Category: Leaders

2018

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Data, Dance, and Daring Campaigns: Erin Levzow’s Approach to Building Loyalty

How Mango Habanero, Metrics, and Masterful Moves Redefined Marketing Genius

Every so often, a guest comes along who doesn’t just raise the bar—they throw it into orbit. Erin Levzow is one of those guests. From the moment she joined The ADOTAT Show, it was clear we were in the presence of brilliance. Erin is a marketing powerhouse, blending emotional intelligence with razor-sharp strategy, all wrapped in a package of humor, humility, and dazzling storytelling. She’s the kind of guest you could talk to for hours and still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface.

Erin isn’t just a marketer—she’s a phenomenon. Whether she’s orchestrating mango-flavored revolutions, leading with radical empathy, or dazzling on the ballroom floor, she approaches every challenge with the perfect mix of creativity and grit. By the end of this episode, we weren’t just inspired; we were in awe. Let’s dive into the magic she shared with us.

The Mango Habanero Revolution: A Case Study in Marketing Genius

Imagine this: a company launches a limited-time flavor, quietly retires it, and suddenly finds itself at the epicenter of a full-blown consumer uprising. This isn’t an exaggeration—it’s the mango habanero saga at Wingstop, and Erin Levzow, the marketing mastermind behind the brand’s response, turned the chaos into one of the most brilliant campaigns in recent history.

“They took out a change.org petition,” Erin said, still marveling at the intensity of the reaction. “That’s like save the whales, but for sauce.”

When Wingstop removed the mango habanero sauce from its menu, Erin’s team didn’t expect much backlash. After all, it was a limited-time offer that wasn’t even a top-seller. But the reaction from fans was immediate, loud, and relentless. Social media erupted with demands for the sauce’s return, and customers didn’t just voice their disappointment—they mobilized.

“We thought about it,” Erin explained, “and instead of coming back to them and being like, ‘Okay, here you go, have it back,’ we talked internally and decided, let’s do this for the people who are really loud about it.”

The team’s strategy was simple but genius: lean into the outrage and make customers feel like part of a movement. They didn’t just bring back the sauce—they launched a guerrilla-style campaign that made fans feel like they were at the center of something special.

“We put together influencer kits and mailed them to approximately 125 people who were very vocal about this,” Erin said. “We got their address by asking them to vote on whether they wanted mango habanero to come back.” Fans who voted were prompted to fill out a form with their name and address, which Wingstop then used to send out the kits.

Each kit was stamped with Viva el Revolución and included stickers, t-shirts, and even a masked character who declared, “We’ve taken over the airwaves to bring back mango habanero.” But here’s the twist: the kits didn’t explicitly say they were from Wingstop.

“There was nothing that said it was from Wingstop, but it was obviously from Wingstop,” Erin said, smiling.

The response was overwhelming. Fans unboxed their kits on social media, posted photos, and speculated wildly about what was happening. “We grew our social reach by a thousand percent overnight,” Erin recalled. “It was unbelievable.”

The campaign didn’t just bring back the sauce—it turned a product recall into a brand-building moment. When the sauce finally returned to menus, Erin noted that it “mixed slightly higher” than before but, more importantly, it drove significant traffic to Wingstop locations.

“We told a story through it,” Erin said, “and people told the story actually on our behalf.”

The Secret Sauce

“It wasn’t just about bringing the flavor back,” Erin explained. “It was about making people feel like they were part of something bigger.”

This story isn’t just about wings—it’s about what makes great marketing. Erin didn’t just respond to customer complaints; she created a campaign that resonated emotionally, turned fans into advocates, and gave the brand a massive boost in engagement and loyalty.

The mango habanero saga wasn’t just a win for Wingstop; it was a masterclass in how to take a seemingly small product issue and turn it into a viral, unforgettable moment. As Erin put it, “We got to make it about them, and that made all the difference.”

The Dance of Data and Storytelling

If you think marketing is all about crunching numbers and analyzing charts, Erin Levzow is here to burst that bubble—and she’ll do it in two sentences flat. “Emotional intelligence and emotional technology really go hand in hand,” she explained. “You have the technology piece—that’s the math base, understanding how to get and when to get to your customer. And then you have the emotional side, the storytelling.”

It’s a deceptively simple idea: blending data and emotion to create marketing campaigns that resonate. But Erin doesn’t just talk the talk; she’s built a career on this philosophy. Whether she’s masterminding a viral campaign or guiding her team through complex strategies, she wields both analytics and creativity with the precision of a Cirque du Soleil performer.

Erin’s approach to marketing is a rare blend of science and art. On one side, there’s the data—the clicks, impressions, and conversion rates that guide decision-making. On the other, there’s the emotional narrative that transforms those numbers into a story worth engaging with. “We have all this data,” Erin said, “but data without a story is just noise. What makes it meaningful is how you connect it back to people’s lives, their emotions, their needs.”

This isn’t just about selling products; it’s about building connections. Erin views metrics as the foundation, but the heart of her campaigns lies in the human experience. Her ability to translate cold, hard numbers into campaigns that make people laugh, cry, or rally behind a mango habanero sauce is what sets her apart.

For Erin, the real magic happens when technology and storytelling come together seamlessly. “It’s not enough to know when and how to reach your customer,” she said. “You need to know why they care in the first place.”

Take, for example, the mango habanero saga. It wasn’t just about analyzing the number of tweets or Change.org signatures demanding the sauce’s return. It was about understanding the emotional undercurrent driving that demand. By tapping into that sentiment, Erin turned a flavor recall into a full-blown cultural moment. “Data tells you what people are doing,” Erin explained, “but it’s the storytelling that tells you why they’re doing it. And that’s where the real opportunity lies.”

Erin doesn’t just analyze data; she orchestrates it like a symphony conductor. To her, every piece of data is a note in a larger melody, and the story she creates from it is the music that captivates her audience. “It’s about making the numbers sing,” she said. “Sure, you can look at impressions, clicks, and open rates, but unless you know how to weave them into a narrative, they’re just stats on a spreadsheet.”

Ballroom Dancing and the Art of Marketing Recovery

Oh, did we mention Erin Levzow is a competitive ballroom dancer? Because of course she is. As if dominating the marketing world wasn’t enough, Erin spends her spare time flipping through the air with the kind of grace most of us can only dream of. But don’t let the sequins and salsa moves fool you—ballroom dancing isn’t just a hobby; it’s a mirror of her approach to work and life.

Take one of her routines, for example—a daring flip where her head was mere inches from the floor. “My partner took a misstep, and I knew in his face my head was about to crash into the ground,” Erin said, recalling the adrenaline and panic of that moment. But instead of unraveling, they adapted on the spot. “We finished the routine as if it was part of the choreography,” she said, laughing at the memory.

If that isn’t the ultimate metaphor for Erin’s career, I don’t know what is. Whether it’s on the dance floor or in a boardroom, Erin doesn’t let a stumble define the story. Her philosophy? It’s not about avoiding failure—it’s about how you recover. “We all fall down,” she said. “It has everything to do with how you get back up.”

This isn’t just a lesson for dancers; it’s a masterclass in resilience for anyone with a pulse. Marketing campaigns flop. Strategies go sideways. Teams make mistakes. Erin knows this better than anyone, but she also knows that resilience isn’t about perfection—it’s about improvisation, adaptability, and finishing strong, no matter how messy the middle gets.

Ballroom dancing may seem worlds apart from marketing, but for Erin, the parallels are striking. Both require trust, collaboration, and a willingness to take risks. And just like on the dance floor, there are moments in her career where the choreography didn’t go to plan. But instead of letting those missteps throw her off, Erin leans into the recovery, finding ways to pivot and turn mistakes into moments of brilliance.

Rick Ross, QR Codes, and Buzzword Burials

Erin’s irreverence for outdated marketing norms is as refreshing as it is hilarious. She’s not here for buzzwords like “omnichannel” or metrics like impressions. “Someone asked me why their impressions were down but revenue was up,” she said, laughing. “And I told them, ‘Who cares about impressions? Your revenue is up!’”

When asked about her favorite marketing pivot, Erin didn’t hesitate to highlight the moment she replaced Troy Aikman—yes, the legendary football player—with Rick Ross as Wingstop’s brand ambassador. Why? Because Rick Ross actually resonated with their 18-to-24-year-old audience. “It didn’t feel relevant or cool to them,” Erin said about Aikman. “But Rick Ross? He made sense. He was already a franchisee and a great cheerleader for the brand.”

And let’s not forget her take on obnoxious trends like QR code Super Bowl ads. “Was it creative? I don’t know,” she quipped. “Was it annoying? A little. But it worked.”

Leadership with Empathy and Radical Candor

Beyond her marketing brilliance, Erin Levzow’s leadership philosophy is a masterclass in empathy and authenticity, the kind that makes you rethink what it means to lead effectively. She doesn’t just manage teams—she cultivates environments where people feel safe to thrive, fail, and try again. At the heart of her philosophy is radical candor, a concept Erin wields with the precision of a sculptor carving out greatness. “If I care about you, I’m going to be direct with you,” she said. “But I’ll hug and love you every step of the way.”

This isn’t some soft, feel-good leadership buzzword. For Erin, it’s about giving people the tools and feedback they need to grow, even when it’s uncomfortable. She doesn’t sugarcoat the truth, but she also doesn’t deliver it with a sledgehammer. Her method is equal parts grit and grace—a balance that’s as rare in boardrooms as it is essential.

Erin also has no patience for the obsession with fixing weaknesses, a mindset she believes stifles potential. She points to Michael Jordan as her quintessential example: “He was the best at basketball, not baseball. Why focus on weaknesses when you can make someone the Michael Jordan of what they’re already great at?” It’s a perspective that’s both practical and visionary. Instead of asking her team to patch up their shortcomings, Erin zeroes in on what they’re already brilliant at, empowering them to excel in areas where they naturally shine.

Her leadership philosophy is as bold and refreshing as her marketing campaigns. Erin isn’t afraid to challenge norms, push boundaries, or ask the hard questions—all while making sure her team feels supported and empowered. She takes the same approach to her team dynamics that she does to her marketing: a perfect blend of logic and emotion, of precision and passion.

And let’s not forget Erin’s sense of humor, which is woven into everything she does as a leader. Whether she’s citing basketball metaphors or admitting that, yes, sometimes you just need a cry-and-White-Claw moment, Erin reminds her team that success isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress, resilience, and learning to lean into what makes you uniquely excellent.

What makes Erin truly stand out, though, is her ability to inspire those around her—not just to do their jobs, but to believe in their potential. She leads with a kind of audacious optimism that’s infectious. “Leadership isn’t about being perfect,” she said. “It’s about figuring out how to get back up after you’ve fallen and helping others do the same.”

The Power of Perseverance: Erin Levzow’s Journey Through Love, Loss, and Lessons

Erin Levzow isn’t just a marketing powerhouse—she’s a human hurricane of resilience, humor, and heart. Beneath her brilliance on the business battlefield lies a deeply personal story that has shaped her outlook on everything, from leadership to living fully. Her husband’s life-altering accident wasn’t just a test of their strength as a family—it was a masterclass in how to endure, adapt, and thrive when the universe throws everything at you, including the kitchen sink.

“Nothing really matters, and yet everything’s important,” Erin said, a philosophy that could only come from someone who’s been to hell and back. Her husband’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury—something doctors said had less than a one-percent chance of happening—isn’t just a miracle; it’s a lesson in what sheer grit and love can accomplish.

But let’s not sugarcoat this: Erin’s journey wasn’t all inspirational speeches and life-affirming moments. “People kept saying, ‘You’re so strong,’ but I felt anything but,” she confessed. “I was a mess. There were days I didn’t want to get out of bed, and the only goal was to sit up, then maybe shower. Baby steps.”

In classic Erin fashion, though, she didn’t just survive—she thrived. During her husband’s recovery, Erin chronicled their journey on a CaringBridge blog, which quickly snowballed into something bigger than she ever imagined. “About 42,000 people read it,” she said, still astonished. “And if I missed a day, people would lose their minds. ‘Is he okay? Are the kids okay?’ It was wild.”

But what really stuck with Erin were the messages she received—people from all over the world sharing how her story had inspired them to keep going through their own challenges. “They’d say, ‘Your journey gave me hope,’ and all I could think was, ‘Me? I’m just trying to get through the day without falling apart.’”

This raw honesty and openness are what make Erin’s story so powerful. She didn’t just chronicle the victories; she let people in on the messy, unfiltered reality of struggle. And in doing so, she gave others permission to admit that they, too, were struggling—and that it was okay.

Even now, the challenges haven’t disappeared. “He still has a traumatic brain injury, and there’s still a lot of trauma,” Erin shared. “The first time I heard an ambulance after everything happened, I collapsed into a corner, crying. I didn’t even know that was PTSD.”

For Erin, the journey has been as much about accepting help as it has been about pushing forward. “People want to help, but we’re so bad at letting them,” she said, a mix of candor and frustration. “Especially as women, we think we have to be strong all the time. But sometimes the strongest thing you can do is admit you need help. Drink a White Claw, cry in a corner, and let people show up for you.”

Her husband’s recovery taught her one of life’s greatest truths: resilience isn’t about being unshakable. It’s about wobbling, falling, and still finding the strength to stand back up. And if that isn’t the ultimate marketing metaphor, I don’t know what is.

Why Erin Levzow Is One of Our Best Guests Ever

Erin Levzow isn’t just a guest; she’s a phenomenon. Her stories, insights, and humor made this episode unforgettable. From mango revolutions to ballroom moves, 

Erin showed us that great marketing isn’t about playing it safe—it’s about taking risks, making connections, and always, always staying authentic.

If you missed this episode, drop everything and tune in now. Erin Levzow just raised the bar for what marketing—and leadership—can be.

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Drew Stein: Master of the Hadron Helm, Now Steering Experian’s Adtech Ship

There’s now a saying in adtech: when PR people reach out to you with coy smiles and cryptic non-announcements, you’re looking at one of three possibilities: someone’s getting bought, someone’s buying, or someone’s heading to jail. 

Thankfully, in this case, it’s the middle option. 

Experian just snapped up Audigent, the data activation wunderkind that’s been cozying up to identity solutions like a tech bro to his wearable tracker.

A Deal That’s Been Brewing Longer Than Your Cold Brew

Let’s not pretend this announcement caught anyone off guard. Experian and Audigent have been playing footsie under the conference table since 2022, and now, like a rom-com couple finally realizing their meant-to-be status, they’ve sealed the deal. It’s not a shocking plot twist; it’s more like the inevitable third act where the lovers kiss in the rain. Experian, already hoarding enough consumer and business data to make Orwell blush, decided Audigent’s boutique of first-party publisher data and inventory networks was the missing piece in its adtech empire.

This union isn’t just a marriage of convenience—it’s a strategic power-up. Think of it as strapping a jetpack to a high-powered AI telescope and aiming it at the cosmos. Experian already has the data equivalent of the Mariana Trench; Audigent brings the tools to dive deep and find treasure. Together, they’ll turn “We think you might like this” into “We know exactly what you’ll buy, when you’ll buy it, and what kind of ad will make you click.”

