Pretty much everyone acknowledges artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping competitive dynamics in ad tech. But how are these new capabilities playing out practically?
“AI allows brands and marketers to really compete at all levels. Independent agencies now have an opportunity to level the playing field against many of the bigger partners,” Bill Todd, general manager of Infillion’s Media Business Unit, told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan during Advertising Week New York.
Todd joined Infillion in June to lead Infillion’s media division, which includes TrueX, NeXt, InStadium, and IDVx brands, plus MediaMath’s self-service and managed-service offerings. He previously served as chief revenue officer at AdTheorent.
Customization prevents commoditization
While AI levels access to advanced targeting and optimization, differentiation comes from how companies apply the technology to solve specific customer problems rather than offering generic solutions.
“AI isn’t the answer to all questions. The companies that bring the AI to market that allows them to customize their solutions in a way to drive outcomes for their customers will win,” Todd said.
Infillion builds category-specific solutions from the ground up for healthcare, retail, travel, and other verticals, enabling rapid customization alongside clients rather than forcing them into standardized approaches.
Renewed MediaMath expands reach
Todd also spoke about Infillion’s Sept. 2023 acquisition of pioneering demand-side platform MediaMath and how the company has been reviving the brand over the past year.
“The company acquired MediaMath, which is our self-service solution that’s now under our umbrella and we can continue to bring innovative solutions to market,” Todd said.
The integration positions Infillion to serve both brands seeking direct control through self-service platforms and those requiring managed-service support across its media brands.
First-party data drives in-housing
Brands can now bring advertising technologies in-house and compete directly without relying exclusively on agency partners, fundamentally changing how marketing organizations structure their operations.
“Brands, for the first time, have the opportunity to in-house and bring all those technologies to bear to drive the outcomes that they want,” Todd said, adding that this shift reflects AI’s role in making sophisticated ad tech accessible to organizations that previously lacked the scale or technical expertise to operate these systems independently.
