AdTechGod Pod

AdTechGod is joined by Marissa Ramirez, Chief Commercial Officer at ShopSense AI, to discuss her journey from Amazon to the startup world, how AI is connecting content with commerce, the future of shoppable CTV, and why better ad experiences could help strengthen the open internet. Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠ http://marketecturemedia.com Takeaways: Marissa shares how her decade at Amazon shaped her approach to building and scaling ad tech products. ShopSense AI uses specialty AI to connect inspiration across video, audio, images, and text to commerce opportunities. Better, more relevant ad experiences could help the open internet compete with walled gardens. Shoppable CTV needs to go beyond simply adding QR codes and create more intentional consumer experiences. Specialty AI models could play an increasingly important role in media planning, creative, commerce, and advertising infrastructure. Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the Ad Tech God Pod00:47 Marissa Ramirez’s Journey Into Ad Tech03:07 Building and Scaling Products at Amazon04:04 What Kept Marissa at Amazon for a Decade05:44 Moving From Amazon to ShopSense AI06:00 What ShopSense AI Does07:06 Why Marissa Made the Startup Leap09:25 The Open Internet vs. Walled Gardens10:23 Why Better Ad Experiences Matter13:04 Building a New AI and Commerce Category15:06 What Drives Shoppable Content Engagement16:58 Misconceptions About Shoppable CTV19:37 Moving Beyond the QR Code20:53 ShopSense AI’s Role in the Advertising Ecosystem21:51 The Future of AI and Ad Tech23:19 Closing Thoughts Guests: AdTech God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AdTechGod sits down with Alex Brownstein, CEO and Founder at AHB Advisors, to examine where advertising and ad tech are heading. They discuss The Trade Desk’s organizational evolution, why mid-size agencies could become active acquirers, how AI may reshape the agency model, and why the industry may need to rediscover memorable brand building alongside performance and measurement. Read more from Alex Brownstein by subscribing to his Substack: https://ahbadvisors.substack.com/ Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact http://marketecturemedia.com Takeaways Ad tech companies should evolve through thoughtful expansion rather than abrupt strategic pivots. Mid-size agencies could become more active acquirers as larger holding companies navigate structural complexity. AI will reshape agency work, shifting value from routine execution toward strategy and business outcomes. Agencies may find new value as intermediaries between brands and dominant technology platforms. Advertising needs a better balance between measurable performance and memorable, long-term brand building. Chapters00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod00:18 Meet Alex Brownstein, Strategic Advisor, former 3C Ventures and McKinsey01:22 From investment banking to LiveIntent and ad tech03:18 What finance taught Alex about advertising and business strategy05:17 The Trade Desk, CFO changes and organizational alignment09:02 Why ad tech companies are evolving their core businesses12:04 Why mid-size agencies could become major acquirers16:00 The complexity of large agency organizations17:13 What McKinsey’s operating model can teach agencies18:29 Will AI kill agencies or change how they work?20:56 A new potential role for agencies between brands and platforms22:27 Alex’s prediction for the next three years of advertising23:25 Why memorable brand building could make a comeback25:17 What advertising lost in the influencer era26:05 Have advertisers gone too far toward data and measurement?27:53 Brand recognition and the top of the marketing funnel28:21 Closing thoughts with Alex Brownstein28:38 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AdTechGod sits down with Ravi Viswanathan, Strategic Partnerships Lead at Google, to discuss his journey from software engineering to partnerships, more than a decade at Google, and how AI could reshape advertising. They explore generative creative, new ad-supported business models, consumer value exchange, and Ravi’s approach to building trusted partnerships. Takeaways: A technical background can create credibility and deeper trust in strategic partnerships. AI’s impact extends beyond productivity into creative generation and entirely new advertising experiences. Advertising could increasingly subsidize services such as mobile plans, hardware, and other everyday costs. Successful ad-supported models require a transparent and fair value exchange with consumers. Great partnerships begin by understanding the partner’s problem rather than focusing on what you want to sell. Curiosity, technical fluency, and trust can lead to stronger client relationships and long-term career growth. Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod00:13 Meet Ravi Viswanathan, Strategic Partnerships Lead at Google01:12 Ravi’s Career Journey: Engineering to Strategic Partnerships04:07 Why Technical Knowledge Matters in Partnerships05:05 Why Ravi Has Stayed at Google for 11 Years07:30 The Continuing Evolution of Advertising08:09 How AI Is Changing Careers and Advertising10:02 AI-Powered Pricing, Targeting, and Generative Creative10:40 Will Consumers Accept Fully AI-Generated Advertising?14:22 What’s Next for Advertising?16:10 Advertising Across New Screens and Consumer Touchpoints17:27 The Future of Ad-Supported Business Models20:07 Creating a Fair Value Exchange for Consumers20:45 Misconceptions About Working With Google22:38 Ravi’s Career and Partnership Advice24:23 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Frohlinger, CEO of Big Happy, shares why creative remains advertising's biggest competitive advantage. From building high-impact 3D and CGI campaigns to discussing the future of mobile, digital out-of-home, and AI, Jonathan explains how brands can stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Takeaways Jonathan shares his journey from Starcom and Verve to founding Big Happy. Why creative is still the biggest driver of advertising effectiveness. How CGI and 3D advertising help brands stand out and improve recall. Why emotion is processed before logic and what that means for marketers. The role of mobile and digital out-of-home in modern media strategies. Why creative matters more than targeting once the right audience is reached. How AI should enhance creativity instead of replacing it. Why brands should focus on outcomes instead of simply being "AI-powered." Leadership lessons from growing Big Happy over the past seven years. Advice for marketers looking to build successful careers in advertising and technology. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Jonathan Frohlinger & Big Happy 01:08 Jonathan's journey into advertising and founding Big Happy 03:18 What Big Happy does and its unique value proposition 04:02 Why high-impact creative and CGI capture attention 06:45 The emotional science behind memorable advertising 08:03 Why brands buy on emotion but stay for performance 09:22 Mobile and digital out-of-home as growth channels 10:55 Creative vs. targeting: Which matters more? 12:20 The future of mobile advertising and media investment 15:25 What's next for mobile, DOOH, and ad tech 16:02 AI's impact on creativity and advertising workflows 19:40 AI hype versus real business value 24:20 Scaling Big Happy and building a strong company culture 27:02 Closing thoughts and farewell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices