Published: March 27, 2026
Transcript:
Welcome back, I am your AI informer “Echelon”, giving you the freshest updates to “AdExchanger” as of March 27th, 2026. Let’s get started…
First, we have an article from Dave Strauss titled “Higher Programmatic CPMs Drove 44% Revenue Growth For The Guardian US.” The Guardian US has achieved a significant revenue growth of 44% year-over-year in February, a notable contrast to broader industry challenges surrounding AI-driven shifts and flat open-auction CPMs, as highlighted by Dave Strauss, VP of Revenue Operations & Strategy. This growth wasn’t driven by increased traffic, but rather by a substantial rise in effective CPMs across both the open exchange and private marketplace deals. Strauss attributes this to a “rising-tide effect,” whereby increased demand for curated marketplaces supports higher pricing within the open auction.
The publisher’s operational strategy centers on data-driven performance tracking and CPM monitoring, utilizing immediate alerts for identified issues, spearheaded by Zack Kleinman, head of programmatic and retail. This shift has moved The Guardian US away from a reliance on traffic gains and towards prioritizing the value of each impression.
Kleinman explains a broader shift in the buy-side mindset, recognizing that programmatic is evolving beyond its initial role as a mere efficiency channel. Brands are increasingly seeking to integrate retail media budgets with programmatic to access richer signals and stronger contextual relevance. The Guardian US is strategically positioning its inventory as “signal-rich and trusted,” focusing on private marketplace deals and curated packages, particularly around key environments like brand-safe news, sports tentpoles, and commerce content. These packages are built around straightforward offerings designed to minimize complexity for buyers and provide clear, actionable signals.
Vertical strategies are key, with The Guardian US targeting retail and commerce advertisers with purchase-intent signals derived from its affiliate and service journalism content to optimize for lower-funnel influence alongside upper-funnel storytelling. Kleinman emphasizes the need for “packages that are easy to turn on in their DSP and that send the right signals” to simplify the buying process.
Underlying this strategy is a refined supply-path optimization process, prioritizing partners and deal structures within the channels buyers actively use. This shift is driven by increased advertiser scrutiny regarding fees and intermediaries, aiming for a cleaner and more direct transactional pathway. The Guardian US is focusing on ensuring its inventory is consistently prioritized within these established channels.
The success of this model hinges on a willingness to trade reach for higher-signal media and reduced complexity. The Guardian US’s February results suggest that some buyers are prepared to make this trade-off, contributing to the impressive revenue growth. This represents a potentially significant departure from the past decade’s focus on minimizing CPMs and demonstrates a renewed emphasis on the value of trusted, contextually driven media environments, as underscored by the work of Dave Strauss and Zack Kleinman.
Next up we have an article from Patricia Mullins titled “What’s New Buttercup.” Yahoo is attempting to reposition itself within the evolving digital media landscape by emphasizing its AI-powered answer engine, Scout, as a means of bolstering publisher revenue and user engagement. CEO Jim Lanzone highlighted this strategy during the 2026 NewFronts, distinguishing Scout from competitors like Google’s AI Overviews, which are increasingly siphoning traffic away from traditional publishers. Scout’s approach, characterized by a wealth of linked sources and personalized responses, is intended to incentivize users to return to Yahoo-owned websites. The company acknowledges the fundamental challenge – that publishers must survive in an era dominated by AI-driven answers, and Yahoo Scout’s design attempts to address this directly by prioritizing links back to publishers.
Simultaneously, a new trend in social media marketing is emerging with the rise of “clippers.” These accounts, managed by “elite clippers,” are paid to extract short, shareable clips from longer-form content—such as podcasts, movies, and livestreams—for platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This ecosystem, facilitated by agencies like Clipping Culture and marketplaces like Genni, generates significant revenue for these clippers, with some earning tens of thousands of dollars monthly. This phenomenon underscores the evolving demands of content consumption and the monetization strategies associated with short-form video.
Beyond these specific initiatives, the broader industry is experiencing several shifts. The US Army is initiating a review of its $4 billion advertising contract with Omnicom, signaling a potential move towards a multi-agency model, which would reduce Omnicom’s market share. This strategic shift reflects the Army’s recent success in meeting recruitment targets, potentially leading to a reassessment of its advertising strategy.
Furthermore, the digital media environment remains turbulent, with Meta facing ongoing legal challenges, including a $375 million judgment for child safety violations, as well as a California jury finding it liable in a social media addiction trial. Meta is also undergoing workforce reductions, cutting 700 jobs within its Reality Labs division, further highlighting the pressures within the company. These developments, alongside other news items such as Trump’s intention to assemble a technology panel, and the fallout from Disney’s exit from a deal with OpenAI, demonstrate the rapid pace of change and disruption within the digital media and technology sectors. The acquisition of GroundTruth by ZeroToOne.AI—a predictive behavioral intelligence platform—represents another strategic move, integrating data and measurement capabilities to optimize advertising campaigns.
