Open your browser on any big day, whether it is a local election, a championship game, or an unexpected global event, and you can almost feel the internet pulse. Conversations shift, feeds fill, and suddenly everyone is tuned into the same thing.
That rhythm is culture in motion, and we call it at Primis the signal before the surge.
Where culture moves, ad tech follows. Culture shapes what people seek, read, and watch, while technology helps interpret those moments in real time, connecting curiosity with relevance.
Culture as the Source of Signal
Cultural moments like local elections are predictable. We know when they are coming, and we can anticipate how audiences will respond. Search interest rises, conversations ignite across platforms, and traffic on publisher sites surges as people look for clarity and connection.
During the last local election cycle, we observed this shift across leading news publishers in the U.S. Traffic spiked by more than 30% compared with the previous week. That surge was more than a metric. It was culture in motion, a moment when people everywhere turned to digital spaces to understand, engage, and participate.
Technology as the Interpreter
When culture shifts, programmatic technologies, especially contextual targeting, respond. They analyze the content people are engaging with, identify what matters most in the moment, and ensure that the right stories or messages appear in environments that match their relevance.
As attention grows, these systems adapt in real time, aligning creative delivery with audience intent rather than individual identity.
This is where technology proves its value. It translates cultural momentum into meaningful digital experiences, turning a surge in attention into opportunities for discovery, connection, and value for both publishers and audiences.
Turning Cultural Signals Into Strategy
Cultural readiness means being proactive, not reactive. Each major moment offers signals that can guide smarter planning, faster response, and stronger results.
To stay ahead of cultural momentum, preparation starts with:
Anticipating traffic patterns: Using data from past events to identify when and where audience attention will rise, and preparing systems to scale seamlessly.
Aligning demand and supply ahead of time: Coordinating inventory forecasts and pacing strategies early, ensuring that auctions and delivery stay stable as attention peaks.
Enhancing contextual precision: Strengthening relevance by connecting the right creative and message to the environments audiences are engaging with most.
Protecting the user experience: Designing monetization strategies that keep performance strong while preserving content flow and trust.
Staying adaptive in real time: Monitoring live metrics and adjusting accordingly, turning fast-moving attention into meaningful, measurable outcomes.
At Primis, this type of readiness turns cultural attention into measurable growth, connecting the pace of the internet with the precision of ad tech.
When cultural momentum builds, preparation turns insight into performance, proving that anticipation always outperforms reaction.
The Takeaway
Culture and technology are two sides of the same movement. Culture generates the signals, and ad tech transforms them into meaningful experiences through smarter targeting, stronger creative, and contextual relevance.
The future belongs to those who can read the rhythm of culture and respond with precision. When technology moves in sync with human behavior, relevance becomes instinct. At Primis, we turn that instinct into measurable impact.
Primis hosted a company-wide hackathon. It was a celebration of innovation, teamwork, and the drive to push limits. The story here is not the projects themselves but how we prepared, how we came together, and the culture that made it all possible.
Why We Are Not Talking About the Projects
We’re keeping the details of the projects under wraps, and for good reason. While hackathons are about pushing boundaries and exploring new ideas, not every idea is meant to be shared publicly. Some concepts were solid and useful, like a chatbot, but that’s not the kind of groundbreaking innovation we want our competitors to know about. On the other hand, some projects were truly innovative, but their ideas are too valuable and confidential to reveal just yet.
What we can share is equally important: the way we prepared, the cross-team collaboration, the creative energy that filled the room, and the determination that kept people coding late into the night. The real story isn’t in the specifics of the projects but in the spirit of experimentation and teamwork that made it possible. That’s what made the event unforgettable, and that’s what will carry forward into the work we do every day.
Preparation: Structure Meets Creativity
Weeks before the event, we carefully formed our teams. Instead of grouping people by department, we created diverse teams that blended developers, sales professionals, and account managers. This mix ensured each group had a balance of technical expertise, business understanding, and creative perspective, which is exactly what innovation requires.
The preparation didn’t stop there. Leading up to the hackathon, teams brainstormed and refined ideas, challenging each other to think deeper and focus on the real impact of their projects. By the time hackathon day arrived, the groundwork was laid. Everyone came in with a clear direction and a strong sense of purpose, ready to build something meaningful.
Hackathon Day: Execution at a High Level
From the production setup to the breakfasts that fueled long hours, every detail was designed to keep creativity alive. The mornings started with lighthearted, energetic stand-ups that were anything but formal. This spark of humor set a creative tone, proving that innovation doesn’t always have to begin with intensity, sometimes it starts with a smile and a shared joke.
Throughout the day, a similar balance was maintained. Breaks at the gym offered a chance to recharge, while meals became moments of connection where teams mixed and new ideas emerged. Live music, performed by our employees, transformed the event into a celebration of talent and collaboration.
