AdTech Collective by Seedtag

Aug 2026

mins

The industry has always chased one promise: delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. The surprising part of advertising automation in 2026 is that the creative side of that promise is largely solved. Dynamic creative platforms, modern ad servers, and workflow automation have brought the industry much closer to making personalization at scale a reality.

What hasn't caught up is measurement.

That gap between what advertising automation can execute and what teams can actually measure is where many agencies still struggle. Closing it requires more than adopting another AI tool. It demands smarter workflows, disciplined testing, and connected data that turns execution into measurable business outcomes.

In this episode of AdTech Heroes, I sat down with Lisa Markou, Executive Vice President, Platforms at Publicis Collective, to explore what advertising automation actually looks like inside a modern agency, why measurement remains the industry's biggest challenge, and how leading teams are deciding what to automate first.

Key Takeaways

Creative automation has made personalized advertising at scale possible, but measurement and attribution have yet to keep pace.
Advertising automation in 2026 is less about adding new AI tools and more about simplifying technology stacks and eliminating inefficient workflows.
The biggest advertising automation benefits often come from workflow automation, replacing manual processes that slow teams down and introduce errors.
The most successful automation strategies begin with small, focused tests before expanding across larger marketing campaigns.
Connected data—not disconnected platforms—is what allows automation to deliver meaningful business outcomes.

Creative Automation Has Solved What Measurement Still Can't

Creative technology has advanced rapidly over the past few years. According to Markou, the technology behind creative automation, including dynamic creative platforms and modern ad-serving capabilities, has finally reached a point where that vision is achievable.

Measurement, however, remains the missing piece.

Connecting metadata, taxonomy, creative assets, and media signals across multiple platforms continues to be one of advertising's biggest operational challenges. While renewed attention on brand metrics and engagement signals can help marketers understand campaign performance sooner, accurately attributing business outcomes still requires significant work behind the scenes.

For marketers, this means the next competitive advantage won't come from delivering more personalized creative alone. It will come from proving which creative actually drives results.

What Is Advertising Automation, and How Are Agencies Using It in 2026?

Ask five people to define advertising automation, and you'll probably get five different answers. For Markou, the definition extends far beyond AI or generative tools.

Her teams apply workflow automation to the tasks that historically consumed the most time, from dashboard creation and reporting to media planning and operational processes that once relied on manual spreadsheets. The objective isn't simply greater efficiency. It's freeing the marketing team to focus on strategy instead of repetitive work.

At the same time, not every legacy system needs replacing. Sometimes a manual workaround is more effective than forcing a new marketing automation platform into an existing workflow. The real challenge is knowing when consolidation genuinely improves performance, and when it simply adds complexity.

Rather than asking, "What new tool should we adopt?", agencies are increasingly asking, "Which process no longer deserves to exist?"

The Best Way to Test AI-Driven Automation Before Scaling

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is trying to automate everything at once.

Markou advocates for a different approach: start small. Whether it's a single campaign, a tentpole event, or one portion of the media budget, focused testing allows teams to understand the trade-offs before investing in a broader rollout.

Just as importantly, every test needs a clear objective. Without defining what success looks like upfront, even promising automation pilots generate little actionable learning.

Breaking automation into smaller experiments reduces risk, builds internal confidence, and gives leadership the evidence needed to scale successful initiatives across future marketing campaigns.

The Biggest Advertising Automation Benefits Start With Better Workflows

Throughout the conversation, one theme kept resurfacing: agencies often overcomplicate automation by focusing on what new technology to add rather than what unnecessary process they can remove.

Markou described how outdated spreadsheets, redundant platforms, and legacy approvals frequently remain in place simply because replacing them feels disruptive. Yet the long-term cost of maintaining inefficient processes often outweighs the temporary effort required to redesign them.

The biggest advertising automation benefits rarely come from the newest AI feature. They come from reducing manual work, improving collaboration, and building automated workflows that help teams move faster with fewer errors.

Connected Data Is the Foundation of Modern Advertising Automation

Even the most sophisticated automation depends on one thing: connected data.

Markou explained that aligning taxonomy, naming conventions, customer data, and measurement across vendors and platforms remains one of the industry's most complex challenges. Add evolving privacy regulations, regional differences in first-party data onboarding, and increasingly fragmented marketing channels, and it's easy to see why automation alone isn't enough.

As the saying goes: good data in leads to good decisions out. Without a strong data foundation, even the most advanced marketing automation software struggles to deliver meaningful results.

For marketers, success increasingly depends on connecting systems, not simply adding more of them.

Where Advertising Automation Goes From Here

Advertising automation is no longer a side experiment. It is quickly becoming the operating standard for modern media organizations.

The agencies moving ahead aren't necessarily the ones adopting every new AI capability first. They're the ones willing to rethink outdated workflows, test new approaches deliberately, and build connected systems that turn data into better decisions.

As automation continues to evolve, competitive advantage won't come from adding more technology. It will come from understanding which processes to simplify, which experiments to scale, and how to connect every part of the marketing process into a more measurable, efficient whole.

For a deeper look at how leading agencies are approaching automation, connected data, and modern media operations, watch the full conversation with Lisa Markou in AdTech Heroes, Episode 60.

Highighted

Back-to-School Marketing Trends to Watch in 2026

Aug 2026

mins

Every summer, the back-to-school season sneaks up faster than expected. Families start planning while the last day of school is still weeks away, and by the time September arrives, most of the shopping decisions have already been made.

For marketers, this creates a familiar challenge: the back-to-school marketing window opens earlier every year, and audiences are far more layered than a simple parent-buying-supplies narrative suggests.

This season is no longer just about pencils and backpacks. It stretches across education, food, community, technology, and fashion, often overlapping in ways brands don't expect. Understanding that complexity is the real key to a stronger back-to-school ad strategy.

Below, we break down the trends, timing, and audience behaviors shaping back-to-school marketing this year, along with what these shifts mean for seasonal marketing overall.

Key Takeaways

Back-to-school marketing now spans far more than school supplies, touching food, technology, sports, and fashion content.
Education-related content leads the conversation, with food and lunch prep following close behind.
Liz, our Neuro-Contextual AI, uncovered 14 distinct contextual neighborhoods within the season, each reflecting a different shopper motivation.
Shoppers fall into distinct interest groups, from test prep researchers to homeschooling parents to sports families.
Some of the most valuable back-to-school trends this year come from unexpected overlaps between categories.

What Are the Key Back-to-School Marketing Trends for This Year?

One of the clearest back-to-school trends this year is just how education-driven the season has become. Education leads the back-to-school content universe at 67% of mentions, covering everything from test prep to classroom learning tools.

Food and drink content follows as the second biggest driver, with a strong focus on lunchbox packaging and baking. This shows how deeply back-to-school planning is tied to daily routines rather than a single shopping trip.

Beyond these two leading categories, Liz, our Neuro-Contextual AI, uncovered 14 custom contextual neighborhoods within the back-to-school content universe, connecting topics like homeschooling, online learning, athletics, and craft making.

This fragmentation is exactly why generic back-to-school advertising ideas tend to underperform. The audience isn't one shopper. It's many shoppers with very different needs happening at the same time.

When Should Brands Start Their Back-to-School Marketing Campaign?

Timing is one of the most common questions marketers ask heading into the school season.

Back-to-school planning clearly starts well before the first day of class: the interest clusters we identified span everything from early supply shopping to major sales moments, with events like Black Friday, Cyber, and Prime Day appearing within the same shopping conversations.

This overlap between back-to-school shopping and broader seasonal discount periods suggests that families are planning and comparing prices across an extended window, not making a single last-minute purchase. School marketing campaigns built around one moment risk missing the earlier stages of that planning process.

Who Are Today's Back-to-School Shoppers?

Back-to-school shoppers are not a single audience. The season breaks into six core interest areas, each shaped by different motivations and content habits:

Books and Study: Families researching test prep (ACT, PSAT, college admission), elementary reading tools, and classic books and authors.
Supplies and Shopping: Parents focused on preschool learning materials, seasonal crafts, classroom tools, and teacher appreciation gifts.
Snacking and Food: Households planning lunchbox staples, homemade cookie recipes, and weekly grocery prep tied to the new routine.
Community: Families engaging with school sports, school trips and events, and school support topics like PTA and staffing.
Technology: Shoppers exploring online learning tools, college and career paths, teacher digital resources, and homeschooling programs.
Gear and Fashion: Consumers shopping for school day essentials, trusted clothing brands, and smart shopping strategies around sales.

This range shows why a single back-to-school marketing message rarely works across the board. School shoppers move between these interest areas depending on their household needs.

What Surprising Behaviors Are Shaping Back-to-School Shopping?

Some of the most interesting back-to-school trends come from where these categories unexpectedly connect. Within the Books and Study neighborhood, we identified conversations blending literature curriculum mapping with classic authors like Jane Austen, meaning academic test prep and nostalgic reading discussions live side by side.

Homeschooling shows a similar pattern. A neighborhood cluster where homeschooling intersects directly with technology interests, particularly among parents sharing digital learning resources with one another.

Within the Community pillar, school sports conversations sit closely alongside smaller school milestones like book fairs, showing that the same emotional energy fueling student athletics also extends to everyday school events.

These overlaps matter because they reveal opportunities that a single-category campaign would miss entirely.

Back-to-School Marketing Tips for Brands

Based on these patterns, a few principles stand out for building a stronger school marketing campaign this year:

Speak to more than one interest area at once. Since families move fluidly between categories like Books and Study, Snacking and Food, and Gear and Fashion, campaigns that reflect more than one of these moments tend to feel more relevant than single-category messaging.

Recognize that back-to-school shopping overlaps with sales culture. Because gear and fashion conversations already connect with major discount periods, back-to-school promotions can align naturally with broader seasonal sale moments rather than competing against them.

Don't overlook homeschooling and technology audiences. This growing segment blends digital learning tools with community-driven resource sharing, representing a distinct content environment from traditional classroom shopping.

Match tone to the moment within each pillar, whether that's the practical urgency of school supplies, the routine-driven nature of lunch planning, or the community spirit around school events and sports.

From Supplies to Sentiment: Why Context Matters More Than Ever

As back-to-school shopping spreads across six distinct interest areas and 14 contextual neighborhoods, relevance becomes harder to achieve through guesswork alone.

This is where our Neuro-Contextual approach becomes valuable. Liz, Seedtag’s proprietary Neuro-Contextual AI, reads signals of interest, emotion, and intent within content itself, identifying these clusters by both definitional meaning and how topics naturally occur together on the page.

Rather than targeting a generic "parent" profile, this approach allows advertising to align with the specific moment a shopper is in, whether that's researching test prep, planning lunches, or browsing backpacks ahead of a sale. And it does this without relying on individual tracking, keeping the experience privacy-first while still feeling personal.

