AdTechGod Pod

By AdTechGod, The AdTech GodBusiness Entrepreneurship Marketing Careers

AdTechGod Pod episodes

October 06Ep. 152: Turning What’s Happening on Screen Into an Ad Signal with Abbey Ramsey of Anoki AI
AdTechGod joined Abbey Ramsey, Chief Commercial Officer at Anoki AI, to explore the evolution of video advertising and how AI is reshaping CTV. Abbey shares lessons from her career at MTV, Tremor Video, and OpenAP, and explains how Anoki uses real-time video intelligence to understand what viewers are watching and turn those moments into actionable advertising opportunities. They also discuss contextual targeting, programmatic activation, live news and sports, and how AI is changing the way advertising leaders work.
Takeaways
AI is reshaping CTV and video advertising.

Real-time context enables smarter ad targeting.

AI creates new opportunities across news and sports.

Programmatic makes AI insights easier to activate.

AI is helping leaders work faster and smarter.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Meet Abbey Ramsey
02:49 Abbey’s Journey Into Ad Tech
03:43 MTV and the Early Days of Streaming Video
05:34 The Rise of Pre-Roll and Tremor Video
07:17 ACR, Programmatic and the Evolution of TV
09:14 Building Audience-Based Advertising at OpenAP
10:16 What Anoki AI Does
11:11 Bringing AI Intelligence to FAST and VOD
12:10 Unlocking Advertising Opportunities in News
13:25 Why Context Matters for Advertisers
14:56 Real-Time Signals, Weather and News
16:27 Turning AI Intelligence Into Programmatic Activation
18:00 Where AI and CTV Are Heading Next
18:27 The Future of AI in Sports Advertising
19:39 Making AI Practical for the Advertising Industry
21:17 Abbey’s AI-Powered Operating System
23:30 Inside Anoki AI
25:37 Why Relationships Still Matter in Ad Tech
26:07 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 min
October 02Hightouch’s Ian Maier on Turning First-Party Data Into Advertising Intelligence
Ian Maier, General Manager of AdTech at Hightouch, joins AdTechGod to discuss how first-party data, identity, AI, and measurement are reshaping advertising. Ian shares his journey from performance marketer to ad tech leader, breaks down the challenges brands face when activating customer data, and explains how AI can help marketers turn complex data into smarter audience, creative, and media-buying decisions.
Takeaways:
First-party data needs accessibility: Brands often struggle to connect conversion data across online, offline, mobile, and other systems for effective activation and measurement.
Identity remains a major challenge: Customer data needs to be matched to addressable users for targeting, suppression, attribution, and optimization.
Data and creative work together: Strong audience targeting alone cannot compensate for creative that fails to connect with consumers.
AI can turn data into action: Hightouch is using AI agents to help marketers analyze customer and measurement data, develop segmentation strategies, and activate audiences.
AI still needs structure: Ian argues that AI needs a marketing "harness" that understands workflows, approvals, business context, and measurement to support effective media decisions.
Clean rooms still have a role: Ian sees value in data clean rooms but believes complexity and design currently limit their usefulness for some applications.
Chapters:
00:00 Meet Ian Maier, GM of AdTech at Hightouch
01:11 Ian’s Journey From Marketer to Ad Tech
04:09 Why Data and Creative Need Each Other
06:23 What Brands Get Wrong About First-Party Data
09:23 How Hightouch Activates Customer Data
10:59 Rethinking Identity and Data Onboarding
14:16 First-Party vs. Third-Party Identity Data
17:43 Identity and Targeting Across CTV
20:01 Using AI to Make Sense of Advertising Data
22:20 From AI-Powered Planning to Activation
22:45 Is AI Making Ad Tech Easier or More Complex?
24:14 Bullish or Bearish on Data Clean Rooms
25:49 Closing Thoughts
Guests: AdTech God

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min
September 30FreeWheel’s Gil Sommer on How Live Sports Are Changing CTV Advertising
AdTechGod joins with Gil Sommer, Vice President of Product Management at FreeWheel, to explore how connected TV advertising is evolving as live sports move deeper into streaming. They discuss the technical challenges of advertising at massive scale, contextual targeting, programmatic buying, measurement, advertiser outcomes, and how agentic AI could bring greater automation and precision to direct advertising.
Takeaways:
Live sports are creating new opportunities and technical challenges for CTV advertising.

Contextual targeting can make live ad breaks more relevant to the action viewers just watched.

Programmatic and guaranteed buying are likely to coexist across premium streaming inventory.

Better measurement and standardization could help CTV demonstrate stronger advertiser outcomes.

