchase in digital media in 2023 by Kristina Monllos. A fun breakdown of what the money necessary to book a thirty second ad during the most-watched football game of the year could buy on other platforms. In case you're curious, at the industry average CPM, that'd buy ad space on about 280 million podcast downloads. Manuela: And that was The Download, brought to you by Sounds Profitable! Today's episode was built using Spooler and hosted on Amazon's ART19. Find out more at Spooler.fm and Art19.comI know we went through today's stories fast, so be sure to check out the links to every article mentioned, right in your podcast listening app, or on SoundsProfitable.com/TheDownload. And thank you for sticking with us as we bring you the top stories you might have missed from the past week. I'm Manuela Bedoya.Shreya : And I'm Shreya Sharma. Our producers are Bryan Barletta, Gavin Gaddis, and Tom Webster. Our editors are Reece Carman and Ron Tendick. Special thanks to Art19 for hosting The Download. And thanks to you for joining us.

Manuela: This is The Download from Sounds Profitable, the most important news from this week and why it matters to people in the business of podcasting. I'm Manuela Bedoya. Shreya: And I'm Shreya Sharma.This week: The ‘slippery slope' of podcast endorsements, Netflix's ad-supported tier has teething troubles, why ad buyers are hesitant to embrace DSPs, and a look at modern contextual advertising. Let's get started.Navigating the ‘slippery slope' of personal endorsements in podcast adsManuela: Over the past few years there have been multiple headlines spotlighting instances of social media influencers butting up against the Federal Trade Commission. This period of adjustment as new media incorporates modern advertising rules has matured to the point the FTC has a official page just for coaching influencers on advertisement disclosure. As MarketingBrew's Alyssa Meyers pointed out this week: the FTC hasn't similarly cracked down on podcast advertisements just yet, but it has come close. Listeners of The Download might remember a case in November when Google and iHeartRadio settled with the FTC out of court. The case concerned allegations that several iHeart on-air radio personalities were given ad copy with personal endorsements for a Pixel phone the hosts had not used. From Meyers' article: “Though the FTC's guidelines for endorsements and testimonials in advertising don't mention podcasts, the agency proposed a change last May that would, if approved, add an example concerning a podcast host related to disclosing material connections.”Podcasting is no stranger to ad copy that flirts the line between advertisement and personal endorsement. Meyers opens her article asking if the reader has ever questioned if podcasters really made the meal kits they endorse, or if their mattress sponsor actually fixed their back problems. Hyperbolic, perhaps, but endorsements are a big factor in the appeal of host-read ads. David Plotz, CEO of City Cast told MarketingBrew he has experienced advertisers requiring ads to contain personal endorsements or, more worryingly from an FTC perspective, attempt to slip a personal endorsement into the ad copy. Meyers spotlights two approaches that eliminate any FTC concerns: Lauren Lograsso and NPR. Lograsso prefers ad deals with required endorsements and the authenticity of having tried the product herself. Conversely, NPR has a blanket policy of zero personal endorsements, a byproduct of the company carrying over its radio journalism ethos into podcasting. The article then closes out with advice from Veritone One VP of podcasting Hilary Ross Shafer and Adopter Media CEO Glenn Rubenstein: onboarding calls between podcasters and advertisers are useful, if not vital, tools to establish goals and prevent miscommunication. While host-read remains the preferred method of podcast advertising, it's worth remembering Sounds Profitable's first study, After These Messages, found the gap between host-read and announcer-read was smaller than conventional wisdom might suggest. 81% of respondents trusted host-read ads, followed by 71% trusting announcer-read.While it's certainly possible podcasting will get a headline or two on par with, say, Instagram influencers selling teas that claimed to cure cancer, the data shows there's no need for such extremes. Podcast listeners, especially in comparison to other forms of media, are quite accepting, if not supportive of advertising. Netflix Ad-Supported Tier Experiences Teething TroublesShreya: Time for an update on a continuing story involving Netflix. Back in early November we covered the details of Netflix's new Basic tier with advertisements, as well as the big brands buying space at a reported CPM between $60 and $80. Now Basic with Ads has been out a few months and experienced its first teething troubles. Danielle Long, writing for The Drum, reports the streamer has had to issue refunds to Australian advertisers after failing to meet projected audience numbers. From the article: “Media reports suggest Netflix's Basic with Ads subscription tier, which launched in November, has underperformed by as much as 70% in the first three months of operation.”While Australia's ad refunds are the most eye-opening headline, Basic with Ads is reportedly slower to start than expected on a global scale. From a US perspective, last week an Insider Intelligence piece from Sara Lebow digs into the question of why, in the face of a recession, consumers aren't downgrading their Netflix memberships to Basic with Ads. In fact, as economic worries mount, CivicScience numbers show there has been a three percent decline in US citizens who only have one subscription video-on-demand service since January of 2022. From Insider