The Bigger Opportunity for Back-to-School Marketing

Back-to-school marketing isn't about reaching one type of shopper. It's about understanding the many overlapping moments that make up the season, from test prep stress to lunchbox planning to Friday night games.

Brands that recognize these connections, rather than treating back-to-school as a single retail event, are better positioned to build campaigns that feel relevant at every stage of the school season.

Want to see the full range of interests, content clusters, and behaviors shaping this year's back-to-school season? Download our Back-to-School Insights report to explore the data behind these trends.

Highighted

Publisher Ad Revenue News: How CTV and FAST Are Reshaping Monetization

Publishers

Aug 2026

mins

Publisher monetization has entered a new phase. As streaming consumption officially surpasses linear television, advertising budgets are following audience attention into Connected TV (CTV), FAST channels, mobile apps, and other emerging digital environments. That shift is reshaping where publishers generate revenue and how they build sustainable monetization strategies.

For publishers, this is one of the biggest stories in publisher ad revenue news today. Revenue growth no longer depends on expanding inventory alone. It depends on creating advertising experiences that are transparent, measurable, and connected across multiple channels.

At Cannes Lions 2026, Mike and I sat down with Chandra Cirulnick, VP of Global Supply Partnerships at Yahoo DSP, for The Pub Way Podcast to explore what this evolution means for publisher ad management. Our conversation covered everything from CTV and FAST channel monetization to in-app growth, programmatic advertising, and the increasing importance of omnichannel strategies.

While we discussed several emerging formats, one idea connected them all. Publishers that diversify their revenue streams while giving advertisers greater transparency into performance are building stronger foundations for long-term publisher monetization.

Key Takeaways

Streaming has overtaken linear TV, shifting publisher ad revenue toward CTV and FAST channels.
New programmatic advertising formats are expanding monetization beyond traditional commercial breaks.
CTV and FAST support different publisher monetization strategies, each serving unique advertiser needs.
Transparency around inventory and campaign performance is becoming a competitive advantage.
Omnichannel ad revenue strategies for digital publishers are creating stronger, more sustainable revenue growth.

How Are Publishers Monetizing CTV and FAST Channels in 2026?

Streaming has fundamentally expanded the number of ways publishers can generate advertising revenue. Instead of relying solely on traditional commercial breaks, publishers now have access to a growing mix of premium formats that can be packaged for different buyers, campaign objectives, and budgets.

Pause ads, home screen placements, shoppable experiences, and live sports sponsorships have all become available through programmatic advertising over the past year. These formats create new opportunities for publishers to diversify revenue streams while giving advertisers more flexible ways to reach audiences.

This evolution is also changing how inventory is sold.

Historically, television advertising centered around large upfront commitments, where buyers purchased broad audience reach months in advance. While those agreements remain important, they now exist alongside a growing programmatic marketplace that allows advertisers to buy inventory with far greater precision.

Instead of purchasing an entire market, brands can target audiences based on household counts and campaign objectives. That means advertisers that may not have the budgets for traditional national television campaigns can now reach highly relevant audiences through CTV, making premium inventory accessible to a much broader range of buyers.

For publishers, this creates far greater flexibility in publisher ad management.

Rather than relying on a single sales model, they can package premium inventory for large brand advertisers while simultaneously making additional inventory available through programmatic channels. This balance allows publishers to maximize advertising revenue without sacrificing the premium value of their content.

More importantly, it reflects a broader shift taking place across the industry.

Publisher monetization is no longer built around individual channels. It is increasingly built around connected audience experiences, where CTV, FAST channels, mobile apps, and other digital environments work together to create more valuable opportunities for both publishers and advertisers.

The Difference Between CTV and FAST Channel Monetization

Although they are often grouped together, CTV and FAST channel monetization solve different challenges for publishers.

Connected TV, particularly across premium streaming services, is typically valued for its broad reach, premium content, and household-level addressability. Advertisers use CTV to build large-scale awareness while benefiting from more precise targeting and measurement than traditional television has historically offered.

FAST channels, on the other hand, create value in a different way.

Rather than competing on audience size alone, they allow publishers to build highly engaged communities around specific interests, genres, or cultural moments. Whether it's motorsports, entertainment, news, or lifestyle programming, FAST channels give advertisers the opportunity to reach audiences who have intentionally chosen that content.

During our conversation, Formula 1 emerged as a great example of this shift. While traditional broadcast inventory around the sport may be limited, dedicated FAST programming creates entirely new opportunities for publishers to monetize highly engaged viewers who are actively seeking that content.

That distinction matters.

CTV often delivers scale and premium reach. FAST channels deliver contextual relevance and deeper audience engagement. Together, they give publishers more flexibility to package inventory based on different advertiser objectives instead of relying on a single monetization model.

As streaming ecosystems continue to evolve, understanding the difference between CTV and FAST channel monetization will become increasingly important for publishers looking to diversify advertising revenue while maximizing the value of every impression.

Why Transparency Is the New Currency of Ad Revenue Growth

As new inventory becomes available, advertisers are asking for something beyond scale. They want transparency.

Today, publishers are expected to answer two fundamental questions before media budgets are committed:

Where will my ads appear?
How did the campaign actually perform?

The first question is about content transparency. Buyers want to understand the environments where their ads will run before activation, whether that's a premium streaming service, a specific FAST channel, or a curated portfolio of content.

The second is about performance transparency. Advertisers increasingly expect clear measurement that demonstrates how campaigns contributed to business outcomes, not simply how many impressions were delivered.

Publishers are responding by offering different levels of transparency based on campaign objectives.

Portfolio-based or genre-based packages provide advertisers with greater flexibility and broader reach, often at more accessible price points. Show-level sponsorships, live events, and premium programming offer greater certainty around placement, allowing publishers to command higher premiums for inventory that delivers stronger contextual alignment.

This approach creates opportunities across multiple buyer types.

Brands focused on efficiency can access quality inventory through broader packages, while advertisers seeking highly controlled environments can invest in premium placements with full visibility into where their campaigns appear.

For publisher ad management teams, transparency is no longer simply a reporting feature. It has become an important driver of publisher monetization, helping strengthen advertiser confidence while supporting long-term revenue growth.

Omnichannel Ad Revenue Strategies for Digital Publishers

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from our conversation was that publisher monetization is no longer defined by individual channels.

The next stage of growth is being built around connected audience experiences.

Instead of viewing CTV, FAST, mobile apps, podcasts, and streaming as separate revenue opportunities, publishers are beginning to package them as complementary environments that reflect how audiences actually consume media throughout the day.

These omnichannel ad revenue strategies for digital publishers create more consistent experiences for advertisers while opening additional revenue streams for publishers.

Mobile apps are a good example.

For years, app advertising was largely associated with gaming. Today, non-gaming publishers are increasingly extending their brands into mobile experiences, creating new inventory that keeps audiences engaged beyond the browser while attracting advertisers looking to diversify their media-buying strategies.

Audio is evolving in much the same way.

Dynamic ad insertion has transformed podcast advertising from a largely manual process into a scalable programmatic channel. At the same time, advances in contextual intelligence allow campaigns to align with individual episode topics instead of entire shows, giving advertisers greater flexibility without sacrificing relevance.

The boundaries between formats are also becoming less defined.

Streaming platforms continue to experiment with video-first podcasts, while traditional audio content increasingly incorporates visual elements. Rather than thinking about video, audio, or mobile as separate channels, publishers are beginning to organize inventory around audience attention and content consumption.

This shift reflects a broader evolution across digital advertising.

Successful publisher monetization no longer depends on maximizing one channel at a time. It depends on creating connected advertising experiences that allow advertisers to engage audiences wherever they choose to consume content.

Understanding the Moment Behind Every Ad Dollar

One theme kept resurfacing throughout our conversation with Chandra.

The future of publisher monetization isn't being shaped by new channels alone. It's being shaped by a better understanding of audience attention.

Whether someone is watching a live sporting event on CTV, exploring a niche FAST channel, listening to a podcast during their commute, or engaging with content in a mobile app, the opportunity isn't simply to place another ad. It's to understand what that person is interested in at that specific moment and deliver advertising that complements the experience.

As media consumption becomes increasingly fragmented, context becomes the common thread connecting every environment. Publishers that understand not only where audiences are spending time, but also the interests, emotions, and intent behind that attention, are better positioned to create advertising experiences that feel relevant for consumers and valuable for advertisers.

This is where AI is beginning to play an increasingly important role.

Rather than relying solely on historical performance or broad audience segments, AI-powered contextual intelligence helps identify the environments where audiences are most receptive to a brand's message. That creates opportunities for publishers to strengthen monetization while helping advertisers make more informed media-buying decisions across multiple channels.

At Seedtag, this philosophy sits at the core of our Neuro-Contextual approach.

Powered by Liz, our proprietary AI built on more than a decade of content understanding at scale, Neuro-Contextual intelligence interprets signals of interest, emotion, and intent directly from content. Instead of relying on personal identifiers, it helps advertisers understand when audiences are most receptive to a message, creating more relevant advertising experiences across CTV, premium publisher environments, mobile, and other emerging formats.

As omnichannel strategies continue to evolve, this deeper understanding of context will become increasingly valuable for both publishers and advertisers looking to build sustainable, privacy-first revenue growth.

The Next Chapter of Publisher Monetization

Publisher ad revenue is no longer being shaped by a single channel or a single transaction. It's being built across connected experiences.

CTV continues to expand premium video opportunities. FAST channels are creating new ways to engage highly passionate communities. Mobile apps and digital audio are opening additional revenue streams that complement traditional web inventory. Together, these environments are transforming how publishers package, measure, and monetize advertising.

The publishers that succeed won't simply add more inventory. They'll create connected strategies that reflect how audiences actually consume media, while giving advertisers greater transparency, stronger measurement, and more meaningful ways to engage consumers across every touchpoint.

For advertisers, that means moving beyond isolated media buys and embracing omnichannel planning that prioritizes relevance alongside reach.

For publishers, it means recognizing that the future of publisher monetization isn't about choosing between CTV, FAST, mobile, or audio. It's about connecting those environments into a strategy that delivers long-term value for both buyers and audiences.

As attention continues to shift, the publishers that thrive will be the ones that understand not just where audiences are, but what captures their attention in the moments that matter most.

If you're exploring new ways to grow publisher ad revenue across CTV, FAST channels, mobile, and other digital environments, our conversation with Chandra Cirulnick offers valuable perspectives on where the industry is heading.

Listen to the full episode of The Pub Way Podcast for the complete discussion.

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Rethinking Open Web vs Walled Gardens for Smarter Digital Advertising

Mar 2025

mins

For years, advertisers have debated whether their budgets should be concentrated within walled gardens or expanded across the open web. As consumer behaviors shift and privacy regulations reshape the advertising landscape, the conversation has become more relevant than ever. The dominance of closed ecosystems, such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Amazon, has led many brands to rely heavily on these platforms. However, growing concerns around lack of transparency, limited audience segmentation, and rising costs have pushed advertisers to explore alternatives.

