Ferrero's Danielle Sporkin breaks down the reality behind retail media’s full-funnel promise
Retail media networks have been striking deals and inking partnerships with social and streaming platforms to open up ad inventory across the internet. It’s a push to get advertisers to see RMNs as full funnel marketing channels as opposed to a search and display one trick pony. Now, if advertisers like Ferrero see it as such, that’s still up for debate (18:29).
Also on this episode, why Paramount Skydance is eyeing a bid for Warner Bros Discovery (3:18), what the Amazon and Netflix DSP deal could mean for The Trade Desk (8:47) and inside the FTC’s latest big tech probe (14:30).
--------
41:59
--------
41:59
How AI rewrites search for publishers
This week's episode goes inside the search wars. More people are starting their online search with AI-powered chatbots and publishers are feeling the effects. To breakdown what AI search means for publishers (15:22), Digiday staffers Jessica Davies, senior media editor and Sara Guaglione, senior media reporter, join the show.
Also on this episode: Google won't have to sell Chrome after all (1:27), Apple plans its own AI-powered search engine (8:15) and publishers call to include Gemini in Google investigation (12:42).
--------
50:51
--------
50:51
The Summer Things Turned Messy
This week’s episode recaps what ended up being a messy summer, from corporate changeovers and AI existentialism to fresh competition for Google and a return to the TV bundle for streaming. Oh, and tariffs; we can’t forget tariffs. As stated, the season was kind of a mess, and Digiday managing editor Sara Jerde joined the show to help make sense of the events that transpired and what they portend for the rest of 2025.
Related stories:
WPP has its next CEO – but what do clients make of the heir apparent?
The coalition of the willing (and unable): publishers rally to wall off AI’s free ride
Google readies its last stand in latest antitrust trial
The next browser wars are here — and AI wants the ad dollars too
How tariffs have upended the back-to-school season
--------
37:59
--------
37:59
Why AI is agencies’ frenemy
This week’s episode recaps xAI’s lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI (3:58), retail media’s recent boom that could be a bubble (11:11), and publishers’ push to usage-based pricing in their AI deals (15:23).
Then (18:50) Digiday editors Seb Joseph and Michael Bürgi join the show to discuss how generative AI technologies could spur agencies to lose client relationships or push brands to rely on agencies even more for AI access.
Related articles:
Why generative AI doesn’t fit into a standard in-housing playbook – yet
As AI alters cost of creative, indie agencies review how they charge clients
WTF is AI ‘grounding’ licensing, and why do publishers say it matters over training deals?
--------
54:04
--------
54:04
Retail Media Godmother Kristi Argyilan: "It's going to be a reset"
On this week's episode, AI startup Perplexity puts in its bid to buy Google Chrome and The Trade Desk loses exclusivity with Walmart DSP, signaling another tough loss for the tech titan.
Then (19:00), Uber's global head of ads Kristi Argyilan shares how she got her job, and why her career path may no longer be replicable.
The Digiday Podcast is a weekly show on the big stories and issues that matter to brands, agencies and publishers as they transition to the digital age.
Ireland