Mike Currey

“Now we're going to talk about how agencies will survive the cookie apocalypse—which is the slowest apocalypse ever," quips Anthony Vargas of AdExchanger #ProgIO. Allison Schiff perceptively notes that 3rd-party cookie deprecation is kind of a "boiling frog" situation... So is that frog cooked yet? Also, the whole industry is kind of the frog, right? (Except for the Walled Gardens, maybe?) “We could have had this same conversation last year, and I’m sacred we’re going to have the same one next year," Schiff notes. And guess what? For a lot of advertisers/brands, dealing with cookie deprecation is not a priority. Why? Do they not feel the urgency? Well, deprecation has been happening for so long that they seem to have tuned out. They don’t feel like the real solutions have appeared yet. "We’ve been burned on the client side," Alan Silverberg, EVP, Data & Platform Solutions, Publicis Collective. We were told to test, and many of those tests were not fruitful. The tools were not privacy compliant (lawsuits!) or ineffective/limited. Clients very gun shy about privacy especially with new laws coming on the books. Is there investment in alternate IDs? “It’s one tool in the toolbox,” comments Brittany Schermerhorn, SVP of Media for Razorfish. How viable are clean rooms? Super important, but fragmented. You’ll have to think about a primary one and some others that supplement, Silverberg says. Schermerhorn adds: Everyone wants it to be the silver bullet, but really it’s just one tool in the shed. What about UID2? (Awkward silence.) Silverberg bites: It’s nice, broad, but not where it needs to be—not super scalable as is. How many alternative IDs are we going to need? Not sure, Schermerhorn says—think globally, there will be a need for geo-specific ideas. It’s not one, but not sure how many we need. Curious to see how the landscape evolves—consolidation? Grow higher? She adds: There’s been panic about collecting all the data, but you have to understand WHY you’re collecting the data in the first place. You have to be intentional—how are you going to activate it? Silverberg: With collecting first-party data, you have to start with use cases. What would/could I do with this? What about contextual— Michelle Nagelberg, Group Director, Business Intelligence Lead, choreograph. It’s extremely important, but clients don’t want to talk about it. It’s not fun Silverberg: Contextual does well upper-mid-funnel, but struggles lower funnel to drive consumers to take an action. (Hmmm, I wonder what DotDash Meredith thinks about that…) What about giving all your money to the walled gardens? Silverberg: They’re not driving the client business like they used to—diversification is necessary. We really need them to open up a bit, share more with each other even. Privacy Sandbox? Silverberg: I don’t think we’ve seen enough information to say this will be the primary solution going forward. We’ve seen some success, but not a scalable solution at this point.

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Add another retail media network to the mix—Costco has entered the game! As the article headline quote says, "Advertisers could soon be targeting hot-dog-combo enthusiasts who buy toilet paper by the truckload." The retail giant is leveraging its 74.5 million household membership data to roll out targeted advertising both on and off its website. Think that Costco, the third-largest retailer in the U.S., may soon be a major competitor in the highly competitive retail media market? This market is projected to grow to $166 billion by 2025 and account for 20% of all digital media spending this year, as reported by eMarketer. #retailmedia #rmn #retailadvertising

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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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Is CostCo the new Walmart…or is it just Hotdogs and Loo roll? Walmart struck gold with its retail media business, raking in a whopping $3.4 billion last year from its e-comm platform alone. Now, all eyes are on Costco to see if they can replicate that success as they launch their beta. With over 73 million paid members - that's more people than the entire population of France! - Ohh la la! Costco has a massive captive audience that brands would kill to reach and let's not forget their rapidly growing e-commerce sales, which could be a goldmine for advertising spend. But is it all hot dog combos and huge TV’s…..there are a few hurdles Costco needs to clear first: 🤺 Competition: Walmart and other retail giants are already dominating this space, so Costco needs to bring something unique or drive more value to stand out. 🏗️ Infrastructure: Building a robust retail media platform isn’t cheap or easy. Costco might need to invest in some serious tech and data analytics firepower (but I know they already have an awesome base with Circana) 🔒 Privacy Concerns: Customers value their privacy like they value those giant tubs of peanut butter. Costco needs to tread carefully to maintain trust whilst proving a credible value exchange 🤼‍♂️ Supplier Tensions: Introducing advertising could ruffle some feathers with existing suppliers, especially if certain brands get preferential treatment. Despite these challenges, the potential rewards could be juicier than pallet of strawberries for Costco to ignore. If they can crack the retail media code, they could be swimming in those pools they sell. What do you think? Did you spot all the CostCo shopping references? Comment below and give your view. #retailmedia #retailmedianetworks #advertising #Media #costco