Agentic AI could bring more automation and precision to direct advertising.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:42 Gil Sommer’s Journey Into Ad Tech
04:21 How Live Streaming Changes CTV Advertising
06:35 Contextual Targeting in Live Sports
07:44 Handling Millions of Concurrent Viewers
09:25 The Technical Challenges of Live Ad Delivery
11:30 Can Live Sports Become Fully Biddable?
13:50 Friction Between Advertisers and Publishers
15:11 Solving CTV’s Measurement Problem
18:49 Moving Ad Budgets From Linear TV to CTV
21:11 Does the Ad Tech Ecosystem Need Simplification?
23:33 What’s Next for Advertising
24:10 Outcomes and the Future of TV Measurement
25:05 Agentic AI in Advertising
26:25 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 min
September 29Ep 151: Tanja Mimica of Kovva on What the Future Holds for Media Buyers
AdTechGod is joined by Tanja Mimica, Co-Founder and COO of Kovva, to discuss her journey from building and selling Martin to PubMatic to launching an AI-powered platform for media buyers. Tanja explains how Kovva automates cross-platform operational workflows, what AI could mean for junior media buyers, and why the future of agencies may depend on turning institutional knowledge into intelligence that compounds over time.
Takeaways:
Kovva automates operational workflows across media-buying platforms and productivity tools.

AI could shift media-buying roles toward higher-value work rather than simply eliminating them.

Kovva uses agency knowledge and playbooks to automate workflows within existing processes.

AI can help agencies retain and scale institutional knowledge across teams.

The future may be a “compounding agency” where organizational intelligence improves with every workflow.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:09 Tanja’s Journey Into Ad Tech
02:07 Building Martin and a New DSP
03:37 The Road to PubMatic
04:23 From PubMatic to Founding Kovva
05:49 Building a Company With Your Co-Founder and Spouse
07:19 Why Tanja Built Kovva
08:14 How Kovva Automates Media Buying Workflows
10:00 Where Kovva Fits Into the Media Buying Process
11:01 Playbooks and Agency Knowledge
12:29 Will AI Replace Media Buyers?
14:19 How Agency Roles Could Change
16:12 The AI Adoption Gap
18:21 Using AI to Train Junior Media Buyers
19:46 Kovva as an Orchestration Layer
21:57 What’s Next for Programmatic Advertising
22:18 AI and the Future of Agency Operations
24:18 Building the “Compounding Agency”
25:34 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 min
September 22Why Better Brand Lift Data Makes Advertising Smarter with Alistair Hill of OnDevice
AdTechGod joins Alistair Hill, CEO and Co-Founder of OnDevice, to explore how advertising measurement has evolved beyond clicks. They discuss brand lift, data quality, incrementality, survey fraud, AI’s growing role in measurement, and why measurement should help improve the next campaign instead of simply reporting what happened.
Takeaways:
Clicks don’t tell the full story of brand advertising effectiveness.
Reliable brand lift depends on accurate exposure data and comparable audience groups.
Data quality is increasingly important as fraud affects survey-based measurement.
AI can turn brand lift data into smarter campaign planning and optimization.
Measurement should be the starting point for improving the next campaign, not just a post-campaign report.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:13 Meet Alistair Hill, CEO & Co-Founder of OnDevice
01:21 How Alistair Got Into Advertising and Measurement
02:11 Why Clicks Were Never Enough
04:32 What OnDevice Is Solving in Brand Lift
06:12 The Problem With Misleading Measurement Metrics
09:59 Has Advertising Measurement Become Too Complicated?
11:16 What Good Brand Lift Measurement Looks Like
12:20 Data Quality, Survey Fraud and Real Audiences
14:40 AI and Machine Learning in Measurement
16:52 The Biggest Measurement Challenge Today
18:48 The Future of Brand Lift, Outcomes and AI
20:54 Why Log-Level Data Matters
21:27 Alistair’s Unexpected Excel Love Story
22:05 Closing
Guests: AdTech God

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 min
September 15Beyond Retail Media: Connected Commerce with Pacvue’s Tommy Burton
AdTechGod joined Tommy Burton, VP, Global Partnerships at Pacvue, to discuss the evolution of retail media, his experience at Amazon Ads, and how AI and automation are changing commerce. They explore measurement challenges, Amazon Business, agentic shopping, CTV, and what’s next for brands navigating the growing commerce media landscape.
Takeaways:
Retail media remains fragmented across platforms and retailers.

Measurement continues to be a major challenge for brands.

AI is making commerce data easier to access and understand.

Automation helps advertisers save time and improve campaign performance.

Agentic shopping is changing how consumers discover products.

