Shows
AdTech AI Files#31 | Attention Drives IntentionATTENTION drives Intention.Think about the last time you walked through a store. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of products sat on shelves within arm’s reach. You walked past most of them without even noticing. Not because they were bad products. Not because you had something against them.They simply never earned your Attention.Only the items that interrupt your autopilot, that visually stand out, that connect to a need or spark curiosity, have a chance to influence what ends up in your cart. ATTENTION is the gateway. Without it, INTENTION never forms.Now think about the me...
2026-02-1305 min
AdTech AI Files#31 | Outcomes & AIIn this episode of AdTech AI Files, we unpack the hottest topics from the past few months and explain why they all point to the same conclusion: outcomes matter more than ever, and most AI failures start with weak data foundations.We break down what it actually takes to make “chat with data” work in an enterprise environment. Spoiler: it’s not the model. Live data connectivity, a true semantic layer, and proper governance determine whether AI becomes a decisioning engine or just a confident demo.We also explore why most optimization problems in advertising are really measurement proble...
2026-02-0404 min
AdTech AI Files#30 | Viant’s Q1 2025 Earnings RecapBased solely on Viant’s Q1 2025 earnings transcript.Revenue YoY: 32%CxT: 25%
2025-05-0711 min
AdTech AI Files#30 | Viant’s Q1 2025 Earnings RecapBased solely on Viant’s Q1 2025 earnings transcript.Revenue YoY: 32%CxT: 25%
2025-05-0711 min
AdTech AI Files#29 | Rethinking CTV Measurement for the Streaming Age𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮 | Jon Schulzhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/jon-schulz-4780ba4_upfronts-ctv-livesports-activity-7318655564027215873-qDIg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAOMQksB5Fgbm_qk5Eeo-7X6VF7Vp2IJNg8Bold #Upfronts Predictions from an #IndustryVeteran — With a Twist | Tom Wolfehttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/tomhwolfe_upfronts-industryveteran-upfronts-activity-7315732919719784448-b_Ct?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAOMQksB5Fgbm_qk5Eeo-7X6VF7Vp2IJNg8Rethinking CTV Measurement for the Streaming Age | Steven Ohrnstein
2025-05-0208 min
AdTech AI Files#29 | Rethinking CTV Measurement for the Streaming Age𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮 | Jon Schulzhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/jon-schulz-4780ba4_upfronts-ctv-livesports-activity-7318655564027215873-qDIg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAOMQksB5Fgbm_qk5Eeo-7X6VF7Vp2IJNg8Bold #Upfronts Predictions from an #IndustryVeteran — With a Twist | Tom Wolfehttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/tomhwolfe_upfronts-industryveteran-upfronts-activity-7315732919719784448-b_Ct?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAOMQksB5Fgbm_qk5Eeo-7X6VF7Vp2IJNg8Rethinking CTV Measurement for the Streaming Age | Steven Ohrnstein
2025-05-0208 min
AdTech AI Files#28 | The Man, The Myth, The LegendPod dedicated to the one and only, Mikhail BerylantPeople, Process, and ToolsFor any company to be successful, it takes these three things. Rarely is there a person that embodies all 3, Mikhail Berlyant is one of the greats that does.I wanted to take a moment to honor Mikhail for the #contribution he has had in my professional career. It was through Mikhail creating Potens.io, a software that sits on top of Google BigQuery, that makes it easy for someone like myself...
2025-03-2610 min
AdTech AI Files#28 | The Man, The Myth, The LegendPod dedicated to the one and only, Mikhail BerylantPeople, Process, and ToolsFor any company to be successful, it takes these three things. Rarely is there a person that embodies all 3, Mikhail Berlyant is one of the greats that does.I wanted to take a moment to honor Mikhail for the #contribution he has had in my professional career. It was through Mikhail creating Potens.io, a software that sits on top of Google BigQuery, that makes it easy for someone like myself, a non-engineer who knows the business but otherwise no way to bring data...
