The Programmatic Digest

I attended a performance advertising workshop hosted by Infillion MediaMath and it reminded me of something I truly believe: The best way to learn something is to teach it. So this July, I'm dedicating all of our content to one topic: Programmatic Performance Advertising. Predictive targeting. Identity resolution. Dynamic budget allocation. Attribution. And more. New content every week. All month...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, Hélène Parker and Assetou Kone dive into the evolving role of AI in programmatic advertising and campaign optimization. The conversation explores how media buyers and traders can use tools like ChatGPT and Claude to streamline workflows, analyze campaign data more efficiently, and uncover deeper optimization insights. Hélène opens the session by reframin...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, Manuela Cortes sits down with Eric Tilbury, Head of Programmatic and Solutions Engineering at Anuvo, to discuss the evolution of ad tech and the industry's shift away from traditional identity-based targeting. With over 14 years in the space, Eric shares insights from his unique background working on both the supply side (monetization) and the buy side,...

Sign up to our FREE workshop on March 31st:  Optimization with AI for Programmatic Traders Site Lists + Geo Insights (DMA) — from Pivot Tables to Prompts In this episode of Programmatic Digest, Hélène Parker sits down with Assetou Kone, programmatic expert and consultant, for a real conversation about resilience in programmatic advertising and agency life. Assetou shares her journey into ad tech,...

In this episode of Programmatic Digest, Hélène sits down with Tiffany Wade, Media Director at Hunter Blue, for a grounded conversation on community building, mentorship, and leadership as a woman in programmatic and ad tech. Tiffany shares her path into media, from a psychology background and early career pivots to finding her footing through curiosity, asking better questions, and building relati...

Our Let's Talk Curation series was created in partnership with GDB, our curated data partner, to help demystify curated audiences, what they are, how they work, and when and why you should consider using them. Check out this lesson on CTR vs Conversions real performance examples.  #ProgrammaticAdvertising #Curation #AdTechEducation #MediaBuying #ProgrammaticTips About our Partner: https://f.mtr.co...

In this episode of Programmatic Digest, Hélène sits down with Dominique Robinson, an integrated media planner at Luquire, for an insightful conversation on how media planning is evolving in today's programmatic-first world. Dominique shares his personal journey into advertising, from early inspiration through marketing and design to building integrated media strategies that blend traditional chann...

🎧 Summary: In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, Hélène sits down with Alexa Fulmer, a seasoned programmatic buyer and advocate for inclusion, to discuss what it's really like navigating agency life as a gay woman of colour. From microaggressions and being the only person of colour in the room to building confidence and community, Alexa shares her story with vulnerability, insight, and stre...

Our Let's Talk Curation series was created in partnership with GDB, our curated data partner, to help demystify curated audiences, what they are, how they work, and when and why you should consider using them. Check out this lesson on Curation 101.    Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wJam0Sa9q4     About our Partner: https://www.gdb.net     GDB is a curated audien...

Find YouTube link to watch here:  https://youtu.be/uh99t38qgxw   Shownotes Welcome to the first Programmatic Digest episode of 2026 with Ellen Parker and Manuela Cortez. This is a quick check-in, plus a trader-friendly breakdown of the biggest 2025 shifts and what to watch in 2026. We cover five trends from 2025 (AI everywhere, privacy and cookieless reality, CTV growth, RMNs going more programmat...

Preview of the Sell-Side Foundations for Traders workshop sponsored by GDB !  Sign up to this FREE workshop:  https://programmaticdigest14822.ac-page.com/sell-side-workshop     Summary:  A fast, practical deep dive into how GDB redefined programmatic curation  from their early roots as a DSP to becoming an SSP focused on "Curation as a Service." John Dittar and Felipe share how refining supply pat...