Instead of viewing this as a binary choice, advertisers must recognize the need for a balanced approach—one that leverages the advantages of walled gardens while capitalizing on the transparency, scale, and contextual intelligence offered by the open web.

Where Are Users Spending Their Time?

The way people interact with digital content is changing, and advertisers need to follow the audience. While walled gardens continue to attract logged-in users, research indicates a growing shift toward the open web.

This shift is driven by consumer preference for quality content, greater control over privacy, and dissatisfaction with the experience in closed ecosystems. Users browsing the open web are often more engaged, actively seeking information, news, and entertainment—creating valuable moments for advertisers to connect with them.

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Walled Gardens vs Open Web: What Advertisers Need to Know

Both walled gardens and the open web play a vital role in digital advertising. However, understanding their strengths and weaknesses is key to optimizing campaign performance.

The Appeal and Challenges of Walled Gardens

High user engagement: Walled gardens benefit from logged-in users, allowing for better audience segmentation.
First-party data access: Brands can leverage structured data for precise targeting.
Seamless ad experiences: Advertisers can optimize for in-platform engagement within a controlled environment.

However, these platforms also present significant challenges:

Lack of transparency: Advertisers have limited insight into ad performance beyond platform metrics.
Higher costs: Competition for ad inventory in closed ecosystems drives up prices.
Brand safety risks: As content moderation policies shift, advertisers face uncertainty about where their ads appear.

Advertising on the Open Web: Strengths and Challenges

Greater transparency: Advertisers have full visibility into where ads are placed and how they perform.
Expansive reach: Consumers spend most of their total online time on the open web, creating more opportunities for engagement.
Privacy-first advertising: The open web enables contextual targeting without relying on third-party data.

However, challenges include:

Fragmentation: The open web consists of thousands of websites, apps, and connected TV platforms, requiring robust ad strategies.
Variable content quality: Ensuring ad placements appear alongside trusted, premium content requires advanced contextual intelligence.

A balanced digital ad strategy should integrate both ecosystems, leveraging the structured targeting of walled gardens while taking advantage of the transparency and reach of the open web.

Brand Safety in Walled Gardens: A Growing Concern for Advertisers

Recent changes in content moderation policies on platforms like Meta have raised brand safety concerns for advertisers. The relaxation of fact-checking programs and shifts in hate speech policies could increase the risk of brand exposure to controversial or harmful content.

Additionally, reliance on a black box model—where advertisers have minimal control over ad placements and audience data—adds to the challenge. The demand for more control over brand safety and ad transparency has led many advertisers to diversify their spending across trusted media outlets on the open web.

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Contextual Advertising: A Key Strategy for the Open Web

With the decline of third-party cookies and increasing concerns over data privacy, contextual advertising has emerged as a powerful solution for targeting audiences effectively—without tracking personal information.

No reliance on third-party cookies: Contextual AI analyzes content relevance instead of user behavior.
Enhanced user experience: Ads appear in relevant, brand-safe environments, increasing engagement.
Higher ad performance: Research shows that contextual ads achieve a 70% view rate, compared to 64% for cookie-based ads.

Brands that invest in contextual intelligence gain a privacy-compliant alternative that ensures effective targeting and brand suitability across the open web.

Why Advertisers Need an Omnichannel Strategy

Rather than viewing walled gardens vs open web as opposing forces, advertisers should adopt an omnichannel approach that leverages both ecosystems strategically:

Use walled gardens for structured audience segmentation and conversion-driven campaigns—where first-party data plays a strong role.
Capitalize on the open web for reach, brand safety, and contextual targeting—ensuring engagement in premium, high-quality content environments.
Integrate contextual AI solutions to enhance relevance, improve audience targeting, and maintain compliance with privacy regulations.

Where Should Advertisers Invest?

The debate over open web vs walled gardens is no longer about choosing one over the other. A successful digital advertising strategy requires a hybrid approach that balances precision with scale, targeting with transparency, and brand safety with performance.

Consumer habits are evolving—users are spending more time on the open web while walled gardens remain important for structured targeting.
Brand safety concerns are rising—advertisers need control over where their ads appear.
Privacy-first strategies are the future—contextual AI provides a sustainable, high-performing solution.

By combining targeted engagement from walled gardens with contextual intelligence on the open web, brands can future-proof their strategies while maximizing ad performance.

At Seedtag, we empower advertisers with cutting-edge contextual AI solutions that enhance targeting, ensure brand safety, and optimize campaign performance in a privacy-first world. Contact us today to explore how our technology can drive measurable results for your brand.

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Off Court: The March Madness Trends Brands Need to Watch

Mar 2025

mins

Each year, March Madness takes center stage as one of the most thrilling and unpredictable tournaments in sports. With bracket-busting upsets, rising college stars, and national title hopes on the line, the NCAA Tournament is more than just basketball—it’s a cultural phenomenon. But, When is March Madness 2025? The 86th annual edition of the tournament will begin on March 18, and will conclude with the championship game on April 7.

For advertisers, March Madness 2025 offers a golden opportunity to connect with engaged audiences through sports betting trends, brand sponsorships, and multi-platform fan interactions. Let’s dive into the top March Madness trends and the strategies brands can use to capitalize on the madness.

March Madness Takes Over: How Fans Are Engaging

College Basketball’s Biggest Stage Dominates the Conversation

"With 97% of sports-related discussions centered on March Madness, the tournament generates non-stop buzz across multiple media channels. Whether analyzing top seeds, predicting upsets, or debating NCAA tournament odds, fans are deeply invested in every game."

Key Insights:

March Madness ranks as the most discussed sporting event, surpassing even the World Series and Bowl Season in cross-sport engagement.
North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Iowa State are among the most talked-about programs, presenting regional engagement opportunities.
Bracketology and sports betting discussions are skyrocketing, making March Madness a must-watch for advertisers looking to tap into fan excitement.

Why This Matters for Brands:
Companies that integrate their campaigns into the most engaging conversations around March Madness can maximize visibility and audience connection.

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Brackets, Bets, and Big Wins: The Betting Boom

Bracket-building and sports betting have become March Madness staples. Fans are not only tuning in to watch but also placing wagers on point spreads, tournament game outcomes, and Cinderella story upsets.

Key Insights:

Bracket predictions and NCAA tournament odds dominate engagement, with analysts like Joe Lunardi and Ken Pomeroy leading the discussion.
Platforms like CBS Sports, ESPN, and DraftKings are at the forefront of sports betting and NCAA tournament odds coverage.
The legalization of sports betting across more states has increased participation, with fans placing bets on everything from 16 seed upsets to national championships.

Why This Matters for Brands:
Companies in sports betting, analytics, and gaming can benefit from contextual advertising strategies that align with real-time betting trends and fan predictions.

Rising Stars: The Players Defining March Madness 2025

March Madness always produces breakout stars. Some will lead their teams to national titles, while others will cement their legacies with unforgettable performances. Tracking player momentum can help advertisers tap into real-time fan engagement.

Key Insights:

Cooper Flagg (Duke) is the most mentioned player, with over 1,100 articles discussing his performance.
Johni Broome (Auburn) leads in total visits per article, indicating high levels of fan engagement.
Paige Bueckers (UConn) and JuJu Watkins (USC) are among the most-discussed women’s players, reflecting the growing media spotlight on women’s college basketball.

Why This Matters for Brands:
Advertisers can increase engagement by aligning with high-profile players, leveraging real-time highlights, and integrating contextual AI-driven ad placements during peak game moments.

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Sponsorships That Score: How Brands Are Winning Big

Sponsorships remain one of the most powerful tools for brands looking to gain visibility during March Madness 2025. Leading sponsors are making waves with integrated campaigns, in-game activations, and digital-first advertising strategies.

Key Insights:

AT&T leads all sponsorship discussions, appearing in 5,000+ articles.
Capital One and Coca-Cola remain dominant sponsors, leveraging TV spots and digital activations.
Buffalo Wild Wings and Reese’s are driving strong fan engagement, with Reese’s content receiving 64 visits per article.

Why This Matters for Brands:
Sponsors who integrate their messaging into game-day experiences, bracket challenges, and multi-platform activations will see the most impact.

Beyond the Court: March Madness as a Cultural Event

March Madness is bigger than basketball—it influences fashion, social media, and global sports discussions. Its reach extends far beyond the U.S., making it a key moment for international engagement and cross-industry collaborations.

Key Insights:

International interest in March Madness is growing, particularly in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
Basketball legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James continue to shape NCAA tournament conversations.
Social media engagement surges during the tournament, creating multi-screen advertising opportunities.

Why This Matters for Brands:
Companies that blend sports, culture, and digital trends into their March Madness marketing will connect with a broader, more engaged audience.

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How Advertisers Can Maximize March Madness 2025

Key takeaways of March Madness Trends

Align with Bracketology & Betting Trends

Place ads around bracket predictions, betting insights, and NCAA tournament odds.
Partner with platforms like ESPN and CBS Sports to reach the most engaged audiences.

Tap Into Rising Stars & Team Storylines

Focus on top-ranked seeds, standout players, and dramatic matchups.
Use real-time highlights and AI-driven ad placements to stay relevant.

Capitalize on Women’s College Basketball Momentum

Feature high-performing female athletes in campaigns.
Support gender equity initiatives with strategic sponsorships.

Invest in High-Impact Sponsorships

Leverage AT&T, Coca-Cola, and Capital One’s sponsorship visibility.
Create March Madness-themed activations and promotions.

Expand Across International & Multi-Platform Audiences

Adapt messaging for global audiences engaging with March Madness.
Use CTV, mobile, and social media integration to maximize reach.

The Playbook for March Madness Success

March Madness is unpredictable, thrilling, and a dream opportunity for advertisers. As the tournament unfolds, seeds will fall, legends will rise, and millions of fans will stay glued to their screens.

Brands that align with bracket fever, top player narratives, betting trends, and cross-platform engagement will dominate the conversation and drive real impact.

Learn how Seedtag’s contextual AI solutions are ready to craft data-driven, contextual campaigns that capitalize on the excitement and unpredictability of March Madness.

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The Global Advertising Privacy Shift: What Privacy Regulations Will Bring in 2025

Feb 2025

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The advertising industry is undergoing a seismic transformation driven by privacy regulations, changing consumer expectations, and evolving data policies. For years, third-party cookies played a critical role in targeted advertising, allowing brands to track users across the web and serve ads based on their behavior. However, rising concerns about sensitive information, transparency, and data privacy laws have led to a shift away from traditional tracking methods.

From the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the U.S., advertisers must now navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape to ensure compliance while maintaining an effective ad experience.

