Home AdExchanger Talks Podcast: Nate Woodman Says Brands Will Eventually Own Proprietary Machine-Learning Models

Podcast: Nate Woodman Says Brands Will Eventually Own Proprietary Machine-Learning Models

SHARE:

Welcome to episode No. 8 of AdExchanger Talks, a podcast focused on data-driven marketing. Subscribe here.

According to Nate Woodman, GM of demand solutions at IPONWEB, the deployment of brand data in the media-buying arena is at an early stage. His pet thesis: Now that CRM activation in programmatic is common, the next challenge will be the development of proprietary machine-learning models that are owned and controlled by brands.

“Most CRM data is activated through a DSP,” Woodman says in this latest episode of AdExchanger Talks. “That supports a segmentation strategy, but to drive real performance out of a system requires a machine-learning model, which can hit performance targets in a vastly superior way to segment-based buying.”

A tiny club of big marketers, such as Netflix, have initiatives in place today around proprietary algorithmic IP. And other performance-focused verticals like banks may be positioned to do so. But it’s a steep climb.

“The challenge to the industry, and it’s a daunting one, is to find a way to spread proprietary algorithms across programmatic platforms,” Woodman said. “Most brands aren’t even close to realizing this vision, but some are making overtures in the direction of proprietary machine-learning models.”

He added, “I don’t know that it’s going to go there, but it’s a vision.”

Also in this episode: Woodman talks about IPONWEB’s unique place in ad tech history, its current strategy and the evolution of the agency trading desk model.

Must Read

Sweetgreen Tapped Atmosphere TV To Introduce World Cup Viewers To Its Wraps

Sweetgreen turned the World Cup into a marketing moment for its new wraps, running video ads in public viewing spaces through Atmosphere TV.

Amazon Crushes Earnings And Reaches Almost $20 Billion In Q2 Ad Revenue

Amazon’s advertising businesses earned a total $19.8 billion in Q2, the company reported in its quarterly earnings on Thursday. That’s up from $15.7 billion in Q2 2025, and good for a 26% year over year growth rate.

Los Angeles, California - 26 February 2023: Reddit social media platform displayed on smart device

Reddit Had A Great Q2, But Investors Have AI Search Jitters

Guess there’s no pleasing investors. Despite Reddit delivering an objectively solid Q2, its stock cratered, in part because of search-related headwinds and low referral traffic.

Privacy! Commerce! Connected TV! Read all about it. Subscribe to AdExchanger Newsletters

Meta’s Expenses Are Growing Faster Than Its Revenue, Thanks To Lawsuits And AI

A combination of layoffs, lawsuits and AI operating costs set back Meta’s Q2 earnings, despite increased revenue.

Omnicom Investors Cheer IPG Sell-Off, Despite Weak Ad Spend In Q2

Omnicom is halfway through a major sell-off of IPG agencies. Its future looks healthier as it prunes lower-growth firms, including eliminating certain specialist firms and overlapping agencies in certain countries.

Hundreds of emails, depositions and other documents have been unsealed in the lead-up to the Google antitrust trial, providing a fascinating look at how Google talked about its own products when no one else was watching – especially tools to counteract the rise of header bidding.

Why PubMatic Ditched Its Prebid Web Wrapper, But Never Its SDK

Earlier this month, PubMatic shelved its Prebid integration wrapper, known as OpenWrap Web, and announced it would begin recommending Playwire as an offloading-onboarding partner for the 250-odd publishers that use its wrapper.