The Current

Inside this edition of The Current: - Sir Martin Sorrell writes about how emerging technology is changing media transparency. - Chalice AI’s Ali Manning ponders what went wrong with curation. - Walmart Connect’s Jon Gibs joins The Big Impression podcast. 

Is media optimizing for clients? Or are clients optimizing their business for media? S4 Capital Group's Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sorrell, takes on that question in his new op-ed for The Current. As AI automates targeting, bidding and measurement, the black box now lives in the algorithm, and every platform has its own commercial interests. His advice to advertisers: own the data, set the objectives, understand the economics and measure the outcome. Read the full op-ed: https://bit.ly/4ByBNGX

The NFL just sent streaming signups through the roof. Peacock, ESPN, Paramount+ and Fox One added a combined 6.7 million subscribers in September, according to data from Antenna, driven by the new season. It’s yet another sign that live sports are still TV’s golden goose, even on streaming. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4zbgfyF

Four questions to ask a curation partner before you sign: 1. Are you building a custom model for my brand, based on my goals? 2. Can you show me what I’m buying, why it fits and where my ads ran? 3. Will the model keep learning from results? 4. What is your take rate, what does it cover and will you cap it? Our cofounder and COO Ali Manning explains in The Current why these answers matter more now that advertisers can bring their own decisioning into the SSP. Link in the comments 👇 #AdTech #Programmatic #MediaBuying #Curation #DigitalAdvertising

Containerization lets advertisers bring their own decisioning into the supply-side platform (SSP) and evaluate individual pages instead of whole domains. Ali Manning, co-founder and COO at Chalice AI, explains why that matters for curation and what buyers should ask before they sign. Read the op-ed in The Current: https://bit.ly/4zb29NL Can your curation partner tell you what they selected, why they selected it and what they charged?

Some people in our industry have been saying the Open Internet isn't the cause it once was. Our co-founder and CEO, Jeff Green, isn't buying it. His argument goes well past ad tech. AI is changing who gets paid for ideas, and the music, film, and journalism people value most are expensive to make. Jeff makes the case that premium media needs an Open Internet to survive, and that advertisers will have a big say in which way this goes. His full case is the first op-ed in the new version of The Current: https://bit.ly/4zR45L9

ROAS tells you what happened. It doesn't always tell you what to do next. On The Big Impression, Jon Gibs, Group Director of Media Insights and Measurement at Walmart Connect, explains how closed-loop measurement helps marketers look beyond ROAS, find new customers, and turn campaign insights into smarter media decisions. Listen to the full episode: https://bit.ly/4iHGjLW

Something new is coming. More industry voices, bold opinions, and fresh perspectives on the future of advertising. Follow us and subscribe to The Current's newsletter to be part of the conversation: https://bit.ly/4BxPLsW

In the era where 'everything is over-optimized', brands are getting back to their bread and butter — giving people a reason to remember them. That's our reporter Chris Brooklier's takeaway from ANA in Orlando. Read more: https://bit.ly/4kdQyZu

Inside this edition of The Current: - Leaders at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference this week said that brands are starting to pivot back to long-term brand-building and away from chasing short-term metrics. - Fiducia CEO Tim Brown explains why programmatic optimization should begin at the DSP.