What if everything you’ve been told about digital advertising… is only half the story?

In this episode of The Covert Code Podcast, I sit down with Carly Foy, Senior Technical Account Manager at StackAdapt, to break down what’s really happening inside programmatic advertising—and where it’s going next.

With over a decade of experience, Carly shares how the industry has evolved from basic media buying to AI-powered targeting, and why brands need to rethink how they approach attribution, awareness, and performance.

We dive into:

• The evolution of programmatic advertising

• Why data integrity matters more than ever

• The truth about attribution models

• How contextual AI is changing targeting

• The rise of first-party data

• Fraud, transparency, and brand safety

• Why awareness + performance must work together

If you’re running digital ads—or spending money on Google, Meta, or programmatic—this episode is a must-watch.

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✨ CONNECT WITH CARLY FOY

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlylynnfoy/

StackAdapt: https://www.stackadapt.com/

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📚 ABOUT HOST ANNA COVERT

Anna Covert is the host of The Covert Code Podcast and author of The Covert Code – Mastering the Art of Digital Marketing and The Solar Coaster. With over two decades of experience, she helps brands scale through advanced digital strategy.

ANNA'S WEBSITES

The Covert Code: https://thecovertcode.com/

Anna Covert: https://annacovert.com/

Covert Communication: https://covertcommunication.com/

Reactium: https://reactium.io/

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro: Where digital advertising is today (and where it’s going)

01:20 – Meet Carly Foy (Career journey)

03:30 – The biggest shift in programmatic advertising

05:30 – What programmatic used to be vs what it is now

07:00 – Contextual AI explained (Java vs JavaScript example)

10:15 – Why relevance beats volume in advertising

12:00 – Awareness vs performance (why both matter)

14:30 – Attribution models explained (post-click vs post-view)

17:30 – Why marketers are overwhelmed with data

19:00 – First-party data strategy (the real advantage)