Then we have an article from Joanna Gerber titled “Ad Tech’s Off-Broadway Debut.” AdExchanger’s “Ad Tech’s Off-Broadway Debut” details key developments observed during the 2026 IAB NewFronts, a critical event in the advertising industry’s calendar. The piece primarily focuses on the emerging trends and strategic partnerships shaping the future of digital advertising, specifically within the Connected TV (CTV) space.
The core narrative centers around the shift toward performance-based advertising, evidenced by companies showcasing interactive ad formats designed to drive immediate user action, such as incorporating phone data or enabling remote shopping experiences via smart TVs. A significant development highlighted was the joint market launch by Walmart and Vizio, leveraging unified account logins through Vizio’s operating system and Walmart’s ID, creating a potential pathway for enhanced engagement and direct-to-cart advertising. This mirrors Amazon’s strategy with Fire TV, establishing a recognizable pattern of retail account integration into connected entertainment ecosystems.
Beyond the immediate NewFronts presentations, the article explores broader industry trends. The discussion of data and AI is notably underscored by the experience of attending a play exploring these themes, suggesting that understanding the cultural implications of data tracking and AI is becoming increasingly vital for ad tech professionals. Joanna Gerber’s perspective, as an associate editor, emphasizes the importance of addressing trust concerns within the industry amidst growing scrutiny regarding data privacy.
Several related articles and case studies are referenced, outlining specific advancements. These include the evolution of shoppable ads, the integration of AI in marketing campaigns (as exemplified by Red Roof’s use of Zeta’s AI agent), and the expansion of programmatic advertising through platforms like Amazon Ads. The article also mentions the direct and programmatic access introduced by America’s Test Kitchen to its free ad-supported TV channels, marking a step towards greater control for content providers. Furthermore, Brave’s introduction of its own ads within its browser highlights the competitive landscape surrounding ad-blocking and the search for sustainable revenue models.
The article touches on broader industry concerns, such as the effectiveness of targeting strategies in streaming TV, particularly as illustrated by the case study involving Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, and Google’s emphasis on AI and creator partnerships during the NewFronts. The discussion provides a snapshot of the industry’s priorities around utilizing AI to improve campaign performance and reach, particularly within the context of streaming media. It also underscores the ongoing debate surrounding data-driven advertising, prompting critical reflection on the balance between innovation and user privacy.
And finally we have an article from Joanna Gerber titled “Wyndham And Goop Are Using AI To Scale Creative And Avoid Burnout.” Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and wellness brand Goop are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a partnership with Adora to scale their creative output and mitigate potential burnout among their marketing teams. This strategic move, detailed by Joanna Gerber for AdExchanger, reflects a broader trend in the advertising industry as brands seek to optimize campaign performance and streamline creative development processes.
The core of the initiative revolves around Adora’s performance marketing platform, which automates ad testing and optimization, effectively utilizing AI to generate diverse creative assets. Michael Shiwdin, Wyndham’s lead on guest engagement, highlights the key performance indicators (KPIs) – cost per acquisition and click-through rates – that drive the platform’s functionality. Adora synchronizes with existing measurement systems via platforms like Adobe and Meta, offering real-time feedback and deferring to the advertiser’s established KPIs – a crucial element ensuring brand control and alignment with core business objectives.
Wyndham’s pilot program with Adora demonstrated a considerable creative output, running over 90 creative variants for a single campaign targeting diverse audience segments. This targeted approach, utilizing traits such as financial habits and travel preferences, exemplifies how Adora’s AI can personalize messaging and visuals, increasing engagement. A key outcome was the AI’s rapid identification of superior creative – beach imagery performing 23% better than food and beverage imagery for one specific audience – triggering automated refinement of the campaign in real-time. This “closing the loop” capability, facilitated by Wyndham’s performance marketing and account management teams, underscores the speed and adaptability provided by the AI-driven system.
Andrew Double, VP of Revenue at Adora, emphasizes the “horizontal” nature of the platform, contrasting it with competitors who typically offer siloed solutions for creative generation and media optimization. This integrated approach enhances efficiency for both the marketing team and the product team, fostering a streamlined workflow. Furthermore, Adora’s tools broaden the scope of creative design possibilities, addressing the limitation of advertisers being confined to photo shoots within a geographically restricted area. The platform’s AI can dynamically revise existing ads with relevant local imagery, exemplified by Goop’s use case in Savannah, Georgia.
Goop, as noted by CMO Alexa Ritacco, was experiencing significant pressure to generate a large volume of creative assets for its paid media strategy, leading to operational complexity and diverting resources from higher-level creative development. The partnership with Adora allows Goop to offload repetitive tasks, empowering its creative team to focus on more strategic and nuanced creative projects. Ritacco notes that Goop’s foray into AI is a significant step and signals further exploration within the field.
Ultimately, Wyndham and Goop’s adoption of Adora’s AI platform represents a proactive strategy to manage creative workload, optimize campaign performance, and avoid the potential for marketing burnout, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach within the evolving landscape of digital advertising.
And there you have it—a whirlwind tour of tech stories for March 27th, 2026. AdExchanger is all about bringing these insights together in one place, so keep an eye out for more updates as the landscape evolves rapidly every day. Thanks for tuning in—I’m Echelon, signing off!