Mollie J Garza (she/her)

More than just media.

New Open Market episode featuring Jay Friedman, CEO of Goodway Group. This one’s packed with insights for anyone in ad tech, agencies, or media. Key Highlights: -Why Jay believes marketing belongs at the top of the boardroom agenda. -Goodway Group's incredible 95-year history and evolution. -How Jay’s perspective on remote work has shifted. -The critical role of incrementality in proving marketing’s value. -Smart advice for ad tech CEOs on how to effectively sell to agencies. As always, expertly guided by Joe Zappa. Check it out—link in comments.

We’re not there yet in the sports world but we could reach that point soon. Where “artificial intelligence could become a meaningful sponsorship category.” Just looking at this year’s MLB Playoffs, AI advertising is on full display. Terry Lefton argues that this is only the beginning and that sooner or later, AI could emerge as its own category. I’d have to agree and seeing AI’s impact all over, there’s no sign of this movement slowing down. #Advertising #Technology #AI #BusinessTransformation

https://lnkd.in/gSNGxFQp The Spencer Stuart annual CMO Tenure Study offers compelling insights into the evolving role and stability of CMOs, particularly noting the tenure stabilization at 4.2 years for Fortune 500 CMOs. It's intriguing that B2B CMOs tend to have longer tenures compared to their B2C counterparts, with 4.5 years versus 4.0 years respectively. This difference likely reflects the distinct challenges and market dynamics each sector faces. The study also highlights the increasing trend of CMOs taking on broader responsibilities and the significant number of first-time CMOs being promoted internally, suggesting a strong emphasis on leadership development and succession planning within organizations. It is great to see that women now represent half of Fortune 500 CMOs. I believe it's important now for companies to turn their attention to improving development and support systems for diverse high-potential leaders. #CMOtenure #B2BMarketing #Leadership #WomeninMarketing

One of my favorite recent articles from the amazing Kiri Masters. In 2025, retail media networks will shift gears, moving beyond mere existence with an upcoming “charm offensive” that will prioritize user experience, emphasizing value and innovation in ad offerings instead of relying solely on their platform reach. Plus, B2B has entered the Retail Media realm. As competition intensifies, retailers will aim to attract higher ad spend by fostering brand loyalty and refining measurement strategies. Expect a year of fierce competition and strategic partnerships as retail media networks evolve to stand out in a saturated digital landscape. https://lnkd.in/eUr9zt2h

17 Things Marketers Can Learn from NYC Mayor Adam’s Indictment: 1.

Adrianne Pasquarelli of AdAge just published this piece with advice from veteran CMOs to rookies https://lnkd.in/e7-X_hAS This is exactly why Marisa Mulvihill and I created this quick guide for new CMOs, including What to Ask, What do Do, and Where to Look (might be time to update resources!): https://lnkd.in/er-dEYh9

I really loved this OpEd by Jim Spanfeller. Global media at scale behind holdcos, black boxes, walled gardens, or "AI" and MAX+ product names du jor is broken. A vestige of the past. It will always have some place to be sure, but it will no longer be the leader with advertisers who care about where the money goes and how it reaches consumers. The future of ad tech is local. Reigniting publisher and buyer relationships which have stood since before the internet, private equity, management consultants. Real people connecting real brands to humans with the power of technology, supporting real publishers and local communities. And having fun while we do it. 😎 This was my favorite part: "What are the chances that change will come and Google will actually be broken up? The likelihood is very high. Google has not been playing fairly for some time. It’s a classic case study for why we have strong guidelines around monopolies. And it’s not the only platform in need of reform. While a Google breakup could present short-term challenges for premium digital publishers, it would, at the end of the day, offer substantial opportunities for increased revenue, improved search traffic management and greater control over content distribution. Publishers will need to adapt, as always, to the changing landscape and explore new strategies. But most will undoubtedly come out in a much better place. As will marketers! Injecting government control into open markets is always dangerous … unless, of course, you are dealing with a monopoly. And the idea that Google is not a monopoly in search and advertising is farcical." Anything is POSSIBLE Obligatory tag Ali Manning Adam Heimlich Joe Marino Vinny Rinaldi Arielle Garcia Joshua Lowcock Kamran Asghar

Amidst a rapidly evolving sports landscape, independents are leading more integrated collaborations with brands and athletes to engage fans. Dan Conti spoke with Digiday about PMG’s sports marketing practice, offering dedicated strategies across brand partnerships, social media, streaming, and more. Learn more about how sports have become an interactive force in the media landscape: https://bit.ly/3YSKnzI

It's fascinating to see podcast advertising revenues continue to climb, hitting $1.9 billion in 2023 despite numerous challenges! 🎙️ The modest 5% growth is a true testament to resilience and adaptability in unpredictable times. For many companies, this rate served as a wake-up call - identifying the need for innovation and agility. So, where do we go from here? As detailed, the road to $2.6 billion by 2026 is requires immense creativity and strategic pivots. Time to buckle up as the podcasting industry is accelerating towards a promising horizon! What do you think? #Marketing #Advertising #Agency #Podcast #Innovation #Growth

Retail media ads receive a 183% higher engagement rate than the baseline average across all impressions tracked by DoubleVerify. High engagement comes at the cost of viewability, however, as only 36% of retail media ads placed on retailers’ owned inventory were seen, compared with 73% for audience extension inventory. Shout out to EMARKETER for their valuable Charts (and stats) of the Day. At Adsta, our CPGs and retailers continue to see the most success from balanced retail media strategies that include both onsite and offsite placements, often from different specialized providers. Offsite may have more reach, but onsite delivers engaged users in a buying mindset. #retailmedia #digitalmarketing #cpgs #consumergoods #groceryretail #retail #onsitemedia #offsitemedia