2025-03-2610 min
AdTech AI Files#27 | Conversion Rate Benchmarks“What’s a Good Conversion Rate?” 🤔 The Benchmark MythFor as long as I can remember, marketers have asked me:“What’s a good conversion rate for my campaign?”And here’s the honest answer… it depends.Conversion rate benchmarks are tricky because different brands have different goals. A KPI could be downloading a coupon, signing up for an email, opening a bank account, or even buying a car, all of which have vastly different intent levels and friction points.The head of Marketing Analytics for one of the largest global OEMs once told me “it’s all relative to the d...
2025-03-2404 min
AdTech AI Files#27 | Conversion Rate Benchmarks“What’s a Good Conversion Rate?” 🤔 The Benchmark MythFor as long as I can remember, marketers have asked me:“What’s a good conversion rate for my campaign?”And here’s the honest answer… it depends.Conversion rate benchmarks are tricky because different brands have different goals. A KPI could be downloading a coupon, signing up for an email, opening a bank account, or even buying a car, all of which have vastly different intent levels and friction points.The hea...
2025-03-2404 min
2025-03-2411 min
2025-03-2411 min
AdTech AI Files#25 | Google or BustWill Google’s Ad Empire Be Broken Up?When I first started in programmatic, 2nd price auctions ensured advertisers paid a fair market rate. You could bid confidently knowing you’d only pay a cent more than the next-highest bid.Then, about 8-9 years ago, Google led the shift to 1st price auctions (where you pay exactly what you bid) & enabling their publishers to create dynamic bid floors (to artifically increase the clearing price). This fundamentally changed how media was bought, increasing advertiser costs while boosting Google’s profits.My First Exposure to Googles dominance was in 2016.A...
2025-03-2105 min
AdTech AI Files#25 | Google or BustWill Google’s Ad Empire Be Broken Up?When I first started in programmatic, 2nd price auctions ensured advertisers paid a fair market rate. You could bid confidently knowing you’d only pay a cent more than the next-highest bid.Then, about 8-9 years ago, Google led the shift to 1st price auctions (where you pay exactly what you bid) & enabling their publishers to create dynamic bid floors (to artifically increase the clearing price). This fundamentally changed how media was bought, increasing advertiser costs while boosting Google’s profits.
2025-03-2105 min
AdTech AI Files#24 | Lift Off: The Truth About Ad ImpactThe Illusion of High Lift: Why Longer Lookback Windows Matter in Incrementality TestingMarketers love seeing high lift in incrementality studies, it feels like proof that campaigns are driving real impact. But if you’re only looking at short lookback windows (1-7 days), you might be chasing last-touch credit and overestimating effectiveness.The Problem: Short Lookback Windows Inflate LiftWhen we measure lift between 1-7 days, results look strong because ads do work, they drive awareness and may accelerate conversions. But here’s the catch:✅ Many buyers were already on the path to purchase.✅ Your ad may have...
2025-03-1805 min
AdTech AI Files#24 | Lift Off: The Truth About Ad ImpactThe Illusion of High Lift: Why Longer Lookback Windows Matter in Incrementality TestingMarketers love seeing high lift in incrementality studies, it feels like proof that campaigns are driving real impact. But if you’re only looking at short lookback windows (1-7 days), you might be chasing last-touch credit and overestimating effectiveness.The Problem: Short Lookback Windows Inflate LiftWhen we measure lift between 1-7 days, results look strong because ads do work, they drive awareness and may accelerate conversions. But here’s the catc...
2025-03-1805 min
AdTech AI Files#23 | Relative vs Incremental Lift | Pizza TalkRelative vs. Incremental Lift: How you can Leverage Both Let’s say you own a pizza shop, and you’re running an ad campaign to get more people ordering your delicious pies. You set up a test:•Exposed Group: They see your ad and start craving pizza.•Control Group: No ad seenAt the end of the campaign, let’s say your control group only sold 10 pizzas and the exposed group sold 25, for a total of 35 pizzas sold.🍕 What can Relative vs. Incremental Lift tell you?➡ Incremental Lift answers: “How much of my total sales actually came fro...
2025-03-1604 min
AdTech AI Files#23 | Relative vs Incremental Lift | Pizza TalkRelative vs. Incremental Lift: How you can Leverage Both Let’s say you own a pizza shop, and you’re running an ad campaign to get more people ordering your delicious pies. You set up a test: • Exposed Group: They see your ad and start craving pizza. • Control Group: No ad seenAt the end of the campaign, let’s say your control group only sold 10 pizzas and the exposed group sold 25, for a total of 35 pizzas sold.🍕 What c...
