Global Solutions President, Circana

Nishat Mehta

Political media buyers need to think beyond microtargeting that simply matches the voter file and embrace a more layered approach to programmatic to reach new voters.

How political media buyers misuse programmatic

Super fans shape much of their identity around their favorite movies, music and more. Advertisers could benefit from getting to know their fandoms.

Understanding fandoms could be key for streaming and advertising strategies

Streaming services can build audience engagement through content, leveraging machine learning and data, and by improving the advertising experience on their platforms.

Streaming platforms have attracted vast audiences. Now we need data to keep them engaged.

NBCUniversal and the Olympics are evolving with viewers. Advertisers are responding with $1.2 billion in ad commitments and counting.

The Olympics’ role in culture is evolving, and advertisers are moving with it

During the Green Media Summit in New York last week, ad industry professionals expressed that a more sustainable future may require regulation and peer pressure.

The ad industry grapples with going green

Advertisers felt ‘March Madness’ after the intense demand for women’s basketball. We're breaking down why the game is breaking through.

Advertisers are taking notice of the power and scale of women’s sports after March Madness

Advertisers take notice of the power and scale of women’s sports after March Madness

The distance between marketing to a consumer and their ultimate purchase is getting shorter thanks to retail media.

Delivering on customer experience demands deep data insights

Record March Madness ratings is putting women’s basketball in the spotlight, and advertisers are taking notice by increasing their media spend.

March Madness just proved the power and scale of women’s sports. Advertisers are watching.

DRAX Direct streamlines access to Disney’s streaming advertising business with The Trade Desk, as advertisers increasingly lean into connected TV (CTV).

Disney streamlines access for advertisers, aiming to automate 75% of ad revenue

NBCUniversal is opening up Peacock ads to be purchased programmatically for all streamed 329 Olympic events this year.

The ‘crème de la crème’: 2024 Paris Olympics goes programmatic on Peacock

A recent survey suggests many sports fans in the U.S. care more about their favorite sport than anything else on TV, even in the offseason.

How streamers are keeping sports fans satisfied even in the offseason

Even in a year when Barbie dominated the box office, new data shows how women are still underrepresented in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera.

Hollywood is leaving money on the table by not marketing more movies to women

During this year’s Forward ’24 event, advertisers shared how they are leveraging live sports as it moves into streaming.

How streaming is changing the game for live sports and advertisers

Some media companies are no longer keeping their content close to the vest and are sharing programming across platforms. It could create a vast opportunity for advertisers.

Why streaming platforms are loosening up on exclusive content

Some ad industry forecasters just increased their projections for this year, suggesting optimism around political spend, the Olympics, CTV, and other factors.

What’s driving the rosy outlook for the U.S. ad industry this year?

Premium streaming services are showcasing their benefits for advertisers with authenticated audiences as Generative AI surges on the likes of YouTube and TikTok.

As AI junk floods YouTube and TikTok, premium content could prove its value for advertisers

Thanks to advances in AI’s analytical power, the technology has the potential to cut down browsing time for viewers on streaming platforms.

Don’t know what show to stream next? AI can help

Or, how some news publications are looking to the future by turning to advertising and niches.

The great restructuring of digital news media

The electronics giant saw a major improvement in online to offline sales attribution after implementing a custom solution leveraging Unified ID 2.0 (UID2).

How Samsung Electronics Canada is 'future-proofing' its business with UID2 as cookies crumble

Political advertising experts say there’s a lot that brands across sectors can learn from how political campaigns operate.

Taking a page out of the political playbook: What marketers can learn from 2024 presidential campaigns

PepsiCo’s strategic use of decisioned buying boosts brand presence and finds success in India’s CPG marketplace.

PepsiCo boosts brand presence and finds success in India’s diverse CPG market

Connected TV (CTV) is picking up steam as a way to get more small, local and regional businesses to advertise, especially programmatically.

Why streamers like Disney, NBCUniversal and Paramount are courting small businesses

As retail media evolves beyond retail networks, many in the audio industry see an opportunity to strike a harmonious relationship that could benefit both parties.

Audio and retail are getting in tune with one another

Measurement is becoming a bigger factor in the upfronts as networks’ authenticated ad space matches up with retailers’ verified buyers.

Retail data is entering the upfronts as measurement gets more important

A wave of retail data is sweeping Europe, with advertisers increasingly relying on it amid cookie deprecation and an evolving regulatory landscape.

Retail data has taken over Europe. Now what?

More and more people are engaging with sports around the world, and brands can capitalize on these fans’ newfound interest.

It’s not just Swifties: There are more sports fans, and brands see a way to score

Advertisers lean on first-party data, retail data, shoppable ads and more to earn a spot on Christmas wish lists.

First-party and retail data will be tested this holiday season as cookie sunsetting approaches

From connected TV to digital out-of-home to audio, DTC brands are finding new ways to reach their customers.

DTC brands increasingly see the advertising opportunity on the open internet

Marketers are zeroing in on Gen Z this holiday shopping season, as Adobe estimates record discounts and spending on smartphones.

2023’s top holiday shopping trends: Record discounts, mobile spending, and the Gen Z effect

On this edition of The Current Report, we're joined by Brian Mandelbaum, CEO of Attain, to discuss how Attain is harnessing commerce data.

How quality commerce data is changing the landscape for advertisers

As 2023 marked a year of brands hitting the big screen, brands are seeing the value in streaming partnerships that subvert traditional advertising

Why brand-funded shows are getting bigger on streaming

In this edition of The Current Report, we dive into another way AI is changing our world.

How AI can help combat streaming indecision

Goodway Group's Mike Wolk, VP of growth and partnerships, breaks down how the media agency is building its strategy around the biggest screen in the house - the TV.

Advertisers build their strategy around the TV screen

Major League Soccer’s VP of Brand Marketing, Jesse Perl, joins The Current Podcast to discuss how young people are growing more interested in soccer.

How MLS plans to capitalize on 2026 World Cup fever

Jennifer Lewis, chief client officer at Carat Canada, joins The Current Report to explore how changing demographics in Canada influence advertisers' strategies.

Carat Canada's Jennifer Lewis on Canada's changing TV market

Now firmly entrenched in Americans’ shopping habits, Instacart is eyeing the growing retail media space.

CMO Laura Jones on the final frontier of Instacart’s retail media ambitions

Instacart CMO Laura Jones on the final frontier of the delivery service's retail media ambitions

How timing, placement, and sound can determine an ad’s designation.

What the Tech are in-stream vs. out-stream video ads?

How seed audiences form the basis for targeted ad campaigns.

What the Tech are seed audiences?

President and CEO of Volta, Brandt Hastings, joins Asking for a friend to explain place-based media.

Asking for a friend: What is place-based media?

Unilever Head of U.S. Media Investment and Partnerships, Aaron Sobol explains green media and what the industry can do to increase sustainability efforts.

Asking for a friend: What is green media?

McDonalds' Alison Ciccione joins The Current's Asking for a friend to explain the magic behind leveraging first-party data

Asking for a friend: How do I activate first-party data?

Mark Jablonowski, CTO and president of politics and public affairs at Optimal, explains the basics of geofencing and how it allows for specific measurement.

Asking for a friend: What is geofencing?

Ander Lopez Ochoa, EMEA head of Kenvue, breaks down supply path optimization (SPO) and its importance for marketers.

Asking for a friend: What is SPO?

Jimmy Spano, EVP and head of Dentsu media sports, joins Asking for a friend to discuss how brands can get the most value out of live sports.

Asking for a friend: Where is the most value in live sports?

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The most critical innovations in advertising are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place.

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