In this article, we explore the major privacy regulations shaping the industry and what advertisers need to do to adapt.

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The Evolution of Advertising Privacy: Key Milestones

Apple & Browser Tracking Restrictions (2017-2019)

The shift toward privacy-first advertising began when Apple introduced Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) in Safari in 2017. This feature blocked third-party cookies, significantly limiting advertisers' ability to track users across websites. Shortly after, Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) followed suit in 2019, accelerating the industry’s shift toward privacy-focused solutions.

GDPR: The Global Benchmark for Privacy Regulations (2018)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) set a new standard for data protection and privacy laws worldwide, requiring businesses to obtain explicit user consent before collecting personal data. The regulation significantly impacted how advertisers use Google Ads, audience targeting, and personalized ads, as non-compliance can result in hefty fines.

What Advertisers Must Do:

Implement clear, opt-in consent mechanisms for data collection.
Use first-party data responsibly and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations.
Adapt contextual targeting strategies to serve relevant ads without relying on cookies.

CCPA: Strengthening Consumer Data Rights in the U.S. (2020)

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) introduced stricter controls on consumer data by allowing users to opt-out of data sales and request access to their stored information. This law has become a model for other U.S. states implementing data protection and privacy laws.

What Advertisers Must Do:

Ensure compliance with opt-out requirements, enabling users to control their data.
Conduct annual cybersecurity audits to assess risk and compliance.
Align third-party partnerships (DSPs, ad networks) with privacy regulations.

Google’s Privacy Sandbox & Chrome’s Changing Policies (2021-Present)

Google’s Privacy Sandbox was announced as a privacy-first alternative to third-party cookies, aimed at balancing privacy and targeted advertising. However, after several delays, Google announced in 2024 that it would no longer phase out third-party cookies, leaving many advertisers questioning the long-term viability of party data tracking.

What Advertisers Must Do:

Shift focus toward privacy-first strategies, such as first-party data and contextual targeting.
Explore Privacy Sandbox alternatives, including Google’s Topics API.
Adapt campaign measurement methods to comply with data privacy laws.

Upcoming Global Privacy Regulations in 2025

The future of advertising privacy will be shaped by upcoming data privacy regulations worldwide. Here’s what advertisers need to know by region.

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United States: Expanding State-Level Privacy Laws

By 2025, eight additional U.S. states will implement new privacy regulations modeled after CCPA, further restricting data collection and consumer tracking practices.

Key Updates for Advertisers:

Universal opt-out mechanisms must be implemented to respect user privacy preferences across platforms.
Restrictions on children’s data will increase, requiring stricter compliance when serving ads to minors.
Automated decision-making transparency mandates will require advertisers to disclose AI-driven targeting processes.

How to Adapt:

Review advertising platforms and ensure compliance with state-specific privacy laws.
Implement clear consent options for personalized advertising.
Work with privacy-first tech companies to align with evolving compliance standards.

European Union: Stricter GDPR Enforcement & AI Regulations

The GDPR framework continues to evolve, with stricter rules for cross-border data transfers and AI-driven advertising set to take effect in 2025. Additionally, the EU AI Act will introduce new restrictions on AI-powered ad targeting.

Key Updates for Advertisers:

New Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for intra-EU data transfers.
Guidelines on ‘Consent or Pay’ models, requiring transparency on paid vs. free data-sharing options.
AI risk assessments will be mandatory for automated ad targeting.

How to Adapt:

Update user consent flows to align with GDPR’s enhanced transparency rules.
Conduct risk assessments for AI-driven targeted advertising.
Limit the use of sensitive information and ensure ethical AI practices.

LATAM: Stricter Data Protection Measures in Brazil

Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD) will introduce tougher penalties for non-compliance, making advertising privacy a top priority for brands operating in the region.

Key Updates for Advertisers:

Users will gain stronger rights to data deletion.
Fines for non-compliance will increase, affecting businesses that do not align with data privacy regulations.
Stricter consent requirements for digital advertising.

How to Adapt:

Strengthen first-party data collection strategies to align with consumer protection laws.
Regularly audit advertising platforms to ensure LGPD compliance.
Develop privacy-focused ad strategies that respect user consent.

APAC: New Data Privacy Regulations in India & Australia

In 2025, India’s Personal Data Protection Bill and Australia’s privacy tort law will introduce new challenges for advertisers in the APAC region.

Key Updates for Advertisers:

India: Data localization rules will require companies to store consumer data within the country.
Australia: Individuals will be able to sue companies for privacy breaches, increasing legal risks.

How to Adapt:

Develop localized data processing solutions to comply with India’s regulations.
Strengthen data security to protect against privacy lawsuits in Australia.
Implement transparent ad disclosures to build consumer trust.

The Future of Privacy-First Advertising

Privacy-first advertising is no longer just a regulatory requirement—it’s a new standard for digital marketing. Brands that embrace first-party data, contextual targeting, and AI-driven compliance solutions will thrive in the evolving landscape.

Key Strategies for Advertisers:

Invest in privacy-first ad technologies that enhance data protection.
Use contextual targeting to deliver relevant ads without sensitive information.
Align with tech companies focused on ethical data collection practices.
Continuously update privacy compliance policies to meet evolving data privacy laws.

By prioritizing transparency, protecting consumer data, and adopting privacy-first ad strategies, advertisers can navigate this new era while maintaining trust and performance.

Want to stay ahead of the privacy revolution? Discover how Seedtag’s contextual solutions can help advertisers succeed in a privacy-first world.

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How Supply Side Platforms (SSP) Are Driving Smarter Monetization & Improved Ad Experiences

The Pub Way Podcast

Feb 2025

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Publishers

The role of Supply-Side Platforms in digital advertising has transformed significantly, shifting from simple intermediaries to strategic partners that enable publishers to maximize revenue, maintain transparency, and embrace privacy-first solutions.

In a recent episode of The Pub Way podcast, Jessica Breslav, Chief Customer Officer at Index Exchange, joined Seedtag VP of Strategy & Planning Mike Villalobos to discuss how SSPs are evolving to create long-term value for publishers. From automation and data-driven insights to sustainability and privacy-first advertising, the conversation highlighted the critical shifts taking place in the advertising supply-side platform ecosystem.

Let’s dive into the key takeaways from the episode and explore how SSPs are helping publishers optimize their inventory, connect with potential buyers, and navigate a changing landscape.

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What Does Supply-Side Platforms Stand for and How Does It Work in Advertising?

An Supply-Side Platform is a technology platform that helps publishers manage, sell, and optimize their ad inventory by connecting them with Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs), ad networks, and ad exchanges. SSPs facilitate Real-Time Bidding (RTB) transactions, allowing publishers to offer their inventory to multiple buyers in a competitive auction.

Key Supply-Side Platforms Benefits for Publishers

Automation to streamline operations and maximize yield.
Transparency to provide insights into ad performance and revenue streams.
Privacy-first solutions to comply with data regulations while optimizing ad placements.

“Supply-Side Platforms are no longer just an intermediary; they’re strategic enablers helping publishers drive efficiency, maximize revenue, and navigate the evolving programmatic landscape.” - Jessica Breslav.

The Evolution of Supply-Side Platforms: Transparency, Automation & Value Creation

From Transactional Platforms to Publisher-Focused Partners

The SSP landscape has come a long way from being a simple technology platform that facilitated real-time bidding (RTB) transactions. Today’s Supply-Side Platforms are designed to do much more than just connect publishers with ad exchanges, networks, and demand-side platforms (DSPs).

Automation for Efficiency & Yield Optimization

Jessica Breslav emphasized that automation is now critical in enabling publishers to manage, sell, and optimize their ad inventory effectively. By leveraging automation, SSPs help publishers limit the number of times ads are shown to the same users, ensuring a better user experience and higher engagement.

Greater Transparency & Control

Transparency in Real-Time Bidding (RTB) transactions is now a priority for Supply-Side Platforms, with new tools allowing publishers to see where their ad spend is going, track impressions, and gain deeper insights into their target audience. This shift ensures that publishers retain greater control over their monetization strategies while building trust with advertisers.

Maximizing Publisher Revenue with Supply-Side Platforms

As SSPs evolve, publishers are finding new ways to monetize their content more effectively.

Premium Inventory & Smart Monetization Strategies

Premium inventory has become a key focus for publishers aiming to attract high-value advertisers. As Jessica noted, “Premium inventory is critical—brands want to reach high-quality audiences in brand-safe environments.” SSPs play a crucial role by helping publishers’ sites optimize inventory, ensuring that display ads are matched with the most relevant potential buyers.

Data-Driven Insights for Smarter Monetization

Leveraging Real-Time Analytics: SSPs now provide real-time reporting and analytics, enabling publishers to track key performance indicators such as eCPM, fill rates, and revenue trends. These insights empower publishers to fine-tune their monetization strategies.

Better Audience Segmentation: SSPs help publishers refine audience segmentation, ensuring they can offer advertisers highly targeted placements that drive engagement and revenue.

Stronger Buyer-Publisher Collaboration: SSPs facilitate direct relationships between publishers and advertisers, reducing reliance on intermediaries while enhancing the value of programmatic deals.

The Privacy-First Future: How Supply-Side Are Adapting

With third-party cookies disappearing and stricter data privacy regulations in place, publishers must rethink their targeting strategies. SSPs are stepping up with privacy-first solutions that allow publishers to maintain their ad revenue while complying with regulatory changes.

Shifting Toward Contextual Targeting

Breslav highlighted the importance of contextual advertising as a privacy-friendly alternative to cookie-based targeting. SSPs are working closely with advertisers, DSPs, and ad networks to create privacy-first targeting strategies that rely on contextual insights rather than tracking user behavior.

Standardization & Compliance

From sellers.json to transparency benchmarks, SSPs are helping publishers manage, sell, and optimize impressions in ways that align with evolving industry standards. These efforts ensure that both buyers and publishers can navigate the digital ecosystem with confidence.

Sustainability in Supply-Side: A Green Priority

Sustainability has become a major focus in Supply-Side advertising, with industry leaders like Index Exchange taking steps to reduce digital ad waste and improve environmental impact.

Reducing Supply Chain Redundancies

One key initiative involves minimizing duplicative supply paths, which helps limit excess bid requests and reduce energy consumption. By streamlining RTB transactions, SSPs are making digital advertising more efficient and sustainable.

Strategic Partnerships for Sustainability

Platforms like Index Exchange are forming partnerships with sustainability-focused organizations, such as Scope3, to measure and mitigate carbon emissions in programmatic advertising. These efforts not only align with industry goals but also enhance brand safety by ensuring advertisers invest in ethical, responsible advertising practices.