Drew Stein: Captain of the Ship “Cookieless”

Audigent’s CEO, Drew Stein, isn’t going anywhere, which is good news because someone needs to keep the ship from crashing into privacy icebergs. Stein’s brainchild, the Hadron ID, is a privacy-forward identity framework that’s as critical in today’s regulatory minefield as sunscreen is on a trip to the equator. If Experian’s the seasoned ship captain with a treasure map of data, Stein is the navigator whispering, “Maybe don’t sail into that storm marked GDPR.”

But here’s where it gets interesting: Kimberly Gilberti, Experian’s general manager of marketing services, assures us that Audigent will remain a “stand-alone brand.” Translation: “We won’t mess with the cool kids’ vibe… yet.” It’s a promise that usually lasts until someone in corporate decides they need more synergy, which is code for “we’ll rebrand it in six months and pretend it was always this way.” For now, though, Stein gets to keep his captain’s hat and continue steering Audigent’s cookieless ambitions.

Turbocharging Ad Targeting: Fewer Excuses, More Precision

Experian’s already infamous for knowing more about you than your therapist. Now, with Audigent’s data arsenal, they’re poised to eliminate the last vestiges of “broad targeting” excuses. Remember those awkwardly irrelevant ads for dog food when you’re a cat person?

 Consider them extinct. 

This duo is about to make ad targeting so sharp it could slice through skepticism like a sushi chef’s blade.

It’s not just about raw data—it’s about actionable intelligence. Audigent’s treasure trove of first-party publisher data and sell-side distribution channels gives Experian the precision tools it needs to build advertising campaigns that don’t just guess—they predict. It’s like swapping a game of darts for laser-guided missiles. Sure, it sounds terrifying, but hey, at least the ads will finally be relevant.

The Fine Print of Stand-Alone Promises

Gilberti’s reassurance about Audigent remaining a stand-alone brand feels like a prenup—necessary but not exactly romantic. It’s a common line in these acquisitions: “We value the brand’s unique identity.” Translation? “We won’t touch it… until it’s convenient to do so.” Experian’s history suggests they’re not above a little rebranding or restructuring when the spreadsheets demand it.

Still, keeping Stein and his team in place is a smart move. If you’re buying a Ferrari, you don’t immediately swap out the engine for parts from your old Chevy. Experian knows Audigent’s team is the secret sauce, and for now, they’re content to let it simmer.

The Bigger Picture: From Oceans of Data to Targeted Thunderstorms

This acquisition isn’t just about making Experian richer in data (although, let’s be honest, that’s a big part of it). It’s about transforming how advertising operates in a privacy-centric world. Audigent’s expertise in cookieless solutions is the linchpin, offering a way forward as cookies crumble under the weight of consumer demands and regulatory scrutiny.

Experian and Audigent aren’t just hoarding data; they’re building a system to wield it with surgical precision. It’s the difference between flooding the market with ads and sending a perfectly timed thunderstorm to water a single plant. Sure, it’s a little dystopian—but hey, so is everything else in adtech.

What’s the Big Deal?

This acquisition is like peanut butter meeting jelly. Audigent claims access to 4 billion first-party IDs and over 13.3 billion device graphs. Experian, meanwhile, totes around 3.6 petabytes of global consumer and business data, including info on 235 million U.S. consumers. Add these numbers together, and you’ve got enough data to make even the most jaded marketer salivate.

Experian spokespersons, channeling their inner diplomat, told Digiday: “We view Audigent as a natural extension of our existing marketing data and identity capabilities.” Translation? “We’re building a data empire, and this is our shiny new province.”

Privacy? Sure, We’ve Heard of It

California’s strict data laws? GDPR? Pfft. Experian insists it’s fully compliant with global privacy standards, though critics might point out that “fully compliant” is a term as flexible as a yoga instructor in Bali. 

When asked about the legal and ethical implications of hoarding this much data, Gilberti offered the standard-issue corporate shrug: “Privacy is among our highest priorities.” You can almost hear the collective sigh of regulators gearing up for audits.

A Marriage of Scale and Opportunity

Let’s not sugarcoat it—this deal isn’t some grand love story; it’s a gritty survival play. Audigent had climbed as high as it could in the adtech jungle, its impressive arsenal of first-party data and sell-side savvy hitting the proverbial ceiling. Without a boost, it was stuck in that awkward growth phase where a company’s ambition outpaces its resources. Enter Experian, the lumbering titan of consumer and business data, looking for a way to polish its image and stay relevant in an increasingly cookieless world.

Together, they’re attempting something ambitious: turning Experian into more than just the brand you grudgingly interact with during mortgage applications. This is about Experian grabbing a seat at the cool kids’ table in adtech while Audigent gets the resources and reach to break through its plateau. 

Call it a power move, call it a partnership of necessity—either way, it’s a strategic play for vertical integration that puts Experian on the map as more than the poster child for “data broker.”

Curation’s Moment in the Spotlight

Lou Paskalis, the guy who’s probably quoted more often in trade magazines than he’s caffeinated, nailed it with his take: “Curation is a service to marketers when it’s transparent and allows the marketer to opt-in/opt-out of individual domains.” 

Translation? If Experian handles this right, it could finally make curation the rock star of adtech.

For too long, curation has been the underappreciated middle child of the industry—necessary, but not exactly glamorous. It’s the mechanism that lets marketers focus their dollars on quality over quantity, but only if it’s done with transparency. 

With Audigent’s expertise in sell-side curation and Experian’s vast reservoirs of data, the duo could redefine what curation means. Think of it as turning a foggy telescope into a precision laser—cutting out the clutter and delivering hyper-targeted results that make every ad dollar count.

But here’s the catch: the success of this integration hinges on Experian’s ability to stay in its lane. Marketers don’t want a heavy-handed approach that feels like Big Brother gone corporate; they want tools that empower, not overreach.

The Big Question Mark: Can Experian Make It Work?

And now for the elephant in the boardroom: can Experian pull this off without tripping over its own bureaucracy? As Matthew Newcomb so aptly pointed out, “Tech and consumer financial data don’t necessarily play nicely together.” It’s a sentiment that should be printed on every Experian PowerPoint slide moving forward.

On paper, this merger looks great—like peanut butter and jelly, or at least peanut butter and Nutella. Yummmy. But in practice? It’s more like trying to combine a Formula 1 race car (Audigent) with a cargo ship (Experian). Sure, both are vehicles, but they’re built for entirely different purposes. Audigent’s culture is likely fast-paced, scrappy, and innovation-driven, while Experian’s is steeped in compliance, risk aversion, and slow-moving decision-making.

Will Experian give Audigent the autonomy to thrive, or will it smother the startup’s ingenuity with endless red tape and quarterly review meetings? If history is any guide, the latter is a real risk. Too many acquisitions start with promises of independence and end with the acquired company becoming little more than a logo on a PowerPoint deck.

The Stakes Are High

This isn’t just a test for Experian and Audigent; it’s a litmus test for the entire adtech ecosystem. If a company as big as Experian can successfully integrate a nimble player like Audigent without crushing its spirit, it sets a precedent for how traditional data giants can evolve in the cookieless era.

On the flip side, if this marriage devolves into a classic tale of corporate overreach, it’ll serve as a cautionary tale for future M&A in adtech. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the industry is watching closely.

Experian and Audigent are trying to walk a tightrope over a pit of regulatory challenges, cultural clashes, and sky-high expectations. Whether they make it to the other side or tumble into the abyss remains to be seen. For now, let’s just say the popcorn’s ready, and the show is about to begin.

Looking Ahead

This acquisition is a statement of confidence—not just in Audigent, but in the broader health of the adtech ecosystem. As Stein himself told AdExchanger earlier this year: “The old way of having a deterministic identifier that gets hosted in a matching table is going to lose fidelity.”

 In other words, the future is cookieless, and Experian just bet big on being ready for it.

So, what’s next? Expect more M&A activity in 2025 as companies scramble to adapt to shifting privacy regulations and new adtech paradigms. 

And keep an eye on Experian and Audigent—if they can pull this off, it’ll be a masterclass in data-driven evolution. 

If not, well, I mean, there’s always the third option.

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Sam Bloom: Marketing’s Last Sane Man?

How He’s Keeping His Cool While Everyone Else Chases Trends

If marketing today is a three-ring circus, Sam Bloom is the rare ringmaster who doesn’t just keep things running—he makes everyone feel good about being part of the show. As Head of Partnerships at PMG, Sam navigates the chaos with a sense of calm, clarity, and a genuine warmth that’s increasingly hard to find in the ad industry. “The best view of the circus is above the circus,” he shared on The ADOTAT Show. “I try very hard to make sure that we have a perspective that’s 50,000 feet above the circus. If you’re inside the tent, it can be very distracting.”

Sam’s ability to see the big picture—and inspire others to follow his lead—has made him not only an invaluable leader but also one of the industry’s most universally liked figures. From his early days at Camelot to his current role at PMG, Sam has always been the kind of person who lifts others up, blending strategic brilliance with an innate knack for connecting with people. He doesn’t just focus on metrics or the next big trend; he zeroes in on what truly matters: marketing that moves hearts and minds and leaves a lasting impact.

A Career That Could Be Its Own Netflix Series (and Definitely Should Be)

Sam Bloom’s career is less a linear trajectory and more a greatest-hits mixtape of the advertising world’s wildest moments. If Netflix were smart, they’d greenlight Breaking Ads tomorrow. The pitch? A charismatic, no-nonsense protagonist navigating everything from the glory days of Blockbuster to the rollercoaster of modern ad tech—with Mark Cuban cameos thrown in for good measure. Sam himself teased the idea, saying, “I’ve worked for Mark Cuban for four years, worked at Blockbuster, and been in the ad business. There are so many characters in our business, you could easily spin off a whole bunch of shows.”

And he’s right. Imagine the flashbacks: Sam helping launch Blockbuster Online while the Titanic of physical rentals was already taking on water. “It was a very difficult time in that business, and I had a very difficult boss,” he admitted. Cue the drama. Cue the resilience. While most people might crack under that kind of pressure, Sam leaned into the challenge, filing away every hard-earned lesson like a strategic hoarder. “Those things were formative for me in ways I didn’t understand then but do now,” he reflected.

But it’s not just the Blockbuster chapter that packs the drama. Sam’s career is peppered with moments that are equal parts humbling and hilarious. Take his stint at IChoose, where he candidly admits, “We blew through $25 million.” Most of us would consider that a career-defining faceplant, but Sam turned it into a growth opportunity. It’s this willingness to learn from failure—and laugh about it later—that makes Sam’s story so compelling.

“Almost all the lessons have come around massive failures,” Sam said with characteristic honesty. It’s refreshing, especially in an industry that tends to gloss over the hard parts. But Sam? He’s not about to sugarcoat anything. He’ll tell you that being wildly overconnected and under-supported at times didn’t crush him—it refined him.

And that’s the magic of Sam Bloom: his ability to turn every misstep into a masterclass. Whether he’s dealing with a tough boss, navigating the collapse of a beloved video rental empire, or riding the chaotic waves of the ad tech world, he emerges not just wiser but funnier.

So, yes, Breaking Ads should absolutely happen. The plot practically writes itself: a brilliant, ever-curious strategist who keeps his head in the clouds and his feet on the ground, constantly rethinking what it means to thrive in the circus of modern marketing. And if we’re lucky, Sam might even get to write the theme song himself. It’d probably be called Lessons Learned, Money Burned. Stay tuned.

Marketing as a Higher Calling (and No, That’s Not Just a Fancy Way of Saying “More KPIs”)

Sam Bloom doesn’t do marketing by the numbers—or at least not the kind of numbers that make your CFO happy but leave your customers yawning. For Sam, marketing is more than a checklist of deliverables or an obsession with click-through rates. It’s about strategy, a concept that often feels like an endangered species in an industry that loves to reinvent itself every six months. “If we get so tactical, we’ll be commoditized,” he warned, cutting through the noise with the kind of clarity that makes you sit up and listen.

Sam’s philosophy can be summed up in one word: purpose. It’s not about drowning in the details of the latest ad tech or getting lost in the weeds of media buying—it’s about connecting with people in a way that actually matters. “The best marketers out there are still people trying to change hearts and minds, understand customers’ needs, and build really good propositions,” he said. “That will always be the higher calling of marketing.”

And here’s the kicker: Sam doesn’t just talk about this high-minded mission; he lives it. He’s the guy who’ll steer you away from the hamster wheel of trendy tactics and back toward the basics of what marketing is really supposed to do—make people care.

The Industry is Moving Fast—Too Fast

But let’s not pretend sticking to this higher calling is a walk in the park. Marketing today isn’t just a business; it’s a “fashion business,” as Sam put it, with trends coming and going faster than you can say “influencer marketing.” “And we’re in fast fashion, by the way,” he added, perfectly capturing the frantic pace of the industry. “You’ve got to be nimble and adaptable to the techniques for marketing to consumers.”

Translation? Marketing in 2024 is less about perfect planning and more about survival of the quickest. If you’re not adapting, you’re toast. The channels, the platforms, the consumer behaviors—they’re all shifting at warp speed. It’s like playing poker in a tornado, and the only way to win is to know which cards to hold onto and when to fold.

Balancing Trends with Timelessness

The genius of Sam’s approach lies in his ability to balance the ephemeral nature of marketing trends with the timeless truths of the business. He understands that while the tools and platforms may change, the endgame stays the same: reaching people where they are, speaking their language, and—most importantly—making them feel something.

It’s why he’s not quick to jump on every new marketing bandwagon, even when the rest of the industry is sprinting toward the latest shiny object. For Sam, it’s about more than staying relevant; it’s about staying meaningful. And in a world where many marketers have a hard time telling the difference between the two, that makes him stand out.

Riding the Big Waves: The Dallas Stars Experiment

One of Sam’s most intriguing recent projects is PMG’s partnership with the Dallas Stars and their Victory+ streaming service—a direct-to-fan model that could revolutionize sports marketing. “The Stars joined up with a company called APMC to start something called Victory+,” he explained. “It’s ad-supported, free for fans, and available on all devices. Whether you want to work with the team at a sponsorship level or buy programmatically, you go to one partner.”

The results speak for themselves. “They’re getting four, five, six times the consumption of the games they had during the Bally’s era,” Sam said. “More importantly, it’s increased digital engagement massively.”

Sam believes this model represents the future. “What happens when you own your own data, your own channels, your own content? All those things make a ton of sense. While it may not be the case for every sport now, I think in time you’ll see rights holders eventually want to take back those rights.”

The Art and Science of Standing Out

For Sam, innovation is about more than adopting the latest tech—it’s about standing out in a crowded marketplace. “We are in a marketplace where everyone copies whatever works until it’s not effective anymore,” he said. “That’s the Ricky Bobby theory of marketing: if you’re not first, you’re last.”

