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Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about "focus" for 2026. What do I want to focus ADLINGO on next year? What deserves more attention and coverage, and what deserves less? What tech deserves immediate attention, and what can we afford to set aside for now?
Clearly, the advertising agencies are consolidating. Hard. Every couple of weeks we see new headlinges about workforce optimization and efficiencies. The "Rule of Three" is what's next.
15,000+ agency jobs are gone. The legacy publishers are hemorrhaging. Yet the demand for marketing hasn't dropped. It just moved. So, where to point your career?
Brands have a massive gap in understanding what their technology vendors are actually solving on their behalf and what the definition of "paid for" actually means.
The ANA is (still) presenting its "Programatic Transparency" study from last year. Perhaps that is because not enough brands have taken action on the results?
As the Miami sun began its shift from pleasant to borderline oppressive, it was time to discuss chocolate.
When asked what today's ruling against Google means for advertisers, here is what I say. (Without making a prediction about a breakup.)
Ads in Google's AI Overviews are already natively integrated for immediate shoppability. What does this mean for advertisers, publishers, and the future of the ad supported Internet?
The DOJ is coming for Google, and they’re not just slapping wrists—they’re aiming to amputate.
I'm back from CES, where (and I can't believe I'm saying this) pause ads were having a moment. I did not have this one on my bingo card. Yes, those ads that pop up when you hit pause on your TV.
I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I do want you to look me in the eye and promise that you will press for better CTV quality in 2025. Oh...you thought it all ran on a TV in a living room? Have a seat. We need to talk.
In just a few days, Google's AdX will finally adopt the OpenRTB 2.6 standards. It could upend the biddable video marketplace. Or, the silence of the change could be deafening. Either outcome is worth your attention.
It is hot-take-Tuesday, and ROAS sits in our conflict of interest crosshairs.
Major Unlock: Marketers go out of their way to ensure that their finance teams understand the value advertising drives in the business. These two panels at POSSIBLE attempt to bring those worlds together through new ways of driving and measuring success.
I'm not saying it is a trap. But it is a trap.
Brands have a massive gap in understanding what their technology vendors are actually solving on their behalf and what the definition of "paid for" actually means.
The publishers, tech vendors, and programmatic platforms allegedly failed to prevent the monetization of racist and objectionable content.
Made-for-advertising sites are draining your digital ad budgets without you knowing. Today, we discuss how they pull it off. Plus the source code for a script to screenshot ads on any site you want.
Miami: Gary Vaynerchuk torched the industry's overreliance on paid social and NFL CMO Tim Ellis revealed how they transformed from last place in brand perception to first.
In a breakout session at POSSIBLE 2025 in Miami Beach yesterday, eMarketer's CEO Matthias Braun, and a panel of his analysts challenged three pervasive myths in our industry.
Tourism marketing's biggest opportunity isn't another "deal" or offer. It's solving the trip planning problem that frustrates 70% of travelers. Smart destinations are using AI to create hyper-personalized itineraries, predict traveler needs, and solve problems customers don't know they have yet.
Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about "focus" for 2026. What do I want to focus ADLINGO on next year? What deserves more attention and coverage, and what deserves less? What tech deserves immediate attention, and what can we afford to set aside for now?
Clearly, the advertising agencies are consolidating. Hard. Every couple of weeks we see new headlinges about workforce optimization and efficiencies. The "Rule of Three" is what's next.
I've spent the last few days engaged in my own career search, but I also took the time to see if any of the Q1 conferences have something to help this crowd. Specifically, I looked at CES, IAB ALM, Marketecture Live, and POSSIBLE. Here's what I found.
15,000+ agency jobs are gone. The legacy publishers are hemorrhaging. Yet the demand for marketing hasn't dropped. It just moved. So, where to point your career?
The ad tech world loves a standards war, and for those of us in the tech trenches, the last thing we need is another one. Two AI ads standards were publicly released within a few weeks of each other, but there’s one that should matter slightly more to advertisers.
Every one of us in commercial media has benefited from PBS and NPR. If we let them die on our watch, we're complicit in destroying the best of what American media can be.
Agencies spent $1B on AI, fired 15,000 people, and entry-level workers spend 70% of income on rent. Smart marketing students are skipping agencies for brands: 30% higher pay, better hours, and jobs that won't vanish before your loans are paid.
Substack's algorithm reportedly served swastikas to users' phones this week, and I'm feeling pretty good about jumping ship months ago
Does Perplexity's Comet browser signal the future of AI-powered advertising? While scale is limited today, the conceptual disruption is massive. Plus, Apple's rumored acquisition interest makes it worth watching.
What the FTC designed as protection for news publishers could become their financial ruin. The documentation burdens and compliance risks associated with the consent order create perverse incentives for agencies to avoid news altogether.
Miami: Gary Vaynerchuk torched the industry's overreliance on paid social and NFL CMO Tim Ellis revealed how they transformed from last place in brand perception to first.