Commerce data is connecting branding, CTV, and performance marketing.

Retail media is evolving toward a more connected commerce ecosystem.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:13 Meet Tommy Burton, VP, Global Partnerships at Pacvue
01:13 Tommy’s Journey Through Yahoo, AOL and Amazon
02:44 Joining Amazon Ads and the Rise of Retail Media
04:26 Key Lessons From Building Amazon DSP
05:58 From Amazon to Pacvue
08:06 What Pacvue Does for Brands and Agencies
09:28 Is Retail Media Still in Its Early Stages?
11:14 Fragmentation and the Retail Media Measurement Challenge
13:09 How Pacvue Is Using AI
14:58 Unlocking the B2B Opportunity With Amazon Business
17:12 Automation, Reach and Conversion Results
19:04 What’s Next for Commerce Media?
19:35 Agentic Shopping and the Future of Product Discovery
20:24 Connecting Media to the Point of Purchase
21:12 CTV, Branding and Performance Marketing
23:23 Why Commerce Data Could Break Down Media Silos
23:56 Where to Connect With Tommy and Pacvue

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26 min
September 09Beyond the Genre: Bill Condon on Gracenote’s Vision for CTV Transparency
AdTechGod is joined by Bill Condon, Head of Global Advertising Sales at Gracenote, to discuss why content-level transparency is becoming essential in connected TV advertising.
They explore how Gracenote’s content intelligence gives advertisers a clearer picture of where their ads appear, improves brand suitability, and helps identify premium inventory. Bill also discusses the importance of persistent content signals, the rise of truly live sports inventory, Gracenote’s work with The Trade Desk and other programmatic platforms, and what’s next for CTV advertising.
Takeaways:
CTV needs greater transparency: Advertisers need clearer visibility into where their ads actually run.

Content intelligence goes deeper: Gracenote provides detailed signals beyond broad genre categories.

Better brand suitability: Content-level data helps brands choose what to align with or avoid.

Transparency benefits buyers and publishers: Advertisers gain control while premium publishers can better demonstrate their value.

“Live live” matters: More precise signals help distinguish truly live sports from other sports content.

Content signals are becoming essential: Gracenote is bringing its content intelligence into major programmatic platforms.

Outcomes are next: Content intelligence could help improve purchase intent, brand favorability, and campaign performance.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod
00:13 Introducing Bill Condon of Gracenote
01:26 Bill’s Journey to Gracenote
03:13 The Convergence of Streaming and Traditional TV
03:42 Do Advertisers Really Know Where Their Ads Run?
05:17 Why CTV Still Has a Transparency Problem
06:40 Gracenote’s Content Intelligence and Metadata
08:23 Going Beyond Basic Genre Targeting
09:01 Building a Deeper Content Graph
10:42 Brand Suitability and Show-Level Signals
11:22 Persistent Content Signals Across Platforms
13:15 Three Key Use Cases for Content Intelligence
14:09 Transparency, CPMs and the True Value of Inventory
15:25 Show-Level Reporting and Post-Campaign Validation
16:02 How Content Signals Benefit the Sell Side
17:55 Why Premium Publishers Benefit From Transparency
19:13 Dos Equis, Dentsu and the Power of “Live Live” Sports
21:32 Gracenote’s Partnership With The Trade Desk
24:02 The Future of Connected TV Advertising
25:40 Connecting Content Intelligence to Outcomes
26:22 Why Transparency Will Shape the Future of TV Advertising
28:39 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30 min
September 08Ep 150: Apps, Ops and OEM with Mike Brooks
AdTechGod sits down with Mike Brooks, Founder of Brooks Industries, to explore the convergence of CTV and mobile apps, the future of TV data, performance CTV, product-market fit, and how AI is creating new opportunities across advertising.
Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠ http://marketecturemedia.com
Takeaways:
CTV and mobile apps are converging: Mike sees significant opportunity as the app and connected TV ecosystems increasingly overlap.

TV data is still evolving: Advances in streaming and ACR data could unlock a new generation of advertising products and targeting capabilities.

Product-market fit comes first: Startups need to focus on solving a specific problem instead of chasing every new opportunity.

Performance CTV has real potential: Mike believes TV can drive measurable installs and conversions, particularly for mobile-first brands looking beyond traditional acquisition channels.