To help clients break free from outdated strategies, Sam relies on a combination of data and customer insights. “We start with ground truths and basic facts,” he said. “I think people are so focused on the tasks of marketing that they forget about the art of marketing and what we’re really there to do.”

Leadership with a Side of Brisket Tacos

Sam’s leadership style reflects his grounded, collaborative philosophy. “Leave it better than you found it,” he said, summing up his guiding principle. Whether he’s handing out paper towels during a metaphorical spill or cracking jokes about tequila and brisket tacos, Sam leads with empathy and humor.

When asked to describe his leadership style as a gourmet dish, Sam didn’t hesitate. “I would definitely be brisket tacos,” he said, noting their comforting simplicity. Paired with a “Mexican martini” or “ranch water” (tequila, fresh lime juice, and a splash of Topo Chico), it’s a metaphor that’s as quintessentially Texan as Sam himself.

Looking Ahead: Innovation, Teamwork, and the Sam Bloom Way

If the marketing industry is a forest, Sam Bloom isn’t afraid to acknowledge the chainsaws. But while others bemoan the deforestation—the companies falling behind, the strategies that no longer work, the clutter of trends gone wrong—Sam is already planting the seeds of what’s next. “There’s going to be a massive deforestation, but there’s going to be reforestation coming,” he said. “The reforestation piece, if we focus on innovation and where the puck is going, is way more interesting.”

Classic Sam: grounded, forward-thinking, and just optimistic enough to make you believe in a brighter marketing future. He’s not interested in clinging to the good old days because, frankly, they weren’t all that good. Instead, he’s focused on what’s possible—what can emerge when marketers embrace change rather than resist it.

The Team Player in Chief

For Sam, the key to navigating this ever-shifting landscape is simple: teamwork. “I’ve always viewed myself not as an individual, but as part of a team,” he said. “At the end of the day, I think about leaving things better than I found them.”

And that’s not just a feel-good soundbite; it’s how he operates. Whether he’s rolling out groundbreaking strategies or cracking a self-deprecating joke, Sam has an uncanny ability to make the people around him feel like they’re part of something bigger. He’s the kind of leader who hands you a metaphorical shovel and gets you excited about planting trees—whether literal or the kind that will sustain your marketing plan for years to come.

Pioneering Without the Ego

What’s striking about Sam isn’t just his optimism—it’s his ability to balance big-picture thinking with humility. This is a guy who talks about leaving things better than he found them, but not in some “mission statement on a coffee mug” kind of way. He’s out there proving it, one transformative project at a time.

When Sam talks about “where the puck is going,” you know he’s not just throwing out a sports metaphor to sound savvy (though he was a goalie, so it works). He’s living it. He’s watching trends, understanding what clients and consumers actually need, and making moves that matter—not for himself, but for the industry and the teams he leads.

The Perspective Marketing Needs

In an industry drowning in its own noise, Sam Bloom is a refreshing change of pace. He’s not shouting to be heard or chasing the latest shiny object. He’s steady, insightful, and relentlessly human. He knows that innovation isn’t just about tech—it’s about people. It’s about collaboration, teamwork, and making sure everyone leaves the table feeling like they’ve built something worthwhile.

And here’s the thing: Sam doesn’t just talk about these principles; he embodies them. While others are busy making splashy moves for short-term gains, he’s planting the seeds for long-term growth. Whether it’s building partnerships, charting new directions for his clients, or just finding the humor in a chaotic industry, Sam brings a perspective that’s not just worth having—it’s worth keeping at 50,000 feet.

So, as the marketing world continues its endless churn, Sam Bloom isn’t just watching where the puck is going—he’s already skating ahead, ready to lead the way.

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The AdTech Wizard of Odds: Gareth Holmes on Streaming Ads, Helicopters, and Unleashing Sweden’s Secret Sauce 

Adtech is often described as a wild west, but Gareth Holmes makes it sound more like Cirque du Soleil—complete with flaming chainsaws, gravity-defying stunts, and a standing-room-only audience. 

As VP of Strategy Media at SeenThis, Gareth isn’t just navigating the chaos; he’s orchestrating it with the flair of a conductor leading a symphony of algorithms. SeenThis, known for its adaptive streaming technology, has carved out a niche by making ads faster, greener, and frankly, a lot less annoying. Forget static images or bloated video downloads; Gareth’s approach is part eco-revolution, part Jedi mind trick—and entirely effective.

“Streaming Ads Are the Filet Mignon of Formats”

In the smorgasbord of digital advertising, Gareth says streaming ads are the filet mignon, while static images and vast downloads are the equivalent of last week’s cold fries. But what makes these ads so irresistible? Enter adaptive bitrate streaming, a technology that Gareth explains with the kind of geeky enthusiasm you’d expect from someone who compares his work to Spotify’s seamless playback.

“Remember the old days of iTunes?” Gareth asks, conjuring memories of waiting for an ABBA song to download before the party could start. “With adaptive streaming, you hit play, and it just works—because the file is delivered in smaller data packets, not one giant lump.” For brands like Evian, this means ads that play instantly, boosting click-through rates by 152% and slashing CPMs by 36%. Oh, and did we mention the 325 kilos of emissions avoided? SeenThis doesn’t just save your data plan; it saves the planet.

Lazy Meets Paranoid: Why Isn’t Everyone On Board?

Despite the glowing stats, not everyone in the ad industry is rushing to embrace streaming ads. Gareth says the reluctance boils down to an industry-wide case of “lazy meets paranoid.” Agencies, already swamped with deadlines, are hesitant to learn something new, even if it’s as simple as swapping static for streaming. “There are no technical hurdles,” Gareth insists. “It’s a tag-based system that fits right into existing workflows. The real challenge is convincing people to think outside their display-and-video silos.”

This inertia, he argues, is why the ad world moves at the speed of molasses. “People are risk-averse by nature. They wait to see if someone else tries something first, and only jump in once it’s proven not to blow up the internet. It’s frustrating but understandable.”

Sweden’s Secret Sauce

Why does a Swedish company like SeenThis succeed where others flounder? Gareth has a theory: “People trust the Swedes. Sweden doesn’t start wars. It doesn’t cause problems. We show up with IKEA-level simplicity and Viking-level innovation.” That trust translates into less friction when pitching new ideas. Gareth’s method is hilariously straightforward: “We literally hand over a phone and say, ‘Here’s your old vast download, and here’s our streaming version. Watch the difference.’” It’s hard to argue with results you can see.

Manipulation or Evolutionary Brilliance?

Let’s talk about the psychology behind streaming ads, which Gareth describes as “catnip for our lizard brains.” Humans are hardwired to notice movement—it’s a survival mechanism. “If something moves, we look. Streaming ads capitalize on that by starting instantly. If an ad takes two seconds to load, we’re already scrolling past it.”

But this isn’t just about tapping into primal instincts. Gareth rattles off a list of evolutionary quirks that make ads effective:

  • Color Psychology: Red signals urgency; blue evokes calm.
  • Storytelling: We’re suckers for a good narrative.
  • Social Proof: Show popular people using your product, and the herd will follow.
  • Pattern Recognition: Consistency across platforms builds trust.

It’s not manipulation, Gareth insists, but alignment with human behavior. “Ads are meant to encourage action. If they didn’t, what’s the point?”

Static Ads: Dead or Just on Life Support?

Static ads, Gareth says, are running out of time. “I think that they’re pretty much done depending on where in the funnel and such like. But sometimes there are places where you cannot get a video to play in online advertising. If you can get a static and there’s an ad server behind it, then you can stream a video to it as well. So really, I would say anywhere online or an app, I think the days of static ads are absolutely limited.”

But while static ads are fading, Gareth warns against the dangers of going overboard with motion. “I think over-busy is not going to impress anybody, but you use movement to grab the attention and then resonance to hold it,” he explains. For him, it’s all about balance: too little movement and your ad gets ignored; too much, and you risk frustrating your audience.

This balance, Gareth suggests, is the future of online advertising. Movement grabs attention, but it’s resonance—the emotional or contextual connection—that keeps viewers engaged. Static ads might not be extinct yet, but in an industry evolving as rapidly as ad tech, their days are unquestionably numbered.

Zoomers, Boomers, and the Art of Equal Opportunity Brain Hacking

When asked who’s most susceptible to streaming ads, Gareth points to Gen Z and younger audiences. “I think research shows Gen Z or younger audience who are more likely predisposed to be attracted by the movement, given the usage of social and the fact that terms like doom scrolling come from somewhere. So they’re constantly doing it,” he explains.

But movement isn’t just limited to younger audiences. “Movement grabs pretty much all of us equally, but there are some where movement will work slightly better,” he adds, identifying tech-savvy consumers, event-goers, and families with younger kids as key groups that are more engaged by motion-driven advertising.

The Moral Compass in Ad Tech’s Chaos

Ad tech, Gareth says, is like an unregulated finance sector masquerading as a digital playground—equal parts exhilarating and precarious. “The lack of regulation allows innovation to thrive, but it also means we’re relying on relationships and trust, not rules,” he explains, painting a picture of an industry where handshake deals and mutual respect carry as much weight as any written contract. This freedom, while fertile ground for creativity, also demands a steady moral compass—a rarity in a landscape that’s often blurrier than a 3 a.m. drunk text.

So how does Gareth keep himself anchored in such a whirlwind? For him, it all comes down to his upbringing. “I grew up in a military family where humility, honesty, and loyalty weren’t just values—they were expectations,” he says, crediting those lessons for shaping his approach to life and leadership. His early years instilled a no-nonsense ethos that’s both refreshing and disarming in an industry known for its jargon and spin.

When it comes to leadership, Gareth is unequivocal: it’s not about barking orders from a pedestal but about rolling up your sleeves and leading by example. “Leadership, for me, is about servitude,” he says, referencing a principle he lives by. “If serving is below you, leading is beyond you.” This isn’t just lip service; Gareth actively practices what he preaches, emphasizing collaboration over command and demonstrating that true influence comes from action, not authority.

But it’s not always easy to walk the line between ambition and integrity, especially in an industry that thrives on disruption. Gareth admits that the temptation to cut corners or bend the rules can be strong, but he relies on those foundational values—humility, honesty, loyalty—to steer him in the right direction. “It’s not about perfection; it’s about consistency,” he says. For Gareth, staying grounded means treating every interaction, whether with a colleague or a client, as an opportunity to build trust and foster mutual respect.

In a world where the pressure to innovate can sometimes overshadow the importance of ethics, Gareth’s approach is a reminder that success doesn’t have to come at the expense of integrity. By staying true to his principles and prioritizing service over self-interest, he’s managed to carve out a path in ad tech that’s as grounded as it is forward-thinking. For Gareth, the real magic lies in balancing ambition with authenticity, proving that even in the chaos of ad tech, a steady compass can guide you to greatness.

From Math Geek to Ad Tech Maverick

Gareth’s career began in New Zealand, where he left school at 15 and joined the military at 16. After a decade of service, he stumbled into ad tech—a world he initially found baffling but ultimately irresistible. His big break came during the rise of programmatic trading, which he credits with giving “math geeks” like himself a seat at the table. “It wasn’t all shiny suits and flash lunches anymore. It became about solving problems with data and strategy.”

When he’s not juggling ad tech jargon, Gareth lives a surprisingly low-tech life on a farm in New Zealand. “I don’t have neighbors. I just look at the stars and relax.” His one indulgence? Flying helicopters. “It’s hilariously fun and forces you to focus 100%—no time for work stress up there.”

Lessons from a Lifetime

If Gareth could step into a time machine, he’d have a very pointed conversation with his younger self—one that involves a lot of listening and a heavy dose of humility. “You’ve got two ears and one mouth. Use them proportionally,” he’d say, in the kind of tone that suggests he’s learned this the hard way. His teenage self might have scoffed at the idea, but Gareth insists that staying in school would have opened up a world of possibilities. “I left at 15 because it was the easy way out. At the time, I thought I was being clever. In reality, I was just avoiding the challenge.”

And that decision lingers in his mind, not with regret exactly, but with a sense of missed opportunity. “I’d probably be an astrophysicist by now if I’d stuck with it,” he admits, revealing a lifelong fascination with the mysteries of the universe. It’s not just a whimsical idea; it’s on his bucket list to pursue someday. That dream, however, got detoured by a winding career path that wasn’t without its hiccups—and one particular misstep still makes him laugh today.

Picture this: a young, confident Gareth managing a not-insubstantial PPC budget for a telecom giant. Armed with enthusiasm but lacking the nuance of experience, he decided to run a campaign from a pub one afternoon. “I thought I knew what I was doing. I didn’t.” The result? He burned through the entire quarterly budget—hundreds of thousands of pounds—in just a few hours. The kicker? He didn’t even realize the scale of the disaster until it was too late.

“It was one of those moments where you look back and think, ‘What on earth was I doing?’” he says, chuckling now at what was, at the time, a monumental failure. The mistake wasn’t just financial; it was a wake-up call about overconfidence and the importance of asking questions. “I learned that knowing how to do something doesn’t mean you know how to do it well. If you’re not willing to admit what you don’t know, you’re setting yourself up for failure.”

These lessons—hard-earned and occasionally painful—are the foundation of Gareth’s approach today. They’ve taught him the value of preparation, humility, and a willingness to listen, not just to others, but to the situations that demand more thought than bravado. And while he may laugh about that infamous PPC debacle now, it’s clear that the wisdom gained from it continues to guide him.

Closing Thoughts

Gareth Holmes isn’t just an ad tech innovator; he’s a walking contradiction—a math geek with the soul of a philosopher, a military man who preaches humility, and a farm boy who’s reshaping the future of advertising. His advice to the industry is simple: Embrace the chaos, stay true to your values, and never stop innovating. Oh, and maybe invest in a neon-green jet ski—it’s a great way to ride the waves of change.

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Audience Lists: The Ad World’s New Best Friend and Your Latest Digital Stalker

Ever felt like an ad was so on-point it gave you goosebumps? You scroll past one too many kitchen remodel videos, and suddenly your feed is flooded with farmhouse sink ads, high-end Dutch ovens, and cutting boards that cost more than your mortgage. That’s advanced audience targeting at work, my friend. These ads aren’t just “targeted”; they’re precision-guided missiles, meticulously crafted to tap into your every want and weakness. And behind this marketing sorcery? The all-powerful audience list—a modern marvel of adtech and data-driven wizardry that knows exactly how to keep your attention, whether you like it or not.

Audience lists have rapidly become digital marketing’s most valuable asset. Forget age and gender; today’s brands want the down-and-dirty details. Think: which podcasts you listen to, your recent purchases, and even what kind of coffee you like. As Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert, aptly put it, “Understanding the nuances of your audience list can significantly enhance your engagement metrics.” Jay’s not talking fluff here—he means that every little tweak, every detail you refine, can lead to better engagement, more clicks, and yes, more of your cash in their pockets.

