Commerce

The Google PMax whisperer releases his latest annual report; publishers brace for more disruptions from Google search updates; and stolen content is the least of Wikipedia’s gen AI concerns.

Wonder Group, a restaurant tech and meal delivery company, snapped up Blue Apron in 2023, Grubhub a year later, then Tastemade earlier this month. Tastemade brings new capabilities, says Wonder Chief Growth Officer Daniel Shlossman. But it’s an important step in the company’s plan to become a 360-degree advertising player.

Oracle’s TikTok bid is a warmed-over Project Texas; Amazon’s ads biz has its sights set on Google; and gen AI search is a good traffic source for retailers, but bad for news pubs.

Dotdash Meredith (DDM) has hired Jim Lawson to run its ad tech division D/Cipher. Plus, can Target become a true advertising powerhouse? 

Uber ended 2024 with its strongest quarter ever, posting 20% year-over-year revenue growth of $12 billion in Q4 – due in no small part to Uber Advertising.

AI and machine learning services have come a long way in the past couple years, and these changes have introduced a whole new vocabulary for marketers trying to get a handle on how products like PMax work.

AI-equipped consumer products keep failing; why the newsletter boom might be nothing but spam; and retaliatory tariffs hit America where it hurts.

PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel dishes on sell-side curation, data fees, how the business model differs from buy-side curation and how publishers can control pricing for curated deals.

“There were some lessons early on,” Dawn Brodehl, Tillamook’s manager of omni-shopper marketing, tells AdExchanger of the company’s expansion to a national brand. For one thing, did you know that ice cream and dairy products can explode when they’re shipped over the Rocky Mountains?

Amazon’s ad tech ambitions are crowding out Amazon specialists; EU regulators have concerns about Apple ATT; and Google says breaking it up could threaten national security.

Target reported $649 million in revenue from its Roundel advertising business in 2024, up about 25% from 2023, during its Q4 and full-year earnings report on Tuesday.

Today’s roundup deals with an uncomfortable topic that, at some point, retail media companies must reckon with. It’s not transparency, or MFA, or standardization. It is the issue of rising return rates.

Amazon is still lowering its Prime Video ad rates across the board. Plus, there are disadvantages to being a big tech giant.

YouTube is adding a new tier with a “light” ad load. Plus, remember Facebook?

Walmart’s ad business is starting to click. The company generated $4.4 billion in global ad revenue in 2024, up  27% year-over-year, the company disclosed in its latest earnings report on Thursday.

2025 is officially the year that GLP-1 solidifies itself as a force in the advertising world.

Not every retailer has a solid handle on emerging AI tech. While some thrived, others stumbled – sometimes spectacularly. Here are some lessons to learn from Q4 campaigns.

Spotify faces obstacles in its ticket sales aspirations; Apple switches to view-through attribution; and The Washington Post and Meta remove ads that were critical of Elon Musk.

AirBNB starting an ad service business is “not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when.”  Plus, Walmart is winning.

Enjoy this weekly comic strip from AdExchanger.com that highlights the digital advertising ecosystem … 

Making TripleLift stand out among the pack is one of Helmreich’s top priorities, as is ensuring supply chain health. And, he said, the company has no plans to shy away from its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Last week, at an industry event hosted by RTB House, a group of retailers took the stage to discuss their plans (and frustrations) with data-driven advertising this year.

TVs are officially the most popular device for watching YouTube; Google’s lead generation comes under fire; Temu tests a “half custody” distribution model to counter import tariffs.

The convergence of on-site retail and shopping across the web got a little more converged on Tuesday with the news that Kevel has acquired Nexta.

Amazon’s advertising services group earned $17.3 billion in Q4 2024, up 18% year over year.

Criteo’s shares leapt more than 20% Wednesday morning after the company reported continued profitability growth and a strong financial footing.

Criteo’s Brian Gleason shared how it is working with agencies to capitalize on curation and measurement opportunities in retail media and CTV.

NBCUniversal and Instacart team up to help brands use Instacart data to plan and measure audiences for NBCU campaigns.

Chinese advertisers and ecommerce companies have become a force in American shopping. What happens now?

This year, expect ad tech consolidation to center on the biggest growth opportunities in advertising: retail media, connected TV and addressing the gaps in measurement.