The result was an atmosphere where focus and play worked hand in hand. The hackathon proved that when the environment supports both concentration and laughter, the best ideas come to life.
The Dilemma of Recognition
By the end of the hackathon, the results were stronger than anyone had imagined. What began as a handful of ideas had grown into real projects with true potential. The quality of the work raised a difficult question: how do you recognize excellence fairly when so many teams exceeded expectations?
The traditional approach of one first and one second place felt wrong. Limiting recognition would have ignored the depth of effort and creativity, while handing out too many awards could have watered down their meaning. The dilemma became even clearer when multiple projects showed the potential to become real products. Overlooking those achievements would have felt unfair. In that case, recognition was not a nice to have; it was a matter of giving credit where it was due.
In the end, we chose to break our own rules. Instead of one neat list of winners, we celebrated more widely: three second-place prizes and two third-place prizes. It wasn’t the easy choice, but it was the right one. By expanding recognition, we honored the true spirit of the hackathon, proving that innovation isn’t a zero-sum game.
Beyond the Numbers
Industry benchmarks show only about 25% of hackathon projects move beyond the initial event. While most ideas stall once the energy fades, our early results suggest a different story. We’re already tracking above that benchmark, and while exact numbers will become clear, the direction is promising.
For us, innovation isn’t measured by how many flashy demos we create in 30 hours. It’s measured by how many ideas can grow into products, tools, or solutions that meaningfully impact our partners. A hackathon project that turns into something real represents a mindset of experimentation and follow-through that is core to how we operate.
We view hackathons not as a temporary burst of creativity but as a pipeline for lasting impact. The projects are more than just quick-build tests; they are signals for where we can push our technology and vision for the industry. Ultimately, these results are a clear sign of how innovation at Primis is defined: ambitious, practical, and always focused on the growth of our partners.
What the Hackathon Proved
This hackathon was a true reflection of our company. It proved that planning and execution go hand in hand with creativity, that diverse teams deliver stronger results, and that our culture is built through shared moments of collaboration, not just policies.
When tough decisions arose, we were willing to break our own rules to do right by our people. This choice was not about awards; it was about recognizing effort and fairness, and the belief that innovation deserves to be celebrated. While the products will come in time, the real achievement is the culture of trust and collaboration that made those projects possible.
At Primis, “Push for More” is not just a slogan; it is the standard we live by. This hackathon proved it once again.
Looking for a simple yet powerful way to boost your website’s revenue? As digital advertising evolves, publishers have more ways to generate revenue, from video ads to affiliate marketing. However, each method comes with its own benefits and drawbacks.Video advertising, in particular, has grown in popularity, leading many publishers to explore ways to maximize earnings while maintaining a seamless user experience. However, it’s important to remember that success depends on choosing the right strategy for your business, audience, and content.To help you navigate this landscape, we’ve answered the most frequently asked questions about website monetization and provided insights to guide your decisions.
How much money can you make with a website?
A website’s earning potential is impacted by a number of factors, including industry, traffic volume, monetization approach, and audience engagement. However, one is clear: the key to successful monetization is to select the right monetization method for you.
Is running a website profitable?
Absolutely! However, a website’s profitability relies on choosing the right monetization strategy. While there are various methods available, success comes down to selecting the one that best aligns with your business goals and target audience.
Choose Strategic Keywords – Select keywords that align with your business goals and audience interests, integrating them naturally into titles and descriptions.
Use Relevant Tags – Help search engines categorize your videos for improved discoverability.
Add Transcriptions & Captions – Enhance SEO and accessibility with text-based content.
Implement Schema Markup & Sitemaps – Use structured data to boost indexing and rankings.
Embed Videos on Relevant Pages – Ensure video placement aligns with page content for maximum engagement.
By implementing these strategies, you can maximize your video content’s visibility and achieve long-term success.
How to monetize your website?
Selecting the appropriate monetization method depends on your website type, audience, and engagement levels. There are eight effective models to consider:
Video ad units – Integrate ads into video content for high engagement and premium revenue.
Display ads – Banner ads placed in key areas to maximize visibility.
Programmatic advertising – Automated buying and selling of ad space for efficiency.
Affiliate marketing – Earn commissions by promoting products through tracked links.
Sponsored content – Brands pay to publish relevant content on your site.
Subscriptions – Offer paid access to exclusive content.
E-commerce – Sell products directly to your audience.
Email lists – Leverage direct outreach for personalized promotions and offers.
When it comes to long-term, high-value monetization, video ads consistently outperform other methods, providing scalability and strong revenue potential.
How to start monetizing your website with video ads?