Intelligence analyst Daniel Konstantinovic: “Not only have people shown they are willing to pay for entertainment through difficult economic times, but they're actually adding more.”One bright spot for Basic with Ads is the recent rollout of Netflix's password-sharing restrictions in certain markets, with plans to implement them in more places over time. While controversial on social media, kicking people off shared accounts will likely drive Basic with Ads subscriptions as people begin to sign up and see the ad-free experience they've grown accustomed to comes with the sticker shock of $16 a month.Audiences can be ad-averse and comfortable with paying to get away from ads. Even in podcasting, where we have seen audiences be particularly accepting of ads, there's a booming market of premium subscriptions that frequently offer ad-free feeds. The question remains if consumers will value ad-free Netflix at the price point of three premium subscriptions on Apple Podcasts. Why podcast ad buyers are hesitant to spend through demand-side platforms Manuela: It's no secret that programmatic has yet to be wholly adopted by podcast advertisers. This Valentine's Day, Sara Guaglione of Digiday has published a piece specifically to investigate why the hesitancy still exists. From the article: “There are a variety of reasons for this: host-read ads are still king in the medium, not all podcast networks or shows have inventory available to buy programmatically, and buyers often feel the need to vet the content to ensure contextual alignment when targeting specific audience segments or category verticals across a number of podcast networks.”This commitment to host-read and lack of programmatic accessibility also leads to a shortage of inventory available to plug into an SSP. Podcasting is also light on SSPs, with few exceptions past AdsWizz and Triton Digital. As Marketecture founder Ari Paparo told Digiday for another piece, it's not likely we'll see a lot of new SSPs pop up anytime soon. Paparo's quote from that article: “I think that, fundamentally, the SSP business is not very attractive … It's not growing, and it's very competitive as publishers really treat you like a commodity, they have like 10 or 20 of them implemented on every page.”It's not all grim news, though.Guaglione reports some buyers Digiday spoke to are either in the testing phase or outright investing in programmatic podcast ads for the first time this year. She also cites a prediction from Insider Intelligence that programmatic's 2% of total podcast ad spend in 2021 will grow to just under 10% by 2024. That said, there are still some outliers who take issue with programmatic as a concept. From the article: “One buyer — who did not feel comfortable speaking on the record to summarize agencies' hesitancy to buy podcast ads programmatically — said there is a “sect of the podcast ecosystem that is anti-programmatic that does not exist in other mediums,” which they believe is due to being “burned” by issues with programmatic display ad buying.”It's perfectly fine if buyers prefer host read. It's a proven and sound strategy, but it's also not a good look to trash alternatives that appeal to a larger buy-side. As has been said many times on this podcast: programmatic advertising is a tool, not a magic button. When used correctly, it can do amazing things. When implemented suboptimally, it can deliver suboptimal results. Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading.Before we get into the articles, we want to take a quick second to point you to a new video from Sounds Profitable partner Tom Webster. The first episode of Data Decoded, a series where Tom breaks down interesting data from studies done in podcasting in bite-sized videos, is live now. Check it out for context on some numbers from the newest study out of audio fiction network Realm.fm. Benedict Evans' latest annual presentation on macro and strategic trends in the tech industry - The New Gatekeepers - is now live on his site in both slide and video form, as well as an excellent breakdown of three takeaways by Conor McKenna on LinkedIn.YouTube's influencer program pivots to self-service after staff cuts, an article by Amanda Perelli, Lara O'Reilly, and Geoff Weiss. This piece breaks down the upcoming transition from YouTube's previously hands-on program that helped connect creators with relevant marketing campaigns. The Royal Rumble Is On For Who Wins Contextual Advertising by James Hercher. A bird's-eye view of contextual advertising, what it looks like in a post App Tracking Transparency world, and potential issues it faces with older brand safety methods like keyword-blocking. Here's what a $7M, 30-second Super Bowl ad can purchase in digital media in 2023 by Kristina Monllos. A fun breakdown of what the money necessary to book a thirty second ad during the most-watched football game of the year could buy on other platforms. In case you're curious, at the industry average CPM, that'd buy ad space on about 280 million podcast downloads. Manuela: And that was The Download, brought to you by Sounds Profitable! Today's episode was built using Spooler and hosted on Amazon's ART19. Find out more at Spooler.fm and Art19.comI know we went through today's stories fast, so be sure to check out the links to every article mentioned, right in your podcast listening app, or on SoundsProfitable.com/TheDownload. And thank you for sticking with us as we bring you the top stories you might have missed from the past week. I'm Manuela Bedoya.Shreya : And I'm Shreya Sharma. Our producers are Bryan Barletta, Gavin Gaddis, and Tom Webster. Our editors are Reece Carman and Ron Tendick. Special thanks to Art19 for hosting The Download. And thanks to you for joining us.