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Announcing Aperiam's Latest Investment: Gigi! 🍒 Aperiam continues to make strategic bets in commerce media and CTV, the fastest-growing segments of digital advertising. With Amazon Ads being the largest commerce media channel AND the fastest-growing Streaming TV ad platform, we are excited to introduce our latest investment: Gigi. Why Gigi? 1) The product. Gigi’s unique ability to integrate a brand's first-party commerce data with Amazon's data for audience enrichment and deterministic omnichannel measurement sets it apart. This powerful combination enables brands and agencies to buy and measure Amazon Streaming TV ads more effectively. 2) The team. The founders behind Gigi consists of experienced commerce media executives - led by cofounder and CEO, Adam Epstein - who have a bold vision for the future of Streaming TV, commerce media, and data collaboration and a history of success in commerce media. Their expertise ensures that Gigi is at the forefront of innovation in this space. We believe Gigi’s capabilities and the vision of its team will drive significant advancements in how brands leverage data to enhance their advertising strategies on Amazon’s platform. Check out Gigi here: https://gigico.tv/ cc: James Borow Joe Zawadzki Danilo Tauro, PhD

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It didn't happen this year, but Google's phase-out of 3rd party cookies is inevitable. EMARKETER's Field Guide explores the varied identifiers available to marketers. The white paper examines: - Why marketers will need identifiers - How identity solutions can help - A full breakdown of Universal ID solutions and non-ID options. Hats off to Arielle Feger for the research and analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf for advising. A special thanks to LiveIntent, Inc. for making the guide possible. Get it here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e7YJm6vN?

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Really interesting article from Greg Smith at StreamVantage 📺 With users increasingly turning to free, ad-supported CTV, we need to nurture these new users with a strong ad experience. The last thing we want to do is annoy them and send them looking for another subscription instead. Well managed ad pods are a huge part of this and something we need to focus on 🚀 #CTV #Streaming https://lnkd.in/gdj56fGW

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With more businesses branching into FAST experiences, it's clear that this trend is only growing. One of the key outcomes of this is the TV-like experience being offered as part of a device service. This channel is accessible to all customers who purchased Roku’s low barrier-to-entry devices. The advantages of cable advertising are now in the domain of tech. #FASTTV #Innovation #AdTech

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HAVE YOU CONSIDERED ROKU FOR MARKETING? With so many option it can be confusing about what is the best strategy. I can help you. If you would like to expand your brand while reaching your target audience, you need to advertise on Roku. Let’s talk. #marketing #ROKU #advertising #consultant

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Google makes DV360, its PAIR ad ID, and generative AI the centerpiece of its digital advertising showcase at NewFront week. It was the first time Google technically had a NewFront, because normally it's YouTube. So, this was interesting, and The Trade Desk may be watching. #advertising #programmatic #Google #NewFronts https://lnkd.in/gNjiqiad

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This is the first I've heard of the company Rembrand but the premise sounds very interesting. The company is using AI to bring silent animated product placements into creators videos on YouTube and TikTok. The company pays creators based on a fixed CPM rate model, which could help generate passive revenue for creators. Creators are paid on a revenue-share basis, earning a percentage of the revenue that Rembrand brings in from the advertiser, which typically pays a fixed CPM rate between $15 and $20. Rembrand calculates the creator's rate based on the number of views the creator typically gets. Has anyone heard of or tested this? Check out the full Business Insider article by Amanda Perelli and Lauren Johnson below, it's worth the read. https://lnkd.in/gEyVaA56

