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by Signal and Noise
Join advertising industry veterans Brett House and Rio Longacre as they share regular updates and analysis on the changing world of data, tech, and AI. You’ll hear real talk from thought leaders across industries about the latest trends having the biggest impact on our jobs… and lives. Signal & Noise means no BS - only straight talk and first-hand insights from leading operators, creators, and founders.
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- Yesterday56 min
The Negotiated Future: Ethan Settel on Newton Research, Agentic Media Buying, and the Reinvention of Media Operations
What happens when AI stops assisting media teams and starts acting on their behalf?In this episode of Signal & Noise, we sit down with Ethan Settel, Head of Sales & Accounts at Newton Research, to explore one of the most important developments in advertising today: the emergence of agentic media buying.While much of the industry remains focused on AI tools that summarize dashboards, generate briefs, or automate reporting, Newton Research is pursuing something far more ambitious. The company is building specialized AI agents that can connect data, execute advanced analytics, build forecasting models, recommend optimizations, and increasingly interact directly with media platforms to support planning, buying, and activation. At the center of our conversation is a provocative thesis: the future of advertising may be negotiated by machines.Rather than relying on human teams to manually interpret reports, adjust budgets, and coordinate across dozens of disconnected systems, agentic platforms like Newton are creating teams of AI specialists that can work together to analyze campaign performance, simulate scenarios, and execute media decisions with unprecedented speed and precision. These agents can communicate with DSPs, publishers, clean rooms, and planning tools, transforming what has historically been a fragmented and labor-intensive process into an increasingly automated operating model. We also discuss Newton’s groundbreaking work with NBCUniversal, FreeWheel, Yahoo, and Locality, where buy-side and sell-side AI agents collaborated to support premium video buying across linear television and streaming. The initiative offers a compelling glimpse into a future where software agents negotiate inventory directly with one another, potentially reshaping the role of DSPs, SSPs, and other intermediaries throughout the advertising ecosystem. Along the way, Ethan explains why measurement and analytics are the foundation of any effective agentic system. Without trusted data, consistent models, and full transparency into how decisions are made, automation simply amplifies errors. Newton addresses this by combining its proprietary marketing science knowledge base with each client’s unique methodologies, creating a repeatable and highly customized intelligence layer that becomes more valuable over time. We also explore some of the biggest questions facing the industry:How AI agents differ from generic tools like OpenAI ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude, and Google GeminiWhy data normalization has historically consumed most of a data scientist’s timeHow agentic systems can democratize advanced analytics for planners and buyersThe role of protocols such as MCP and AdCP in enabling agent-to-agent communicationWhether DSPs and SSPs become strategic platforms or simply “dumb pipes”Where liability and accountability sit when AI begins making media decisionsWhy human oversight remains essential, even as automation acceleratesEthan also shares his perspective on the organizational impact of agentic AI. Rather than replacing media professionals outright, he argues that the technology frees analysts, planners, and buyers from repetitive manual work, allowing them to focus on strategy, experimentation, and innovation. The result is not fewer insights, but potentially unlimited analytics applied to every campaign and every decision. This conversation offers a rare and highly practical look at what applied AI actually looks like inside advertising. It moves beyond hype to examine how real systems are being deployed today to transform measurement, planning, and activation.If Ethan is right, the future of media will not be defined by faster reporting or prettier dashboards. It will be defined by intelligent agents negotiating with one another across the buy-side and sell-side, continuously optimizing outcomes in a market that becomes more automated, transparent, and data-driven than ever before.The negotiated future has already begun.
- 4 days ago1h 25m
The Godfather of MarTech on the Great Convergence: Scott Brinker on Al, First-Party Data, and the Future of MadTech
The MarTech landscape exploded from a few hundred tools to more than 15,000. But according to Scott Brinker, the real story isn’t software sprawl — it’s the collapse of the silos between marketing, advertising, data, AI, and enterprise operations....In this episode, we sit down with the “Godfather of MarTech” to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening in modern business: the convergence of MarTech and AdTech into a new AI-driven operating model for marketing.We explore why the old world of disconnected systems, fragmented customer journeys, and rigid SaaS categories is breaking apart — and what replaces it. From first-party data and composable architecture to agentic AI and context engineering, Scott lays out a vision for a future where marketing systems become less about interfaces and workflows… and more about intelligence, orchestration, and decision-making.We also dig into:Why the SaaS business model is under pressureThe rise of the “hyper-tail” of custom AI-built softwareWhy analytics may be the first MarTech category fully disrupted by AIThe hidden organizational problem behind poor data strategyWhy “context” may become the most important concept in enterprise softwareHow AI is changing the relationship between platforms, APIs, services, and custom developmentWhy brands need to rethink the divide between owned media and paid mediaThe future of composable MarTech stacks and semantic data layersWhy the next generation of marketers will need radically different skillsScott also shares his perspective on:The evolution from suites → ecosystems → composable AI systemsWhy traditional UI-driven software may be headed toward a major transformationThe role of first-party data in connecting customer experience across channelsWhy most organizations still aren’t prepared for the operational realities of AIAnd why the companies that bridge MarTech and AdTech most effectively may have a major competitive advantage in the years aheadThis conversation goes deep into the infrastructure layer of modern marketing — but ultimately it’s about something bigger: how organizations make decisions in an AI-native world.If you care about:AI + marketingComposable architectureCustomer data strategyEnterprise softwareAgentic workflowsThe future of SaaSOr the convergence of MarTech, AdTech, and DataTech……this is a must-listen episode.
