In 1981, Jim Mudd Sr. started what would become one of automotive marketing’s most recognizable agencies in a basement. More than four decades later, that origin story is being revisited—not as nostalgia, but as a blueprint for navigating an industry now shaped by AI, automation, and relentless digital change.
EDO, the TV outcomes company, has unveiled EDO Always‑On, a new cross‑platform measurement tool designed to deliver automated performance data directly into media partners’ proprietary data platforms. The enhanced capability expands EDO’s long‑standing measurement of TV and convergent campaigns, enabling always‑on outcomes reporting for all brands and categories across all premium video.
Agentic AI has quickly become one of the most overused terms in advertising technology. Every platform now claims to offer “agents,” “autonomous buying,” or “AI-driven orchestration.” Much of that is marketing. But beneath the noise, a real shift is underway. Programmatic advertising is moving—from AI as a co-pilot to AI as an operator. Not universally. Not all at once. And…
Austin, Texas, has long been a barometer for tech trends—think music festivals that double as launchpads for the latest apps and a civic tech scene that rivals Silicon Valley’s. Its public‑transport operator, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro), now finds itself at the intersection of mobility and marketing technology.
For publishers buried under RFPs, spreadsheets, and back-and-forth emails, ad planning has long been one of digital advertising’s most stubborn bottlenecks. Optable now thinks it has a fix—and it doesn’t involve handing the process over to a black-box algorithm.
KNOREX Ltd. is using its first full year as a public company to reset expectations—and refocus on growth. The AI-driven adtech firm (NYSE American: KNRX) has shared a year-end business update that points to accelerating commercial momentum, highlighted by one of the strongest quarters of advertising spend ever transacted through its flagship XPO platform.
TripleLift, the leading creative supply-side platform (SSP), is closing 2025 on a high note, highlighted by international expansion, product innovation, and growing partnerships across CTV, retail media, and programmatic addressability. Under CEO Dave Helmreich, appointed earlier this year, the company focused on scaling creative technology, enhancing supply, and expanding its global footprint.
Equativ, the independent media platform, has rolled out its Media Planning Agent, an AI co-planner embedded directly into the Maestro by Equativ platform. Designed to transform media briefs into actionable strategies, the agent promises faster planning, precision execution, and measurable campaign improvements—all while keeping buyers fully in control.
The programmatic advertising world has spent the past decade chasing automation. What it hasn’t enjoyed nearly enough of is accountability. With an estimated $26.8 billion in ad spend wasted each year due to opaque supply chains, hidden fees, and sub-par inventory, the industry keeps circling the same problem: automation without transparency breeds inefficiency.
Freestar, the leading monetization partner for large digital media publishers and e-commerce sites, today announced a strategic collaboration with The Associated Press (AP), an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting, designed to optimize the AP’s programmatic performance and expand access to premium global advertisers. The collaboration helps create new revenue streams for AP while supporting quality journalism through its innovative advertising technology.