Advanced Audience Targeting: Because Basic Demos Are So Last Decade

Back in the day, marketing was like tossing spaghetti at the wall to see what stuck. You’d get a few wins, sure, but most of it just slid off into the ether. Today, it’s all about precision—no more hoping and praying that the right people see the ad. Now, brands use advanced audience lists to define exactly who they want to reach. And this isn’t about simple demographics; it’s profiling to the nth degree. Think “eco-conscious suburban moms who love hiking” or “Gen Z gamers obsessed with ramen.” Suddenly, ads aren’t just reaching anyone; they’re crafted to hit like a laser-guided missile aimed at you.

Neil Patel, co-founder of Crazy Egg, gets it. “Segmenting your audience lists allows for more personalized and effective marketing strategies,” he says, and he’s right. By slicing and dicing these lists, brands aren’t just shooting into the dark. They’re aiming with sniper-level precision, getting their message in front of exactly the right eyeballs and upping their chances of a sale.

The Data Trifecta: First-Party, Second-Party, and Third-Party Data

To create these hyper-specific audience lists, marketers use a three-course meal of data, each more savory (and invasive) than the last. Here’s the breakdown:

  • First-Party Data: The cream of the crop, collected straight from the source. Every click, every chatbot conversation, and every “sign up to get 10% off your next order” scheme feeds this data monster. Brands who control their own first-party data have a serious edge, as Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, reminds us: “Building and maintaining a robust audience list is crucial for delivering targeted content that resonates.” She’s not wrong—there’s no middleman here, just a straight line from the consumer to the brand, making it easier to hone in on exactly what makes customers tick.
  • Second-Party Data: For those brands who can’t collect their own data, this is the next best thing. Essentially, it’s just another company’s first-party data, traded or purchased through a partnership. Imagine a soda company teaming up with a grocery store chain to get insights into who’s buying what. Pam Moore, CEO of Marketing Nutz, has some advice here: “Regularly refining your audience lists helps in adapting to changing consumer behaviors and preferences.” She’s got a point—getting stale with your data is like trying to make soup from last week’s leftovers. Keep it fresh, or prepare to lose your audience.
  • Third-Party Data: The least loved (but still useful) kid on the block. Collected by, well, pretty much anyone and everyone who can gather consumer data, this type is sold to the highest bidder. With new privacy regulations and cookie-less browsing gaining steam, though, this data source is on thin ice. Rand Fishkin, co-founder of Moz, offers a reality check: “An updated and well-maintained audience list ensures your outreach efforts are both efficient and impactful.” With third-party data, accuracy is everything—no one wants to pay top dollar for insights from 2017.

The (Not-So-Secret) Sauce: Targeting Precision

This next-level precision isn’t just about making people buy; it’s about knowing who’s watching and how they’re going to react. Marketers have gone from a scattershot approach to something more like mind-reading. And as Larry Kim, founder of WordStream, puts it, “Leveraging audience lists effectively can lead to higher ROI in your marketing campaigns.” ROI—it’s the holy grail of marketing, and with audience lists, brands are cashing in like never before.

Enter the world of lookalike audiences. Got a list of die-hard vinyl fans who shop exclusively on Etsy? You can build a list of lookalikes, people who share the same vinyl-loving, Etsy-shopping traits, and expand your audience to reach fresh customers who are almost guaranteed to fall in love with your brand. Heidi Cohen, Chief Content Officer at Actionable Marketing Guide, keeps it real: “Audience lists are not static; they require continuous attention to remain relevant and effective.” It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it deal; these lists need regular tweaks to keep up with shifting trends.

Audience Targeting Invades Traditional Media—For Better or Worse

While advanced targeting started online, it’s been slowly infiltrating traditional media too. Connected TV (CTV), free ad-supported TV (FAST), and data-driven linear channels are giving broadcasters new ways to deliver more tailored messages. Digital media might have the precision advantage, but traditional channels are catching up, promising to meet the demands for personalized ads even on grandma’s favorite soap operas.

As Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group, puts it, “A dynamic audience list is the backbone of any successful content distribution strategy.” Gone are the days of carpet-bombing entire demographics with generic ads. Whether you’re streaming the latest drama or catching a game, brands want to make sure you feel that ad was made just for you (even if it’s really just a profile built on 80 million data points).

Privacy and Identity Solutions: The New Frontier of Data

With cookies on their way out and privacy regulations coming down hard, brands are getting creative. Enter privacy-focused identity solutions, which allow companies to maintain audience insights without the creep factor. Techniques like hashing emails make sure no one’s identity is compromised while still letting advertisers do their thing.

Seth Godin, the OG of permission marketing, couldn’t be clearer: “Permission marketing starts with a well-defined audience list that trusts you to deliver value.” In today’s privacy-first world, that trust is gold. Publishers finally have a chance to directly capitalize on their email lists, creating valuable audience segments without needing Google’s blessing.

Advanced Audience Lists: The Real MVP of Digital Marketing

Audience lists aren’t just a random collection of names—they’re a treasure trove of insights that help brands connect in a way that feels almost intimate. Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, drives it home: “Investing time in curating your audience list pays dividends in audience loyalty and conversion rates.” Curated and fine-tuned, these lists go beyond traditional ad metrics. They offer brands a chance to form genuine connections with consumers who feel seen and understood.

Neil Patel, co-founder of Crazy Egg, sums it up well: “Segmenting your audience lists allows for more personalized and effective marketing strategies.” As audience lists continue to evolve, they aren’t just guiding who sees the ad but are reshaping the entire relationship between brands and consumers.

So, next time you’re served an ad that feels creepily on-point, remember: behind that campaign is a meticulously curated audience list, a vault of data, and a marketer who’s spent hours poring over every last detail about you. Audience lists aren’t just the future—they’re here, they’re powerful, and they’re here to stay.

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Scott Schiller’s Guide to the Mad World of Media, Advertising, and AdTech – Hold the Jargon, Double the Reality Check

Scott Schiller is a man who’s seen it all – from the early days of television ads to the modern, hyper-complicated circus that is digital media. And let’s be clear, Scott’s got opinions. 

He’s made his mark as a media titan, ad tech innovator, and professor who somehow still finds time to remind the industry that it might be taking itself a little too seriously. 

When Scott sat down on The ADOTAT Show, he didn’t hold back. So here’s the wisdom, the wit, and the brutally honest truths from a guy who’s guided some of the biggest brands on the planet and watched more ad tech fads crash and burn than we can count.

Lesson #1: Consumers are the True Kings (and the Industry Just Hasn’t Figured That Out Yet)

“Look, if you think Google or Amazon is running the show, you’re sorely mistaken,” Scott says, shaking his head. “It’s the people on their couches, flipping between the red zone and TikTok, who decide where the money flows.” In his view, advertisers have been chasing after these massive tech giants like puppies at dinnertime, while the real decision-makers – the consumers – are sitting right in front of them.

Scott gets it; he’s seen the rise of platforms where consumer preference drives every decision. His gripe? Advertisers are still acting like the consumer’s role in the equation is “optional.” And don’t even get him started on how tech platforms handle this power. “These companies – the Googles and the Amazons – they’re smart. They know people will keep coming back as long as they don’t screw it up. Consumers vote with their eyeballs and, more importantly, their clicks,” Scott says, raising an eyebrow. “And everyone else is just a little too busy overanalyzing to notice.”

Lesson #2: The Obsession with Perfect Metrics is Killing Creativity

In the relentless quest for perfection, advertisers have lost their way, according to Schiller. “If you’re out here, trying to be precise to the decimal on every metric, you’re missing the point of advertising altogether,” he says. Scott goes on to recall the days before ad tech giants gave everyone a complex about “perfect targeting” and “precision metrics.” Back then, he insists, it was more about gut instinct and knowing your audience.

“Look, people want ads that make them feel something – that’s it. It’s not rocket science,” Scott argues. “But now, everyone is chasing this idea of programmatic utopia, where an ad hits you at the exact right moment in the exact right place. It’s overkill, and it kills any sense of creativity or genuine connection.” He lets out a laugh. “If it doesn’t feel human, it won’t sell. And no amount of targeting can fix that.”

Schiller’s stance on ad metrics is refreshingly cynical. He sees the industry’s fixation with perfecting every single measurement as a never-ending spiral. “We’re drowning in data but starving for insight,” he says bluntly. “The whole thing about ‘getting it perfect’ is just an illusion. At the end of the day, it’s about making ads that don’t make people hit the skip button.”

Lesson #3: Stop Trying to Automate Everything – Human Instinct Still Matters

Here’s one that would send a shiver down the spine of every ad tech startup exec in Silicon Valley: Scott doesn’t buy into the industry’s automation obsession. While the rest of the world is throwing their chips behind AI, Scott’s over here waving the flag for old-fashioned human instinct. “I don’t believe there will ever be a day where advertising is 100 percent automated,” he says. “There’s always going to be a place for instinct.”

And in case you’re wondering, Schiller’s not against data. He just doesn’t see it as a magic solution. “The data gives you a framework, sure. But at some point, someone has to look at it and decide what it means. Otherwise, it’s just numbers on a screen.” Scott recalls a recent conference where a consulting firm claimed that 75 percent of all ads would soon be programmatic. His response? “Maybe 75 percent of digital ads, but try telling that to a brand building a Super Bowl spot. Some things just can’t be reduced to an algorithm.”

Lesson #4: Commerce Media is More Than Just Buying Jennifer Aniston’s Sweater

If you’re in the media world, you’ve probably heard of “commerce media” – the latest buzzword that tries to merge shopping with entertainment. But Scott has been around long enough to know a hype train when he sees one. “Everyone loves the idea that you can see Jennifer Aniston’s sweater on TV and buy it instantly,” he says, referencing the holy grail of shoppable content. “But the behavior just isn’t there yet.”

Scott’s more optimistic about commerce media as a broader concept, something that goes beyond product placements and impulse buys. “What we’re really talking about here is aligning content with consumer intent. It’s not about putting a ‘buy now’ button on everything but figuring out where shopping naturally fits into the viewing experience,” he explains. “Commerce media is coming, but it’s not going to look like a QVC rerun on TikTok.”

He points to Amazon’s latest moves as a sign of things to come, noting that full-funnel advertising is the next logical step. “Amazon isn’t just going to push products; they’re going to turn their entire platform into one giant, seamless shopping experience,” Scott predicts. “And that’s going to redefine what commerce media even means.”

Lesson #5: Ad Tech is a Bloated, Jargon-Filled Monster (and We’re All Complicit)

If there’s one thing Scott can’t stand, it’s the industry’s tendency to complicate the simple stuff. “Ad tech was supposed to make advertising more efficient, but instead, it’s just become this bloated jargon machine,” he says. “Everyone’s inventing new terms for the same old things – and for what? So they can look smart at conferences?”

Scott doesn’t hold back here. He thinks ad tech has lost the plot entirely, spending too much time reinventing itself without ever asking if it’s even necessary. “Every retailer thinks they can run an ad network. Newsflash: it’s a lot harder than it seems,” he says, with a smirk. Schiller argues that just because a company is great at something else – like retail or tech – doesn’t mean they have the chops to pull off a full ad ecosystem.

Lesson #6: Mentorship Isn’t a Deli Counter

As someone who’s mentored a who’s who of media professionals, Scott has strong feelings about what mentorship is – and what it isn’t. “I love helping people, but here’s the thing: it’s not a deli counter,” he says. “You don’t just grab a number and ask for an introduction or a quick fix. Mentorship is a relationship. It’s a give and take.”

Scott’s advice to young professionals? Don’t treat your mentor like a vending machine. “People ask for quick answers, but there are no quick answers. You’ve got to learn to listen, to engage, and sometimes, to make mistakes,” he says. His best career advice? Make yourself invaluable. “Look, this industry is built on relationships. If you’re not adding value, you’re replaceable. It’s that simple.”

Lesson #7: AI is Coming, But It’s Not the Apocalypse

For a guy who’s seen every tech trend from the 1980s to now, Scott isn’t exactly freaking out about AI. “It’s a tool, not the end-all-be-all,” he says. “The media loves to frame AI as either a miracle or a monster, but the truth is somewhere in between.” Scott sees AI as an amplifier, something that can take creative and messaging to new places, but it’s not about to replace the entire ad industry anytime soon.

“People thought streaming would kill cable, that YouTube would kill television, and now they think AI is going to kill creativity,” he says, laughing. “Look, it’s going to be huge, but we’re a long way from AI making Super Bowl ads or writing copy that hits home.” His take? Focus on what AI can help with, not what it might replace. “If it amplifies what you do, use it. If it replaces what you do, maybe rethink your approach.”

In Conclusion: What We Can Learn from Scott Schiller

Scott Schiller is a walking encyclopedia of advertising insights, but he’s no ivory tower intellectual. He’s as likely to tell you to trust your gut as he is to drop a data-driven gem, and he’s skeptical about anyone claiming to have found the “perfect” solution. In a world that’s always chasing the next big thing, Scott is here to remind us that some principles don’t change. Consumers are still in charge, storytelling still matters, and tech is just a tool – not the entire toolkit.

Tune in to The ADOTAT Show for more from Scott Schiller, and remember: if your ad isn’t making people feel something, it doesn’t matter how “precisely targeted” it is.

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Laurel Rossi on Marketing’s Shiny Distractions, Linear TV’s Last Gasp, and Why the Industry’s All Bark and No Bite

Let’s be clear: Laurel Rossi isn’t here to join the echo chamber of ad executives talking about “disruption” while sipping their third champagne at Cannes. No, Rossi, who juggles the roles of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer at Infillion, is here to strip marketing down to its bare bones—and she’s not interested in sugarcoating it. For Rossi, marketing isn’t about joining another panel to talk in circles; it’s about real impact, measurable outcomes, and finally letting go of the industry’s obsession with buzzwords that belong in 2010.

“If it’s not driving impact, what’s the point?” she quips. And she’s not just blowing smoke. Her career has taken her from high-powered roles at Omnicom to selling her own consultancy to Havas, where she ran massive teams like they were small startup labs, cutting fluff and boosting performance. Now, at Infillion, she’s doubling down on the very thing most marketers only like to flirt with: honesty.

Infillion’s IDVx: Where Interactivity Finally Means More than a Button

One of Rossi’s big plays at Infillion has been the launch of IDVx, a video solution that brings “interactivity” back from the land of gimmicky overlays and click-to-nowhere banners. “Most ‘interactive’ ads these days are about as engaging as a stale bagel,” she says with a laugh. “If all you’re giving people is a button to click, you’re missing the whole point of interactive video.”

IDVx, by contrast, is built on the foundation of TrueX’s interactive ad formats, which have been pioneering engagement since the days when most advertisers thought “interactivity” just meant a bigger logo. “With IDVx, we’re blending that TrueX creativity with MediaMath’s programmatic tech,” she explains, “so brands don’t have to pick between impact and scale.” It’s not just a bigger ad budget thrown at the problem; it’s a tool designed to make viewers actually want to engage. “We’re seeing engagement rates that finally back up what video advertising was always supposed to be about,” she says.

State of Video Marketing: “All Flash, No Substance”

Ask Rossi about the state of video marketing, and she’ll tell you it’s in an identity crisis. “Look, everyone’s obsessed with shiny creative campaigns, but most of them are just that—shiny,” she says. The problem? “Most brands are chasing awards instead of actual reach,” Rossi continues, “and they’re getting lost in the spectacle.” She’s seen enough “groundbreaking” campaigns that never actually broke through to viewers, and she’s had it with the idea that viral content alone is enough to justify a marketing budget.