How Publishers Can Future-Proof Their Monetization Strategies

Supply-Side Platforms are no longer just technology platforms—they’re strategic partners that help publishers connect with buyers, optimize impressions, and drive sustainable revenue growth. Here are the key takeaways from this episode of The Pub Way:

Embrace automation to optimize inventory and streamline operations.
Invest in premium inventory to attract high-value advertisers.
Adopt privacy-first solutions, including contextual targeting and first-party data strategies.
Implement sustainability initiatives to reduce environmental impact and build brand trust.
Leverage real-time data to refine audience segmentation and maximize performance.

As SSPs continue to evolve, publishers who prioritize automation, transparency, and privacy-first solutions will stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive digital advertising space.

Final Thoughts: The Role of Supply Side Platforms in the Future of Digital Advertising

As the SSP landscape continues to shift, publishers must embrace data-driven strategies that balance revenue growth, privacy, and sustainability. Supply-side platforms are now critical enablers in helping publishers navigate the complex world of digital advertising, ensuring they can sell and optimize inventory while maintaining compliance with industry regulations.

If you’re looking to optimize your advertising strategy with contextual AI and privacy-first SSP solutions, reach out toSeedtag today and explore how we can help maximize your monetization potential.

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Seedtag Addresses Concerns Regarding Ad Placement on Content-Poor Websites

Feb 2025

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Seedtag is aware of a recent research study conducted by DeepSee.io, regarding ad placements on websites with limited or low-quality content. We take these matters seriously and are committed to maintaining the highest standards for our advertising network.

We are actively investigating the specific instances highlighted and are conducting a thorough review of our publisher network. As a first step, we have already disconnected inventory from Bidgear from our network. We are also working closely with partners like Jounce Media to understand how these sites were not previously flagged and blocked.

Our immediate actions include:

Enhanced Publisher Audits: We are implementing a more robust and comprehensive audit of our entire publisher network to ensure ongoing compliance with our quality standards.
Automated Detection: We are developing an automated system to identify and flag websites with minimal or insufficient content for review and potential removal from our network. This will enhance our proactive monitoring capabilities.

Seedtag's premium network is a priority. We are dedicated to providing a high-quality advertising experience for our clients and users. We are committed to transparency and will continue to refine our processes to ensure brand safety and appropriate ad placement. We will share updates as we progress.

Super Bowl 2025: Maximizing NFL Trends with Contextual Audiences

Feb 2025

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The Super Bowl isn’t just a sporting event—it’s a global media spectacle, drawing millions of viewers who tune in for the game, the halftime show, and, of course, the Super Bowl ads. With the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles set for a highly anticipated rematch in 2025, brands have a unique opportunity to engage audiences in new and innovative ways.

But as consumer behavior evolves, so does the way people watch NFL games. Traditional TV still commands significant reach, but NFL on CTV is on the rise, offering advertisers a more immersive, targeted, and measurable way to connect with audiences.

With CTV viewership surging, advertisers must rethink how they capture attention during the big game. Here’s what the data reveals about NFL trends leading up to Super Bowl 2025, and how brands can leverage them for maximum impact.

The New Prime-Time for Super Bowl Ads

The way audiences watch NFL games has changed dramatically over the past few years. According to Prosper Insights & Analytics, streaming platforms have gained significant traction among football fans, particularly younger demographics who prefer CTV NFL football over traditional cable TV.

Key Numbers Driving the CTV Shift

Super Bowl content generates 4.3x higher engagement on CTV than traditional TV, making it the preferred platform for high-impact ad campaigns.
Younger demographics (18-34) are 2.5x more likely to stream the game, reinforcing the importance of digital-first advertising strategies.
The rise of sports betting has also fueled CTV NFL football engagement, as Super Bowl betting trends show increased second-screen activity during games.

Why This Matters for Advertisers:

Traditional Super Bowl TV ads remain powerful, but they come with significant challenges—high costs, limited personalization, and an inability to engage viewers in real time. Seizing the NFL football season allows brands to:

Deliver targeted ads to relevant football audiences using first-party data
Engage viewers throughout the regular season and not just on Super Bowl Sunday
Leverage real-time insights to optimize ad placements dynamically

As more fans turn to watch the big game, advertisers must rethink how they distribute their budgets. Contextual AI offers the next step in precision targeting, ensuring that ads appear in the most relevant football content at the right moment.

Contextual AI: The New Playmaker for Ad Relevance

The challenge with Super Bowl advertising is relevance. Viewers are bombarded with flashy, high-budget ads during NFL games, but the brands that succeed are the ones that connect with audiences on a contextual level.

Why Context Matters for NFL Trends:

Contextual AI enables brands to tap into the conversations happening around the Super Bowl—not just through traditional sports content, but also via cultural moments, trending player storylines, and fan engagement topics.

Take the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift phenomenon. Their high-profile relationship has transcended football, driving record-breaking NFL viewership numbers among non-traditional sports fans. Brands that can align their Super Bowl ads with trending moments like these stand to gain significantly more visibility and engagement.

Contextual AI ensures your brand’s message is delivered in the right content environment.
It dynamically adapts ad placements based on trending topics during the NFL season.
It eliminates the need for cookies while still delivering precise audience targeting.

By leveraging NFL insights and real-time Super Bowl trends, brands can ensure their Super Bowl CTV campaigns are not just seen—but actually resonate with fans in meaningful ways.

Who is Who: The Matchup and Key Players

The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers are set to clash, generating significant digital engagement, with the Chiefs leading in media mentions (11,526 related articles) and the 49ers following closely with 9,987 mentions.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs lead in digital engagement, with Mahomes securing the highest brand-safe mentions and remaining the most visible player, commanding 7,472 related articles and 43 visits per article.
Travis Kelce’s cultural crossover due to his relationship with Taylor Swift has resulted in a significant 49% increase in non-sports fan engagement with Super Bowl content and has fueled 6,791 related articles and 49 visits per article.
Christian McCaffrey dominates offensive player conversations, making him a key figure for brands targeting fitness and performance audiences. He has seen significant fan interest, with 2,371 related articles and 26 visits per article.

The Super Bowl Fan Experience: What Drives Engagement?

Super Bowl engagement is fueled by more than just the game itself. Fans engage with the event through multiple touchpoints, including fantasy football, home-viewing experiences, sports betting, and social media interactions. With multi-screen usage increasing by 12%, fans are consuming game content across CTV, mobile, and social platforms, making it essential for advertisers to adopt cross-platform strategies. In addition, fantasy football discussions remain highly relevant, with top player mentions like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Tyreek Hill influencing engagement beyond just team loyalty. This means brands aligning with fantasy football, player stats, and live predictions have a greater chance of capturing audience attention.

Food and beverage trends also play a crucial role in shaping Super Bowl engagement. Game-day food culture remains a dominant force, with buffalo chicken dip, nachos, and tailgate snacks among the most-searched items in the weeks leading up to the event. Advertisers in the food and beverage sector should take advantage of this by integrating their products into game-day marketing narratives. Meanwhile, health-conscious eating trends continue to rise, with increased searches for air-fried snacks and dairy-free alternatives, presenting new opportunities for health and wellness brands.

Another key engagement factor is the crossover between sports and entertainment. The Super Bowl halftime show consistently generates a 29% increase in second-screen activity, making it an ideal moment for brands to connect with audiences. Additionally, Travis Kelce’s media influence—boosted by his relationship with Taylor Swift—has expanded NFL discussions beyond traditional sports fandom, driving a 49% increase in non-sports fan engagement with football-related content. Brands that integrate cultural moments into their Super Bowl campaigns can tap into a wider, more diverse audience.

On the digital front, sports betting is surging. Super Bowl-related betting searches saw a 43% increase leading up to last year’s game, demonstrating the high demand for real-time, AI-driven ad placements within sports betting content. Brands in the fintech and gaming industries should align their campaigns with live betting moments, odds updates, and game analysis content to maximize relevance.

Super Bowl Sunday is no longer a single-screen experience. As fans turn to Super Bowl CTV, mobile apps, and interactive social platforms, brands need to adapt their advertising strategies to stay ahead of evolving fan behaviors. The brands that prioritize multi-screen engagement, cultural relevance, and real-time AI-driven contextual advertising will be the ones celebrating a win long after the game clock runs out.

Where can I get some? How Brands Can Take the Trophy Home

With the rise of Super Bowl CTV, the evolution of NFL trends, and the growing role of AI-driven advertising, brands need smarter, more targeted strategies to stand out.

How to Get Ahead:

Invest in CTV and multi-screen strategies: the shift to Super Bowl CTV is undeniable, and brands need to ensure they are where the audience is.
Leverage Contextual AI to enhance ad relevance: forget one-size-fits-all Super Bowl ads. Align with trending NFL insights to create ads that feel natural and engaging.
Engage fans beyond the game itself: the regular season, NFL betting trends, and cultural moments surrounding NFL games present extended opportunities to connect with fans.

Next Steps in the Game:

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Driving Privacy, Precision, and Performance with a First-Party Data Strategy

Jan 2025

mins

In July 2024, Google announced that it would not deprecate third-party cookies, a move that sent ripples through the advertising industry. However, while this development offered a temporary reprieve, the cookie remains on an irreversible track toward deprecation. Today, nearly half of the open web operates without cookies, with platforms like Connected TV (CTV) and mobile in-app environments being cookieless by design. Legislation, ad blockers, and shifting user consent patterns further complicate the landscape as studies conducted with YouGov reveal that over half of Chrome users reject cookies on certain websites, while almost a third reject cookies across all sites.

Advertisers are facing exponential challenges in user identification, forcing a rethink of traditional strategies.

Yet, is this a challenge, or an opportunity in disguise? Consumers are more concerned about their privacy than ever before, and brands that embrace this shift toward transparency and privacy-first approaches will build stronger, more trusted connections with their audiences. At the core of this transformation is the first-party data strategy, a sustainable and effective approach that builds deeper connections with audiences.

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The Evolution of Data Privacy and Its Impact on Advertising

The digital advertising landscape has undergone a seismic shift in recent years. Privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, alongside growing consumer awareness, have reshaped how brands collect and use data. While these changes create hurdles for advertisers who relied on third-party cookies, they also signal a new era of innovation and responsibility.

Why this matters:

Third-party cookies are fading away: Platforms are phasing them out, and consumer opt-out rates are climbing.
Privacy is non-negotiable: Modern consumers demand control over their data, and brands must adapt or risk losing trust.
Cookieless environments are expanding: From CTV to mobile apps, more platforms are inherently cookieless, accelerating the need for new strategies.

Brands that adopt a first-party data strategy and integrate privacy-first approaches are not only surviving this transformation - they’re thriving.

What is a First-Party Data Strategy?

A first-party data strategy focuses on collecting, managing, and activating data that is directly sourced from consumers. Unlike third-party data, first-party data is collected consensually and is highly reliable. This data (gathered through interactions such as website visits, app engagements, email sign-ups, purchase histories, and surveys) provides a transparent, reliable foundation for marketing efforts.

