The Ad Project Relaunch: Retail Media’s Rapid Evolution & What Comes Next

We’re back! After a one-year break, The Ad Project returns with CEO Joe Shelerud and Director of Strategy & Insights Maarja Hewitt kicking off a new chapter — with a new studio, a growing team, and plenty to talk about.

In this episode:

• The rise of Amazon Marketing Cloud: 5-year lookback, audience creation, and SQL Generator
• Amazon’s full-funnel push: from saturated Sponsored Ads to streaming and interactive video ads
• Walmart Connect’s big moves: brand conquesting, dynamic bidding, Vizio acquisition, and omnichannel strategy
• The retail media network explosion — 250+ platforms and counting
• The growing role of AI in ad targeting and creative optimization
• Why standardization is key for advertisers navigating a fragmented retail media space

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