2025-03-1604 min
AdTech AI Files#22 | Math from an 8 Year OldPod cast produced from my 8 year old son to kids of all ages. Enjoy!
2025-03-1603 min
AdTech AI Files#22 | Math from an 8 Year OldPod cast produced from my 8 year old son to kids of all ages. Enjoy!
2025-03-1603 min
AdTech AI Files#21 | SHOUT OUT: AmandaIn honor of International Women's Day, I wanted to recognize 2 women that have had a profound impact on my life. One of them personal, another professional.My mom, a lifelong nurse, specializing in end-of-life care (hospice) and mid-to-late-stage cancer care, always taught me that the most important thing anyone can do in their life is to CARE, whether for a person or a cause. With 8 billion people on this planet and countless causes to #care about, we each have a limited capacity to give our energy. While I’m not always great at expressing my gratitude, one of the th...
2025-03-1405 min
AdTech AI Files#21 | SHOUT OUT: AmandaIn honor of International Women's Day, I wanted to recognize 2 women that have had a profound impact on my life. One of them personal, another professional.My mom, a lifelong nurse, specializing in end-of-life care (hospice) and mid-to-late-stage cancer care, always taught me that the most important thing anyone can do in their life is to CARE, whether for a person or a cause. With 8 billion people on this planet and countless causes to #care about, we each have a limited capacity to give our energy. While I’m not always great at expressing my...
2025-03-1405 min
AdTech AI Files#20 | MMP: Use it or Lose itUse it or Lose it: a Mobile Measurement Partner ofcourseMobile in-app environments convert 3x more often than mobile web. Think about how often you buy Starbucks coffee through the app vs. opening Safari or Chrome to place an order. For most of us, it’s a night-and-day difference, in-app is faster, more convenient, and personalized. In cases like this, app conversion rates aren’t just higher, they’re the dominant way customers engage and buy.Yet, there are no cookies or traditional pixels in an in-app environment, meaning the standard ways most marketers measure performance don’t include...
2025-03-1404 min
AdTech AI Files#20 | MMP: Use it or Lose itUse it or Lose it: a Mobile Measurement Partner ofcourseMobile in-app environments convert 3x more often than mobile web. Think about how often you buy Starbucks coffee through the app vs. opening Safari or Chrome to place an order. For most of us, it’s a night-and-day difference, in-app is faster, more convenient, and personalized. In cases like this, app conversion rates aren’t just higher, they’re the dominant way customers engage and buy.Yet, there are no cookies or traditional pixels in an in-app environment, meaning the st...
2025-03-1404 min
AdTech AI Files#19 | Privacy vs. Blocking: The Real Story Behind Consumer ChoicePrivacy vs. Blocking: The Real Story Behind Consumer ChoiceThere’s a big difference between consumers opting out of tracking (which would be every consumers right) and Big Tech outright blocking measurement for their own gain. Yet, the lines keep getting blurred.Take Apple’s Private Relay, a feature that allows users to effectively be routed through a VPN while browsing in Safari, making you invisible across the web. It sounds like a major privacy shift, but in reality? After nearly 4 years of Apple pushing it, we see only ~16% of Apple related bid requests routed through Private Relay, mean...
2025-03-1307 min
AdTech AI Files#19 | Privacy vs. Blocking: The Real Story Behind Consumer ChoicePrivacy vs. Blocking: The Real Story Behind Consumer ChoiceThere’s a big difference between consumers opting out of tracking (which would be every consumers right) and Big Tech outright blocking measurement for their own gain. Yet, the lines keep getting blurred.Take Apple’s Private Relay, a feature that allows users to effectively be routed through a VPN while browsing in Safari, making you invisible across the web. It sounds like a major privacy shift, but in reality? After nearly 4 years of Apple pushing it, we see only ~16% of A...