- 1 weeks ago1h 9m
The Accuracy Crisis in Advertising: Scott McKinley on Bad Data and the Hidden Tax on CTV
What if nearly half of every dollar spent on Connected TV is being wasted before an ad is ever served to the right person?In this episode of Signal & Noise, Brett House and Rio Longacre sit down with Scott McKinley, one of the advertising industry’s most outspoken voices on data quality and identity. As founder and CEO of Truthset, Scott has spent years exposing a problem that sits at the heart of modern advertising: the vast majority of audience data flowing through digital and CTV ecosystems is far less accurate than marketers assume.Drawing on decades of experience spanning Nielsen, Exelate, and his own entrepreneurial ventures, Scott explains why advertising markets ultimately run on one thing: trust. When buyers and sellers lack confidence in audience quality, the result is friction, inefficiency, and billions of dollars in wasted media spend.The conversation takes a deep dive into Connected TV, where Scott argues that a hidden “accuracy tax” is undermining the promise of precision advertising. Much of today’s CTV targeting relies on probabilistic links between IP addresses and consumer identities—connections that, according to Truthset’s research, are often wrong the majority of the time. The result is a system where advertisers believe they are buying highly targeted audiences, while in reality they are frequently reaching the wrong households altogether. Scott also shares a provocative thesis about the future of media: publishers, broadcasters, and streaming platforms must embrace authentication if they hope to compete with the walled gardens. Companies like Google, Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Netflix command premium advertising economics not simply because they have scale, but because they know exactly who their users are. Without authenticated audiences, much of the open internet risks becoming an increasingly commoditized marketplace of low-quality impressions and collapsing CPMs.Along the way, Scott and the hosts explore:Why trust is the foundational currency of advertising marketsHow bad identity linkages create massive inefficiencies in CTVThe historical role Nielsen played in establishing confidence in television advertisingWhy many marketing measurement systems reward cheap reach over true effectivenessThe economic case for authenticated audiences across the open webHow publishers can dramatically increase yield by prioritizing data quality over scaleWhy CPMs for truly verified audiences are likely to rise significantly in the years aheadThe need for independent standards and governance to restore confidence in digital advertisingThis episode is a powerful reminder that sophisticated algorithms, AI, and attribution systems are only as good as the data beneath them. If the underlying audience signals are wrong, every optimization built on top of them becomes suspect.For marketers, publishers, and technology providers alike, Scott makes the case that the future of advertising belongs to those who can prove that their data is accurate—and earn the trust that makes markets work.
- 2 weeks ago36 min
Signal Break: The Real Take on the LiveRamp Acquisition by Publicis Groupe
The independent infrastructure era may be ending. In this inaugural Signal Break, we unpack one of the most consequential AdTech deals in years: Publicis Groupe acquiring LiveRamp.Joined by Bob Walczak and Krish Raja, we break down what this deal really means for identity, clean rooms, publishers, UID2, systems integrators, and the future of the open internet.Is this the end of “neutral” identity infrastructure?Are HoldCos becoming walled gardens?Does agentic AI accelerate consolidation—or make it obsolete?We get into all of it.This is the first official Signal Break: rapid-response episodes covering the biggest shifts happening across AdTech, AI, media, and infrastructure in real time. Enjoy!
