Teach the Machine: The CMO’s AI Challenge
If you feel like your brand is in an AI adoption doom-loop where nothing is meaningfully taking hold, reframe the challenge. You do not have a technology problem, you just lack brand knowledge architecture.
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Fibonacci Velocity Framework: A guide for ad tech sales
None of the most famous SaaS sales frameworks hit the mark when it comes to ad tech sales. I've been trained on dozens of them. They each have some great ideas, but nothing that pulls it all together. Until now. The FvF Framework is a mashup of the best sales frameworks for ad tech sellers.
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2026: The Trillion-Dollar Algorithmic Era
Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about "focus" for 2026. What do I want to focus ADLINGO on next year? What deserves more attention and coverage, and what deserves less? What tech deserves immediate attention, and what can we afford to set aside for now?
Programmatic
10 posts
But the ads served, right?
Brands have a massive gap in understanding what their technology vendors are actually solving on their behalf and what the definition of "paid for" actually means.
ANA: Transparency Report (Again)
The ANA is (still) presenting its "Programatic Transparency" study from last year. Perhaps that is because not enough brands have taken action on the results?
Is Hershey's a sellout? They sure hope so.
As the Miami sun began its shift from pleasant to borderline oppressive, it was time to discuss chocolate.
Google Monopoly for the CMO
When asked what today's ruling against Google means for advertisers, here is what I say. (Without making a prediction about a breakup.)
Monetizing AI Overviews
Ads in Google's AI Overviews are already natively integrated for immediate shoppability. What does this mean for advertisers, publishers, and the future of the ad supported Internet?
CTV
9 posts
⏸️ Pause Ads
I'm back from CES, where (and I can't believe I'm saying this) pause ads were having a moment. I did not have this one on my bingo card. Yes, those ads that pop up when you hit pause on your TV.
Get Better CTV Quality in 2025
I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I do want you to look me in the eye and promise that you will press for better CTV quality in 2025. Oh...you thought it all ran on a TV in a living room? Have a seat. We need to talk.
Google AdX: Video disruption looming?
In just a few days, Google's AdX will finally adopt the OpenRTB 2.6 standards. It could upend the biddable video marketplace. Or, the silence of the change could be deafening. Either outcome is worth your attention.
Measurement
7 posts
"Moveable Middles" and the CMO + CFO Relationship
Major Unlock: Marketers go out of their way to ensure that their finance teams understand the value advertising drives in the business. These two panels at POSSIBLE attempt to bring those worlds together through new ways of driving and measuring success.
It's a Trap: Guaranteed Performance
I'm not saying it is a trap. But it is a trap.
Waste
5 posts
But the ads served, right?
Brands have a massive gap in understanding what their technology vendors are actually solving on their behalf and what the definition of "paid for" actually means.
Alert: Systemic Brand Safety Failure
The publishers, tech vendors, and programmatic platforms allegedly failed to prevent the monetization of racist and objectionable content.
Digital Plague Draining Ad Budgets
Made-for-advertising sites are draining your digital ad budgets without you knowing. Today, we discuss how they pull it off. Plus the source code for a script to screenshot ads on any site you want.
Events
22 posts
Gary and the NFL say you're doing it wrong
Miami: Gary Vaynerchuk torched the industry's overreliance on paid social and NFL CMO Tim Ellis revealed how they transformed from last place in brand perception to first.
POSSIBLE Myths
In a breakout session at POSSIBLE 2025 in Miami Beach yesterday, eMarketer's CEO Matthias Braun, and a panel of his analysts challenged three pervasive myths in our industry.
Opportunity: 70% Hate Trip Planning
Tourism marketing's biggest opportunity isn't another "deal" or offer. It's solving the trip planning problem that frustrates 70% of travelers. Smart destinations are using AI to create hyper-personalized itineraries, predict traveler needs, and solve problems customers don't know they have yet.
Latest
Teach the Machine: The CMO’s AI Challenge
If you feel like your brand is in an AI adoption doom-loop where nothing is meaningfully taking hold, reframe the challenge. You do not have a technology problem, you just lack brand knowledge architecture.
Featured
paid
Fibonacci Velocity Framework: A guide for ad tech sales
None of the most famous SaaS sales frameworks hit the mark when it comes to ad tech sales. I've been trained on dozens of them. They each have some great ideas, but nothing that pulls it all together. Until now. The FvF Framework is a mashup of the best sales frameworks for ad tech sellers.
Featured
members
2026: The Trillion-Dollar Algorithmic Era
Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about "focus" for 2026. What do I want to focus ADLINGO on next year? What deserves more attention and coverage, and what deserves less? What tech deserves immediate attention, and what can we afford to set aside for now?
Why the most profitable agency of 2026 will fit in a coffee shop
Clearly, the advertising agencies are consolidating. Hard. Every couple of weeks we see new headlinges about workforce optimization and efficiencies. The "Rule of Three" is what's next.
members
AI on Stage, Humans in the Lobby: The 2026 Conference Opportunity
I've spent the last few days engaged in my own career search, but I also took the time to see if any of the Q1 conferences have something to help this crowd. Specifically, I looked at CES, IAB ALM, Marketecture Live, and POSSIBLE. Here's what I found.
The Great Rebalancing: A Job Seeker's Guide
15,000+ agency jobs are gone. The legacy publishers are hemorrhaging. Yet the demand for marketing hasn't dropped. It just moved. So, where to point your career?
members
ARTF + AdCP: What advertisers need to know
The ad tech world loves a standards war, and for those of us in the tech trenches, the last thing we need is another one. Two AI ads standards were publicly released within a few weeks of each other, but there’s one that should matter slightly more to advertisers.
News
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Public media dies in 6 weeks
Every one of us in commercial media has benefited from PBS and NPR. If we let them die on our watch, we're complicit in destroying the best of what American media can be.
members
Undergrads: Traditional agency career paths are a financial dead end, and what to do instead
Agencies spent $1B on AI, fired 15,000 people, and entry-level workers spend 70% of income on rent. Smart marketing students are skipping agencies for brands: 30% higher pay, better hours, and jobs that won't vanish before your loans are paid.
The days of browsing without AI mediation are over
Does Perplexity's Comet browser signal the future of AI-powered advertising? While scale is limited today, the conceptual disruption is massive. Plus, Apple's rumored acquisition interest makes it worth watching.