Accountability, beware of bad influencers and more

Welcome to The Refresh, a weekly newsletter from AdTechGod and Marketecture. Every Thursday we’ll bring you the latest advertising news, commentary, and memes.

• Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there? (AP News)

• AdTech deals soar to upbeat forecasts (Axios)

• Publicis Groupe is crushing it! (AdExchanger)

• Ipsos in talks to acquire Kantar Media (Mediapost)

• Media braces for consolidation in 2025 (Semafor)

• Retooling brand safety in a post-GARM world (Videoweek)

Are alternate IDs generally effective?

This is from general industry feedback from a poll that received over 400 votes! It is clear that scaling privacy-friendly advertising is still a big challenge.

Even though Android delivers 65-70% addressability, it’s missing key high-value users, and there’s a lack of adoption from both DSPs and publishers to close the gaps. Many believe combining location data with other signals could help improve targeting, but the tools and strategies don’t seem to be fully aligned just yet.

When it comes to alternate IDs for audience targeting on iOS web, the data shows that most believe coverage is still very low - 44% of respondents think alternate IDs cover only 0–15% of iOS users, while 34% estimate coverage at 16–35%. Only 17% think coverage reaches 36–60%, and a mere 5% believe it goes beyond that.

This highlights how far the industry still has to go to scale effective cookieless attribution. While there’s growing interest in improving ROI and moving beyond one-to-one attribution, it’s clear that better first-party data strategies are urgently needed to make real progress. The overall sentiment? The industry is moving forward, but there’s still a long way to go.

Ari’s View: I think there’s a place for alternative IDs but they are not going to solve all the problems or identify 100% of users. That’s OK, we need to bring a lot of solutions to bear.
LinkedIn Poll

Mediaocean gets investments from Interpublic, Omnicom and WPP

Mediaocean just teamed up with major ad giants like Interpublic Group, Omnicom Group, and WPP, with these companies grabbing small equity stakes in Mediaocean. This new alliance is all about building deeper relationships; integrating Mediaocean’s latest platforms in ad serving, creative optimization, and ad verification right into the agencies’ workflows.

By joining forces, they’re aiming to crank out better tech and offer more streamlined ad solutions to clients. It’s a big move that takes Mediaocean beyond just their well-known Prisma platform and building on their acquisition of Innovid.

Ari’s View: Never a bad idea to get your biggest customers to invest in your company.

Read AdAge

Transparency and Accountability

I ran a poll on LinkedIn that received over 550 votes, and the message is clear: it’s on AdTech to lead the charge on transparency in programmatic advertising—not regulators, not publishers, not brands. So now that that’s settled, here’s why:

AdTech platforms control the data, the pipes, and the deals. If we’re not stepping up, who will? Sure, advertisers, publishers, and industry orgs have their roles to play, but they don’t have the same level of control. The bottom line? AdTech has the power, so it’s our responsibility to fix the transparency issues that have been holding the industry back. Time to deliver!

Ari’s view: Transparency is great. but let’s not forget that it goes out the window if you can get performance. See PMax.

LinkedIn Poll

News Influencers vs. Journalists: Who Can You Trust?

News Influencers, those with big social media followings who talk about news, politics, and culture, can be hit or miss when it comes to reliability. Some are also journalists who follow ethical practices and focus on accurate info, but many aren’t, which makes their credibility all over the place. The key difference between Journalists and Influencers comes down to whether they prioritize facts or just gaining popularity. At the end of the day, it’s all about how committed they are to accuracy—not their platform or audience size. If you’re curious, there’s a site that rates News Influencers for bias and reliability.

Want to check reliability? https://adfontesmedia.com

Ari’s View: I’m trying to decide if I’m a journalist or a news influencer!

Linkedin Post

Sweet Suites Recording Opportunity – January 2025

We’re excited to announce that Sweet Suites will be recorded the week of Monday, January 6th, 2025, at the iconic Cosmopolitan, Vdara, and Aria hotels in Las Vegas!

This is a unique opportunity for your company to be featured in a paid video interview, recorded directly in your suite. If you don’t have a suite, no worries; we’re also offering recording sessions at a special location in the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Slots are limited, so be sure to provide your details below. Our team will reach out to you ASAP to secure your spot.

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