In this episode, Verena Gründel speaks with Nickolas Rekeda, CMO of MGID, an international ad tech company with deep roots in Ukraine. They discuss how digital advertising is helping to support free journalism and democracy, even amidst war. Nickolas shares how Ukraine's ad market adapted in crisis, why CTV is booming, and how MGID supports the local industry through innovation, resilience, and collaboration.

What happens to advertising when a war breaks out?
Nickolas Rekeda, CMO of MGID, gives us an extraordinary look behind the scenes of the Ukrainian ad tech market.

• Ad spend dropped by 80% in 2022

• Local delivery services became vital for survival

• CTV usage surged as a new form of escapism

• Clean rooms and data innovation are now being exported globally

In this episode, Nickolas explains how his team kept going — and why ad tech can help protect democracy.

If you enjoyed the episode, you should definitely also watch Nickola’s keynote at DMEXCO CMO 2025. It’s full of sharp insights, personal stories, and actionable takeaways for marketing leaders: https://community.dmexco.com/event/dmexco-2025/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMjc5NzQ0Nw==

All DMEXCO 2025 sessions are available on demand for free. Simply register at and dive into the full treasure trove of digital marketing content.