Key features of first-party data:

Privacy-compliant: Collected with user consent, ensuring alignment with data privacy regulations and building trust with your audience.
Highly accurate: Reflects real consumer behavior, offering trustworthy insights for audience segmentation and campaign optimization.
Brand-owned: Empowers businesses to craft tailored marketing strategies unique to their audience, reducing dependency on third-party providers.

In addition to compliance and accuracy, first-party data gives brands a competitive edge by allowing them to integrate their insights with contextual AI. At Seedtag, this approach amplifies the impact of contextual advertising by ensuring real-time relevance without compromising privacy. By layering first-party data with contextual insights, brands can achieve hyper-personalized campaigns that resonate deeply with users and really make the most of first-party data advertising.

The Benefits of a First-Party Data Strategy

Enhanced Privacy Compliance With data privacy regulations tightening globally, first-party data provides a reliable way to engage audiences while respecting their rights. It eliminates reliance on third-party cookies and fits seamlessly into cookieless advertising strategies.
Granular Audience Insights First-party data allows brands to segment audiences based on precise behaviors, enabling campaigns that resonate deeply with individual preferences. By understanding consumers better, advertisers can move beyond generic targeting to deliver meaningful experiences.
Improved Campaign Performance Accurate data leads to more effective audience segmentation, resulting in better campaign performance and higher ROI. First-party data also reduces waste by ensuring that ads reach the right people at the right time.
Future-Proof Strategies Relying on third-party cookies is no longer sustainable. A first-party approach ensures brands stay ahead of industry shifts and are prepared for an evolving advertising landscape.

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How Contextual Advertising Complements First-Party Data

At Seedtag, we believe the future of advertising lies in the intersection of contextual AI and first-party data. This partnership creates a dynamic framework that allows advertisers to:

Deliver precise, relevant ads: Contextual targeting ensures ads align with the content users are engaging with in real-time.
Respect user privacy: By avoiding reliance on intrusive tracking methods, contextual advertising keeps campaigns compliant with data privacy regulations.
Enhance engagement: By focusing on the user’s immediate environment, brands can create more meaningful connections and improve ad performance.

Seedtag’s contextual AI uses machine learning to provide human-like understanding of content. This ensures that ads are placed in contexts that align with user interests, increasing attention and engagement. According to research conducted by Seedtag and Lumen, contextual ads are 87% more likely to be viewed than standard ads. This highlights the importance of context in capturing fragmented attention spans, especially in a world moving away from third-party cookies where attention in advertising is becoming more crucial than ever.

The Privacy Advantage of Contextual Advertising

Unlike behavioral targeting, contextual targeting analyzes the semantic relevance of a page, ensuring ads are relevant to the content without relying on personal data. This makes it an inherently privacy-first solution. It also enhances brand safety by ensuring that ads are placed only in environments that align with brand values. For advertisers, this means reaching audiences in a way that builds trust and delivers results.

Imagine a customer exploring your website, browsing specific products, and providing feedback. This data reveals what they value, enabling you to craft a first-party data marketing strategy that delivers highly relevant ads. When combined with contextual targeting, these insights power engaging and privacy-compliant campaigns that reach users in the right moments.

For instance, a fashion brand could leverage first-party data to identify frequent shoppers and pair this insight with contextual advertising by serving ads on style-focused platforms. This dual approach ensures relevance without compromising trust.

Contextual advertising is more than just an alternative to behavioral targeting—it’s a long-term solution that aligns with evolving consumer expectations and regulatory frameworks. By analyzing the content of a page rather than tracking users, it delivers ads that feel natural and relevant. This approach fosters trust and ensures brand safety while providing measurable results.

Why Context Matters More Than Ever

Boosts Engagement: Relevant ads capture attention without disrupting the user experience.
Promotes Brand Safety: Ensures ads appear in suitable, trusted environments.
Future-Proofs Campaigns: As third-party cookies phase out, contextual advertising offers a scalable and sustainable solution.

Building a First-Party Data Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide

Audit Your Data Sources: Identify where your data comes from; whether it’s website interactions, CRM systems, or offline touchpoints. Ensure these sources are comprehensive and privacy-compliant.
Focus on Data Privacy: Adopt robust practices to secure user consent and comply with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Transparency is key to building trust and ensuring long-term compliance.
Leverage Contextual Technology: Integrate tools like Seedtag’s Contextual AI to amplify your data strategy, ensuring ads are relevant and engaging in real time.
Create Detailed Audience Segments: Use your first-party data to define precise audience groups, enabling personalized messaging that resonates with individual preferences.
Test, Learn, and Optimize: Monitor campaign performance regularly, refine your approach, and adapt to shifting consumer behaviors and market trends.
Invest in Training and Collaboration: Ensure your teams are well-versed in leveraging first-party data and contextual technology. Cross-functional collaboration between marketing, analytics, and IT teams is essential for success.

Pioneering Privacy-First Advertising with Seedtag

The advertising industry is entering a new era where privacy, relevance, and innovation coexist. By adopting a first-party data strategy and integrating it with contextual advertising, brands can overcome the challenges of a cookieless world while delivering effective, engaging campaigns.

At Seedtag, we’re committed to helping advertisers navigate this transformation. Our contextual AI solutions ensure that brands can thrive in a privacy-first future, creating campaigns that resonate without compromising user trust.

Ready to future-proof your advertising strategy? Contact us today to discover how Seedtag can help you lead the way with first-party data and contextual AI.

Transforming Context into Connections with Seedtag’s Highlights at CES 2025

Jan 2025

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Last week, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 took over Las Vegas, the global stage for innovation showcased the latest advancements in technology. This year’s CES Show 2025 was a game-changer for digital advertising, shaped by transformative discussions, tech announcements, innovation and much more.

Ready to dive into what was buzzing in Las Vegas?

From our Seedtag Sky Suite at the ARIA Hotel to high-impact networking events, we connected with industry leaders, shared groundbreaking advancements in contextual AI, and explored how privacy in advertising is reshaping the future of marketing. We even managed to dance the night away at ‘Strangers No More’ with Unplugged Collective - truly an edition to remember.
Here’s a look at our very own event highlights and the key industry trends that had everyone talking at CES Las Vegas 2025.

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Seedtag going strong at CES 2025

We surely made a strong impression at CES Las Vegas 2025 with a series of exclusive events and experiences that brought the best of contextual advertising to the spotlight.

Seedtag Suite: A Hub for Innovation and Networking

Located in the luxurious Aria Sky Suite, the Seedtag Suite hosted our top-tier clients, including representatives from GroupM, OMG, Carat, NBCU, and Fubo. Guests were treated to personalized experiences, including rejuvenating IV transfusions, machine learning workshops, and exclusive Seedtag CES merchandise.

Unplugged Collective’s Strangers No More

Seedtag partnered with Unplugged Collective to host the Strangers No More event, a dazzling mix of networking, music, and immersive experiences. With over 600 attendees, this event left a lasting impression, highlighting how we bring creativity and innovation to the digital advertising landscape.

Contextual AI in the spotlight

At the Seedtag Suite, we unveiled our latest advancements in contextual AI technology, demonstrating how our solutions can redefine CTV advertising and improve ad relevance without compromising user privacy. From harnessing AI to power contextual strategies to privacy-first targeting strategies, we highlighted how Seedtag’s technology is leading the way in contextual targeting.

Key Industry Trends from CES 2025

1. AI’s Inflection Point: Transforming Targeting and Personalization

Generative AI took center stage at CES 2025, revolutionizing how brands approach contextual advertising. AI is no longer a buzzword but a vital tool in crafting precise, relevant, and engaging campaigns.

We showcased how AI contextual advertising enables brands to move beyond tracking user behavior to focus on the immediate context of user engagement. By analyzing real-time content, generative AI delivers display ads that align seamlessly with consumer interests, ensuring higher engagement and relevance.

What to Expect from Contextual Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI is redefining marketing strategies by enabling hyper-personalization while respecting personal information and user privacy.
2025 is the year for brands to adopt AI-driven solutions that optimize content creation, campaign performance, and consumer engagement.

2. The Rising Dominance of CTV Advertising

As streaming continues to replace traditional TV, CTV advertising emerged as a hot topic at CES Las Vegas 2025. This shift reflects changing consumer habits, with cord-cutters embracing on-demand content and advertisers reallocating budgets to reach engaged streaming audiences.

Why CTV Is Essential

Precision Targeting: Unlike traditional TV ads, CTV enables brands to tailor their messaging to niche audiences.
Real-Time Metrics: Advertisers gain access to detailed insights into viewer preferences, optimizing campaigns on the fly to improve ROI.
Personalized Ads: CTV offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with users based on their current interests and viewing habits.

Seedtag’s CTV advertising solutions stood out for their ability to combine contextual insights from the open web with streaming data. This approach ensures that ads resonate deeply with viewers while respecting their privacy. As CTV advertising evolves, it’s clear that contextual targeting will remain a cornerstone of effective campaigns in this space.

3. Privacy in Advertising: A Growing Imperative

Privacy was a recurring theme at CES 2025, reflecting the industry’s response to stricter data regulations and growing consumer awareness of how their data is used. With new privacy laws taking effect in multiple U.S. states and the continued influence of GDPR, brands must adapt their marketing strategies to prioritize user privacy.

Challenges of Privacy in Advertising

Signal Deprecation isn’t Privacy: Many “privacy-safe” solutions fail to address the broader regulatory environment and consumer sentiment. This only emphasizes the importance of solutions that genuinely prioritize user privacy over short-term fixes.
CTV and Privacy: While CTV avoids cookies, its reliance on IP address tracking introduces new privacy challenges. Regulations like the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) classifies IP addresses as personal information, requiring advertisers to rethink their targeting methods.

"The Time for Contextual Advertising is Now"

Seedtag demonstrated how contextual targeting provides a long-term solution to these challenges. By focusing on the content a user is engaging with at that moment, contextual advertising avoids the need for personal data while delivering relevant, engaging ads. This privacy-first approach aligns with the expectations of both consumers and regulators, ensuring compliance without sacrificing effectiveness.

Blog_InArticleImage_Transforming Context into Connections with Seedtag’s Highlights at CES 2025 2

Seedtag’s CES 2025 Cheatsheet for Advertisers

CES 2025 reaffirmed once again the power of contextual AI, CTV advertising, and privacy-first solutions in the evolving adtech landscape. What can brands and agencies learn from this?

Embrace AI: Generative AI is essential for delivering personalized, efficient campaigns that resonate with modern consumers.
Invest in CTV: The rapid growth of streaming audiences makes CTV advertising a must-have in any forward-looking marketing strategy.
Prioritize Privacy: Contextual targeting offers a sustainable solution for balancing personalization with compliance, ensuring your ads remain impactful and trustworthy.