A fast, practical deep dive into The Trade Desk's move to label all SSPs as "resellers" — what that label actually means, why it has a bad rap, and where it's fair vs. misleading. Gareth breaks down value-add resellers (e.g., unique widgets/placements) vs. pure pass-through reselling, explains OpenPath in plain English, and demystifies the Transaction ID debate: what it is, why TTD wants it, and h...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Helene Parker sits down with Jana Meron, programmatic veteran and sell-side expert, for a deep dive into how the buy side and sell side can finally bridge the gap. This episode serves as a preview of their upcoming joint workshop — The Sell-Side Programmatic Foundation for Buyers — designed to help traders, buyers, and ad ops professionals better un...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Ellen Parker welcomes two of LinkedIn's most active programmatic voices: Gary Guarnaccia and Ryan Verklin. Together, they dive into the realities of in-housing, retail media, DSP strategy, and the ongoing shifts in supply path optimization (SPO). Ryan shares his journey from agency life to in-house at Bayer, where he helped lead the transition to ha...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Helene Parker welcomes Rosey Sutton, Head of Programmatic at Leadswell, for a deep dive into the world of B2B programmatic advertising. Rosey shares her journey from traditional broadcast buying to programmatic leadership, offering practical insights into brand-to-demand strategy, content syndication, and how to connect brand awareness with demand g...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Manuela Cortes sits down with Angelina Eng, Vice President at IAB, to unpack the evolving world of measurement, attribution, and attention in digital advertising. Angelina shares her deep expertise in helping reduce friction across the ad tech ecosystem and establishing industry best practices through IAB's Measurement, Addressability, and Data Cent...

Petri Kokkonen from Relevant Yield explains how his team helps publishers grow revenue through Demand Path Optimization (DPO), curation, and AI-driven decisioning. 

In this special Cannes Lions edition of the Programmatic Digest Podcast (Español), host Manuela Cortes sits down with Alberto Grande, Regional Lead at EXTE, to explore the evolving media landscape in Latin America. Alberto shares how his team built a creative-first programmatic powerhouse from scratch, the growing impact of Connected TV (CTV) across LATAM, and how partnerships like LG are redefini...

Direct from La Croisette, The Programmatic Digest lands at Cannes Lions 2025 to unpack the biggest stories, trends, and power players shaping the future of advertising. Join us as we interview industry leaders, innovators, and disruptors live from the Croisette—diving into everything from UCG to data privacy and the evolving programmatic landscape. Bite-sized insights. Big-league conversations. Fr...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, we sit down with Heather Macaulay, President of MadTech, an AdTech consultancy transforming how teams approach data, integrations, and strategy. Heather shares her unexpected journey into ad tech—from Newbury Street project management to Pubmatic to founding MadTech—and the lessons she's picked up along the way. We dive into what it really means to have...

In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, we talk with David Wiener, Director of Programmatic Media at a large agency group. He shares how he got started in programmatic as an intern at a small shop while studying at Hofstra and how he worked his way up through companies like Quotient to his current leadership role. David talks about how he stayed motivated during career changes and the challeng...

This is the third episode in a special 3-part series sponsored by Drako! Check out the YouTube Interview here:   https://youtube.com/live/fd_t1dFcxZM In this episode, we sit down with Giorgia Howell , Head of Managed Services at Drako , to break down the art and science of smart programmatic advertising. Whether you're a newbie trader or learning how to manage client expectations better, this one'...

This is the second episode in a special 3-part series sponsored by Drako! Check out the YouTube Interview here:   https://youtu.be/jXgKLxwVj44   In this episode, I talk with Natalia Ruelas from Drako about her journey from studying marketing in Canada to becoming an account manager in programmatic advertising. She shares how important it is to research and measure everything to help campaigns perf...

This is the first episode in a special 3-part series sponsored by Drako! In this episode, I talk with Stewart Sullivan, CEO of Drako, about his journey from being a marketing student at Concordia University to leading a fast-growing programmatic data company. Stewart shares what it's like to work in ad tech as a former trader and why it's so important for media buyers and data partners to work clo...

https://reachandfrequencycourse.thinkific.com/courses/program What it is: A 4-week live accelerator for programmatic traders and ad ops pros who want to level up fast inside the DSP, using real campaigns and walkthroughs. Who it's for: Junior traders who want hands-on experience Client service or ad ops pros managing campaigns In-house marketers pivoting to programmatic Traditional Media Buyer Wha...