This week Bryan brings you a feed drop from Marketecture.tv, featuring his interview with Ari Paparo. This episode marks the beginning of a partnership between Marketecture and Sounds Profitable! Look forward to interviews conducted by Bryan himself in future on official Marketecture channels, as well as Sounds Profitable DeepDives on the Sounds Profitable YouTube channel. From the original description: In this conversation with Ari Paparo, Bryan Barletta provides an overview of the audio advertising industry and its enabling technologies. After providing a level set on the size and maturity of the podcast ad vertical, he describes the mechanics of audio ad buying, serving, and measurement. Bryan also discusses the market dynamics in the podcast space, led by enterprise players like Spotify, IHeartMedia, and Triton Digital which operate their own ad tech platforms.

This week Bryan brings you a feed drop from Marketecture.tv, featuring his interview with Ari Paparo. This episode marks the beginning of a partnership between Marketecture and Sounds Profitable! Look forward to interviews conducted by Bryan himself in future on official Marketecture channels, as well as Sounds Profitable DeepDives on the Sounds Profitable YouTube channel. From the original description: In this conversation with Ari Paparo, Bryan Barletta provides an overview of the audio advertising industry and its enabling technologies. After providing a level set on the size and maturity of the podcast ad vertical, he describes the mechanics of audio ad buying, serving, and measurement. Bryan also discusses the market dynamics in the podcast space, led by enterprise players like Spotify, IHeartMedia, and Triton Digital which operate their own ad tech platforms.

Ari Paparo is a longtime ad tech veteran, not to mention holding the disputed title as Funniest Person in Ad Tech. Some highlights from our conversation: Innovation requires fragmentation. Ad tech's complexity is a longtime talking point. And it is undeniably a convoluted supply chain that's given the veneer of plausible deniability to all kinds of corner cutting, at least in my experience as an observer for many years. But Ari points out that “innovation requires fragmentation,” and besides, many of those pushing an anti-complexity narrative just happen to have “anti-complexity solutions” to sell. Go figure. Small publishers can opt out. Google is the simple ad tech solution. Most small advertisers can just default to Google and Facebook. But larger enterprises gravitate to more complexity simply because they have more complex businesses. Apple overturned the industry. Cynical or not, Apple's use of privacy to restrict data flows has upended how the industry operates and will operate going forward. It's of course no coincidence that these privacy restrictions hurt their rivals in Meta and Google. “There's no love lost between those companies, so hitting them in the kneecaps was kind of fun,” Ari said.

Google is signaling it may spin off its ad tech business. A DSP and SSP change would create new winners and losers and potentially open up access to walled-off inventory, says our guest, Ari Paparo, founder of Marketecture. Plus: How Google Analytics' coming change will affect publishers.

Kate and Brian talk about the proposed Nielsen sale and why everyone should expect to pay more for better research. Kate quizzes Brian on the latest Y Combinator class as a preview of advertisers to come, and Brian interviews Ari Paparo on the morality of ad tech tracking and digital advertising. Related links: Washington Post: Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok Y Combinator Companies Ari Paparo on Twitter Nielsen Enters into Agreement to be Acquired by Evergreen- and Brookfield-Led Consortium for $16 Billion Music credit: Joseph McDade