2025-03-1306 min
AdTech AI Files#18 | What the Freq? Linear vs. Connected TVLinear TV vs. Connected TV: The Frequency Problem Marketers Can’t IgnoreAfter running Linear TV vs. Digital measurement studies for the past decade, one pattern remains consistent:Dolllar for dollar, more times than not, Linear TV campaigns have 3x higher frequency than CTV. And here’s the issue, without frequency capping, that’s a lot of wasted impressions.Why This Happens:✅ Linear can’t control frequency. If someone watches the same channel daily, they’ll likely see the same ad over and over due to the upfront nature of Linear TV.✅ CTV is transacted programmatically, and therefore...
2025-03-1206 min
AdTech AI Files#18 | What the Freq? Linear vs. Connected TVLinear TV vs. Connected TV: The Frequency Problem Marketers Can’t IgnoreAfter running Linear TV vs. Digital measurement studies for the past decade, one pattern remains consistent:Dolllar for dollar, more times than not, Linear TV campaigns have 3x higher frequency than CTV. And here’s the issue, without frequency capping, that’s a lot of wasted impressions.Why This Happens:✅ Linear can’t control frequency. If someone watches the same channel daily, they’ll likely see the same ad over...
2025-03-1206 min
AdTech AI Files#17 | Death of the 3rd Party PixelThe Death of Third-Party Pixels: Why First-Party Data is the FutureIf you launched your own website tomorrow, you’d own everything: your customer relationships, purchase history, and insights. That’s first-party data, it belongs to you, and no one can take it away.Your same business relies on pixels to understand performance, retarget your customers that have added your product to cart but yet to purchase, to optimize and measuring success. You rely on your partners, whether measurement providers or DSPs to help in this endeavor, which makes thes...
2025-03-1004 min
AdTech AI Files#17 | Death of the 3rd Party PixelThe Death of Third-Party Pixels: Why First-Party Data is the FutureIf you launched your own website tomorrow, you’d own everything: your customer relationships, purchase history, and insights. That’s first-party data, it belongs to you, and no one can take it away.Your same business relies on pixels to understand performance, retarget your customers that have added your product to cart but yet to purchase, to optimize and measuring success. You rely on your partners, whether measurement providers or DSPs to help in this endeavor, which makes these Pixels “Third-Party Pixels”. Easy enough…Only 1 problem, let’s take...
2025-03-1004 min
AdTech AI Files#16 | Goodbye DCMWhy Cookie-Based Measurement Sucks in 2025 Remember when cookies were amazing? Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, they revolutionized online tracking. But today, they only capture 9% of online conversions. Why? Because cookies simply don’t exist in most of the places where modern digital engagement happens: Connected TV – No cookies in your streaming ads. Most computer browsers – Safari, Firefox, and even Chrome (if users opt out). Mobile in-app – Cookies only work in mobile web (mostly Chrome). Audio ads on smart devices – Your podcast ads aren’t tracking conversions. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) billboards – Good luck using cookies on a Times Square billboard. C...
2025-03-0804 min
AdTech AI Files#16 | Goodbye DCMWhy Cookie-Based Measurement Sucks in 2025 Remember when cookies were amazing? Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, they revolutionized online tracking. But today, they only capture 9% of online conversions. Why? Because cookies simply don’t exist in most of the places where modern digital engagement happens: Connected TV – No cookies in your streaming ads. Most computer browsers – Safari, Firefox, and even Chrome (if users opt out). Mobile in-app – Cookies only work in mobile web (mostly Chrome). Audio ads on smart devices – Your podcast ads aren’t tracking conversions. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) billboards – Good...
2025-03-0804 min
AdTech AI Files#15 | Are Independent DSPs Obsolete? The Industry Weighs InBased solely on Danilo Tauro (PhD) linked in post on 3/5/25 and the 110 commenters summariez using only AI.Article for reference: linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7303063345098620928/
2025-03-0606 min
AdTech AI Files#15 | Are Independent DSPs Obsolete? The Industry Weighs InBased solely on Danilo Tauro (PhD) linked in post on 3/5/25 and the 110 commenters summariez using only AI.Article for reference: linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7303063345098620928/
2025-03-0606 min
AdTech AI Files#14 | Why Lookback Windows MatterWhy Incremental Lift Shrinks Over Time: The Lookback Window Effect ⏳📉When clients ask "I thought lift would be higher/lower, my 1st question back is what lookback window are you using?"One of the biggest factors in incremental lift measurement isn’t just the ad itself, it’s how long you wait to measure it. ✅ The shorter the lookback window, the higher the incremental lift. ✅ The longer the lookback window, the lower the lift. Why? Because marketing works, but so does time. At first, your test group (who saw the ad) is converting quickly, while your control...