- 2 weeks ago58 min
The End of Marketing’s Age of Opinion: Greg Stuart on Measurement, Attribution, and Making Marketing More Predictable
What if marketing’s biggest problem isn’t a lack of data… but a lack of discipline?In this episode of Signal & Noise, we sit down with Greg Stuart, CEO of the Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA), for a deep, unfiltered conversation on why marketing still struggles to earn trust—and what it will take to fix it.Greg has spent the last several years rebuilding MMA into a global force focused on one core mission: turning marketing from a field driven by opinions, proxies, and vendor narratives into a real profession grounded in science, evidence, and predictable outcomes. This conversation is a hard reset.Because despite more dashboards, more tools, and more AI than ever, most marketing organizations still can’t answer the one question that matters:Is this actually making better decisions—and driving real business impact?The “Age of Opinion” is EndingGreg argues that marketing has operated for decades without a codified body of knowledge—unlike finance, medicine, or engineering. And until that changes, trust from the C-suite (and especially the CFO) will remain fragile.Measurement ≠ Better DecisionsOnly ~30% of marketers trust their KPIs enough to use them for strategyOnly ~29% can trace decisions back to dataJust ~22% describe their analytics capabilities as robust The problem isn’t dashboards. It’s decision-making maturity.The Attribution IllusionFrom last-click to MMM, Greg breaks down why most measurement frameworks still fall short—and why marketing continues to struggle to prove value in financial terms that CFOs actually believe.AI Won’t Save Broken FoundationsAI doesn’t create truth—it reflects patterns. If your assumptions, metrics, and operating model are weak, AI will simply scale those weaknesses faster.Why Marketing Lacks Trust (and How to Fix It)No standardized “science” of marketingOverreliance on vendors and proxiesWeak linkage to financial outcomesA discipline still driven too often by narrative over evidenceMarketing’s credibility problem is structural, not cosmeticMeasurement maturity is organizational—not just technologicalCFO trust is the ultimate test of marketing effectivenessAI is a force multiplier—but only if the fundamentals are soundThe future belongs to teams that move from reporting → experimentation → evidence → predictionThis isn’t another conversation about dashboards, tools, or tactics.It’s about whether marketing can evolve into something more rigorous, more trusted, and more predictable—or whether it continues to operate as a function driven by opinion, intuition, and fragmented incentives.If you’re a CMO, operator, or builder trying to navigate measurement, attribution, and AI… this episode will challenge how you think about all of it.Watch the full episode and join the conversation.#SignalAndNoise #Marketing #AI #Attribution #Measurement #CMO #AdTech #MarTech🔑 What We Cover💡 Key Takeaways🎯 Why This Episode Matters
- 2 weeks ago1h 3m
The Sell-Side Strikes Back: Joe Root on AI, the Outcomes Era, and Rebuilding the Ad Stack from the Publisher Up
For the better part of two decades, the buy-side controlled the game.Data. Decisioning. Optimization. Margin. Publishers? Commoditized. Intermediated. Squeezed.But that era may be ending.In this episode, Joe Root (Co-Founder & CEO, Permutive) returns to Signal & Noise with a sharper—and far more disruptive—thesis: AI is shifting the center of gravity of advertising back to the sell-side.We unpack what happens when:Decisioning moves closer to the dataSignal-rich environments outperform identity graphsAnd publishers stop selling impressions… and start selling outcomesBecause if the most valuable data lives on the sell-side—and AI can act on it in real time—then the entire AdTech stack gets rewritten.The Death of the “Buy-Side-First” InternetJoe breaks down why the traditional model—where DSPs optimize against thin, degraded signals—is fundamentally broken. By the time an impression reaches the bidstream, most of the signal is already gone. The result? Poor targeting, wasted spend, and a race to the bottom.The Rise of Sell-Side IntelligencePermutive’s approach flips the model: decisioning happens at the edge, inside publisher environments, where the richest behavioral and contextual data actually exists. This isn’t just better targeting—it’s a different architecture.From Curation to AI-Driven OutcomesWhat started as curation and probabilistic targeting is evolving into something bigger:→ Real-time prediction→ Continuous optimization→ Outcome-based executionWe explore how AI turns fragmented signals into scalable performance—and why this unlocks a new commercial model for publishers. The “Outcomes Era” ExplainedSelling impressions is easy. Selling outcomes is hard.Joe explains what actually has to change—technically and commercially—for publishers to move from CPMs to measurable business results. Agency Business Model ResetAs AI erodes the billable-hours model, agencies are being forced into a new role:→ Investment managers→ Principal traders→ Outcome ownersWe dig into how this shift is reshaping incentives, margins, and how media gets bought.Agentic Trading & the Future of the MarketIf both buyers and sellers deploy AI agents, what happens next?Do auctions disappear—or get demoted?Does allocation move upstream—before an impression is ever served?And who wins when media becomes negotiated instead of auctioned? This isn’t a conversation about incremental optimization.It’s about who controls the advertising system in an AI-driven world.Because if Joe is right:DSP-centric decisioning gets abstractedSSPs and publishers gain leverageAnd the open web—long written off—may have its strongest comeback yetThe future of advertising won’t be defined by who buys impressions fastest.It will be defined by who controls signal, decisioning, and outcomes closest to the user.And for the first time in a long time… that might be the sell-side.
