I've been neck-deep in marketing transformation for 19 years, teaching large brands how to drive actual outcomes instead of just burning through budgets.
My career started at CBS Radio, where I managed digital publishing for some of the company's most successful local news properties in New York City. For a while, I was living at the absolute top of the mountain in audio news, working at WCBS-AM when it was the most successful radio station in the country. That experience was the most personally rewarding and exciting part of my career, and it's where I learned that the economics of media are both fascinating and brutal.
I'm what you might call a "recovering news publisher," which means I understand both sides of the advertising equation. I've seen how the sausage gets made from the publisher perspective, and I've spent the better part of two decades helping brands navigate the increasingly complex world of digital media buying.
What You Get With ADLINGO
This isn't your typical marketing newsletter filled with buzzword bingo and surface-level takes. ADLINGO is for people who want to understand what's actually happening in digital advertising, not just what the press releases say.
Here's what I promise you:
Real Industry Intelligence: I dig into the stuff that matters. Whether it's CTV quality issues, agency rollups, principal media buying, or the latest antitrust drama, you get analysis from someone who's actually been in the room.
No BS, Just Clarity: I'll call out wasteful practices, questionable vendor claims, and industry myths. If something smells fishy, we're going to talk about it. But I always bring receipts.
Actionable Takeaways: Every piece includes what you should actually do with the information. Framework recommendations, audit suggestions, negotiation tactics. The goal is to make you better at your job, not just more informed.
Insider Perspective, Accessible Language: I explain complex adtech concepts clearly without dumbing them down. You shouldn't need a PhD in programmatic to understand why your campaigns might be serving on 6-inch screens instead of 65-inch TVs.
What I Cover
- Programmatic Advertising: The good, the bad, and the invisible fees
- CTV and Streaming: Beyond the hype, into the actual performance data
- Agency Operations: How the business really works
- Google and Big Tech: Antitrust implications, product changes, and what it means for advertisers
- Media Measurement: What you should actually be tracking and why
- News Media Economics: The $4 billion blindspot most brands are missing
- Industry Consolidation: M&A implications for your media strategy
- Privacy and Data: What's changing and how to prepare
The Voice Behind the Analysis
ADLINGO has a particular point of view. I'm conversational but sharp, opinionated but fair (hopefully). I use industry knowledge to entertain and inform. I believe good media governance is both a noble pursuit and occasionally ridiculous.
I'll reference everything from tech history to pop culture to help explain why pause ads are having a moment or what Amazon's latest move means for your Q4 strategy.
Why This Matters
The digital advertising industry moves fast, but a lot of the "breaking news" is just recycled press releases. What brands really need is someone to help them separate signal from noise, understand what changes actually affect their business, and know which vendors are solving real problems versus creating new ones.
After 19 years of watching brands get sold solutions to problems they didn't know they had, I started ADLINGO to provide the kind of analysis I wish had existed when I was trying to figure this stuff out.
The Bottom Line
If you're responsible for media strategy, agency management, or understanding how your advertising dollars actually work, ADLINGO will make you smarter and more effective. I promise you'll learn something useful in every issue, and you might even be entertained in the process.
The newsletter is free, with supporting memberships available for $6 per year (yes, really). Because good intelligence shouldn't break your budget.
Questions? Thoughts? Want to argue with my analysis? Hit reply on any newsletter or find me on Bluesky.