2025-03-0604 min
AdTech AI Files#14 | Why Lookback Windows MatterWhy Incremental Lift Shrinks Over Time: The Lookback Window Effect ⏳📉When clients ask "I thought lift would be higher/lower, my 1st question back is what lookback window are you using?"One of the biggest factors in incremental lift measurement isn’t just the ad itself, it’s how long you wait to measure it. ✅ The shorter the lookback window, the higher the incremental lift. ✅ The longer the lookback window, the lower the lift. Why? Because marketing works, but so...
2025-03-0604 min
AdTech AI Files#13 | Contribution: The Future in AdTech Measurement, TodayMark My Words: Contribution Will Be the Future of AdTech MeasurementWe’re wrapping up our beta offering, and the feedback has been phenomenal. It just makes sense.Take a look at the chart below—see how CTV is undervalued in traditional attribution models? Whether it’s Last Touch, First Touch, or Linear, they fail to capture the real impact of each channel. But Conversion Contribution? It tells a completely different story.The industry is evolving, and it's time for measurement to evolve with it. Much more to come on this. 🚀#AdTech #Attribution #CTV #MarketingMeasurement #ConversionContribution #AdTechAIF
2025-03-0504 min
AdTech AI Files#13 | Contribution: The Future in AdTech Measurement, TodayMark My Words: Contribution Will Be the Future of AdTech MeasurementWe’re wrapping up our beta offering, and the feedback has been phenomenal. It just makes sense.Take a look at the chart below—see how CTV is undervalued in traditional attribution models? Whether it’s Last Touch, First Touch, or Linear, they fail to capture the real impact of each channel. But Conversion Contribution? It tells a completely different story.The industry is evolving, and it's time for measurement to evolve...
2025-03-0504 min
AdTech AI Files#12 | Purchase Lifecycle StrategyThe Best Marketers Have a Strategy for Moving Their Customers Through Each Phase of the Purchase CycleA long-time friend once shared an interesting insight about a global candy bar brand’s marketing strategy. Their mission wasn’t necessarily to get you to buy the candy bar at the cash register—but to get you to say no to it.Think about that for a second.Most of the products you walk by in a grocery store don’t even register in your mind. You don’t consciously think, “Should I buy this?” You just keep walking. But if a brand...
2025-03-0505 min
AdTech AI Files#12 | Purchase Lifecycle StrategyThe Best Marketers Have a Strategy for Moving Their Customers Through Each Phase of the Purchase CycleA long-time friend once shared an interesting insight about a global candy bar brand’s marketing strategy. Their mission wasn’t necessarily to get you to buy the candy bar at the cash register—but to get you to say no to it.Think about that for a second.Most of the products you walk by in a grocery store don’t even register in your mind. You don’...
2025-03-0505 min
AdTech AI Files#11 | Priorities: TTD vs DSPViant often gets compared a lot to The Trade Desk. Yet the big things we're working on are so different... 🤔The Trade Desk:1. Scale2. Prep for Google Exit3. Promote & protect objectivity more4. Leverage supply and demand imbalance5. Make CTV most effective channel6. Audio best year ever7. Move 100% of clients to KoKai8. Change the way industry manages Deals9. AI10. Simplify Retail Offering11. Simplify TTD platform12. Use more data13. JBPs14. Grow Product Success15. Hire Sr. LeadershipViant Technology:1. CTV2. Addressability3. AI
2025-03-0404 min
AdTech AI Files#11 | Priorities: TTD vs DSPViant often gets compared a lot to The Trade Desk. Yet the big things we're working on are so different... 🤔The Trade Desk:1. Scale2. Prep for Google Exit3. Promote & protect objectivity more4. Leverage supply and demand imbalance5. Make CTV most effective channel6. Audio best year ever7. Move 100% of clients to KoKai8. Change the way industry manages Deals9. AI10. Simplify Retail Offering11. Simplify TTD platform12. Use more data13. JBPs
2025-03-0404 min
AdTech AI Files#10 | Viant Technology Q4 2024 Earnings RecapViant Technology 3/3/25 Q4 2024 Earnings call recap.Based solely based on the earnings transcript and suplemental earnings presentation available on Viant Technology's Investor Relations page.