“It’s like we’re in this race to make ads that are beautiful and technically dazzling but don’t even make a dent in recall or sales,” she says. With tools like IDVx, she’s betting on campaigns that don’t just win awards but keep people engaged long enough to actually buy something. “Interactivity was always supposed to mean immersion, not just a distraction. That’s what we’re bringing back.”

Linear TV: Still Alive—But Barely

Rossi has her foot firmly in the digital world, but she’s got a surprisingly soft spot for linear TV, too. Sort of. “Linear TV is like that reliable old dog who’s slower than he used to be but still great at making people feel something,” she says, “but it’s gotta be part of a bigger plan.” Rossi sees linear TV as the last bastion of broad reach, but she’s quick to add that “it can’t just be a dumping ground for leftover budget.” Instead, she argues, it’s about smart integration: pairing linear TV’s reach with digital precision to actually reach the right audience, not just the biggest one.

“It’s like we’re finally realizing that TV and digital aren’t enemies. They’re roommates that need to start sharing a lease,” she jokes. For Rossi, linear TV still has value, but it needs to play nicely with digital—and that’s something most brands still aren’t getting right.

Five No-B.S. Tips for Today’s Media Buyers

When it comes to advice, Rossi is quick and to the point. “You can only slice this thing so many ways,” she says, before rattling off her list of essentials:

  1. Not All Attention is Equal: “It’s not just about getting noticed; it’s about engaging with people who want to notice you,” she says. Rossi believes in what she calls “experiential attention”—the kind of attention where viewers actually choose to watch. “We’ve had enough of the ‘loud and annoying’ era,” she says.
  2. Embrace the Era of Always Shopping: “Forget the old ‘customer journey’—people are shopping all the time now, everywhere they look,” she says. To her, marketers need to stop thinking of awareness as some mystical phase of discovery and start thinking of it as a 24/7 reality.
  3. Put Women’s Sports on Your Radar: “If you’re not sponsoring women’s sports, you’re asleep at the wheel,” Rossi says. With sports stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese making headlines, women’s sports aren’t just an add-on—they’re a growing cultural force. “You’re missing out if you’re not tapping into that.”
  4. Think Beyond the Game: For Rossi, live sports are just one piece of the puzzle. “Gen-Z doesn’t care as much about the game itself as they do about the commentary, podcasts, and the social content around it,” she says. “If you’re not part of the cultural conversation, you’re invisible.”
  5. CTV Isn’t Social Media: “Thinking CTV and social are the same is rookie stuff,” Rossi laughs. Brands that simply drop ads into TikTok or Instagram and expect sales are setting themselves up to fail. “It’s about balancing performance and awareness across platforms, not just shoving content into every feed.”

The Inclusion Café: Cannes, Rosé, and Real Talk on Diversity

This year, Rossi took a different approach at Cannes Lions with her brainchild, the Inclusion Café, a pop-up space at the festival that sparked the kinds of conversations that rarely happen on the Croisette. It wasn’t about platitudes or hollow pledges to “do better.” Instead, it was about tackling the real, uncomfortable truths head-on. “We had everyone from GLAAD to Group Black to the NAACP around the table,” she explains, “and we’re not here for anyone’s ‘nice try’ efforts.”

For Rossi, the Inclusion Café isn’t just a one-time stunt. She sees it as a blueprint for real change. “We’re not in the business of patting ourselves on the back for good intentions,” she says. The goal was to get brands past the stage of talking about inclusivity and into actually measuring and holding themselves accountable for it.

Her advice for brands stepping into the murky waters of inclusivity? “Stop obsessing over getting the language perfect,” she says bluntly. “People want to see actions, not just well-chosen words.” Rossi’s long-term vision for the Inclusion Café goes beyond corporate lip service, envisioning a future where inclusivity becomes a core element of brand identity, not just an add-on for marketing week.

The Bottom Line

Laurel Rossi isn’t here to play nice, and she’s certainly not here to keep repeating the same old industry fluff. She’s calling out lazy tactics, challenging stale strategies, and demanding more from an industry that’s long been comfortable with doing the bare minimum. Whether it’s bringing real interactivity to video ads, making linear TV work harder, or creating spaces like the Inclusion Café, Rossi’s out to hold advertising accountable. And if that makes her some kind of disruptor, so be it. “At the end of the day, if we’re not making an impact, we’re wasting everyone’s time.”

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Mark Coleman: The VC Who Tossed the Rulebook (And has a heart)

Meet Mark Coleman, a venture capitalist who doesn’t give a rip about the traditional VC playbook. Management fees? Nope. Early exits? Not his style. And don’t even think about trying to impress him with your ping-pong table or kombucha bar. Coleman is part startup whisperer, part reality check artist, and all about cutting through the nonsense.

In an industry that loves to fawn over “disruptors” who usually end up just reinventing the wheel with shinier PR, Coleman stands out. He’s been in the trenches, sold DoubleClick to Google (no big deal, right?), and now spends his days mentoring entrepreneurs—often while politely telling them to focus on real problems instead of playing Startup Bingo with buzzwords.

Let’s dive in, because this guy is not your average suit.

From the Sweaty-Palmed Trenches to Investor Zen

“So you’ve gone from the ramen-eating, sleep-deprived startup life to the chill investor vibe, sipping artisanal coffee while watching others do the panic dance,” quips Pesach Lattin, kicking off their conversation on The ADOTAT Show. Coleman smiles, the kind of smile that says, “Yeah, I’ve seen some things.”

“We all have careers and paths we follow,” he says, with the serene tone of someone who’s done the 80-hour work weeks and come out the other side alive. Now he’s co-founder of Tambora Ventures, the man behind the curtain for startups looking to make it in a world that’s more likely to chew them up and spit them out than turn them into unicorns.

And here’s where Coleman’s journey gets interesting: he’s not in it for the cliché “giving back” storyline that investors love to preach. No, he’s in it because he genuinely enjoys seeing smart people solve big problems. “I was blessed to be around really smart people,” he says, “and now I’m paying it forward.”

When Founders Drive Into Walls, Coleman Hands Them a Map (Not a Helmet)

Now, if you think Coleman’s the kind of investor who’s going to put out every fire you start, you’ve got him all wrong. He’s not running a daycare for over-caffeinated founders. “We don’t wait for an accident to happen to put a stoplight at that corner,” Coleman explains, matter-of-factly. Instead, he’s all about stepping in before the flames start—because, let’s face it, by the time a founder is putting out fires, it’s probably too late.

Does he enjoy watching his protégés faceplant? Of course not. But he’s also not here to sugarcoat things. “I try not to own the car that they’re driving,” he says, which is basically venture capitalist code for: Your failures are yours to own, but I’ll help you avoid the worst of them.

Coleman’s not a fan of the last-minute rescue. In fact, he avoids the whole knight-in-shining-armor routine. “We like to get ahead of the curve,” he says, sipping his coffee, probably while his portfolio founders are downing espresso shots and praying they hit their next funding milestone.

Ping-Pong Tables? Please. Focus on Margins, Kid.

Remember those startups that spend more time deciding what color their office beanbags should be than on, you know, building a product people actually want? Coleman sees right through that fluff. “I bring it down to basic marketing 101,” he says, reminding everyone that building a business is about solving a problem—not winning the coolest office award on TechCrunch.

And here’s where it gets good: Coleman has a way of cutting through the noise that makes you wish more VCs did the same. “They didn’t go into this to be bankers, to be raising money,” he says, sounding almost exasperated. “They came in to be builders.”

You can almost hear the collective eye-roll when he talks about founders who obsess over branding before they’ve even figured out if their product works. “It’s all about the innovation. Taking it to market. Following their KPIs in the journey,” he adds, dropping business wisdom like it’s a TED Talk no one asked for but desperately needs.

No Fees, No Nonsense: Mark Coleman’s Unorthodox VC Strategy

Here’s where Mark Coleman breaks all the rules. In an industry that practically lives off of management fees—standard issue 2% for most VCs—Coleman just says, “Nah, I’m good.”

“I don’t charge a management fee for my LPs,” he says like it’s the most natural thing in the world, as if every other venture capitalist isn’t listening and clutching their pearls. Why? Because he doesn’t believe in taking money out of the ecosystem. He’s not here to play fund manager; he’s here to actually, you know, fund innovation.

“I thought the big bet was my vision,” he explains. “Let’s all make money together.” If that sounds almost utopian in the cutthroat world of venture capital, it’s because it is. But Coleman is clearly thriving. He’s already on his third fund, with partners who buy into his karma-fueled philosophy.

“I’m a karma guy,” he says, casually tossing out a sentiment that would make most financiers shudder. “I pay things forward… and I haven’t changed it. It’s been working, so it ain’t broke, I’m not gonna fix it.”

The Broken VC World: Coleman’s Not Here for Your Nonsense

If you’ve ever wondered what a venture capitalist who actually calls out the industry’s BS sounds like, wonder no more. Coleman pulls no punches when it comes to his thoughts on the state of the VC world.

“It’s a broken sector,” he says bluntly. “Sadly, a lot of bad actors on both sides.” He’s not just talking about shady founders fudging numbers to impress investors (although there are plenty of those). He’s also calling out investors who don’t do their due diligence and end up funding nonsense.

“I’m not saying I’m the new sheriff in town,” Coleman says, clearly indicating he’s absolutely the new sheriff in town, “but I’m protecting as many people as I can.”

This isn’t idle talk. Coleman’s approach to investing is grounded in his own experience of being a founder, and he’s keenly aware that, without the private sector, innovation dies. “Without private money, there’s no innovation, no investment.”

DoubleClick and Google: The Deal That Changed Everything

When Coleman talks about selling DoubleClick to Google, it’s not with the typical breathless excitement of a founder who cashed out. No, this was a deal made with careful calculation and a bit of pragmatism.

“We were public, went private, took on a PE firm, and were making real-time decisions about what to do,” Coleman recalls. It wasn’t exactly a fairytale exit. In fact, Coleman had two buyers—Google and Microsoft—vying for DoubleClick at the time, and they had to make fast, strategic moves.

Google won the bidding war, but Coleman wasn’t convinced they’d actually keep DoubleClick’s technology. “I was positive they were going to sunset the technology,” he admits. Instead, DoubleClick’s tech became foundational to Google’s ad empire, outlasting even his expectations.

Looking back, does he regret selling to Google? Not a chance. “It was one of the best sales with a great company for an exit. I don’t think I would ever change it again.”

The Israeli Startup Scene: Frogs, Princes, and Kicking Tires

Coleman’s got a soft spot for Israeli startups, but he’s not starry-eyed about it. In fact, he’s been mentoring companies there for years, partly because of his deep personal connection—his wife is a first-generation Holocaust survivor—but also because he sees immense potential.

But Israeli founders, as much as they’re celebrated, sometimes need a little dose of reality, according to Coleman. “It’s too intense,” he says of the culture. The whole “move fast and break things” mentality might work when you’re building apps in Tel Aviv, but taking it global requires a different strategy.

“You can have a nickel for every meeting and a bucket full of change but no money,” he laughs, referencing how some Israeli founders get stuck in a meeting loop without sealing the deal. Coleman’s all about KPIs and moving the needle, not just endless pitch meetings.

The Superpower of Healing (No, Seriously)

At this point, you might be thinking, “Alright, but what does Mark Coleman actually do for fun?”

The answer? Not what you’d expect from a guy who’s reshaping venture capital. Coleman’s big hobby? Gardening. “I love gardening and landscaping,” he says, sounding almost Zen. And when asked what superpower he’d want, he doesn’t opt for something flashy like flying or mind control. Nope. Coleman wants the power of healing. “I’m all about longevity and health and quality of life.”

Not exactly what you’d expect from a venture capitalist, right? But that’s exactly the point. Coleman is not what you expect, period.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Be Evil (But Maybe Be a Little Bold)

Mark Coleman is not your average VC. He’s ditching the management fees, calling out bad actors, and treating his founders like family (without the passive-aggressive holiday dinners). And he’s doing it all without an alarm clock.

His advice to founders? Simple: “Just do good. I always loved Google’s ‘Don’t be evil.'”

In a world where venture capital often seems to be about making money fast and getting out before the market shifts, Coleman is a breath of fresh air. He’s in it for the long game. He’s in it for the people. And while the rest of the VC world might be broken, he’s quietly—perhaps even stubbornly—building something better.

You don’t have to agree with him. But it’s hard not to respect him. And in venture capital, that’s saying something.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE

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Why Jonah Goodhart Thinks Your Feelings Matter More Than Clicks

Let me paint you a picture: I’m sitting across from Jonah Goodhart—yes, that Jonah Goodhart. The ad tech wunderkind who co -founded Moat, sold it to Oracle for a king’s ransom, and then had the audacity to not sail off into the sunset. 

Instead, he’s back at it with Montauk Labs, tinkering away like some mad scientist who refuses to leave well enough alone. We’re supposed to be discussing his latest venture, but naturally, the conversation spirals into a kaleidoscope of topics—from cosmic accidents to the emotional underpinnings of insurance ads. And honestly, it’s a breath of fresh air in an industry suffocating under its own self -importance.

So here they are: ten pearls of wisdom Jonah casually tossed my way, each one sinking deeper into my jaded, tech -weary soul than I’d like to admit.

1. Embrace the Cosmic Accident

“Jonah, what cosmic accident or stroke of brilliance led you here?” I ask, half -expecting a rehearsed monologue about strategic planning and market disruption. Instead, he laughs—a genuine, hearty chuckle that cuts through the veneer of corporate pretense. “Cosmic accident? That’s about right,” he says.

He proceeds to recount how he and his brother Noah stumbled into their first venture while still in college. Picture this: two college kids capitalizing on e -commerce sites in the late ’90s that were practically begging people to take their products for free. No grand vision, no five -year plan—just two guys thinking, “Hey, free stuff is cool.”

“We didn’t know squat about advertising,” he admits. “We were just college kids who thought getting free stuff on this amazing new thing called the internet was neat.” Their ‘business’ was essentially a newsletter highlighting where to snag freebies online. Then Barnes & Noble called—not to sue them for exploiting loopholes—but to offer them a commission. You can’t make this stuff up.

“So suddenly, a business was born,” he says, still sounding slightly incredulous. It’s like tripping over a rock and finding out it’s a gold nugget. Most people would chalk it up to dumb luck, but Jonah turned that cosmic accident into a launching pad.

The lesson? Life doesn’t always need your meticulous planning. Sometimes, it’s about recognizing the opportunity in randomness. While you’re busy plotting your next move, the universe might just be waiting to drop a golden egg in your lap. So keep your eyes open—and maybe, just maybe, answer those unexpected calls.

