An Industry Divided, Sell-Side Curation, BlueSky's 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.

• Rumor: DoubleVerify Is Interested In Acquiring Lumen Research (AdExchanger)

• DOJ and Google make closing arguments in landmark adtech antitrust trial (Digiday)

• Former Netflix and Snap Ad Chief Jeremi Gorman Joining Michael Rubin’s Fanatics (Hollywood reporter)

• NBCU & Walmart Launch New Shoppable Experiences In Live Sports Across Linear & Streaming Ad Inventory (TVNewsCheck)

• Mediaocean acquires Innovid to sharpen focus on creative, CTV (Axios)

• Listen to my interview with Aaron Goldman and Dani Cushion the CMO’s of Mediaocean and Innovid here: Spotify

Addressable TV Hits Prime Time: From Niche to Must-Buy

Addressable TV has rapidly evolved from a niche tactic to a key part of advertisers' strategies. Since Go Addressable launched in 2021, adoption has surged, with over half of advertisers now calling it a "must-buy" and 63% factoring it into 2024-2025 upfronts.

The shift to ad-supported streaming has made addressable advertising essential for reaching audiences across screens. Despite challenges like high CPMs and traditional metrics, brands are embracing it for its precision and impact. With better access to first-party data, advertisers can now target more effectively, and industries like pharma are leveraging addressable to connect directly with relevant audiences, proving its value in delivering results.

Ari’s View: Addressable remains really hard to execute with limited availability. Sure, its better than linear, but seems like a low priority to me. What do I know?
Read the AdExchanger Article

BlueSky’s and rainbows?

Bluesky feels like the big winner right now. With over 20 million users and more than a million joining daily, it’s gaining serious momentum. It offers what feels like a better version of Twitter, with custom feeds and user-controlled moderation, unlike Threads, where Meta calls the shots.

But it’s not all Bluesky’s and rainbows.

Despite the growth, engagement still lags far behind X, and the platform has faced some hiccups, like server outages. Meanwhile, Threads isn’t backing down, rolling out features like custom feeds and improved search.

Still, Bluesky has a real shot at becoming the internet’s next big hub. You can find me, AdTechGod on Bluesky. Need help finding others? Start with my Starter Pack.

Ari’s view: Bluesky is a carbon copy of X, but without all the right-wing bullshit. So I like it. Also X’s deprioritization of posts with links is becoming a major issue and reason to stop spending time there.

An industry divided on sell-side curation

I wrote a poll and with nearly 276 votes its amazing to see just how divided we are as an industry. Whats new right?

With 39% of votes, "Too Early to Tell" leads the pack, showing the industry's uncertainty about whether sell-side curation will pay off. "Needs More Transparency" and "Worth It for Revenue" tied at 25%, highlighting both the potential for profits and the need for clearer practices. Meanwhile, only 11% believe publishers are losing control, but it’s still a concern for some.

Some incredibly good commentary below:

Mixed Potential and Transparency Concerns:

Jessica Lopez (COO, Fraud & Risk Prevention): Transparency and publisher control are essential for success. She emphasized that ensuring freedom from invalid traffic (IVT) could make sell-side curation a competitive advantage but stressed the need for collaboration across the ecosystem.

Matthew Black (Consultant): The effectiveness depends heavily on how publishers are managed and communicated with. He raised concerns about including publishers without their consent.

Diverging Views on Control and Effectiveness:

Julian Savitch-Lee (CTV Specialist): Criticized sell-side curation, claiming it "never scales properly," hinting at inefficiencies or overhyped benefits.

Sergey Lobko-Lobanovsky (CTV Consultant): Argued that curation works better in a publisher-centric model rather than SSP-centric, pointing to the need for direct publisher involvement.

Broader Ecosystem Impacts:

Charles Zegers (Product Manager): Highlighted the potential of fewer intermediaries between publishers and advertisers, suggesting that direct sales models might be more beneficial.

Jack Gashi (Senior Director, CHEQ): Suggested that success might depend on how much publishers rely on questionable traffic. He posed a critical question about accountability and transparency: “Who’s naked, and who’s in trunks?”

Alternative Approaches:

Gareth Glaser (Cofounder): Dismissed the topic as a “nothingburger,” implying sell-side curation might not have a meaningful impact.

Sergey Lobko-Lobanovsky: Proposed that publishers themselves should curate inventory, ensuring better quality and direct transaction flow, supported by some "secret sauce."

The poll and commentary reveal an industry grappling with sell-side curation's promises and pitfalls. What do you think?

Check out the 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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