2025-03-0412 min
AdTech AI Files#10 | Viant Technology Q4 2024 Earnings RecapViant Technology 3/3/25 Q4 2024 Earnings call recap.Based solely based on the earnings transcript and suplemental earnings presentation available on Viant Technology's Investor Relations page.
2025-03-0412 min
AdTech AI Files#9 | Why Smaller Brands See Bigger GainsLift & Incrementality: Why Smaller Brands See Bigger Gains 🚀We constantly get asked for "Lift Benchmarks". One of the biggest misconceptions in marketing is assuming incrementality and lift are the same for every brand. But the truth is, the more nuanced the brand, the greater the potential lift (the more you REALLY need marketing).Let's break it down:If I launched "Steve's T-Shirt" company tomorrow (selling AdTech themed incrementally shirts ofcourse), a well-optimized campaign would yield 99%+ incremental lift. Why? Because nobody would know my brand (and...
2025-03-0103 min
AdTech AI Files#9 | Why Smaller Brands See Bigger GainsLift & Incrementality: Why Smaller Brands See Bigger Gains 🚀We constantly get asked for "Lift Benchmarks". One of the biggest misconceptions in marketing is assuming incrementality and lift are the same for every brand. But the truth is, the more nuanced the brand, the greater the potential lift (the more you REALLY need marketing).Let's break it down:If I launched "Steve's T-Shirt" company tomorrow (selling AdTech themed incrementally shirts ofcourse), a well-optimized campaign would yield 99%+ incremental lift. Why? Because nobody would know my brand (and maybe a little because most marketers are not yet "aware" of the val...
2025-03-0103 min
AdTech AI Files#8 | Beyond the Click... Throw Away CTRCTR is the Most Misleading & Overused Metric in Marketing 🚨Just because someone clicked doesn't mean they were interested, and just because someone didn't click, it doesn't mean they weren't interested… for example:✅ Mobile ads almost always have a higher CTR than desktop/laptop. Looking at the last ~5B ad impressions across the Viant DSP, Mobile smartphones yield 27% higher CTR than desktop/laptops—not because they necessarily perform better, but because the ad takes up a larger percentage of the screen, and people are far more likely to have a "fat finger" moment.✅ Brand-building channels like CTV & Audio have 0% CTR...
2025-03-0105 min
AdTech AI Files#8 | Beyond the Click... Throw Away CTRCTR is the Most Misleading & Overused Metric in Marketing 🚨Just because someone clicked doesn't mean they were interested, and just because someone didn't click, it doesn't mean they weren't interested… for example:✅ Mobile ads almost always have a higher CTR than desktop/laptop. Looking at the last ~5B ad impressions across the Viant DSP, Mobile smartphones yield 27% higher CTR than desktop/laptops—not because they necessarily perform better, but because the ad takes up a larger percentage of the screen, and people are far more likely to have a "fat finge...
2025-03-0105 min
AdTech AI Files#7 | Not All Control Groups Are Created Equal: Why Similarity Matters in Incremental Lift StudiesI've seen it happen time and time again—marketers compare performance across one partner to the next, but when looking at incremental lift, things can often look too good to be true. Upon digging in, more times than not, the control group used in the incrementality test wasn't actually comparable.If you're running an incrementality test, choosing the right control group is critical. Pick the wrong one, and your lift results could be completely misleading.Let's take In-N-Out as an example. It's only in four states. If In-n-Out's marketing team ran a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) using people th...
2025-03-0104 min
AdTech AI Files#7 | Not All Control Groups Are Created Equal: Why Similarity Matters in Incremental Lift StudiesI've seen it happen time and time again—marketers compare performance across one partner to the next, but when looking at incremental lift, things can often look too good to be true. Upon digging in, more times than not, the control group used in the incrementality test wasn't actually comparable.If you're running an incrementality test, choosing the right control group is critical. Pick the wrong one, and your lift results could be completely misleading.Let's take In-N-Out as an example. It's only in four states. If In-n-Out's marketing te...
