AdExchanger Talks #500: I’ve Tried Everything But AdTech Therapy
Recorded: Sept. 8, 2026, 7:08 p.m.
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AdExchanger Talks #500: I’ve Tried Everything But AdTech Therapy
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PODCAST: AdExchanger Talks Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 – 2:13 pm
Speaking of AI, there’s no bigger threat to publishers’ bottom lines than AI chatbots gobbling up engagement and keeping users from clicking through to websites. Add on the raft of monetization challenges media owners faced even before the AI era, and publishers are desperate for advice on how to keep their heads above water. Publishers are finding ways to turn AI to their advantage. They’re integrating chatbots into their properties to boost engagement. They’re using AI agents to find in-demand audiences that are currently underserved by their content. And they’re building new email-based businesses and getting more active on touch points that haven’t been taken over by the chatbots – yet. For more articles featuring Jana Meron, click here. Tagged in: AdTech Therapy // // // // //
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Traffic-starved digital publishers are grappling with significant challenges in securing ad revenue, leading some to seek intensive remedies, including therapy. This difficulty is highlighted by the joint venture launched by sell-side experts and independent consultants Jana Meron and Scott Messer, who discuss the major concerns keeping media owners awake at night. A central topic addressed is the implication of Judge Leonie Brinkema’s decision concerning Google Ad Manager, specifically examining why Google might be deprioritizing its ad tech business in favor of advancements like artificial intelligence. Beyond structural issues, the proliferation of artificial intelligence presents an immense threat to publishers' bottom lines by absorbing user engagement and impeding click-through rates to websites. When layered with existing monetization difficulties, publishers are desperate for strategic advice on how to stabilize their financial footing. However, Messer notes that despite the prevailing sense of doom within the publisher community, there are also tangible positive opportunities emerging from this landscape. Meron and Messer identify several avenues through which publishers can harness or adapt to the current environment. One approach involves strategically integrating chatbots into media properties to enhance user engagement. Furthermore, publishers are exploring the use of AI agents to discover high-demand audiences that remain underserved by their existing content. There is also an opportunity to develop new email-based businesses and expand activity on communication touchpoints that are not yet controlled by generative AI tools. In addition to leveraging AI for content and audience strategy, the market development of new media quality measurement tools is proving beneficial, allowing publishers a deeper understanding of advertiser demands from the buy side. Moreover, there remains potential to capitalize on the programmatic deal curation trend by enabling publishers to lead curation efforts themselves, rather than passively relying on middlemen to select audiences. Messer suggests that publishers should resist simply handing over control and instead initiate processes to pull control back from the auction mechanisms. The discussion also touched upon the intricacies of Google’s recent changes regarding impression counting and how the broader ad tech industry can learn from the experiences of Meron and Messer in navigating complex, evolving platforms. |