Reagan Freyer

As the CTV landscape evolves, contextual AI is becoming essential for advertisers, addressing key challenges like targeting limitations, transparency issues, and lack of real-time insights. Jon Wallett, VP of Sales, East Coast at Seedtag, emphasizes that innovation in contextual targeting is crucial for future success. Seedtag's contextual AI, Liz, enables brands to develop effective audience strategies, enhance creative messaging, and gain valuable insights, all while adapting to real-time trends. Wallett argues that embracing these advancements will drive greater transparency and more inclusive, interest-based targeting, making contextual AI indispensable for modern advertising. Watch the full interview here to learn more 📺 : https://lnkd.in/eJ9Q3PDJ #ContextualAI #CTVAdvertising #InnovationInMarketing

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🚨 Shifting the cookie countdown to 2025 hasn’t changed the growing necessity for a new paradigm in digital advertising’s approach to data. Individual-level targeting might feel familiar, but change is coming, and clinging to the past will only become more costly, complex, and risky. In this piece, Marko Johns, UK Managing Director and International Head of Agency at Seedtag, explains how contextual approaches deliver effective and sustainable advertising aligned with the emerging privacy-first status quo. 🌱 Curious to learn more? 🔎 Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/etKk8vrR #SurveillanceAdvertising #Contextual #AI #PrivacyFirst #AdTech

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Google's cookie phase-out may have been delayed until 2025, but that doesn't mean advertisers should be complacent. In fact, now is the time to embrace innovation and adaptability, according to Ryan Storrar, CEO UK & EMEA at GroupM Nexus. Learn more about the new privacy-friendly targeting and attribution methods that can help you succeed in the post-cookie era:

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🚀 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 📊 In the past month, I've shared content on some of the hottest topics in retail media, including: 🔹 The 𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐦-𝐈𝐏𝐆 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 and its implications for the ad world 🔹 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 and why it needs more attention 🔹 The 𝐢𝐧-𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 debate and its smaller-than-expected opportunity 🔹 The 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐑𝐌𝐍𝐬 and how platforms like Amazon, Meta, and TikTok are dominating 📈 Despite having a relatively modest following of 4K connections, I used LinkedIn’s algorithm best practices, timing, engaging hooks, asking questions and bold commentary to maximize reach. What is less obvious is why I was doing it and so I wanted to give a little insights into my process here: 🔍 After gathering over a hundred comments from my LinkedIn community across these top posts, I used ChatGPT to quickly synthesize all the insights into clear takeaways. Here are my 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝟑 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 and beyond 🚀 1️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 The industry is consolidating, but it’s clear that 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 (not just scale) is what will drive growth. Amazon, Meta, TikTok, and others aren't just building inventory—they own the consumer journey. 2️⃣ 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐥 Creative testing tied to actual sales data is still underutilized. Let’s start using retail media networks to optimize creative in real-time—no more guessing, only actionable insights based on sales performance. 💡 3️⃣ 𝐈𝐧-𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 While in-store media is gaining attention, the actual spend and opportunity remain small. Retailers need to innovate beyond screens to compete with the larger platforms that are dictating the ad landscape. 🛒 🔥 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: Smaller brands may find their edge through social platforms like TikTok and CTV like Roku, while legacy agencies face the challenge of reinventing themselves in the face of tech-enabled, self-service solutions. 💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts on these insights. Do you agree with the shift toward 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 or do you see 𝐢𝐧-𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 making a bigger splash than expected? Thanks to some amazing insights from Andrew Lipsman, Rachel Tipograph, Stephen Howard-Sarin, Jason Oke —your feedback truly shaped my perspective. Special shoutout to Mark Williamson—when you enter the chat, the conversation goes to another level! 🙌 🔑 How are 𝐘𝐎𝐔 preparing for the future of retail media? Let me know in the comments! #RetailMedia #Advertising #2025Trends #CreativeInnovation #PlatformDominance #RetailMarketing

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I really enjoyed this Marketecture Pod by Harry Kargman. He said what we all know to be true: "If you even look at Trade Desk today...are they even a DSP or an ad network or a data company, or all the rest, you can't put anything in a box." But what I do know is what a black box looks like. So if you don't know where your ads are running (ie: domain level reporting with log files to back them up) or how much you are paying for them now, (beyond the platform fee, or the variable/blended margin), then I can tell you with a large degree of certainty that you are you are probably lighting 50-60% of your media dollars on fire once it actually gets to the end human, which you aren't also tracking to be true. Keep in mind, your screenshots are also made up. AI can do that for me now too. If you don't believe me, hit me up via DM and I'll tell you where you money is being wasted. https://lnkd.in/gHxmHeZ7 CC: Lizzie Black Brittany Smartt Batchelor