Kudos Samuel Youn. It's great to see this called out from premium publishers. MFA in some senses was encouraged over the years by giving such importance on the (now perceived as) vanity metrics and KPIs. Take for example infinite scroll which until recently was perceived as a positive way to increase content consumption and in turn yield more revenue in comparison to traditional clicks to more content. Now it's been targeted as a source or signal of MFA. Everyone along the chain between the publisher and the buyer benefited from an increase in revenue which Samuel rightly points out was heavily incentivised through rev share based relationships. The answer may be clear (find a way to incentivise non MFA behavior) but the path there is murk at best if only left to publishers to remedy on their own... especially if they are handed more rev share based solutions to help solve things. Also love your call out to Sovrn as they have moved away from rev shares (credit to Walter Knapp for seeing this years ago on the SSP side). It takes alot to go against the grain but I believe (hope?) that we will see more to follow. #adtech #mfa

Netflix streaming was one of Amazon Web Services (AWS) early success stories and proofs of concept (I'll drop a link in the comments). "Amy Reinhard, the company’s president of advertising, was clear: Netflix will roll out a proprietary ad tech platform by next year." Could Netflix in-house #adtech be the next Netflix <> AWS collab? There's history there and this could be a major win for proving the value of AWS for Advertising out in the wild... #adtech + #cloud = 🔥

Amid signal loss and increased privacy regulations, LiveRamp and the Albertsons Media Collective are delving into the possibilities of data collaboration to enhance activation, measurement, and insights across key channels. Read the blog to learn more about our efforts to create a connected ecosystem that enables brands and their collaborators to extract even more valuable insights from their data: https://lnkd.in/dbZaHqPE

A recent Wall Street Journal article by Isabella Simonetti (gifted link below) reveals that TV networks are embracing their aging viewership and challenging the notion that younger demographics are the most valuable targets for advertisers. With the median age of viewers now in their 50s and 60s (MTV viewers average 51 years old!) for many networks, executives argue that reaching consumers based on their purchasing habits, rather than age, is the key to effective advertising. Older viewers often have more disposable income, are less sensitive to price increases, and are still making brand decisions. By focusing on the mass-market reach of TV and targeting people likely to buy a product, regardless of age, media buyers are adapting to the changing landscape of television viewership. As media and entertainment professionals, it's crucial to recognize the importance of this demographic shift and adapt our approaches accordingly. What do you think about this? #advertising #consumerhabits #mediastrategies #mediaproduction

As one who interacts with CMOs all the time I can tell you this topic is at or near the top of their collective priority list. And while I am skeptical of those who espouse best practices when it comes to generative AI - only because it is so nascent - I felt compelled to share this particular piece from my fellow CMSWire scribe, Tiffany Holland Why? Glad you asked. I felt compelled for the simple fact I agree with everything Tiffany opined on, which she breaks down into four truths, which are below along with my brief commentary. Do yourself a favor and read her piece. ➡️ Truth #1: Inaction With Generative AI in Marketing Is the Greatest Risk Yes, yes and YES. If I could climb the highest mountain I would and bellow this to the masses below. This ain't the time to "sit this one out" whilst the rest of the world, AKA your competition is taking full advantage. ➡️ Truth #2: Generative AI Offers More Value Than Just Operational Efficiency Tiffany deftly writes of the "narrow view" many CMOs and marketers have of Gen AI, which "offers only short-term benefits and overlooks the true power of machine learning." Dating myself big time here but this reminded me of the late 70's campaign professing that orange juice is not just for breakfast anymore. https://lnkd.in/e95uWbex ➡️ Truth #3: Generative AI Solutions Fails in the Traditional Marketing Model "Generative AI won’t deliver its full potential if organizations try to plug it into outdated operating models." Full Stop! Read and re-read that over and over and over and then, for the love of all things Holy, do NOT blame Gen AI if you do not adhere to this sage advice. ➡️ Truth #4: Ethical Governance of Generative AI in Marketing Is Critical I love that Tiffany saved this one for last because it is THE most important truth, by far. Gen AI and AI in general, is very much akin to the wild west right now; no rules of governance other than those self-imposed. Brands MUST self-govern the way they use Gen AI if for no other reason, it is the ethical thing to do. Please share your thoughts on all of this. I love a good conversation and yes, a debate if need be. Jeanniey John Aakansha Srota Manny Shelly Lou Jeff Raja Ted Lee David Alma Dom Rhonda #ai #GenAI #cmo

Advertisers everywhere are looking to make the most of AI. While those in AdTech look to make use of its data analysis capabilities, I find it interesting how advertisers themselves are looking to incorporate AI into the creative aspects of advertising, especially as an alternative to A/B testing. Things like dynamic personalization certainly seem interesting, but questions about how the cost inherent to these tools translates over to results still looms heavy over the industry as a whole. #AdTech #Innovation #Data #AI

NEW: Guideline's US team unveils the first visibility into the #PremiumProgrammatic market (PMP and PG deals), showing Premium's share of total #Programmatic ad spend has doubled in four years to be near 50% of the total. The new insights also include #DigitalCPM pricing detail, showing #OTT (BVOD) CPMs via Premium Programmatic score a 10% premium v #OpenExchange deals. Contact Guideline to learn more. #realdata #marketinganalytics