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Content services everywhere are ramping up their offerings as competition shifts models. The “streaming wars” that dominated industry headlines in 2022 have evolved into a new landscape, one where FAST offering and ad-powered services now compete for audience attention using TV models. It will be interesting to see where things go from here. #AdTech #AdPublishing #PFASTTV

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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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Has anyone ever sized the market opportunity the measurement/verification/attribution/optimization companies are fighting for a share of? Are long-term projections tethered to assumptions using math like we expect X share of a market sized Y, yielding revenue Z, margins A = valuation B? I suspect the pie is finite and not going to grow enormously, so in the end there is only room for a handful of players. And someone is going to have to lose significant share for even that to work. Especially as long as the sell side is paying most of the freight (directly and indirectly).

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Streaming is surpassing cable, and it's likely due to the control that viewers have over what they watch and when (along with other factors). I know I sure do subscribe to quite a few services which gets expensive. IAB CEO David Cohen told Axios, "I think that there's a lot to be said for the power of the bundle. Consumers are not going to subscribe to seven or eight things, they simply can't afford that." We have to start adding layers. Investing in streaming isn't enough — we also need to add bundles that make financial sense to consumers who are now faced with the task of choosing which services they can afford. #IAB #Streaming #Bundles #StreamingServices

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As Connected TV (CTV) viewership continues to soar first party data & identity must keep pace. To that end - Yahoo Advertising Identity Solutions are now backed by global partnerships with Paramount, Tubi, NBCUniversal and FreeWheel. We're enriching premium inventory with Yahoo ConnectID addressable data, combined with Next-Gen non-addressable solutions to help brands optimise and measure campaigns more effectively. Find out more about how Yahoo is tackling an Identity constrained future: https://lnkd.in/gBgZ9RWJ B&T Alba Marco John McNerney Andrew Gilbert Keren Homan Kristine Celona Eliot Thompson Lorraine Donnelly Natalie Phang Kenneth Koh Rahila Nadir Sebastian Tatur Lucinda Pfitzner Sonya Llewellyn Giovanni Gardelli Serena Jiao Kurt Anderson Niki Zacharopoulou Emily Ray Joshua John Miles Brehm Alice Beecroft Robin Jackson Prachi Singh #identity #data #privacy #omnichannel

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Feeling the election anxiety? You're not alone. The upcoming presidential election, coupled with economic uncertainty, has consumers on edge, impacting their buying behaviors. 🚨 Prediction alert: This fall, expect a rise in "little luxuries" while big purchases will take a back seat until after the election. Marketers take note: Beyond offering fun, ease, and lower prices, highlight products in your catalog that allow for self-gifting and provide little escapes. These small indulgences will resonate deeply with consumers while anxiety is at a high. Thanks to Libby Rodney for this fun conversation on how to prepare for the upcoming Q4, and thanks to Direct Agents for making it happen. #electionanxiety #holidayshopping #ecommerce

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Google just delayed third party cookie deprecation for the third time. My thoughts, and a link to the AdTech communities best humor on the topic. 1. Much of Google's AdTech ecosystem is built on cookies. So they aren't going to remove it without a strong competitive reason (like Apple did), or outside regulation forcing them. 2. Only 50% of website visits now offer cookies, so think about alternatives anyway. 3. The technologies exist to manage life beyond 3PC, but the investment cost/benefits don't outweigh inertia for most players in the ecosystem. 4. At LiveRamp, I was the Product Manager who built the cookie-less client side tag to track alternative IDs. Here are the cookie alternatives: 1. Fingerprinting - frowned upon, inaccurate, and illegal in many regions 2. MAIDs - blocked by platform players down the stack from the app/browser, such as carriers and device/app store companies (like Apple) 3. Emails and various forms of Oauth/repackaging the email - can be owned by the walled gardens, like, you guessed it: Google. Or sites and publishers need to implement proprietary logins (costly and inefficient for users) It's messy and where it gets messy, it can get funny. Click the link below for the humor. Personally, I don't think Google will actually go through with it until they are forced by outside players or regulation. What are your thoughts on this delay? https://lnkd.in/gXTg4ZPU

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