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Netflix is the latest titan to recognize the value of programmatic advertising with the announcement of its strategy to distribute unsold OTT/CTV ad space across several different providers. The Trade Desk, Google DV360, Magnite are cited as the next batch of providers. Up until now, CTV media buyers had to go through Microsoft Xandr DSP or book with Netflix publisher-direct. It reminds me of the moment when Lamar Advertising Company took the same bold step to ensure their unsold space was programmatically available in top notch, third party SSP platforms like Place Exchange and others. It’s a rite of passage. Expanding the surface area of buy-side and sell-side platforms unlocks massive revenue dollars, when done right. Some of the smartest people in the world of business work at Netflix. This is proof of that. Many hands make light work! This layers on a new dimension for marketers when they say that they can now “Netflix and Chilll”. 📺😎👏🏼 #programmaticadvertising #ctv #innovation #followthemoney https://lnkd.in/gJU9ytZi

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📣Precise TV’s 2024 media consumption trend report among US Gen Z teens is now available! As a mom to 2 teens who love their screens and are constantly asking for products they see on YouTube, TikTok and other media platforms, this report will be super helpful to advertisers who want to reach this VERY picky audience. The 2024 Precise Advertiser Report; Teens & Youth (PARTY)  reveals: 🏆 YouTube remains the #1 platform among teens 🎵 79% of teens use YouTube to listen to music 📲 Teens' favorite apps include YouTube, YouTube Shorts & TikTok 🎮 More than 60% of teens like to play video or app games Download for free here: https://lnkd.in/e__Uz25z #GenZ #Report #YouTube #teens

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✅🖥️ AdExchanger (10/11): “Paramount’s move represents a serious shake-up because TV publishers that use Nielsen alternatives (like VideoAmp, iSpot and Comscore) typically do so in tandem with Nielsen, which has been the foundation of TV ad measurement for decades. In this case, however, Paramount and Nielsen failed to come to an agreement in time for their contract renewal. Despite the strong sentiment, a break from Nielsen’s services isn’t ideal for Paramount. Advertisers and media buyers have leaned on Nielsen ratings since the 1950s. That (fact) has been spurring a lot of conversations on LinkedIn lately. On the one hand, Paramount could be a trendsetter. “If Paramount is able to do business using VideoAmp without [a financial] downside, then other programmers will naturally start considering making the same move,” media measurement vet – and VideoAmp’s former chief measurability officer – Josh Chasin observed on LinkedIn. “This is a critical moment.” Chasin was commenting on a post written by Marshall Cohen, an industry vet and media and marketing consultant. Cohen notes that Nielsen keeps its service fees high not simply out of stubbornness, but because its business model doesn’t leave much room for negotiation. If Nielsen lowers its prices for one client, according to Cohen, they have to lower prices for everyone. “This,” he argues, is very difficult with private equity owners, who don’t understand the business [and just] want better returns.” Still, Cohen writes, it’s likely a renewed contract will – eventually – put an end to the contentious standoff between Paramount and Nielsen. “Rarely, if ever, does a media company go without Nielsen ratings for very long,” Cohen says.” ⬇️ #measurement #streaming #lineartv #ctv #ott #tvos #acr https://lnkd.in/eNaWgx7W

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An interesting topic and fun one to discuss with Digiday. The industry tends to sprout fragmented specialized agencies to solve point solutions like influencer marketing services and technology. We are now in the consolidation phase where point solutions are being bought and combined into more integrated offerings. It's important for brands and agencies alike to carefully consider a technology strategy that balances proprietary technology solutions with flexible agnostic technology approach to ensure you have the agility to use the best solution in the marketplace for your brand.

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When I speak to people in and out of the media business, they all ask one question: “How did we get here?” https://lnkd.in/ei3p2TNi As we see layoffs at WBD, incoming at Paramount and then so many others, people want to know why did this happen? These are crown jewel companies with valuable IP! What I saw inside one of them was two countervailing forces: 1. The need to for stockholder satisfaction at the expense of customer satisfaction 2. The innovator’s dilemma writ large What does that mean? 1. Once streaming entered the arena, Wall Street valued Netflix at tech company multiples and encouraged legacy media to throw everything at getting into streaming and growing fast. Mergers, consolidation and more prevailed in the race to get bigger. Everyone had the data - only a few of these streamers would survive, because customers didn’t want dozens of services. They wanted 3-4. But in a rush to satisfy Wall Street, everyone got in. And when Wall Street changed their minds in 2022, the companies were left holding the bag. 2. When I started in media in 2007, we all knew streaming and digital was the future. We spent 75-80% of our time working on it. But the money that the cable bundle provided was hard to walk away from. Especially when trying to sell/merge a company. Legacy media could have and many wanted to get into streaming sooner. But it took money and time and a sharing of information company wide that could have been scary. So the end result? Everyone gets into streaming too late, trying to satisfy Wall Street, invests in content over building technology, loses focus on the consumer, loses focus on the brand and hopes for profitability. Whats the solution? Refocus. These are strong brands. Gen Z is the future. And they’ve got some attachment to the IP. But you’ve got to build a brand that works in streaming, linear, YouTube, TikTok, consumer products, theme parks and beyond. Multiple revenue streams, deeper engagement and focus on steady growth and nurturing fandom. Sound familiar? It should. It’s what Disney is doing. Universal has done it. It’s what we were trying to do before I left Warner Bros Discovery. Look at Gen Z. See how they interact with brands, how can you deepen their fandom and how can you monetize multiple touch points. Ignore Wall Street. Focus on growing vs cutting. If you look closely, you’ll see many brands doing this successfully in and outside of legacy media. Want me and talented colleagues to help? DM me. Needmore Stories is open for business and I’m #opentowork for the longer term.