2. Mentors Matter, Even the Unlikely Ones

“Was there a pivotal mentor or anti -hero that shaped your path?” I prod. Jonah doesn’t hesitate. “Mike Walrath,” he says, eyes lighting up. For the uninitiated, Mike’s the guy who went from selling gym memberships to pioneering digital ad exchanges. Not exactly the linear career trajectory they teach you in business school.

“Mike cold -called me,” Jonah recalls. “He said, ‘I see what you’re doing. You should buy banner ads.'” Now, let’s pause here. Most of us treat cold callers like telemarketers during dinner—necessary evils to be dispatched swiftly. But Jonah listened. Maybe he was bored; maybe he sensed something. Either way, that call led to them buying significant media over a weekend—on a credit card, no less.

Fast forward, Mike leaves DoubleClick and reaches out again: “I’m starting a company. Do you and your brother want in?” They did, and thus Right Media was born, eventually selling to Yahoo for a cool $680 million. Not too shabby for a guy who used to hustle gym memberships.

The real kicker? Mike wasn’t some industry titan or seasoned executive. He was just a guy with hustle, vision, and the chutzpah to cold -call potential clients. Jonah’s takeaway? Don’t underestimate anyone. Wisdom doesn’t always come adorned with titles and accolades. Sometimes, it’s the guy who used to peddle gym memberships who’ll lead you to your next big break.

So the next time you get an unsolicited pitch, maybe—just maybe—don’t hang up immediately. You never know who might be on the other end of the line.

3. Age Is Just a Number, So Ignore It

“Are you the Yoda or Darth Vader in your story?” I quip, expecting a smirk. Jonah chuckles, but then gets serious. Back when he and his brother started, being young wasn’t the asset it is today. Forget Silicon Valley’s fetishization of 20 -something CEOs in hoodies. In the late ’90s, youth was a liability.

“People wanted to know if I had kids, how old I was,” he says. “They’d ask, ‘Who’s the white hair in the room?'” Imagine that. Now, companies are practically throwing money at teenagers who can code a halfway decent app. But back then, Jonah and Noah were so wary of being dismissed that they dodged face -to -face meetings.

“Mike tried to meet us, and we’d always have an excuse,” he admits. “We didn’t want him to realize he was dealing with college kids.” The charade didn’t last forever. One day, someone let slip that Jonah was at a final exam when Mike called. The cat was out of the bag.

Did it matter? Not really. But it underscores how arbitrary metrics like age can be barriers—or perceived ones. Jonah didn’t let societal expectations dictate his path. He knew what he brought to the table, even if others couldn’t see past his lack of crow’s feet.

So what’s the modern takeaway? Ageism cuts both ways. Whether you’re too young or too old in someone else’s eyes, screw ’em. If you have the vision and the drive, that’s what counts. Stop waiting for the world to validate you based on outdated criteria. Forge ahead, and let your work speak for itself.

4. The Art of the Pivot Isn’t Just for Startups

“Was there a decision that made you think, ‘I must have been out of my mind?'” I ask, leaning in. Jonah nods. “Our first company had an offer on the table,” he says. “We could have sold it and been very well off. But we didn’t.”

Cue the collective gasp. They turned down a lucrative exit, and the company eventually fizzled out. Most would consider that a colossal screw -up, the kind you’d lose sleep over for decades. But not Jonah.

“Had we sold, we might’ve been stuck working for the acquirer,” he muses. “We wouldn’t have been free to start Right Media with Mike.” So, in a twist of fate, what seemed like a misstep paved the way for something bigger.

It’s like missing your flight only to find out the plane had mechanical issues. At first, you’re cursing your luck; later, you’re thanking your lucky stars. Jonah sees setbacks not as failures but as redirections.

“Failure isn’t the end; it’s just a plot twist,” he says, shrugging as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Keep the story moving.”

So maybe the next time life kicks you in the teeth, consider that it might be steering you toward a better path. The art of the pivot isn’t just for startups; it’s for anyone willing to see opportunity in adversity. And if you can’t see it, maybe you’re not looking hard enough.

5. Emotion Drives Everything, Even Advertising

“Measurement is shifting towards outcomes and even emotion,” I note. “How do we measure the unmeasurable?” Jonah leans forward, eyes gleaming like he’s just been handed a winning lottery ticket.

“We are emotional beings,” he begins. “We may think we behave rationally, but it’s just not the case.” In an industry obsessed with data points and KPIs, here’s a guy preaching the gospel of feelings.

He dives into how emotions influence consumer behavior more than any A/B test ever could. “Negative emotion isn’t always bad,” he points out. “Sometimes it gets people to take action.”

He brings up life insurance ads—the ones that remind you of your mortality to sell policies. “They tap into anxiety to motivate you,” he says. “It’s twisted but effective.”

Jonah argues that with advancements in AI and machine learning, we can now quantify these emotional triggers. It’s not about manipulating consumers but understanding them on a deeper level. “If we can leverage emotion to understand content better, we can make better decisions,” he insists.

It’s refreshing to hear someone in tech acknowledge the messy, irrational nature of humanity. We’re not just data points on a spreadsheet; we’re complex beings driven by hopes, fears, and desires. And maybe—just maybe—acknowledging that makes for better business and better connections.

So the next time you’re crafting a campaign or making a pitch, remember: Tug at the heartstrings, not just the purse strings. Emotion isn’t the enemy of logic; it’s the engine that drives it.

6. Context Is King, Queen, and the Whole Damn Court

“Let’s delve into context,” I suggest, bracing myself for a jargon -filled monologue. Instead, Jonah surprises me. “My dad wrote a book called Mobian Nights,” he says. “One of his big ideas is that we cannot sidestep context.”

Wait, we’re quoting dad now? And not in a “My dad used to say” folksy wisdom kind of way. Jonah’s father is a retired professor who delves into the philosophy of context and meaning.

“The same piece of content can mean something entirely different depending on where it’s placed and who’s consuming it,” he explains. “Post an article on Medium, and it has one meaning. Post it on The Wall Street Journal, and it carries a different weight.”

He points out that the ad industry has largely ignored this nuance. “We’ve not created metrics to understand how context affects perception,” he laments. “We’ve been giving brands a false sense of security with flawed brand safety measures.”

Jonah believes that with AI, we can revolutionize how we understand and leverage context. It’s not just about avoiding negative keywords or blacklisted sites. It’s about a holistic understanding of the environment in which your content or ad appears.

So, the next time you slap an ad onto a platform without considering the surrounding content, think again. Context isn’t just an accessory; it’s the outfit. And if you mismatch, you’re not just committing a fashion faux pas—you might be undermining your entire message.

7. Work -Life Balance Is a Myth, So Find Joy in the Chaos

“So, how do you maintain work -life balance?” I ask, half -expecting the usual spiel about meditation apps and scheduled downtime. Jonah looks at me like I’ve asked him to explain quantum physics in three words.

“When you do it well, work is life and life is work,” he says. “It’s all merged.”

In an age where everyone’s preaching about ‘unplugging’ and ‘mindfulness,’ Jonah’s take is refreshingly unorthodox. He doesn’t see a divide between his professional and personal life because he’s passionate about both.

“I’m always thinking about things,” he admits. “But when I’m with my family, I try to be fully present.”

It’s not about clocking out at 5 p.m. and shutting off your brain. It’s about integrating your passions so seamlessly into your life that the lines blur—in a good way.

“Stop compartmentalizing,” he advises. “If you love what you do, the lines blur, and that’s perfectly okay.”

So maybe the quest for balance is a wild goose chase. Perhaps the goal should be to find what excites you so much that you don’t mind the overlap. Life is messy and chaotic, but that’s where the magic happens.

8. Surround Yourself with People Who Light You Up

“Any secret strategies on how to stay motivated?” I ask, expecting tips on time management or perhaps a caffeine regimen. Jonah smiles. “Work with great people who are a joy to speak with,” he says simply.

He talks about his team with genuine affection. “I’m thrilled when I get on a call with one of my teammates,” he says. “I literally see a message from them and think, ‘This is going to be good.'”

Imagine that—actually enjoying your colleagues. In a world rife with toxic workplaces and office politics, Jonah’s approach seems almost radical.

“Energy is contagious,” he asserts. “If your colleagues don’t make you feel alive, what’s the point?”

He extends this philosophy to his personal life. “I have four wonderful children and a wonderful wife,” he says. “I’m incredibly proud of them.”

The takeaway? Your environment matters. The people you surround yourself with can elevate you or drag you down. Choose wisely.

So if you’re stuck in a dead -end job with coworkers who make you want to fake a Wi -Fi outage, maybe it’s time to reassess. Life’s too short to spend it with people who don’t ignite your passion.

9. Build Habits Like Your Life Depends on It—Because It Does

“What’s the most unconventional advice you’ve ever received, and did it work out for you?” I ask. Jonah reflects for a moment. “Mike once told me to go out and do 800 meetings to understand the market,” he says. “I literally did 800 meetings.”

Eight. Hundred. Meetings. Most of us complain about attending one pointless Zoom call. But Jonah saw the value in the grind.

“It was eye -opening,” he says. “You learn what problems people are trying to solve.”

He ties this back to the importance of building good habits. “Whether it’s a habit to take a meditation pause or to work out, find what helps you,” he advises. “Consistency isn’t just key; it’s the whole damn door.”

In a culture obsessed with quick hacks and silver bullets, Jonah champions the unglamorous daily grind. It’s not sexy, but it’s effective.

So stop chasing the latest productivity fad. Build habits that move the needle, even if they require more elbow grease than you’d like. Your future self will thank you.

10. Retirement Is for Quitters

“Do you ever see yourself retiring?” I inquire, expecting a nuanced take on future plans. Jonah doesn’t miss a beat. “I don’t,” he states emphatically.

He shares a story about Warren Buffett’s colleague who retired and died the next year. “Let that be a lesson,” he says.

For Jonah, retirement isn’t a goal; it’s a non -entity. “I can’t imagine only playing golf or sitting on a beach,” he says. “I want to stay intellectually curious and positively impact others.”

It’s a stark contrast to the societal narrative that we should work ourselves into the ground and then spend our golden years doing… well, nothing of consequence.

“Passion doesn’t have an expiration date,” he declares. “If you’re lucky enough to find work that excites you, why would you ever want to stop?”

So perhaps we need to rethink the entire concept of retirement. If you’re doing something you love, the idea of stopping becomes irrelevant. Keep the fire burning until the wheels fall off.

Final Thought

As our conversation winds down, I pose one last question. “If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?”

“Build good habits, reduce stress, and surround yourself with people you care about,” he replies without hesitation. “Optimize for happiness.”

And there it is. Not some earth -shattering revelation, but a simple truth that we often overlook in our relentless pursuit of success.

Jonah Goodhart isn’t just another name in the ad tech world. He’s a testament to the power of embracing randomness, valuing unlikely mentors, defying arbitrary norms, pivoting when life demands it, understanding the emotional core of humanity, recognizing the paramount importance of context, finding joy in the beautiful mess that is life, surrounding yourself with people who elevate you, committing to the unsexy work of building habits, and rejecting the notion that passion has a sell -by date.

In a world obsessed with the next big thing, maybe it’s the timeless truths that make the biggest impact. So take a page out of Jonah’s playbook. You might just find that the keys to success—and happiness—have been right in front of you all along.

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Ad Tech Survivor: Raj Chauhan’s Escape from the Island of Overengineered Data

Let’s start with the obvious: Raj Chauhan has been around the block. And I don’t mean the block you stroll around on your morning jog. No, Raj’s block is more like an endless digital loop, filled with broken banner ads, DSPs, SSPs, and a short but intense detour into cannabis—because why stick with one volatile industry when you can juggle two? He’s been playing in the digital advertising sandbox since 1995, back when we still believed AOL chat rooms were the height of innovation and “you’ve got mail” was a daily thrill.

Raj’s career is the stuff of ad tech legend—if your idea of a legend is someone who went from building ad networks in the ’90s, back when digital ads were the Wild West, to dipping into the green pastures (pun intended) of cannabis, and finally resurrecting himself as the man to watch in the future of retail media. In short, Raj’s story is the “phoenix rising” of ad tech, only with fewer ashes and more regulatory nightmares.

The Wild West Days of Digital: Raj’s Early Start

Rewind to 1995: the internet was in its awkward teenage years, and digital advertising was barely crawling. Banner ads were the new kid in town, and Raj was part of the crew that built the first ad networks. If you ask him what it was like back then, he’ll tell you it was more like a flea market than the data-driven juggernaut we know today. “There was a lot more kind of hand-to-hand combat,” Raj says, reminiscing about those days when deals were closed with a handshake, and you could actually get to know the people you were working with. It was personal. It was messy. And it worked.

But it wasn’t just the relationships that made those days different—it was the lack of noise. No algorithms feeding you data points until your head spins, no real-time bidding that takes human judgment out of the equation. “Back then, there was no concept of marketplaces,” Raj explains. “We were just serving up ads. There wasn’t a lot of data.” Imagine that: ads without data. It’s like trying to sell a car without mentioning the horsepower.

This was the golden era of banner ads—well, if by “golden” you mean clunky, inefficient, and completely devoid of targeting. Raj, like every pioneer in a new industry, was figuring it out on the fly. “We’d cobble together a hundred sports websites or cooking sites, and then we’d go to a brand and say, ‘Hey, buy across this whole ecosystem!’” he says. And surprisingly, it worked. This was the precursor to the sophisticated audience matching we have today—only it was done with a lot more guesswork and a lot less AI.

The Shift to Platforms: Ad Tech Gets “Efficient”

As ad networks grew, so did the industry’s appetite for efficiency—read: platforms. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to just cobble together a bunch of websites and call it a day. Enter SSPs (Supply-Side Platforms) and DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms), which promised to turn digital advertising into a sleek, data-driven, real-time affair. If the early days were the flea market, the platform world was more like Amazon: streamlined, impersonal, and designed to remove human interaction entirely.

“The big change was the transition from the network world to the platform world,” Raj says. “You suddenly had data. You could target immediately, transact immediately, and have always-on campaigns.” Sounds great, right? Who wouldn’t want more data, more targeting, more precision?

But here’s the thing about Raj: he’s a relationship guy. Always has been. So while the rest of the industry was jumping into data pools headfirst, Raj couldn’t help but miss the days when deals were made over lunch instead of dashboards. “I kind of liked the interpersonal dealings of campaigns and business in the past,” he admits. There’s something very human in that—a yearning for the chaos and connection that defined the early days of ad tech, long before we started overengineering the whole damn thing.

Raj’s Detour into Cannabis: Weed, Compliance, and Sticker Nightmares

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Okay, so Raj built ad networks. Big deal. Everyone did that in the ’90s.” And yeah, sure, plenty of people were slapping together ad networks back then. But how many of them took a hard left into cannabis in 2017? Not many.

Why cannabis? Well, why not? Raj saw an industry that was on the verge of explosion—much like digital advertising had been in the late ’90s—and figured, “Why not get in on the ground floor?” Spoiler alert: the cannabis industry was nothing like digital ads. It was, as Raj puts it, “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” And this is a guy who once built a $2 million ad network while driving a U-Haul from Malibu to San Jose.