2025-03-0104 min
AdTech AI Files#6 | 3 Reasons Marketers Are Shifting Budget from Linear TV to CTVOver the past decade, we've all witnessed a massive shift from Linear TV to Programmatic CTV. Here are the three biggest reasons I'm seeing as to why:1️⃣ Precision Targeting & Personalization 🎯Linear TV relies on broad demographic data, but CTV allows advertisers to leverage first-party data, behavioral insights, and real-time optimizations. This means more relevant ads delivered to the right audience at the right time—maximizing ROI.2️⃣ Better Measurement & Attribution 📊Unlike traditional TV, which relies on panel-based measurement, Programmatic CTV provides granular analytics on impressions, engagement, and conversions...
2025-03-0106 min
AdTech AI Files#6 | 3 Reasons Marketers Are Shifting Budget from Linear TV to CTVOver the past decade, we've all witnessed a massive shift from Linear TV to Programmatic CTV. Here are the three biggest reasons I'm seeing as to why:1️⃣ Precision Targeting & Personalization 🎯Linear TV relies on broad demographic data, but CTV allows advertisers to leverage first-party data, behavioral insights, and real-time optimizations. This means more relevant ads delivered to the right audience at the right time—maximizing ROI.2️⃣ Better Measurement & Attribution 📊Unlike traditional TV, which relies on panel-based measurement, Programmatic CTV provides granular analytics on impressions, engagement, and conversions. Marketers can track performance in real time and tie ad spend directly to busi...
2025-03-0106 min
AdTech AI Files#5 | Search/Social/Display vs CTV | Who's Really Driving Incrementality🚀 Fun Facts About Attribution & Ad Spend 🚀✅ Search, Social, & Display almost always attribute the MOST conversions & LOWEST CPA – but don't be fooled!✅ CTV (Connected TV) almost always drives the highest impact on awareness, consideration, AND highest incremental lift 📈 Why?🔍 Studies show that over half of Google searches come from consumers already intending to buy. Try typing "Chipotle" into your browser—it likely gets routed through a search engine (Google, Bing, etc.). Search gets the last touch credit, ignoring the channels that actually drove awareness and consideration.📲 Social media is great at serving ads for products you were already going to buy, but it doesn't capture...
2025-03-0107 min
AdTech AI Files#5 | Search/Social/Display vs CTV | Who's Really Driving Incrementality🚀 Fun Facts About Attribution & Ad Spend 🚀✅ Search, Social, & Display almost always attribute the MOST conversions & LOWEST CPA – but don't be fooled!✅ CTV (Connected TV) almost always drives the highest impact on awareness, consideration, AND highest incremental lift 📈 Why?🔍 Studies show that over half of Google searches come from consumers already intending to buy. Try typing "Chipotle" into your browser—it likely gets routed through a search engine (Google, Bing, etc.). Search gets the last touch credit, ignoring the channels that actually drove awareness and consideration.📲 Social media is great at serving ads...
2025-03-0107 min
AdTech AI Files#4 | 3 Reasons Every Marketer Should Be Using Incrementality MeasurementMost marketers measure "performance", but are you measuring true impact? Incrementality measurement is the key to knowing whether your marketing efforts actually drive results—or if you're just paying for outcomes that would've happened anyway. For example, if McDonald's stopped advertising tomorrow, people would still go to McDonald's because it's lunch time and they are hungry. So, it begs the question, did the consumer go to McDonald's because they were influenced by marketing, or because they are hungry. Only through incrementality measurement can a true answer be derived.Here's wh...
2025-03-0104 min
AdTech AI Files#4 | 3 Reasons Every Marketer Should Be Using Incrementality MeasurementMost marketers measure "performance", but are you measuring true impact? Incrementality measurement is the key to knowing whether your marketing efforts actually drive results—or if you're just paying for outcomes that would've happened anyway. For example, if McDonald's stopped advertising tomorrow, people would still go to McDonald's because it's lunch time and they are hungry. So, it begs the question, did the consumer go to McDonald's because they were influenced by marketing, or because they are hungry. Only through incrementality measurement can a true answer be derived.Here's why every marketer should be using it:🔹 Eliminate Wasted Spend...