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The latest COMvergence ranking underscores GroupM's continued dominance, with $62.6B in total global billings in 2023. Three of GroupM's agencies ranked among the top 5 global agency networks. EssenceMediacom led the way with $24.5B in global client billings for 2023, followed by Mindshare and Wavemaker. T&Pm was recorded as having the highest growth rate of any large group agency, with 13.4% growth. Learn more about GroupM's COMvergence rankings & market shares: https://lnkd.in/eyyip4b5

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As #thirdparty cookies near deprecation, ad tech companies are innovating to build audiences for media buyers. #Sellside curation is emerging as a key trend, where #firstparty customer data from buyers is matched with publishers' first-party audience data to create private marketplaces (#PMPs). This shift changes the traditional roles of #DSPs, #SSPs, and #DMPs, leading to new dynamics in the #programmatic ecosystem. Key Highlights: ✅ SSP Curation: SSPs now leverage first-party data from publishers, enabling large-scale activation of second- and third-party audiences without third-party cookies. ✅ Data Marketplaces: SSPs are partnering with third-party data providers to enhance audience matching, creating new data marketplaces. ✅ Real-Time Reporting: SSPs offer real-time data matching and reporting, improving transparency and efficiency. ✅ Flexibility and Control: Sell-side curation provides advertisers with more flexibility and control over audience identifiers, bypassing DSP limitations. ✅ Industry Impact: The evolving landscape is creating new opportunities and tensions, as SSPs gain prominence and DSPs adjust to reduced control. As the ad tech industry adapts to the loss of third-party cookies, sell-side curation is transforming how audiences are built and targeted, paving the way for a more connected and efficient advertising ecosystem. #sellsidecuration #programmatic #advertising

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✅🖥️ DIGIDAY (6/27): “NBCU and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are making inventory on the Peacock streaming platform and the Eurosport website and supporting apps available to buy in private marketplaces (PMP for programmatic advertisers). That development could mean brands with smaller budgets can access huge Olympic audiences previously fenced off to big spenders. Peacock is set to carry the entire Olympic schedule — over 5,000 hours of live sports — and ads running against that coverage will all be available to buy programmatically, via a partnership with ad tech provider The Trade Desk. At the same time, Warner Bros. Discovery, which holds coverage rights across Europe via its Eurosport brand, has also begun to make inventory on its Olympic coverage available programmatically. It launched a new marketplace in May, WBD Connect, which gives advertisers access to ad inventory across CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) and WBD Sports Europe, including Eurosport, in partnership with ad tech vendor Magnite. While Eurosport streaming ads WBD’s streaming platforms Max and discovery+ will not be available to buy programmatically, the publisher has put ads on the Eurosport website and apps on the table. Like NBCU, the majority of WBD’s inventory is available via PMPs, though it’s also making a limited inventory available to the open market via pre-bid and in-app mediation.” ⬇️ #streamingtv #programmatic #olympics #ctv #ott #avod #smarttv https://lnkd.in/eeGpq4d7

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This is absolutely worth a read for any brand looking to explore the RMN space and any advertiser assessing where to invest their dollars for the greatest impact in 2025.

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Perhaps inevitable, but nonetheless very interesting developments on Amazon Prime Video Ads announced this week. Amazon Ads are launching three new interactive ad units for Prime Video, all of which are shoppable 📺 Shoppable carousel ads, interactive pause ads and interactive trivia ads will come in the near future. As you would expect from Amazon, a seamless way to connect the streaming and shopping experience, and of course allow brands to easily measure the impact on their STV investment. https://lnkd.in/ecHiBvrx