- 3 weeks ago58 min
Getting Sh*t Done: Tom Amies-Cull on Fixing Broken Agency Operating Models
Most companies don’t fail at strategy. They fail at execution=.In this episode of Signal & Noise, Brett House and Rio Longacre sit down with Tom Amies-Cull—a seasoned operator who has spent two decades inside the most complex, high-pressure agency environments, including senior leadership roles across IPG, Dentsu, and Kinesso.This isn’t a conversation about AdTech plumbing.It’s about something far more fundamental—and far more broken:How organizations actually work.Or more accurately… why they often don’t.Drawing from years inside the machine, Tom unpacks the uncomfortable truth behind transformation in large, matrixed organizations:It’s not a strategy problem. It’s a coordination problem. It’s a leadership problem. It’s an operating model problem.As he puts it: “Transformation usually fails not because companies lack strategy, but because they can’t convert intent into coordinated behavior.”This is a candid, sometimes blunt breakdown of what actually gets in the way of change:Why most “transformations” are just reorgs in disguiseHow internal politics quietly kill executionThe real reason employees aren’t change-resistant—they’re resistant to bad changeWhy strategy decks and org charts are not operating modelsHow unclear decision rights create organizational paralysisThe hidden role of middle management as the “connective tissue” of executionWhy leadership teams say they want accountability—but often avoid it in practiceThere’s a lot of industry noise right now about agencies evolving into platforms, operating systems, and AI-powered machines.Tom brings this conversation back to reality:Most organizations are further away than they think.Not because the vision is wrong—but because the underlying systems (people, incentives, culture, decision-making) aren’t built to support it.The result?Pockets of excellence… held together by heroic effort, not scalable design.Everyone is talking about AI.But Tom reframes it:AI isn’t a technology problem.It’s an operating model and leadership problem.AI can accelerate planning, production, and activation—but it cannot fix:Fragmented P&LsMisaligned incentivesPoor leadership behaviorsBroken decision-making structuresIf those don’t change, AI just makes dysfunction happen faster.We also explore why indie agencies and PE-backed firms may have an edge right now:Less structural debtFaster decision-makingClearer accountabilityStronger focus on value creationWhile legacy holdcos wrestle with complexity, challengers are moving faster—and with purpose.This episode is about closing the gap between:What companies say they are…and what they are actually capable of doing.Because in today’s environment, speed matters.Clarity matters.Execution matters most.Agency transformationOperating models and org designLeadership in complex organizationsAI’s real impact on the industryThe future of holding companies…this is a must-listen.📩 Connect with Tom:Find him on LinkedIn or through his advisory work (linked in show notes)🎧 Follow Signal & Noise:Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations with operators shaping the future of media, advertising, and AI.
- 3 weeks ago1h 19m
When AI Rewrites Work: Jennifer Borchardt on Jobs, Power, and the Human Cost
What happens when AI stops being a tool—and starts redefining what work actually is?In this episode of Signal & Noise, Brett House and Rio Longacre sit down with Jennifer Borchardt—UX leader, systems thinker, and newly minted Signal & Noise Executive Voice contributor—to unpack one of the most urgent questions of our time: What does AI mean for jobs, identity, and society itself?Drawing on decades of experience at firms like Sapient, Slalom, Wells Fargo, and U.S. Bank, Jennifer brings a rare perspective that blends design, behavioral science, and real-world systems thinking. This isn’t a surface-level conversation about productivity gains—it’s a deep dive into the structural shifts already underway.Together, they explore:Why the labor-based economy may be fundamentally incompatible with AGIThe rise of the “hyphenate worker”—and the slow death of specializationHow AI is unbundling work, eliminating entry-level pathways, and reshaping career trajectoriesThe uncomfortable truth about who benefits—and who gets left behindWhy most companies are still wildly unprepared, despite the hypeThe growing tension between innovation, regulation, and power concentrationAnd the deeper question few are asking: If work disappears, what happens to meaning, identity, and purpose?Jennifer also reacts to major industry frameworks, including the OpenAI “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age” and the Stanford University AI Index, highlighting the gap between bold policy visions and real-world human impact.This episode is equal parts optimistic and unsettling. Because while AI promises unprecedented productivity and wealth creation, it also forces us to confront a harder reality:Work isn’t just income. It’s identity. And we’re about to rewrite both.🎙️ About Jennifer BorchardtJennifer is a UX and digital transformation leader who has spent her career at the intersection of design, technology, and human behavior. She recently joined Signal & Noise as an Executive Voice contributor, where she explores the societal implications of AI and the future of work.📖 Companion ArticleDon’t miss Jennifer’s long-form piece on Signal & Noise:“Architecting Resilience in the Intelligence Age” — a deeper exploration of the ideas discussed in this episode.If you’re building, hiring, leading—or just trying to stay relevant—this conversation is required listening.Because AI isn’t just changing how we work. It’s changing why we work.
About Signal & Noise
Join advertising industry veterans Brett House and Rio Longacre as they share regular updates and analysis on the changing world of data, tech, and AI. You’ll hear real talk from thought leaders across industries about the latest trends having the biggest impact on our jobs… and lives. Signal & Noise means no BS - only straight talk and first-hand insights from leading operators, creators, and founders.
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