This Month: Google's Monopoly Ruling Stirs the Industry!

September is on a roll and Q4 is just around the corner. The pace in adtech is as relentless as ever, and this month, we’re seeing bold transformations, strategic recalibrations, and fresh frontiers across every channel.

Smart, memory-powered shopping is becoming a reality with innovations in Amazon AI. And we're happy to see another myth bite the dust: the idea that retail media lives at the bottom of the funnel. AI-driven platforms and unified customer profiles are making retail media a full-funnel powerhouse from awareness to loyalty.

We've got all the latest news, from smarT, memory-powered AI shopping, to the growth of audio and video platforms, the quietly shifting architecture of programmatic, to the final ruling on Google's platform monopoly. Can we move with all this change while keeping the human connection intact?

Dive into this month’s must-reads to chart your road forward!

September in Adtech

Google monopoly ruling: Anticlimatic or cataclysmic?

As the dust settles on the US court ruling that Google will not have to sell its Chrome web browser but must share information with competitors, the advertising and marketing industry is still in the dark over how it will affect the business. Particular Audience 's CTO Muzammel Hoque and Revving 's CEO, Christopher Pettit , share their views with Decision Marketing - READ IT HERE

Amazon Rufus’ memory upgrade signals ‘massive shift’ for e-commerce

With Rufus AI reportedly recalling previous interactions with shoppers to enhance its product recommendations, the e-commerce industry appears set for a significant shake-up. Now able to recall previous conversations, Rufus’ upgrade means a “massive shift” for shoppers, Suzanna Chaplin , Founder and CEO of esbconnect tells Performance Marketing World - READ IT HERE

Programmatic Relationship Advice: Don’t Let Your Partner Eat Your Business

What happens when a company supports your business on one side and quietly competes with it on the other, on an ongoing basis? That’s not just a thought experiment. It’s a common, ongoing reality in the programmatic advertising world. In Advertising Week , Limelight Inc. co-founder David Nelson breaks it down – READ IT HERE

The End of Retail Media’s Bottom-Funnel Illusion

Amir Rasekh, Managing Director at Nectar360 , argues in Martechvibe that retail media has outgrown its bottom-funnel stereotype. With AI-powered platforms like Pollen and unified customer views, retail media is now driving full-funnel strategies, from awareness to loyalty, while reshaping how brands and retailers collaborate – READ IT HERE

Vodcasts: Is it the future of podcasting?

The way people consume podcasts is experiencing a major shift, with video podcasts — or vodcasts — becoming increasingly popular. This reshaping of the podcast landscape brings new opportunities for advertisers and creators. However, the question is: are vodcasts the future or a complementary format still finding its place? The Media Leader UK gets insignts from across the industry; Samsung Ads EMEA to impact.com - READ IT HERE

Five key shifts that changed everything in programmatic ads

European adtech innovator, Preciso , is celebrating five years as a leader in the busy global programmatic advertising sector. Larraine S. , COO, takes a moment to share with Mediashotz five major shifts in the programmatic ads sector since 2020 and also what lies ahead – READ IT HERE

Particular Audience Brings the World’s First Vertically Integrated Retail Media Platform to Europe

AI-native retail media and personalisation company, Particular Audience , has announced the expansion of its retail media capabilities following growth in Australia and New Zealand. MarTech Series explains how combined with its existing recommendation and advanced transformer-based site search platform, the new holistic platform brings the world’s first vertically integrated customer experience and retail media tech stack to European retailers - READ IT HERE

Fired Up 2 is back and it just got hotter! 🔥🔥

Calling all adtech experts! Do you think you’ve got what it takes to champion your sector in front of a live audience? Then this event is the one for you…

Earlier this summer we turned your events season up a gear with our first ever Fired Up where our experts took to the stage to debate what’s hot and what’s hotter in adtech in front of an elite judging panel.

Now, we’re back with the event hosts, team Revving , and this time we want YOU to get involved. Think you could win over the judges? Pitch your place today for a chance to be a part of the hottest event of the golden quarter…

Submit your topic here!

Podcast of the Week

Six industry icons. Six unmissable episodes. One season packed with stories, insights and bold industry predictions from past winners of ExchangeWire's Adtech Personality of the Year!

That’s a wrap on Season One of Legends of Adtech. From Emma Newman’s career lessons to Paul Gubbins’ CTV hot takes and Sara Vincent’s vision of a reset industry, this season has been unmissable. Whether you watch or listen, dive in today and discover what the legends have to say.

LISTEN TO SEASON ONE NOW!

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