Leading the Way in Contextual Innovation

As CES 2025 demonstrated, the future of digital advertising lies in solutions that balance innovation with responsibility. Seedtag’s expertise in contextual advertising ensures that brands stay ahead of industry trends, delivering ads that engage audiences without compromising privacy.

Ready to elevate your advertising game? Discover how Seedtag’s contextual AI can transform your campaigns and help you thrive in the ever-changing landscape of digital advertising.

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Contextual In Action: How United Airlines Reached New Heights with CTV Advertising

Jan 2025

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CTV

Contextual Advertising

When United Airlines launched its new nonstop service from the United States to Marrakech, Morocco, they partnered with Seedtag for a Connected TV (CTV) advertising campaign to reach travelers with relevant interests. Through an innovative contextual advertising approach powered by our contextual AI Liz, the campaign has achieved a 48% increase in consumer recognition of the new route and drove notable lifts in brand favorability and travel consideration.

Contextual Advertising: Connecting the dots for United Airlines

In collaboration with agency partner Carat, United Airlines aimed to build awareness for its new Marrakech route by connecting with potential travelers whose interests aligned with the unique aspects of the destination, building an audience based on what inspires them. Traditional travel advertising typically focuses on narrow targeting categories, but this campaign pushed boundaries by using contextual AI to uncover custom audience interests beyond conventional travel themes.

How It Worked:

Open Web Content Analysis Seedtag’s AI-powered solution Liz, mapped a contextual graph of open web content relevant to the Marrakech route, identifying untapped interest segments.
Custom CTV Targeting: The open web analysis guided the targeting for CTV Audiences. By focusing on content related to adventure, arts & crafts, food, technology, and travel, we ensured the ads reached the right audiences in highly relevant contexts.

As a result, the campaign went beyond the limits of traditional travel advertising by identifying white-space opportunities and placing United Airlines’ ads where they would be most effective and earn the most engagement from viewers.

Campaign Highlights: Meaningful Engagement and Brand Impact

According to a third-party analysis by Cint, the partnership between United Airlines and Seedtag has delivered major results across key brand metrics:

+48% Product Recognition: More consumers became aware of United’s new Marrakech route.
+21% Brand Favorability: United Airlines earned stronger consumer sentiment.
+7% Travel Consideration: Travelers showed increased interest in booking with United when flying to Marrakech.
80% Brand Differentiation: viewers agreed that United Airlines’ ads clearly set the brand apart from its competitors.

Additionally, the campaign reached over 122,000 unique households through CTV, placing ads in content genres that resonated with audiences ready to be inspired by new travel experiences. This targeted approach maximized relevance while keeping messaging contextually appropriate.

Maximizing CTV Campaigns Impact with Context

"This campaign was a perfect example of how our contextual advertising solutions can redefine audience engagement," said Kartal Goskel, CTO at Seedtag. "By merging our AI-powered contextual analysis of the open web with CTV execution, we connected United Airlines with travelers at the moments that truly mattered."

The ability to reach potential travelers through contextually relevant ads enabled United Airlines to establish a compelling narrative about its new route to Marrakech while reinforcing its brand promise. This strategy not only boosted awareness but also fostered deeper audience engagement, ensuring long-term brand loyalty.

Looking Ahead: Redefining Travel Advertising

The partnership with United Airlines highlights the transformative potential of contextual advertising in travel marketing. By blending CTV targeting with AI-driven open web content analysis, brands can craft campaigns that resonate emotionally while driving measurable business outcomes.

As travel continues to recover globally, contextual strategies will remain essential for brands seeking to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Seedtag’s contextual solutions empower brands to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving advertising landscape, going beyond conventional targeting to create tailored, high-impact campaigns.

Ready to make your brand’s advertising strategy first class? Discover how contextual targeting can help your campaigns reach for the sky.

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New Marketing Trends to Watch in 2025: Next Era of Digital Advertising

Dec 2024

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As we enter 2025, the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve rapidly, driven by advancements in technology and changing consumer expectations. Staying competitive requires understanding the new marketing trends shaping the industry and adapting strategies accordingly. Here are three key trends marketers should focus on this year—and how to put them into action.

Beyond Flat Targeting: Exploring Multi-Dimensional Insights

Consumers today are dynamic, with interests that change across contexts and platforms. In 2025, brands must move beyond outdated, one-dimensional targeting methods and embrace contextual AI for deeper personalization. Advanced AI-powered tools analyze environments holistically—text, visuals, and even video content—offering a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior.

Why it matters: Traditional targeting based on isolated data points is no longer enough. With contextual AI, brands can build marketing campaigns that adapt to evolving consumer interests by interpreting full contextual environments. This capability helps brands discover consumer insights they may have missed using conventional targeting.

Advanced contextual targeting allows marketers to understand not just what consumers are interested in, but why. By connecting the dots across multiple data points, brands can build richer audience profiles that lead to more meaningful engagements. This multi-dimensional approach ensures campaigns are both relevant and impactful.

By combining data from various touchpoints, such as browsing history, search behavior, and contextual content analysis, brands can identify emerging audience segments. This capability enables more precise targeting and ensures that advertising feels personal while respecting user privacy.

How to stay ahead:

Reassess your targeting strategy—are you considering the full context of your audience’s behavior?
Partner with technology experts who can decode complex content environments and identify emerging audience patterns.
Conduct A/B testing to measure how multi-dimensional targeting impacts marketing performance.

Multi-Screen Messaging: Connecting Audiences Across Devices

Consumers navigate multiple screens daily, shifting from mobile devices to desktops and Connected TVs (CTV). In 2025, successful brands will take a unified, multi-screen approach, ensuring that messages flow naturally across all touchpoints.

Why it matters: Disconnected campaigns create fragmented customer experiences. By aligning campaigns across devices, brands can increase relevance and reduce acquisition costs. CTV, in particular, presents a valuable opportunity, enabling advertisers to extend personalized messaging from the web to the living room.

By using contextual AI, brands can enhance video advertising with precision. This technology can interpret visual elements, dialogue, and even tone of voice in video content. As large language models continue to improve, marketers will unlock more granular targeting opportunities across different content formats.

Consistency in messaging ensures that users encounter a unified brand story, regardless of how they interact with content. By maintaining thematic coherence across screens, brands can foster deeper emotional connections with their audiences.

How to stay ahead:

Design campaigns that work across all screens and formats, from online video to CTV.
Use data-driven insights to identify the best times and platforms to reach your audience.
Develop a measurement framework that tracks cross-device engagement and campaign effectiveness.

Explore More: Discover how multi-screen strategies drive impact

Privacy-First Approaches: Winning in a Cookieless Future

With third-party cookies disappearing, brands must embrace privacy-first advertising strategies to remain competitive while protecting consumer trust. In 2025, forward-thinking marketers will combine first-party data, contextual targeting, and privacy-compliant alternatives for greater personalization without sacrificing data security.

Why it matters: According to industry reports, over half of internet users are now beyond the reach of third-party cookies. Brands that adopt privacy-first solutions can ensure their campaigns remain effective while respecting consumer preferences and data privacy regulations.

To achieve this balance, marketers must prioritize transparent data collection and consent-driven strategies. Building trust with consumers is no longer optional—it’s a critical factor in campaign success. Brands that clearly communicate how user data is handled will enjoy greater customer loyalty and better marketing results.

Adopting privacy-first marketing isn’t just about compliance—it’s a competitive advantage. By showing a commitment to ethical data use, brands can enhance their reputation while staying ahead of shifting regulatory requirements.

How to stay ahead:

Develop a comprehensive data strategy that includes first-party data collection and privacy-safe sharing.
Combine contextual targeting with privacy-compliant data-sharing environments to create contextual audiences that drive meaningful engagement.
Stay updated on evolving privacy regulations and ensure your data management practices remain compliant.

Into The Next Era Of Advertising

The future of digital marketing is here. Adopting these marketing trends for 2025—from AI-powered targeting to multi-screen strategies and privacy-first marketing—will ensure that your brand stays competitive, adaptive, and ready for what’s next.

Ready to future-proof your marketing strategy? Contact us to discover all about contextual AI and see how Seedtag can help you thrive in this changing digital landscape.

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Cooking up Holiday success with Contextual Food & Drinks Audiences

Dec 2024

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As the holiday season sets in, cities light up with festive decorations, and the air is filled with the spirit of joy and togetherness. It’s a time when friends and families come together, creating lasting memories over delicious meals and celebratory drinks. For brands in the Food & Drinks category, this season isn’t just about tradition—it’s an opportunity to connect with engaged audiences looking for inspiration, ideas, and products to make their holidays truly special.

Our latest Contextual Insights report reveals that Food & Drinks is one of the most sought-after categories during the holiday season, contributing to 10.6% of all Christmas-related content and achieving an impressive average of 847 visits per article.

So, how can advertisers reach the right audience and maximize engagement in this high-interest period?

Liz’s Seasonal Audiences technology helps advertisers identify and engage with the most relevant audience segments during the holidays. By understanding their core interests and behaviors, brands can deliver campaigns that truly resonate.

Here are the key audience categories for the Food & Drinks sector this holiday season:

Food & Baking Enthusiasts: Passionate about home-cooking, festive desserts, and creating memorable Christmas meals, this audience is actively searching for recipes, baking tips, and culinary inspiration.
Party Hosts & Planners: Focused on hosting magical gatherings, this group is interested in festive cocktails, holiday table setups, and family-friendly entertainment ideas.
Gift Shoppers: These consumers are on the hunt for the perfect presents, turning to Christmas markets, gift guides, and personalized gift ideas to make their loved ones feel special.
Holiday Decorators: From seasonal decorations to home improvement projects, this audience is all about creating a festive atmosphere and enhancing their spaces for the holidays.

By targeting these highly engaged audiences, brands can align their messaging with consumer interests at the peak of the holiday season.

Liz’s research also uncovered the key areas of interest driving engagement across audience categories. Here’s what’s trending this season:

Deals & Discounts: Audiences actively seek value through holiday sales and promotions.
Home & Appliances: Popular among Party Hosts & Planners, this category includes searches for festive decor, home improvement inspiration, and reliable kitchen gadgets.
Tech & Gadgets: With gifting in full swing, tech products are in high demand among Gift Shoppers.
Fashion & Beauty: Seasonal style and holiday glam continue to capture interest.
Travel & Traditions: Audiences embrace holiday getaways and nostalgic family traditions, creating opportunities for brands to connect emotionally.

For Party Hosts & Planners, home-related content drives their interest, with a focus on:

Fresh decor ideas to transform their spaces.
Researching the best home appliances and electronics for entertaining.
Relying on customer reviews to guide their purchasing decisions.