The cannabis world, it turns out, is a bureaucratic hellscape. Raj describes it as a game with constantly changing rules. “Every quarter, every year, cannabis laws were changing, and that meant label changes,” he says. Imagine running a business where you’re constantly chasing new regulations, slapping compliance stickers on products that were already shipped from China, and praying the state doesn’t decide to rewrite the rules again next month. It’s a nightmare that makes ad tech look like a picnic.

But Raj isn’t one to back down from a challenge, and for seven years, he hustled his way through the cannabis industry, learning the hard way that no amount of innovation can solve a regulatory quagmire. “Retail and delivery businesses in cannabis are incredibly challenging,” he says, with the same weariness you’d expect from someone who’s seen some serious shit. And while the cannabis business didn’t make Raj a billionaire, it did teach him one thing: sometimes, the old adage of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is more true than you’d like it to be.

The Return: Retail Media, Connected TV, and the Voodoo Magic

After seven years in the weed trenches, Raj did what any seasoned tech veteran would do: he came back to ad tech, but this time with a twist. Enter Voodoo, his new venture that’s combining the magic of retail media with the endless potential of connected TV. If you’ve been paying attention, you know that retail media is the hot new thing—brands are desperate to turn passive TV viewers into active shoppers, and Raj sees a massive opportunity.

“The whole instant gratification mindset is changing the game,” Raj says, eyes gleaming like a kid with a brand new toy. He’s not talking about QR codes either (which, let’s face it, are about as clunky as the banner ads of old). Raj envisions a future where shoppable moments are baked right into your TV show. Watching the latest Netflix series? See a jacket you like? Click once and it’s on its way to your doorstep. “One-click shopping is coming,” he declares with the confidence of someone who’s been in the trenches long enough to know when a revolution is about to happen.

But don’t get it twisted: Raj doesn’t buy into every shiny new thing the industry throws at him. When I ask him if we’re going to see a future where people pause their TV shows to buy products, he just laughs. “I don’t think people are going to stop their shows to shop,” he says, like it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. Instead, the future is about seamless integration—ads that fit naturally into the content, products that are a click away without disrupting the experience.

What Keeps Him Going: Innovation, Grit, and an Endless Curiosity

For a guy who’s been in the game as long as Raj, you’d think he’d be burnt out by now. But no—Raj is more energized than ever. “I haven’t been this excited about the space since 2008,” he says, referring to the early days of SSPs when the entire industry was still figuring out what the hell was happening. For Raj, it’s the innovation that keeps him going. Retail media, connected TV, shoppable moments—they’re all part of the next wave, and Raj is ready to ride it.

And if you think it’s all about the money, think again. Raj is more interested in the grind, the challenge, the thrill of building something from nothing. “You have to grind,” he says, almost like a mantra. “The devil’s in the details.” He’s not one to shy away from the hard work, and that’s what separates him from the thousands of others who came and went in the digital advertising space.

Raj may not be the loudest guy in the room, but he’s the one who knows how to play the long game. Whether it’s building ad networks, navigating the nightmare of cannabis regulations, or leading the charge in retail media, Raj is the guy who’s always thinking two steps ahead.

And if you’re wondering what advice he’d give to his younger self, the guy slinging banner ads in the ‘90s? Simple: “I would’ve started focusing on creative and measurement much earlier,” he says. Because at the end of the day, even in a world where data reigns supreme, it’s the creative that connects with people—and Raj Chauhan, the relationship guy, knows that better than anyone.

So here he is, Raj Chauhan: the ad tech survivor, the weed warrior, and the retail media wizard. Still grinding, still innovating, and still loving the game.

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From Pinterest to HoneyBook: Colleen Stauffer’s Wild Ride Through the Marketing Jungle

Meet Colleen Stauffer, the Chief Marketing Officer at HoneyBook, where she’s shaking up the world of marketing like a cocktail mixer at a bar where all the drinks are on fire. With over 15 years of experience under her belt, she’s navigated an industry that has transformed so dramatically that even staying in the same field for decades feels like changing jobs every few years. If you don’t believe me, just ask her about the positions that didn’t exist when she started as an intern at a Chicago ad agency!

Colleen’s journey began at ABC in Washington, D.C., during her college days. “My manager taught me how to be a thoughtful and direct leader,” she recalls, “like trying to steer a ship through a storm, only this storm came with a side of spreadsheets and no rum.” After this initiation, she plunged into the vibrant world of advertising at Cramer-Krasselt, her hometown agency in Chicago. There, she launched the first dedicated social media team—a milestone she proudly touts as one of her early career achievements. “It was like being the first person to introduce kale to a BBQ. Everyone was skeptical, but look who’s winning now!” she quips.

From Chicago, Colleen ventured to Clorox, where she learned the ropes of brand management while selling everything from garbage bags to salad dressing. “Who knew packaging design could be so thrilling? It’s like dressing up for a date, but that date involves a lot of people throwing away their trash,” she jokes, flexing her marketing muscles while crafting campaigns for iconic brands like Brita, Burt’s Bees, and Hidden Valley.

Her next leap brought her to Pinterest as the Global Head of Business Marketing, right in the thick of a major reinvention. “Joining Pinterest felt like being handed the keys to a candy store—if that candy store was filled with DIY projects and endless inspiration,” she recalls. Scaling the Creator Marketing team from one person to a whopping 70 globally, Colleen spearheaded the largest product marketing campaign the platform had ever seen, tackling the complex task of aligning multiple product teams for a unified marketing front. “Negotiating with product teams was like herding cats, if those cats had a sizable Instagram following,” she reflects.

After Pinterest, Colleen jumped into the fintech arena with Creative Juice, where she and her team battled the skepticism of creatives wary of new companies. “We had to establish credibility, like trying to convince your grandma that the latest tech is worth her time,” she notes. Their strategy involved partnering with well-known creators to tell their story, ensuring the message resonated with the audience they aimed to empower.

Fast forward to 2024, and Colleen now finds herself at HoneyBook, the leading client-flow platform for independent professionals like photographers and graphic designers. “After 15 years of building brands and scaling marketing teams, I’m thrilled to apply my experience and passion to empower independent business growth,” she declares, enthusiasm practically radiating from her words. “It’s like giving the little guys the tools they need to throw a party—without burning the place down.”

As she surveys the marketing landscape today, Colleen emphasizes the necessity for CMOs to adopt a full-funnel marketing approach. “Today’s CMOs have to be part analyst, part artist—like a Picasso with a calculator,” she says. “We’re juggling data and creativity like circus performers, but without the clowns.”

But wait—there’s more! Colleen firmly believes in the power of human-to-human marketing. “At the end of the day, if marketing were a dinner party, we’d all want to be the host that keeps the conversations flowing,” she muses. “People are at the core of what we do, and if you’re not connecting with them, you’re just shouting into the void. And trust me, that void doesn’t need another ad about why you should switch toilet paper brands.”

Colleen Stauffer is not just a CMO; she’s a vibrant force in the marketing world, proving that success isn’t just about selling products—it’s about connecting with people and building communities while having a good laugh. With her irreverent humor and a treasure trove of experience, Colleen is ready to tackle whatever challenges the marketing world throws her way, ensuring that HoneyBook continues to thrive in a landscape filled with uncertainty.

In her words, “Marketing today is like a game of chess, only you’re also trying to sell the board to the audience while explaining the rules to the pieces.” With this cheeky perspective, Colleen Stauffer is leading the charge in redefining marketing for the modern age.

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Data, AI, and Pants: Why Jennifer Jackson Says Only 4% Are Truly Dressed for Succes

Jennifer Jackson’s career path reads like the script of a tech-world reboot where the hero doesn’t save the day with algorithms or gadgets but with a deep-seated love of data and a refusal to take marketing at face value. From chemical engineer to marketing exec, Jackson is the ultimate plot twist. She’s one of those people who, after mixing chemicals and formulas, realized, “You know what? The real chemistry here is between me and marketing strategy.” And, let’s be clear, we should all be thankful she made the switch.

Before becoming CMO at Actian, Jennifer spent her time leveling up digital marketing strategies at Teradata, where she basically rewrote the company’s digital playbook. Think of her like the GM who comes in to turn around a floundering sports team: within a few seasons, the branding and customer engagement were winning trophies, and the fans—aka stakeholders—were back in their seats. She’s not just someone who pushes numbers around a spreadsheet; she’s leading the charge on how data can reshape an entire organization’s market strategy.

At Actian, she’s turned the place upside down in the best way possible. In her first act, she expanded the marketing team by 5x. Yeah, five times. That’s like walking into a one-bedroom apartment and turning it into a mansion with nothing but grit, some top-tier hires, and a data-driven vision. Actian’s marketing under her leadership became the kind of well-oiled machine that Silicon Valley dreams of. She’s focused on storytelling—but not the cheap kind. No, she’s all about compelling content that resonates, engages, and converts. It’s the stuff that doesn’t just grab attention but holds onto it like it’s a lifeline in a sea of SaaS competitors.

What makes Jackson different from every other marketing leader trying to ride the AI hype wave? For starters, she’s not just spouting AI buzzwords; she’s making sure her team is data-ready for AI. That’s the difference between Jennifer Jackson and the rest of the AI enthusiasts who dive headfirst into generative AI without thinking twice about whether their data even knows how to swim. She knows that without proper data quality and prep, your AI initiatives are doomed before they even leave the dock. Jackson isn’t one for hype. She’s for reality checks, delivering brutal truths to companies about their lack of data preparedness while handing out practical solutions. It’s a “tough love” approach, but it’s exactly what businesses need to hear if they don’t want their AI projects to end up like a tech industry cautionary tale.

She’s got a checklist for that, too—a GenAI Data Readiness Checklist. This isn’t some flowery list of things you “could” do; it’s a get-your-act-together guide to ensure companies don’t blow up their AI projects by overlooking basic stuff like data quality, integration, and management. According to Jackson, 87% of people agree that data readiness is essential, but only 4% are actually prepared. It’s like saying 87% of people agree that wearing pants is important, but only 4% actually put them on in the morning.

Beyond the practicalities, Jackson has a keen eye on the broader marketing world. She’s not interested in throwing around half-baked strategies or copycat ideas. In the SaaS space, where everyone thinks they’re revolutionizing something, Jackson doesn’t believe in easy wins. She’s built marketing teams that dive deep into messaging, data analysis, and operations—crafting an approach that’s both sophisticated and nimble enough to adjust on the fly. If B2B marketing seems a little like herding cats, Jackson’s out there with an army of catnip, getting things done.

And let’s not gloss over the fact that she knows how to harness the power of AI without letting it become the be-all and end-all. AI in Jackson’s world is like a very useful intern—good for research, content ideation, and the occasional coffee run, but it doesn’t replace the real brainpower that comes from human marketers. She’s been experimenting with AI as a productivity booster, whether for generating campaign ideas or handling routine content adaptation. But make no mistake: for Jennifer Jackson, humans and their creativity remain at the core. She sees AI as a tool, not a replacement—helpful for jumping off the starting blocks but not for crossing the finish line.

What does the future look like with Jackson at the helm of Actian’s marketing ship? Buckle up, because it’s going to be a wild ride of leveraging advanced data analytics, diving deeper into generative AI (but responsibly), and pushing the boundaries of what content can achieve in the B2B space. She’s got a no-nonsense approach to staying ahead in a landscape crowded with martech vendors. If your tech stack can’t scale, if your content doesn’t pop, if your data is a mess—well, you’re not going to cut it. Jackson has seen the top of the mountain, and she’s bringing Actian right to the summit with her.

Her formula for success is deceptively simple: data-driven strategies, a strong team, and authentic storytelling. But if it sounds easy, it’s because she’s one of those rare people who makes everything look effortless. Behind the scenes, though, it’s all meticulous planning, strategy, and—yes—data. Because as Jackson would tell you, “the data never lies.”

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The CMO Who Doesn’t Play by the Rules: Chris Koehler’s Mission to Break Down Silos

Chris Koehler, Twilio’s Chief Marketing Officer, isn’t just another marketer who throws around buzzwords like “disruption” and “innovation” while making it sound like he’s reading from a teleprompter at a TED Talk. No, this guy’s the real deal—think of him as the marketing world’s Swiss Army knife. Koehler’s resume reads like a “choose your own adventure” novel: customer success, product management, marketing analytics, even some consulting thrown in for flavor. It’s this general manager mindset, rather than the narrow “I’m a marketing guy” mentality, that sets him apart.

He didn’t just wake up one day and say, “Let’s sell some APIs.” Instead, he’s spent 25+ years leading everything from demand generation at Adobe to marketing at Box, and now Twilio. He’s the type of guy who looks at marketing and asks, “How does this grow the entire business?”—not just, “Can I get more people to click on this banner ad?” His non-traditional path is a masterclass in thinking holistically. And honestly, if more CMOs thought this way, they wouldn’t need to jump ship every two years when their campaigns fail to produce.

Why Twilio? Why Now?

So, what’s the draw of Twilio for Koehler? Let’s just say the man’s been fangirling over their Segment CDP (Customer Data Platform) for years. When the chance came to hop on board, it was like destiny. Plus, Twilio isn’t your average Silicon Valley startup throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. The company’s deep dive into AI and customer engagement has them poised to become the next big thing, and Koehler is steering that ship with the confidence of a guy who’s played this game before.

“I’m a longtime Segment customer,” Koehler admits, making it clear that this wasn’t a job; it was a calling. Twilio, with its insane focus on customer engagement through CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service), is exactly the type of company a CMO like Koehler wants to lead. The tools are already there, and now he’s ready to unleash AI and martech like a kid who’s just unwrapped the ultimate Lego set on Hanukkah.

What’s Broken in B2B Marketing? Buckle Up

Ask Koehler what’s wrong with B2B marketing today, and he’ll let loose. The silos are killing us. Everyone’s running their own little fiefdom: sales, customer experience, marketing. And surprise! None of these departments talk to each other. The result? A disjointed customer experience that leaves people more confused than a Kanye tweet storm.

Koehler’s mission at Twilio is to break down these silos like a wrecking ball. He’s putting CX, marketing, and sales on the same page, sharing data and insights to create a seamless customer journey from first touch to final transaction. If you’ve got killer marketing but your customer experience feels like a trip to the DMV, guess what? You’ve failed. Koehler’s out here telling us that the future of business isn’t about killer campaigns—it’s about killer experiences. And frankly, he’s not wrong.

Koehler’s Three Marketing Pillars: A Crash Course

Koehler’s marketing philosophy? It’s deceptively simple but powerful, like the first time you saw a “skip ad” button on YouTube. His strategy revolves around three core principles:

  1. Customer-Centric Focus: Koehler’s not interested in spray-and-pray marketing tactics. He puts the customer front and center, making sure every interaction feels relevant and empathetic. It’s not about pushing product features; it’s about solving problems for the customer.
  2. Data-Driven Decisions: Data isn’t just a tool for Koehler—it’s the entire playbook. At Twilio, they’re using data to constantly refine and optimize their campaigns. Koehler’s team doesn’t just set it and forget it; they’re learning from every customer interaction to get better. Imagine if your Fitbit also did your taxes—that’s how data-driven Koehler’s team is.
  3. Agility: Marketing plans are cool, but being able to pivot when the market changes is cooler. Koehler’s team is built to be nimble, adapting to customer behavior in real time. It’s the digital equivalent of always having a “get out of jail free” card in Monopoly.