AI is making big data actionable: Mike sees practical AI value in modeling large datasets and turning complex signals into useful insights for advertisers and streaming companies.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod
00:13 Meet Mike Brooks
01:05 Mike’s Journey Through Apps, Ad Tech, and CTV
05:06 Building Partnerships at LG Ad Solutions
06:10 The Convergence of CTV and Mobile Apps
08:27 What the Industry Is Underestimating
08:58 The Future of TV and Streaming Data
11:54 Why Product-Market Fit Matters
13:48 The Power of Focus for Startups
16:33 Is Performance CTV Really the Future?
18:06 Using CTV to Drive Installs and Conversions
20:00 Rethinking the “Performance TV” Label
21:58 AI’s Role in Advertising and Consulting
24:25 Final Thoughts and How to Connect
Guests: AdTech God

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 min
September 01Ep 149: From Amazon to AI-Powered Commerce with Marissa Ramirez of ShopSense AI
AdTechGod is joined by Marissa Ramirez, Chief Commercial Officer at ShopSense AI, to discuss her journey from Amazon to the startup world, how AI is connecting content with commerce, the future of shoppable CTV, and why better ad experiences could help strengthen the open internet.
Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠ http://marketecturemedia.com
Takeaways:
Marissa shares how her decade at Amazon shaped her approach to building and scaling ad tech products.

ShopSense AI uses specialty AI to connect inspiration across video, audio, images, and text to commerce opportunities.

Better, more relevant ad experiences could help the open internet compete with walled gardens.

Shoppable CTV needs to go beyond simply adding QR codes and create more intentional consumer experiences.

Specialty AI models could play an increasingly important role in media planning, creative, commerce, and advertising infrastructure.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Ad Tech God Pod
00:47 Marissa Ramirez’s Journey Into Ad Tech
03:07 Building and Scaling Products at Amazon
04:04 What Kept Marissa at Amazon for a Decade
05:44 Moving From Amazon to ShopSense AI
06:00 What ShopSense AI Does
07:06 Why Marissa Made the Startup Leap
09:25 The Open Internet vs. Walled Gardens
10:23 Why Better Ad Experiences Matter
13:04 Building a New AI and Commerce Category
15:06 What Drives Shoppable Content Engagement
16:58 Misconceptions About Shoppable CTV
19:37 Moving Beyond the QR Code
20:53 ShopSense AI’s Role in the Advertising Ecosystem
21:51 The Future of AI and Ad Tech
23:19 Closing Thoughts
Guests: AdTech God

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 min
August 26 CTV Gets Smarter: James Grant of Equativ on AI, Identity & Outcomes
AdTechGod sits down with James Grant, SVP of Equativ, to explore the evolution of connected TV, AI-powered media planning, performance TV, and the future of streaming advertising. James also shares lessons from powering live sports advertising and why outcomes, identity, and new CTV ad formats are shaping the next era of ad tech.
Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠http://marketecturemedia.com
Takeaways:
- AI agents are making media planning more efficient and dynamic.
- Performance TV is creating new opportunities for measurable CTV outcomes.
- Live sports streaming requires scalable ad serving, testing, and strong project management.
- Pause ads and home-screen formats can create less intrusive CTV experiences.
- Contextual signals, outcomes, and deterministic identity will shape CTV’s future.
Chapters:
01:05 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod
01:18 Meet James Grant of Equativ
02:17 James’ Career Across TV and Ad Tech
05:08 Building Equativ’s CTV Business
06:25 The Biggest Opportunities in Connected TV
08:40 AI and Equativ’s Media Planning Agent
10:41 Moving Beyond Copy-and-Paste Media Buying
12:51 AI, Workflow Efficiency and Creative
15:27 Combining AI, Creative and Media Buying
16:50 Live Sports and Streaming Advertising
17:34 Equativ and MagentaTV
18:55 Lessons From Large-Scale Live Streaming
21:10 What Broadcasters Need to Get Right
23:54 The Changing CTV Ad Experience
24:48 Why Pause Ads Are a Major Opportunity
27:13 Equativ’s TV Operating System Partnership
28:15 The Future of CTV and Streaming
31:11 Deterministic Identity and What Ad Tech Is Missing
32:07 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32 min

About AdTechGod Pod

From the publisher's feed

A Podcast For The People About The People. The AdTechGod ® Pod celebrates the Minds Behind Adtech and offers an engaging platform where listeners can discover the stories and insights of the individuals driving the advertising technology industry. This podcast shines a spotlight on the creative and innovative minds that make adtech great, providing a unique perspective on the people behind the technology that shapes our digital advertising experiences. All guests appearing on the adtech god podcast are invited participants; they do not provide compensation to AdTechGod for their appearance. The podcast's funding is provided through preroll and midroll advertisements, which are sponsored by various companies. If you are interested in being a guest or advertising on the AdTechGod Pod (The Adtech God Podcast) please visit https://www.adtechgod.com/adtechgod-pod.