Data-Driven Thinking Archives

AdCP And The Math Of Agentic AI: Building For Today’s Economics, Not Tomorrow’s Dreams

While the promise of agentic AI in advertising is intoxicating, autonomous systems optimizing campaigns and making real-time adjustments still face a sobering reality: The economics don’t work for everything – yet. Let’s look beyond the generalized AI hype to a more actionable and immediate trend: using Model Context Protocol (MCP) and its advertising-focused cousin, Ad […]

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Data-Driven Thinking

Personalization Isn’t Everything: The Case For Marketing That Brings People Together

Marketers today are tasked with delivering hyper-personalized messaging at scale. Luckily for them, AI has made it possible to reach individuals with uncanny precision (as we all know: right message, right time, right channel). But as the pendulum swings hard toward 1:1 personalization, a critical question emerges: Just because we can personalize every interaction, does […]

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Data-Driven Thinking

Search Without Clicks: Rethinking Brand SEO In An AI-Fragmented Journey

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re not getting your clicks back. Today, your customers can discover, decide and often convert without visiting your website. Google, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Amazon, Reddit and even voice assistants can frequently meet searchers’ needs, leaving all your hard work and effort for naught. But “zero-click” […]

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Shopper/Retail

Bissell Shares Four Quick Customer Experience Conversion Wins

Cleaning products manufacturer Bissell tests copy and website organization to boost sales.

Data-Driven Thinking

AI Disclosure Requirements: Navigating State Laws And Platform Rules

As AI quickly advances and legislators struggle to keep up, it can feel like the Wild West when choosing whether and how to disclose the use of AI in advertising and other communications. However, even though the number and scope of formal mandates under existing U.S. law that require advertisers to disclose the use of […]

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Data-Driven Thinking

How To Keep Agencies Honest On Principal Media Deals And Avoid Unaccountable Arbitrage

If this industry has taught us anything, it’s that history repeats itself. We’re great at rebranding yesterday’s practices as tomorrow’s innovations. So when principal-based buying started being pitched as the next big thing, I couldn’t help but think: Haven’t we been here before? The old game in a new wrapper Principal-based buying is when agencies, […]

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Data-Driven Thinking

The High Cost Of Bad Measurement: Why Randomized Geo Experiments Are The Gold Standard

The number-one job of a marketer is to invest budget wisely to drive sales. That inherently requires accurately measuring the performance of that spending. Yet most advertisers still rely on flawed measurement methods that systematically overstate performance and misallocate resources. The measurement crisis Even the smallest Fortune 500 companies generate roughly $10 billion in revenue, […]

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Data-Driven Thinking

Beyond The Hype: How Agentic AI Can Finally Unite Marketing’s Creative And Scientific Sides

The two dominant emotions surrounding AI in marketing today are hype and anxiety. But we’re entering a new era – one built not only on automation but also on orchestration and intelligence. Agentic AI doesn’t just streamline; it connects and accelerates. And that’s exactly what marketing has been missing. Still fighting for a seat at […]

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Data-Driven Thinking

To Build Or Not To Build: 5 Agency Tips For Strategic Tech Investment

Conventional wisdom often suggests performance agencies should stick to what they know best: client service and execution, using existing marketing tools. It’s a compelling argument that promises simplicity, focus and lower CapEx. But this thinking ignores a fundamental reality facing today’s agencies: The market isn’t just oversaturated with options; it’s increasingly commoditized. Every agency has […]

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Data-Driven Thinking

SSPs Are Facing Extinction – And Only Bold Differentiation Can Save Them

The Trade Desk recently classified SSPs as resellers and doubled down on a strategy that has been in place for years: establishing direct connections to supply sources. The stated goal is to deduplicate bid requests in pursuit of perfect supply-path optimization, all under TTD’s roof. This strategy shines a spotlight on SSPs, which are now […]

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