Platforms

Advertisers can now buy YouTube Shorts ads alongside open web inventory; Meta just wants to be wanted; and Meta’s Muse shows the danger of blindly trusting AI agents.

California protects an individual’s right to sue when a company violates data privacy law. So privacy compliance means understanding what a jury of consumers will tolerate. 

How legit is “annualized revenue run rate” as a metric?; YouTube discusses new creator marketplace tools; and AI agents keep bypassing safeguards.

As programmatic buying becomes more common in audio, marketers and platforms fight the temptation to cram in as many placements as possible.

Given how much the market has changed since the Google trial began, and the wiggle room in the ruling itself, publishers aren’t expecting much relief from the court’s behavioral remedies.

Indie agency KWG says sell-side curation can target more high-performing inventory with better match rates and lower data fees than buy-side curation.

A week ago, HBO MAX had its verified Reddit account overrun by a hacker group, which eluded notice for two days while it ran 108 different ad permutations targeting an unknown number of Redditors.

When a creator already loves the product they’re marketing, it’s easy to work it into their content in ways that feel natural. That’s exactly what the Try Guys did.

The court has unsealed Judge Leonie Brinkema’s full remedies opinion in US v. Google (ad tech edition). So, what’s in there?

Where teens were once swept into the same cohort as 18-34, brands will have to have separate strategies and tactics to engage them. And this shift comes just as Gen Alpha comes of age.

Google tests out a “pay per value” AI licensing scheme; Netflix, Amazon and YouTube join forces; and Apple may soon launch integrations with third-party LLMs.

After Judge Brinkema declined to order a Google breakup, ad tech leaders weigh in on how the FTC should approach its case against Amazon.

The Trade Desk is less than a third as valuable as it was a year ago. It retains about one-tenth of its high-water market cap from December 2024, when the company was worth almost $70 billion. Why did investors lose the faith?

The IAB raises its forecast for ad spend growth; Google continues to develop Meridian, its open-source MMM tool; and Partiful is still learning how to monetize.

Showing up in AI search is top of mind for advertisers. But it’s hard to know how to do it, especially when best practices seem to be changing every day.

TikTok users can now include polls and videos in comments; vertical video app Shortical introduces AI ads; and Meta’s upcoming personal agent may cause more problems than solutions.

Buy-side experts said it’s another example of a Big Tech platform taking advantage of the lack of transparency built into programmatic ad auctions. And they’re not optimistic change is coming.

Google will not be required to break up its ad tech business, despite a federal court ruling last April that found the company operated a monopoly.

Why does the buy side remain so smitten with handing control to autonomous systems owned by companies whose economic interests are not its own?

The great Meta migration is in full swing. Ex-Meta employees are, filling the ranks at Open AI, TikTok, Amazon Ads and Roku and bringing their expertise with them.

Workweek, a social networking platform for industry professionals, launched a newsletter platform powered by its proprietary ad network.

Reuters wraps its series on Meta’s shrinking headcount; The Trade Desk has a new centralized AI interface; and USA Today Co. will restructure its content for bots.

Meta alumni are on the move – and they’re bringing the world’s most successful ad playbook with them to the next generation of would-be ad platform greats, with OpenAI at the top of the list.

This documentary streamer found new life as an AI trainer; the NFL is taking public shots at Nielsen, but is it a negotiating tactic?; and Nielsen’s new focus on 18+ audiences dings streaming viewership.

What’s with the myriad of retail media networks?; YouTube offers creators millions to refuse deals with Netflix; and political advertisers get a free pass.

Google’s Spirit Airlines data stockpile is feeding AI; ChatGPT’s advertiser switcheroo; and X’s rage-baiting isn’t the engagement signal advertisers are looking for.

Reddit’s readers don’t take kindly to being marketed to; What’s an online retailer without any retail?; and AI slop is affecting the news market.

Pinterest expanded tvScientific CEO and Co-Founder Jason Fairchild’s title to general manager of programmatic and affiliate. The title upgrade comes less than a year after Pinterest acquired the performance-focused CTV ad startup.

Spotify’s ad-skipping has podcasters freaking out; Steaming growth is saving the TV upfront; and OpenAI wants some SMB clients.

“We’re deemed a new bucket, so a testing category,” AppLovin CEO told investors regarding its nascent consumer and ecommerce ads business. “And to graduate up takes time. This stuff compounds over quarters and years.”