2025-03-0104 min
AdTech AI Files#3 | AI Bidding - Why Every Marketer Needs it in Their DSP🚀 Why Every Brand Marketer & Agency Needs AI Bidding in Their #DSP 🚀Think about it: Brand Marketers and Publishers priorities simply don't align.Brand Priorities:✅ Deliver the budget in full!✅ Maintain even pacing✅ Optimize reach & frequency✅ Target the right audience✅ Achieve performance outcomes✅ Ensure attribution & measurement✅ Get fair pricingPublisher Priorities:✅ Maximize revenue!Here's the problem: without AI Bidding, #publishers and #SSPs will gladly take your money—often...
2025-03-0103 min
AdTech AI Files#3 | AI Bidding - Why Every Marketer Needs it in Their DSP🚀 Why Every Brand Marketer & Agency Needs AI Bidding in Their #DSP 🚀Think about it: Brand Marketers and Publishers priorities simply don't align.Brand Priorities:✅ Deliver the budget in full!✅ Maintain even pacing✅ Optimize reach & frequency✅ Target the right audience✅ Achieve performance outcomes✅ Ensure attribution & measurement✅ Get fair pricingPublisher Priorities:✅ Maximize revenue!Here's the problem: without AI Bidding, #publishers and #SSPs will gladly take your money—often due to overbidding.AI Bidding ensures smarter, data-driven bids that prevent wasted ad spend while still hitting performance goals. If you're not using it, you're leaving efficiency (and budget) on the table.
2025-03-0103 min
AdTech AI Files#2 | Retargeting: The Illusion of "Performance"Retargeting: The Illusion of "Performance" When escalations land on my desk for low or nonexistent incremental lift, the first thing that comes to mind is targeting settings. More often than not, the culprit is the same: Retargeting past purchasers.These campaigns always look great on the surface—high conversion rates, strong ROAS, glowing performance reports you proudly share with your boss or client direct. But when we measure incremental lift, it's a different story. Compared to its ghost bid control group (similar past purchasers audience who DIDN'T see your ad), retargeting past buyers rarely drives me...
2025-02-2804 min
AdTech AI Files#2 | Retargeting: The Illusion of "Performance"Retargeting: The Illusion of "Performance" When escalations land on my desk for low or nonexistent incremental lift, the first thing that comes to mind is targeting settings. More often than not, the culprit is the same: Retargeting past purchasers.These campaigns always look great on the surface—high conversion rates, strong ROAS, glowing performance reports you proudly share with your boss or client direct. But when we measure incremental lift, it's a different story. Compared to its ghost bid control group (similar past purchasers audience who DIDN'T see your ad), retargeting past buyers rarely drives meaningful incremental impact.Why? Because it...
2025-02-2804 min
AdTech AI Files#1 | Lift and Incrementality ExplainedTitle: Marketing Metrics That Matter: Incrementality & Attribution TruthsDescription:Not all performance metrics tell the real story. In this episode, I break down why incrementality should be your North Star, how misleading attribution inflates ROAS, and why true business growth comes from measuring real impact—not just nice-looking reports. If you’re focused on driving real results over vanity metrics, this one’s for you. #MarketingMeasurement #Incrementality #AI #AdTech #Attribution #GrowthMarketing #MarketingStrategyBased on LinkedIn and X post...
2025-02-2817 minAdTech AI Files#1 | Lift and Incrementality ExplainedTitle: Marketing Metrics That Matter: Incrementality & Attribution TruthsDescription:Not all performance metrics tell the real story. In this episode, I break down why incrementality should be your North Star, how misleading attribution inflates ROAS, and why true business growth comes from measuring real impact—not just nice-looking reports. If you’re focused on driving real results over vanity metrics, this one’s for you. #MarketingMeasurement #Incrementality #AI #AdTech #Attribution #GrowthMarketing #MarketingStrategyBased on LinkedIn and X postCredit to NotebookLM for creating incredible technology.
2025-02-2817 min