Retail Wags The Dog; Data Brokers Vs. The Military

Recorded: May 29, 2026, 5 a.m.

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Retail Wags The Dog; Data Brokers Vs. The Military | AdExchanger

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Home Marketers Retail Wags The Dog; Data Brokers Vs. The Military

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Retail Wags The Dog; Data Brokers Vs. The Military By AdExchanger

Friday, May 29th, 2026 – 12:03 am
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After years of running solely on The Trade Desk’s whitelabeled pipes, Walmart Connect is adding a second DSP partner: Yahoo DSP.
The new integration will “[provide] access to Walmart’s first-party data through a Walmart-controlled data enablement solution,” writes Ryan Mayward, GM and SVP of Walmart Connect, in a blog post.
On the supply side, Yahoo is leaning on Magnite as its integration partner. For now, inventory will only be available through VIZIO, the smart TV manufacturer Walmart bought in 2024. More platforms and supply partners are in the works, apparently.
Walmart Connect has also been widening its connections in other ways. Last month, it announced Connect Select, a curated supply package that includes the programmatic usual suspects – FreeWheel, Index Exchange, Magnite and PubMatic – plus a direct deal with Paramount. It’s probably not a coincidence that a Walmart+ membership (its version of Prime) includes an ad-supported subscription to Paramount+.
These shifting alliances aren’t always bad for The Trade Desk. For example, TTD won an integration with Netflix a couple of years after the streaming platform selected Microsoft’s Xandr as its exclusive launch partner for ad serving and ad sales.
But exclusive doesn’t mean forever.
Tracking The Troops
Looks like location data is being used to spy on the military now.
The Department of Defense has received multiple reports of US adversaries targeting and tracking members of the military deployed in the field using commercially available location data, according to a document made public by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) Thursday.
Because of the threat to troops in active battlefields, it’s time to “start treating the ad tech industry as a national security threat,” Wyden tells Reuters.
Using location data to track people for non-advertising purposes has become a cause célèbre for some regulators amid reports of police departments and immigration enforcement agencies buying location data from data brokers in order to aid investigations.
But now that the privacy threat extends to US troops, you can expect regulators to make a lot more noise about it.
And the threat isn’t only limited to the US military. Take this story from March, in which a French officer accidentally revealed the location of the French navy’s flagship aircraft carrier by allowing the Strava fitness app to log his location during his daily runs.
When the same data advertisers use to measure foot traffic can be used to track soldiers, so-called harmless tracking stops looking so harmless.
Conversion Therapy
OpenAI wants to put the “conversion” in “conversation.”
ChatGPT is now offering cost‑per‑action ads to select advertisers, which means these buyers only have to pay when someone completes a specific, predefined action after interacting with an ad, like making a purchase, downloading an app or signing up for a service.
Introducing CPA is a rite of passage for any fledgling ad business. Advertisers love outcomes. And by making this move, OpenAI is also signaling it wants ChatGPT to compete for the same performance dollars that now go to Meta and Google.
One agency exec with clients in the pilot put it like this: “Impressions or cost per click are what we call marketing objectives,” they tell Digiday, “but business objectives are what actually drive business outcomes.”
In other words, marketers would rather pay for results than vanity metrics.
This wasn’t a surprise. In early May, OpenAI’s head of monetization, Asad Awan, teased CPA bidding, noting that it was “in the plan” and “should be done soon.”
OpenAI also launched its tracking pixel a few months ago, rolled out an Ads Manager in beta, intro’d cost-per-click bidding and removed minimum spend commitments.
Hey, if you’re gonna go big on ads, you’ve gotta build for the whole funnel. With $102 billion in projected ad revenue by 2030 and an IPO potentially coming before year‑end, OpenAI has a lot riding on this.
But Wait! There’s More!
Disney is preparing for a world without the Hulu app. [Business Insider]
Companies are making smaller, cheaper versions of their products to appeal to customers who are tired of rising prices. [WSJ]
Ad agency sources dish on what commerce media measurement gets right and what it gets wrong. [The Drum]
CNN files a copyright lawsuit against AI firm Perplexity. [CNN]
YouTube announces new video podcast-specific features for premium users. [YouTube]
You’re Hired!
Knower Tech hires Prebid.org president Mike Racic as managing director. [Digiday]

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Asad Awan

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ChatGPT ads

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connect select

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data brokers

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Data Privacy

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location data

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Mike Racic

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openAI conversions

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openAI CPA

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Ron Wyden

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Ryan Mayward

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Walmart Connect

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The advertising technology landscape is currently undergoing significant shifts concerning data integration, privacy implications, and performance measurement, as illustrated by recent developments in retail, national security concerns, and artificial intelligence. Walmart Connect is expanding its programmatic reach by integrating Yahoo DSP, which will provide access to Walmart's first-party data through a proprietary data enablement solution. On the supply side, Yahoo is utilizing Magnite as an integration partner, with inventory currently being supplied via VIZIO, the smart TV manufacturer acquired by Walmart in 2024, signaling ongoing platform expansion. Furthermore, Walmart Connect is broadening its supply connections through initiatives like Connect Select, which bundles programmatic providers such as FreeWheel, Index Exchange, Magnite, and PubMatic, alongside a direct deal with Paramount, linking advertising to subscriber services like Walmart+ and Paramount+. These shifting alliances reflect a dynamic environment, as demonstrated by past integrations where platforms like The Trade Desk secured advantageous partnerships, indicating that exclusivity is not permanent in this sector.

Concurrently, concerns regarding the misuse of location data for surveillance have escalated, prompting a call to treat the ad tech industry as a national security issue. Reports indicate that US adversaries have used commercially available location data to track military personnel deployed in the field. This situation has drawn regulatory attention because location data is already being exploited by law enforcement and immigration agencies when purchased from data brokers to aid investigations. This issue is exemplified by incidents where general tracking technologies, such as fitness applications, have inadvertently exposed sensitive locations, suggesting that the notion of harmless tracking is diminishing when applied to military contexts.

In the realm of advertising strategy, the focus is shifting toward outcomes rather than traditional vanity metrics. OpenAI is advancing this trend by introducing cost-per-action bidding, which allows advertisers to pay only when a predefined action, such as a purchase or sign-up, is completed after an ad interaction. This shift aligns with the principle that business outcomes, rather than mere impressions or clicks, should drive marketing decisions. This move signals that advertisers are prioritizing tangible results, a philosophy that was previously hinted at by OpenAI’s monetization efforts and the rollout of its Ads Manager, positioning the platform to compete for performance dollars previously dominated by Meta and Google.

Beyond these specific commercial and security concerns, the broader industry is adapting to technological disruption. While the advertising sector grapples with these data and performance changes, other entities are also making strategic adjustments; for instance, Disney is preparing for potential changes related to its streaming services, and companies are implementing cost-saving measures to address rising consumer prices. The interplay between generative AI, such as ChatGPT, and content monetization is also a focal point, as platforms seek to define the value of AI-generated content and manage the complex landscape of media measurement. This entire environment is characterized by rapid evolution, with entities like Microsoft addressing the role of AI bots in content creation, and various players navigating complex contractual and technological frontiers.