Ad Tech Explained

Less than a month after rolling out ads, ChatGPT has already enlisted Criteo as its first advertising technology partner and could add The Trade Desk next. These moves reinforce that OpenAI is prioritizing partnerships as a fast route to scalable revenue and risk mitigation, key factors for short-term investor confidence, even though building an in-house ads platform must be inevitable. The question for the ad tech ecosystem isn't whether OpenAI will disintermediate partners, it's when. We delve into why in the latest Ad Tech Explained: https://lnkd.in/gQY3-_-z

Programmatic advertising is built upon standardization. But until recently, there was no standard for communicating live event information before an event occurred — until the Forecasting API. Here’s what you need to know. This week's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gUpCzgtT

Marketers are stretched in more directions than ever, and relying on a single platform or closed ecosystem is a strategic risk. The Open Garden Framework offers a better path. Ad Tech Explained and AI Digital break down what it is, why it matters, and how brands apply it. This week's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gEVtaca7

Podcasts now reach more than half of the overall U.S. population every month. For advertisers, that means podcasting long ago stopped being an “add-on” channel. It’s a mainstream behavior with real scale. The Ad Tech Explained team developed this explainer, in partnership with Triton Digital, to explore the current state of podcasting and what advertisers need to know about making the most of these high-value audiences. This week's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gawkjW49

Started in ad tech sales and quickly realized the real pull was the technology behind it. Instead of waiting for permission or a perfect title, the move was to learn fast, get useful, and build credibility through real impact. This series is for anyone building a real career in ad tech and trying to level up without burning out. No theory, no fluff, just hard-earned lessons from the chaos This week's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gWTRvUNk

Programmatic buying is getting harder as signals fragment, privacy tightens, and performance pressure rises, which is why programmatic curation is gaining traction as a smarter way to buy media. By combining enriched, privacy-compliant data with quality inventory in curated marketplace deals, marketers can reduce waste, improve performance, maintain greater control, and deliver more relevant experiences without overreliance on cookies or legacy targeting approaches. Read more in the latest Ad Tech Explained, sponsored by Experian Marketing Services: https://lnkd.in/edssBD3n

AI is reshaping the open web. But it does not have to hollow it out. AI-powered publishing helps publishers drive more revenue per session, extend content life, and modernize monetization without adding editorial work. Our latest Ad Tech Explained with Mula breaks down how publishers can use AI to fight AI. This week's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/daPFE53P

Pinterest just made a decisive move into performance CTV. By acquiring tvScientific, Pinterest gains a purpose-built performance CTV engine and the ability to extend intent-rich search and interest signals onto the biggest screen in the house. This Ad Tech Explained piece breaks down why the deal matters, what it unlocks for advertisers, and the real challenges Pinterest will need to solve around identity, measurement, and CTV economics. Read the full analysis: https://lnkd.in/gWPEzpvF

Google is already testing ads inside Gemini’s AI answers, basically a “sponsored” block tacked onto chat. It’s not flashy, but the clear separation protects trust, and that’s the whole point. OpenAI seems to be leaning a different way: monetize through commerce and bookings first, keep the core answers clean, and only touch ads if they can be done without poisoning the experience. The next year of Google’s experiment is going to set the tone for how AI assistants pay the bills without breaking user trust. This week's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dCsNvNig