David Kaplan

Connected TV’s fragmentation challenges extend beyond inventory distribution to fundamental identity resolution issues that erode audience fidelity as buyers extend campaigns across multiple activation endpoints. “The fragmentation problem in CTV is real, but we as an industry often talk about it as an inventory problem, but it’s very much an identity problem as well,” Alex […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Brands relying exclusively on first-party data miss cross-brand consumer behavior patterns, creating blind spots that limit audience understanding beyond single-retailer interactions. “Yes, that first party data is that liquid gold for a brand. A brand gets that from you because you want to then have your Kroger’s card or your […]

Industry leaders risk falling into the trap of leveraging artificial intelligence to automate existing complexity rather than using it to simplify and extract clearer signals from increasingly noisy media landscapes. “One thing I’m hoping is that we don’t fall in the trap of leveraging AI in a way to automate the complexity,” Nicolas Bidon, CEO […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Research commissioned by Marriott’s RIOTT Media and Kinective Media by United Airlines reveals that 75% of travelers demonstrate increased openness to brand discovery during travel experiences, representing convergence of intent and availability that creates heightened receptivity. “We found that about 75% of travelers are more open to discovery when they’re […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Gaming environments provide real-time, in-the-moment opportunities that could represent retail media’s ideal application, enabling brands to connect shopper behavior with gamer mindset during specific game states and moments of need. “Gaming might be one of the ultimate environments for retail media to pay off on its promise. It’s very much […]

LAS VEGAS — While artificial intelligence is supposed to simplify all kinds of processes, the relative newness of agencies’ AI embrace is still complicating enterprise partnership negotiations, particularly when it comes to structuring contracts around new AI dynamics, pricing models, and technical integration requirements. “There’s certainly more time spent on contracts and on the principles […]

Brands routinely block entire news or music categories despite content variation within those genres, missing advertising opportunities that artificial intelligence can identify through granular scene-level analysis rather than broad categorical exclusions. “Many brands just block the entire news category. Is every news bad for your brands? I don’t think so,” Yan Liu, CEO and co-founder […]

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — Perhaps it’s because the creator economy is so unlike traditional forms of media that it’s still not quite seen as “essential” by advertisers as much as consumers do. But that appears to be changing, as brands shift from tacking creators onto campaigns to building storytelling with influencers at the center. “About […]

LAS VEGAS — Walmart Connect’s evolution from retail media network to comprehensive digital platform enables storytelling from “couch to cart to sales,” with research showing CTV advertising combined with linear TV delivers 55% reach increases. “About a year ago, we launched Vizio, and we now have the ability to tell a story from a brand […]

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIF. — Connected TV is emerging as a performance channel, thanks to new ways of marshalling data that allow advertisers to zero in on consumers who are open to a brand’s offer. The only challenge, it seems, is convincing advertisers of the possibility after years of such promises by CTV platforms. “Historically, […]

LAS VEGAS — Artificial intelligence provides speed and efficiency but lacks taste and aesthetic judgment, making human oversight essential to prevent automation that eliminates human input entirely. “What we’re missing is this notion of taste and judgment,” Paul Woolmington, CEO of Canvas Worldwide, told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at CES. “Taste is very aesthetic and […]

LAS VEGAS — Media planning for 2026 must acknowledge advertising’s evolution from broadcast-focused 30-second spots and “eyeballs” by instead relying on precision targeting to meet the demands of the “agentic and algorithmic era.” “We’re in a new era of advertising — the third era,” Will Swayne, global practice president for Media and Integrated Solutions at […]

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — Excessive artificial intelligence disclosure labeling could be too much of a well-intentioned thing. Aside from stoking  consumer burnout on one hand, the impact could potentially harm advertisers by highlighting AI usage that splits audience perceptions between creativity and inauthenticity. “The risk of transparency is if you over label everything, consumers will […]

LAS VEGAS — In order for a retail media network advertiser to accurately find consumers at the right moment, sometimes you have to travel back in time. About five years in the past, to be exact. “We can  look back at the consumer level for five years of their engagement and purchase with that product […]

Connected TV isn’t often considered a primary channel by B2B marketers to target their desired audiences. But Lenovo is not only making the case for CTV as a valuable venue for B2B, it’s also touting the channel’s use for eliminating ad waste. Specifically,  the electronics company boasts achieving over 90% reach against specific enterprise audiences […]

Artificial intelligence discussions are shifting from theoretical to practical deliverables as the industry recognizes strong data foundations prove critical for realizing AI’s full potential. “We’ve all been talking a ton about AI, but it’s not just the technology, it’s about what we’re actually delivering now. It’s moving into an outcomes era,” Julie Clark, SVP, Diversified […]

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — Marketers and agencies are still just scratching the surface when it comes to understanding how generative artificial intelligence tools like large language models are changing the way brands develop their content strategies. For example, brands are now rethinking the role their own websites play in informing AI programs that consumers increasingly […]

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — Ad success in using artificial intelligence depends on strong first-party data signals combined with consumer permission to operate reputably as the world shifts from recognition-based to permission-based systems. “How do you feel about a nameless, faceless algorithm making decisions about what offer you get, what credit score you have, even what […]

LAS VEGAS — Connected TV’s real value as a performance channel happens when advertisers can know exactly who sits in front of the screen, enabling precise targeting that reaches people in their most relaxed, engaged living room state. It’s been a “holy grail” hope since CTV’s earliest days. And in many ways, that hope is […]

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — Buy-side decisions are moving closer to publishers. The shift, enabled by the IAB’s artificial intelligence maintenance “containerization project,” brings greater focus to where ad impressions actually originate rather than sending requests to distant infrastructure and waiting for responses. “Historically, the sell side operated at great lengths to the buy side. We […]