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I shared our new partnership with Nano Interactive yesterday…and already we can see proof of the value for Brand Advertisers as detailed in this case study involving The HEINEKEN Company. It exemplifies a significant advancement in ID-free targeting solutions for CPG advertisers. This collaboration has proven its value by enhancing brand metrics and driving substantial ROI through a pilot campaign with Heineken, focusing on the Cruzcampo beer brand in the UK. Key Outcomes of the Cruzcampo Campaign for Heineken Enhanced Brand Awareness and Market Penetration •           The partnership's pilot campaign with Heineken aimed to increase brand awareness and market penetration for Cruzcampo, a relatively new beer brand in the UK market. By leveraging Nano’s ID-free Intent Personas and Circana’s ProScores™ data, the campaign effectively targeted potential customers in a privacy-friendly manner
 Significant Return on Investment (ROI): • The use of sophisticated modeling techniques and real-time consumer journey data allowed for precise targeting and optimization of campaign spend. This strategic approach led to an ROI that exceeded the set benchmark by 43%, demonstrating the financial viability and effectiveness of the partnership
 Improved Consumer Consideration: • The campaign not only focused on enhancing brand visibility but also aimed at increasing consumer consideration for Cruzcampo. By utilizing in-store shopper sales data, Nano and Circana were able to measure brand uplift and adjust their strategies to maximize impact on consumer perception and buying behavior
 Strategic Implications for CPG Advertisers The success of the Nano and Circana partnership through the Heineken case study provides several strategic insights for CPG advertisers: • Privacy-Friendly Targeting: In an era where consumer privacy concerns are paramount, the ability to deliver effective advertising without relying on personal identifiers is a significant advantage. This approach aligns with current data protection regulations and consumer expectations
 • Data-Driven Decision Making: The integration of Circana’s PoS data with Nano’s contextual analysis tools enables advertisers to make informed decisions based on comprehensive market insights. This data-driven approach ensures that advertising spend is optimized for maximum effectiveness
 • Scalability Across Markets: The demonstrated success of the pilot campaign suggests that this ID-free targeting solution can be scaled across different markets and brands within the CPG sector. This scalability makes it a versatile tool for global CPG companies looking to enhance their advertising strategies https://lnkd.in/ghXtrx3U


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📹 Amazon is Shaking Up the Streaming Advertising Market! 📺 In January, Amazon made a bold move by making all Prime Video subscriptions ad-supported by default. Just six months in, the impact is clear and brands need to pay close attention to how this will further change the advertising landscape: 🔸 Subscription Changes: Prime Video now defaults to ad-supported at $14.99/month for Prime members and $8.99/month for non-Prime members. Want ad-free? It’s an extra $3/month. 🔸 Market Impact: Amazon joins Netflix and Disney in offering ad-supported tiers, leading to an oversupply in the ad marketplace and therefore companies like Disney are now working harder to attract advertisers. 🔸 Ad Market Dynamics: Prime Video could add over 50 billion impressions to the connected TV (CTV) market this year. Amazon's aggressive pricing strategy is pushing down ad costs, with CPM rates between $30 and $35 which is causing competitors, like Netflix, to lower their CPM rates to stay competitive. 🔸 Competitive Edge: Amazon’s extensive audience reach and customer data from Prime gives it a significant advantage! They can integrate their search advertising with Prime Video, enhancing content monetization and lowering ad prices. 🔸 Market Trends: More consumers are opting for cheaper ad-supported streaming plans. MoffettNathanson predicts a 33% growth in advertising video on demand this year. 🔸 Industry Adaptation: Amazon's approach is pushing the industry to focuse more on market share over high ad prices. SO... What are some things you should be thinking about for YOUR brand? 🔹 Commitment to a proper investment and appropriate flight length 🔹 Plan for ample amounts of video development and to A/B test 🔹 Leverage your data to create tailored targeting 🔹 Take advantage of competitive pricing NOW - test early & often 🔹 Look for the halo effect and take advantage of retargeting 🔹 Up your influencer marketing game - it can boost your credibility, especially with young shoppers 🚀 Exciting times ahead for streaming and advertising! We're following them closely here at The Topo Agency, so if you looking to learn more follow along, reach out to me or someone from my team and as always head over to our website at www.thetopoagency.com to learn more about service offerings! #Streaming #Advertising #Amazon #PrimeVideo #Marketing #TechTrends

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How is contextual AI rewriting the rules for digital advertising? This year at #CannesLions, contextual advertising drew a lot of attention. Contextual experts from Seedtag, Lenovo, and Initiative joined Ad Age on the VaynerX yacht to discuss the promise of contextual AI and its impact on creativity. 🦾 “As an industry we’ve focused a lot on the right person at the right time,” said Brian Danzis, president of North America at Seedtag. “I think we’ve gotten away from the right moments over the years. Audiences are much more diverse these days. They’re much more nuanced. Marketers want to reach people beyond age and gender, and contextual allows you to do that precisely in that moment. It’s ultimately more effective.” Discover more expert insights on contextual AI's advantage in advertising: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eBtM_vt8 📸 Editorial credits: Sean T Smith / Lou Aguilar. #ContextualAI #AdTech #PrivacyFirst #Cannes2024

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