AI: The Not-So-Secret Sauce

Speaking of data, let’s talk AI. Koehler sees Twilio’s AI-powered tools as the future of customer engagement. Segment’s CDP lets his team pull data from across the customer journey and use predictive AI to anticipate what customers want before they even know it themselves. Add in some generative AI for personalized campaigns, and you’ve got marketing that doesn’t feel like marketing—it feels like magic. And yes, that’s probably the dream every marketing exec has been selling you for a decade, but Koehler’s actually doing it.

For Koehler, AI is the real equalizer. While every company under the sun is trying to crack the code of personalized 1:1 marketing, Twilio is already putting the pieces together. It’s no longer about selling at scale; it’s about personalizing at scale. The future isn’t mass marketing—it’s hyper-targeted, data-driven experiences that feel like they’re made just for you. Creepy? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

What’s Next? (Hint: It’s Not a Return to the ‘Good Old Days’)

The future of marketing, according to Koehler, is a lot less about mass communications and a lot more about individual connections. We’re talking AI, customer data, and 1:1 personalization at scale. It’s the stuff that’s been hyped for years, but now, with Twilio’s tech stack, it’s actually becoming a reality. The tools are there; the data is there. It’s just a matter of executing with precision.

But Koehler’s not just focused on the external. Internally, he’s building a marketing team that reflects the agile, customer-first philosophy he espouses. He’s creating a culture of constant experimentation, where failure isn’t the end—it’s part of the process. In a world where marketing departments are often weighed down by bureaucracy and red tape, Koehler’s fostering a “fail fast, learn faster” approach.

And Did We Mention the Side Hustles?

Let’s not forget Koehler’s extracurriculars. As if leading Twilio’s global marketing wasn’t enough, he’s also a strategic advisor for Cresta, where they’re using AI to turn your average customer service rep into a Jedi-level expert from day one. Oh, and he’s on the board of CareerVillage.org, an organization that helps underrepresented youth access career advice they’d otherwise never get. This guy isn’t just changing how companies talk to customers; he’s also making sure the next generation of workers is better prepared for the challenges ahead.

The Verdict: This Guy Gets It

At the end of the day, Chris Koehler is more than just a CMO—he’s a marketing rebel with a cause. He’s tearing down silos, dragging B2B marketing into the future, and using AI to make customer engagement feel personal again. Whether you’re a fan of his “whole-business” approach or just excited to see Twilio lead the AI charge, one thing’s clear: Koehler is the kind of marketing leader who’s actually worth listening to.

So, grab your popcorn, because Twilio’s about to show the rest of the marketing world how it’s done—under Koehler’s unapologetically forward-thinking leadership.

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The Art of Empowerment: Stacy Bohrer’s Blueprint for a Better Ad Ecosystem

Stacy Bohrer, the VP of Buyer Development at OpenX, is a force of nature in the adtech realm, and if you’re not paying attention, you might just miss the whirlwind that is her career. With more than two decades of experience stretching across the media landscape—radio, print, TV, and digital—Stacy is no stranger to navigating the chaotic waters of advertising. She’s got the wisdom of an industry veteran and the energy of someone just getting started, making her a remarkable leader in the digital advertising space.

The Path to OpenX: A Career Built on Disruption

Before joining OpenX in March 2022, Stacy was busy building a legacy at The Trade Desk and Crisp, where she ascended to the ranks of programmatic buying royalty. At The Trade Desk, she didn’t just help establish the Midwest sales team; she single-handedly turned it into a juggernaut, proving that she could not only talk the talk but also strut the walk while juggling the demands of advertisers like a seasoned circus performer. Imagine a ringmaster in a digital carnival, expertly balancing flaming torches and spinning plates, all while keeping the crowd entertained. Her blend of experience gives her a superhuman ability to decode what clients need, which is crucial in an industry where the only constant is change—and that change can hit harder than a caffeinated intern on a Monday morning.

When she leaped to OpenX, it wasn’t just a career move; it was akin to stepping onto the battlefield armed with a sharpened sword and a vision to redefine what an SSP (Supply Side Platform) can do. In a world where everyone seems to be flinging around buzzwords like “transparency” and “data privacy” as if they were free samples at a supermarket, Stacy is the one ensuring that OpenX actually lives up to those promises. She’s the real deal in a landscape littered with jargon, cutting through the clutter with the precision of a samurai. Her mission? To transform OpenX from just another cog in the adtech machine into a powerhouse that not only promises but delivers.

Stacy’s approach is unapologetically bold and refreshingly straightforward. She doesn’t do fluffy talk or vague assurances; she’s all about results and accountability. When she says OpenX is committed to transparency, she doesn’t just mean it in passing. She means they’re putting their money where their mouth is, creating structures and systems that genuinely reflect their values. It’s like the difference between a fast-food joint that claims to serve “fresh ingredients” and a farm-to-table restaurant that actually shows you the local produce. In a space where integrity is often sacrificed on the altar of profit, Stacy stands firm, crafting a narrative that resonates with both clients and consumers alike.

Stacy is no stranger to the chaotic dance of digital advertising. She thrives in the chaos, using her superhuman insights to anticipate shifts in the market before they happen. In an industry notorious for its volatility, she operates with a level of foresight that many can only dream of. This knack for understanding not just the numbers but the emotional drivers behind them allows her to craft campaigns that aren’t just effective but also impactful. It’s like she has a crystal ball that shows her not just what consumers want but what they will want tomorrow—an enviable skill in a world where trends can change with the flick of a smartphone screen.

Her journey at OpenX is a testament to her unwavering belief that advertising can—and should—be more than just a transaction. It should be a dialogue, a dance, a partnership built on trust and mutual success. She’s here to shatter the old paradigms that have held the industry back, making way for a new era where genuine connection reigns supreme. In her world, advertisers are not just checking boxes; they’re telling stories, creating experiences, and fostering communities. This vision of a more holistic approach to advertising sets OpenX apart and makes Stacy a force to be reckoned with in the ever-evolving adtech landscape.

Curation and Control: The New Ad Game

Stacy Bohrer is on a crusade to make advertising great again—sorry, not sorry, I couldn’t resist. Her mantra? Curation is king. This isn’t just a catchy phrase; it’s a battle cry for her approach to modern marketing. Stacy is passionate about the idea that effective advertising is all about delivering unforgettable experiences to audiences, and she isn’t shy about articulating this vision. For her, curation is the strategic art of assembling and activating advanced audiences while filtering out the fluff that can clutter campaigns. In a world overwhelmed by digital noise, she believes it’s crucial to cut through the chaos and deliver messages that resonate deeply with target consumers. If you’re just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, you’re doing it wrong.

Under Stacy’s guidance, OpenX has transformed into a powerhouse of supply-side curation, revolutionizing the way advertisers connect with their audiences. Gone are the days when marketers could rely on broad-brush strategies and hope for the best. Today’s buyers demand transparency and quality like never before, and Stacy recognizes that delivering on these expectations is non-negotiable. They don’t just want impressions; they want clarity. They want to know exactly what they’re getting for their hard-earned cash, and they deserve nothing less. This has led OpenX to adopt a more refined approach to advertising, where understanding audience intent and preferences takes precedence.

Stacy’s commitment to curation doesn’t merely improve efficiency; it enhances the overall effectiveness of advertising campaigns. By meticulously assembling audience segments, OpenX enables advertisers to target their messaging with laser precision. This shift represents a fundamental change in how ads are bought and sold, moving away from the scattergun approach to a more targeted, strategic framework. The result? Campaigns that not only reach the right people but also engage them in meaningful ways. For marketers who are tired of seeing their messages lost in the noise, OpenX provides a beacon of hope—an opportunity to connect authentically with audiences.

Moreover, Stacy understands that the landscape of digital advertising is constantly evolving, influenced by shifting consumer behaviors and regulatory changes. This reality further underscores the importance of curation in her strategy. As data privacy becomes increasingly paramount, the need for responsible and ethical advertising practices grows stronger. Stacy champions a multi-faceted approach that not only respects consumer privacy but also fosters trust. Advertisers can no longer afford to operate in silos; collaboration and transparency are essential to maintaining strong relationships with consumers.

Stacy’s vision for OpenX is also a call to action for advertisers to rethink their strategies. In her eyes, the industry must embrace curation not just as a tactic but as a guiding principle. By doing so, marketers can create campaigns that truly resonate and drive results. This perspective empowers advertisers to take ownership of their messaging and positions OpenX as a partner in achieving their goals. The emphasis on quality over quantity ensures that resources are invested wisely, leading to higher returns on investment and more impactful connections with audiences.

In this brave new world of advertising, Stacy Bohrer is leading the charge, encouraging marketers to elevate their game through thoughtful curation. Her approach is a refreshing antidote to the overwhelming complexities of the digital landscape, reminding everyone that advertising is ultimately about creating connections. As she continues to pave the way for innovative strategies at OpenX, Stacy is not just transforming the company; she’s setting new standards for the entire industry. With curation at the heart of her philosophy, she’s proving that the future of advertising can be both effective and meaningful.

Embracing Challenges Like a Boss

Stacy Bohrer is acutely aware of the myriad challenges modern marketers face, particularly in an environment marked by rapid change and uncertainty. Data privacy regulations are tightening, and the impending shift to a cookieless world presents significant hurdles for advertisers trying to effectively reach their audiences. With consumers becoming more privacy-conscious and demanding transparency about how their data is used, marketers are scrambling for innovative solutions to navigate these new waters. Stacy emphasizes that “solving these addressability issues requires a multi-layered approach,” which is critical in an era where traditional tracking methods are being dismantled. OpenX has been laying the groundwork for addressing these challenges for nearly a decade, ensuring that it is ahead of the curve in developing tools that empower marketers to succeed without compromising consumer privacy.

This long-term vision is not just about surviving in a cookieless future; it’s about thriving by providing marketers with the necessary insights and resources to craft successful strategies. By investing in technologies that promote data interoperability and adopting robust privacy practices, OpenX is setting itself apart as a leader in the field. Stacy’s emphasis on a multi-layered strategy underscores the need for innovation in data collection and audience engagement methods. This might involve leveraging first-party data, utilizing contextual targeting, and integrating advanced identity solutions that allow marketers to connect with their audiences effectively while adhering to new privacy standards. It’s a complex puzzle, but Stacy is confident that OpenX has the pieces to make it work.

In a world filled with digital chaos, where every click and impression can feel like a gamble, Stacy firmly believes in the power of trusted partnerships. Advertisers need allies who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work alongside them, rather than merely offering services from a distance. She recognizes that the best outcomes arise from collaboration, where both parties are invested in mutual success. This philosophy goes beyond transactional relationships; it’s about creating genuine value and understanding what clients will need both today and tomorrow. By being attuned to the evolving landscape of digital advertising, Stacy ensures that OpenX can not only meet the immediate needs of its clients but also anticipate their future requirements.

Sustainability and Responsible Media: A Personal Mission

Stacy’s vision extends beyond immediate advertising concerns; she’s deeply invested in creating a sustainable digital advertising ecosystem. OpenX’s impressive feat of achieving Net-Zero certification sets a benchmark in the industry. By migrating their technology infrastructure to the cloud and prioritizing remote work, OpenX has successfully reduced its carbon footprint while still driving substantial ad revenue. This commitment to sustainability showcases that profitability and environmental responsibility can coexist.

Moreover, Stacy is passionate about responsible media practices, underscoring the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the adtech space. She has become a vocal advocate for increasing the representation of women, particularly BIPOC women, in leadership roles. As she points out, seeing more women in leadership positions inherently encourages others to envision a pathway for themselves in tech. This representation is crucial in fostering a diverse workforce that drives innovation and success within organizations.

Leadership Philosophy: Empowerment Over Micromanagement

Stacy Bohrer’s leadership style is a refreshing breath of air in an industry often bogged down by the weight of hierarchy and bureaucracy. She firmly believes in the principles of empathy and empowerment, championing a servant leadership model that focuses on prioritizing the needs of her team. In her view, effective leaders don’t just delegate tasks; they actively remove obstacles that could hinder their team’s success. By fostering an environment where employees feel safe and supported, Stacy encourages her team members to express their authentic selves. This openness is not merely a nicety; it’s a strategic choice that enhances creativity and drives performance. When team members know they can take risks and explore innovative ideas without fear of reprimand, the entire organization benefits from a culture of ingenuity.

Stacy’s commitment to servant leadership goes beyond internal team dynamics; it manifests in her dedication to mentorship and community support. She actively participates in various mentorship programs designed to uplift the next generation of women in tech. In an industry where female representation still lags, Stacy recognizes the urgency of fostering diversity and inclusion. Her involvement in these initiatives is not just about checking a box; it’s about creating pathways for women to thrive in tech roles traditionally dominated by men. By sharing her experiences and insights, she aims to inspire and guide young professionals, helping them navigate the complexities of their careers.

What sets Stacy apart is her tangible commitment to supporting these initiatives financially. All proceeds from her mentoring sessions are directed toward organizations dedicated to increasing female representation in technology. This philanthropic approach underscores her belief that mentorship should be both impactful and sustainable. By investing in the next generation, she’s not only giving back to the community but also cultivating a stronger, more diverse workforce for the future. Her actions speak volumes about her values, reflecting a deep-seated belief that empowering others is the key to long-term success.

Ultimately, Stacy Bohrer’s approach to leadership serves as a model for others in the industry. By prioritizing empathy, removing barriers, and investing in mentorship, she not only elevates her team but also contributes to a broader movement toward inclusivity in tech. Her commitment to fostering an environment where everyone can succeed creates a ripple effect that extends beyond OpenX, inspiring other organizations to adopt similar practices. In a landscape that often feels fragmented and competitive, Stacy is a beacon of hope, proving that when leaders invest in their people and communities, the entire industry can thrive.

The Road Ahead: A Bright Future

With her keen insight and expertise, Stacy Bohrer is poised to continue her influential role at OpenX, where she will undoubtedly keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible in digital advertising. As the industry grapples with the complexities of data privacy, sustainability, and the need for authentic partnerships, Stacy’s leadership and vision will be pivotal in shaping a more transparent and responsible advertising landscape.

In a digital advertising world often likened to the Wild West, Stacy Bohrer emerges as a steady hand, guiding her team and clients through the dust and chaos with determination and strategic foresight. Her journey is a testament to the power of leadership rooted in empathy, empowerment, and a fierce commitment to sustainability—a beacon of hope for the future of adtech.

Stacy’s insights and experiences offer invaluable lessons on resilience, creativity, and the importance of lifting others as we climb. As she continues to make her mark, one thing is clear: the future of digital advertising is brighter, more inclusive, and more responsible with leaders like her at the helm.