For Gift Shoppers, the top priority is finding thoughtful and meaningful gifts, with searches including:

Toys to fulfill children’s holiday wishes.
Ideas for enhancing children’s play areas with fun, functional items.
Charitable gifting options that reflect values like generosity and solidarity.

Seedtag’s Contextual Audiences offers a powerful, privacy-first approach to targeting the audiences that matter most. By leveraging real-time data and an interest-led strategy, advertisers can connect with diverse, inclusive, and highly relevant audience segments going beyond traditional stereotypes to deliver campaigns that truly resonate. What sets our approach apart is its dynamic adaptability: Liz continuously refines audience segments based on live trends and interests, ensuring your campaigns remain timely and impactful. This is combined with a privacy-first methodology, meaning there’s no reliance on cookies or invasive tracking, just meaningful connections built on authentic consumer behavior.

Additionally, our strategies are fully customizable, allowing you to tailor audience segments to align perfectly with your brand’s unique objectives and deliver your message at the right moment.

The holiday season is the perfect opportunity for Food & Drinks brands to connect with audiences eager for inspiration, quality products, and memorable experiences. With Seedtag’s Contextual Audiences, you can craft campaigns that align with the trends and behaviors driving holiday engagement.

Download the full report today and discover the insights you need to create winning holiday campaigns.

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Exploring the Future of Connected TV with Roku

Dec 2024

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CTV

The Pub Way is back! In the season two premiere of Seedtag's podcast for publishers, hosts Mike Villalobos and Tina Iannachino welcome Miles Fisher, Senior Director of Strategic Advertising Partnerships at Roku, to explore the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of Connected TV (CTV) on “Episode 15: Roku: The Power of Data and Transparency in CTV”.

With years of expertise spanning roles at T-Mobile Advertising and Google Marketing Platform, Fisher brings invaluable insights into how advertisers and broadcasters can adapt and thrive in this fast-paced industry.

Roku: From Streaming Hardware to CTV Pioneer

A key highlight of the episode is Roku's evolution. Originally launched as a Netflix project nearly two decades ago, Roku has transformed from a hardware manufacturer into a software-driven platform that powers TVs with its operating system. This pivot not only expanded Roku’s reach but also unlocked new opportunities in the world of CTV advertising.

Fisher explains how this shift positions Roku as a leader in delivering seamless user experiences, enabling innovative solutions for advertisers, including shoppable media—a game-changer that allows viewers to purchase products directly through their TV screens.

The Rise of Shoppable Media

Imagine watching your favorite show and effortlessly purchasing a featured product with just your remote. Thanks to Roku’s unique position as a TV operating system, this isn’t science fiction; it’s the future of advertising.

By leveraging first-party data—such as names, emails, and payment details—Roku creates frictionless shopping experiences tailored to user preferences. While many consumers still prefer making purchases on mobile devices, the growing adoption of shoppable ads signals a shift in consumer behavior that advertisers can’t afford to ignore.

Opportunities in the Shift from Linear to CTV

As traditional broadcasters embrace CTV, Fisher shares practical advice for making the transition successful. Collaborating with platforms like Roku can help broadcasters seamlessly adapt their content for streaming audiences while standing out in a crowded marketplace.

For advertisers, the benefits of CTV are clear. By tapping into first-party data, brands can deliver highly targeted campaigns that rival the precision of social media advertising. From reduced customer acquisition costs (CAC) to improved Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), CTV offers unparalleled opportunities for growth.

What’s Next for CTV?

The episode concludes with a look at the future of CTV. Fisher predicts a continued rise in ad-supported models, particularly in the FAST segment, as consumers push back against subscription fatigue. He also highlights the importance of niche programming—like women’s sports—to capture underserved audiences.

At the heart of this evolution lies data-driven transparency. Fisher emphasizes that the success of CTV advertising depends on giving marketers the tools they need to effectively plan, measure, and optimize their campaigns.

Next stop at The Pub Way

Packed with actionable insights and expert predictions, The Pub Way podcast is a must-listen for publishers navigating the intersection of technology, creativity, and advertising. Tune in now.

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Plug into the trends: Top Tech Shopping Insights for your campaigns

Dec 2024

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The final quarter of the year is here, and with it comes an exciting opportunity for brands in the technology space. From cutting-edge audio experiences to smart home gadgets, consumers are engaging with tech content like never before. But how can your brand stay ahead in a competitive landscape?

Our latest Contextual Insights report dives deep into the trends driving consumer interest this quarter. With mentions of spatial audio up 35%, smart home devices seeing a 24% engagement increase, and console gaming commanding loyal attention, Q4 is the season to position your brand at the forefront of innovation. Here’s everything you need to know to power up your campaigns.

Spatial Audio: Turning Up the Volume on Immersive Sound+

Spatial audio is making waves this quarter, with a 35% surge in mentions and an average of 4,200 visits per article. From high-end headphones to advanced home theater systems, consumers are increasingly seeking audio experiences that put them at the center of the action.

Top Drivers: Premium brands like Apple (AirPods Max) and Sonos (Beam) are leading the charge, sparking consumer interest in immersive audio that enhances music, gaming, and movie experiences.
Why It Matters: Audio technology is no longer a luxury; it’s an expectation for tech-savvy audiences looking to upgrade their everyday experiences.

We recommend: Showcase how your audio products deliver a premium listening experience. Whether it’s through creative storytelling or experiential activations, emphasize the emotional connection that high-quality sound creates.

Smart Home Devices: Automating the Modern Lifestyle

The smart home revolution continues to gain traction, with engagement around smart locks, voice-activated assistants, and home automation systems up 24% this quarter. Articles in this category average 3,800 visits, reflecting strong consumer interest in convenience and connectivity.

Top Trends: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and innovative smart locks are leading the conversation, as consumers look for seamless integration into their daily routines.
Holiday Opportunity: Smart home devices are a perfect fit for holiday gifting, offering a balance of practicality and innovation that appeals to tech-savvy shoppers.

We recommend: Highlight the lifestyle benefits of your smart home products in campaigns. Show how they simplify routines, enhance security, or add a touch of luxury to everyday living.

Console Gaming: Winning Engagement

Gaming remains one of the most engaging tech categories this quarter, with articles on PlayStation, Xbox, and popular gaming titles averaging 5,200 visits. Console gaming is not just about hardware; it’s about creating immersive entertainment experiences that captivate loyal audiences.

Key Titles & Drivers: Content covering cross-platform gaming, game streaming, and major releases like Resident Evil and Grand Theft Auto drives high engagement.
Why It Matters: The gaming community is highly engaged and loyal, making it a prime audience for brands looking to align with innovation and entertainment.

We recommend: Focus on the culture of gaming in your campaigns. Whether it’s accessories, exclusive game bundles, or immersive VR add-ons, position your products as a must-have for gamers this holiday season.

eCommerce and Holiday Tech Shopping: The Competitive Edge

Tech shoppers are flocking to eCommerce platforms like Amazon and Temu this quarter, with both platforms seeing significant engagement spikes. Articles focused on exclusive deals and discounts generate 6,100 visits per article on Amazon and 8,500 visits on Temu, showcasing the growing role of online shopping in the tech category.

What’s Driving Traffic: Limited-time offers, early access deals, and curated gift guides are capturing consumer attention during Q4.
Opportunity for Brands: Partnering with eCommerce platforms or creating online-exclusive promotions can help your brand stand out in a crowded digital marketplace.

We recommend: Leverage the power of urgency in your campaigns. Highlight limited-time offers or “shop early” messaging to capitalize on the eCommerce momentum driving holiday tech purchases.

This quarter, the tech space is buzzing with innovation, from immersive audio to smart home gadgets and gaming consoles. With consumer engagement surging in these categories, brands have a unique opportunity to connect with highly engaged audiences.

Download the full report and get the insights you need to power up your campaigns: Seedtag 2024 Tech & Q4 Insights.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Top Strategies and Trends for 2024

Nov 2024

mins

As we head into the holiday season, the Christmas trees go up and the streets are filled with laughter and cheer. From around Thanksgiving weekend, the holiday spirits are high and the world welcomes the December festivities.

Holiday season trends show 4 key areas that garner audience interest during this time of the year. The growing trend starts in November and sees a significant uplift in interest and momentum from the beginning of December.

Topics around Christmas Markets and Events capture the most interest and the articles cover information about local Christmas markets, dates, attractions, and tips for visitors. With over 27K views per article, the topic receives 17% of the views.
The next topic is Best Christmas Deals and Promotions with a 9% view share. These articles focus on the best deals, discounts, and promotions available for shoppers and how consumers can save money.
Gifts and Unique Finds for Christmas and Christmas Shopping Trends are the two other key topics that have a 7% view rate each. The topics include articles about gift ideas, popular presents, DIYs, and shopping trends.

What are the main content categories?

Our analysis around the holidays and Christmas showed that shopping is the main category of interest. But what areas generate the most interest among users?

Shopping Brands
Food and Drink
Events & Attractions
Travel
Tech and Computing

Learn more about the top brands that are most relevant during the holidays.

Seedtag 2024 Holiday Guide: Download Now

Deep dive: What piques the audience's interest?

Gift shopping

This topic receives maximum interest during the season and sees 6.1M brand-safe impressions per month. The audience is keen on finding the perfect presents such as toys and play areas, and are focused on instilling fundamental values through charity and donations.

Home & Appliances

Many want to enhance their living space with home decor, furniture, and appliances by selecting pieces that showcase personal taste and enhance the quality of daily life. The topic receives 5.3M monthly impressions and the main clusters include home decoration, top lists, and reviews.

Tech & Gadgets

This topic receives 4.5M monthly impressions and explores the latest innovations and cutting-edge devices like smart home systems, smartphones, and wearable tech. The main clusters of interest are VR, AI, and review websites.

Fashion & Beauty

The main clusters for this topic are influencers, DIY at home, and new retail shop openings, contributing to 6.9M monthly impressions. This audience wants to know the latest trends and find stylish clothing & accessories, and beauty products.

Deals & Discounts

With 5.2M monthly impressions, the audience is on the hunt for the best offers, special promotions, and price reductions. From flash sales to bargain shops, they are searching for ways to maximize budget and achieve excellent value on their purchases.

Traditions

Festive customs and time-honored practices form an integral part of the holiday season, garnering 2.4M monthly impressions. From memorable Christmas ads and events to holiday calendars and traditions such as decorating trees and exchanging gifts, the audience wants to ensure they create cherished memories during the season.

Travel

The holiday season is also a time for vacations and visiting new destinations. The topic garners 5.9M monthly impressions as the audience is on the lookout for the best destinations, unexplored routes, and flight details to plan a unique and memorable trip.

For more detailed insights, get your copy of the guide.

Seedtag 2024 Holiday Guide: Download Now

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How to navigate the unique Canadian media market

Amanda Pui

Nov 2024

mins