With numerous monetization methods available, video ads stand out as the most effective. Studies show they achieve 2-3x higher click-through rates than image ads (Minta) and 47% higher CTR than static images in A/B tests (AdQuadrant).
As video ads become the dominant format, 83.5% of small business owners who run websites say they play a key role in their success (Forbes). That’s why we’re here to break down how to start monetizing your website with video ads in just three simple steps.
Choose a video ad provider: The right ad platform makes all the difference. You need a provider that maximizes revenue and enhances user experience.
Implement a non-intrusive ad unit: Users hate disruptive ads. A slider ad unit like Boost by Primis blends seamlessly into the experience, maximizing revenue without frustrating visitors.
Optimize for performance: Track CPM, viewability, and engagement to ensure you’re getting the most out of your ad placements.
Why Boost by Primis?
In today’s digital landscape, effective monetization is essential for publishers looking to optimize their revenue streams. At Primis, we recognize that every website has untapped earning potential, which is why we developed Boost by Primis, a solution designed to increase video RPM and create a new independent revenue stream.Unlike traditional ad placements, Boost by Primis features The Outstream Slider, an ad-exclusive video player that generates additional income without occupying existing ad slots. This approach allows publishers to maximize revenue while maintaining a seamless user experience.
Key Features of Boost by Primis
Outstream Slider: A lightweight, ad-exclusive video player that integrates seamlessly into websites.
Effortless Integration: This can be implemented using a simple JavaScript tag or through Google Ad Manager (GAM).
Live Dashboard: Provides real-time analytics for tracking, analyzing, and optimizing revenue performance.
By integrating Boost by Primis, publishers can increase engagement, maximize earnings, and create a sustainable monetization strategy with minimal effort.
For publishers seeking to diversify their revenue streams, Boost by Primis offers a proven solution that leverages video content for optimal monetization.
Conclusion: take your website revenue to the next level
Monetizing your website doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether through e-commerce, affiliate marketing, or video ads, profitability depends on your business model, audience, and content.
With the growing demand for dynamic content, video ads have become a leading monetization method, offering strong engagement and revenue potential. However, to maximize results, choosing an approach that aligns with your goals is essential.
The video advertising landscape is shifting, and if you’ve felt the impact, you’re not alone. Many in the industry are grappling with these changes, wondering what they mean in the long run. Rather than focusing only on the short-term fluctuations, let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture – what’s happening, why it matters, and where we believe things are headed.
First, let’s clear up a common misconception: the total amount of video supply in the market hasn’t actually changed. What has changed is how SSPs categorize Instream vs. Outstream impressions.
Over the past year, most SSPs have aligned with the IAB’s guidelines, reclassifying inventory that was previously labeled as Instream as Outstream. If it feels like there’s suddenly a flood of Outstream supply, that’s because the same inventory has been relabeled—not because there’s more of it.
We’ve seen this type of transition before in ad tech. Think back to when Native advertising first gained traction. At first, advertisers treated it like just another banner unit, paying similar CPC rates. But over time, they realized Native offered a more integrated and valuable experience. Prices dipped temporarily during the adjustment period, but once advertisers understood its true potential, they started investing more, and Native found its place in the ecosystem.
Something similar is happening with Instream and Outstream today. New subcategories of Outstream—like Accompanying Content and Interstitial video—are emerging, and while publishers have quickly adapted to the new classifications, advertisers and agencies are still catching up. That delay is causing some short-term pricing fluctuations, but we expect things to stabilize as buyers adjust to the new definitions.
Another challenge involves In-Banner Video (IBV). When Outstream inventory isn’t clearly categorized, IBV can inadvertently cannibalize potential publisher revenue. If a display ad slot is repurposed for video, it may generate a different CPM, but that doesn’t always translate into incremental revenue. More importantly, if misclassified IBV leads to downward pricing pressure, it risks devaluing actual video inventory.
Despite these bumps in the road, we believe transparency will ultimately benefit everyone—just like it did with Native ads. A clearer classification system helps advertisers truly understand what they’re buying, building trust and encouraging long-term investment. Rather than seeing this shift as a market downturn, we should view it as a necessary recalibration. Once buyers fully adapt and recognize the unique benefits of each format, we anticipate a more balanced market—and, in many cases, higher pricing where it makes sense.
The video ad landscape is evolving, and while change is rarely easy, it often leads to better outcomes for those who take the time to understand and adapt. The key is to stay informed, remain flexible, and recognize the opportunities within these challenges.
The ad tech industry is at a pivotal moment. After years of rapid growth fueled by scale and efficiency, we now face unprecedented challenges. Privacy regulations are tightening, and trust among stakeholders is increasingly fragile. Having spent a decade in this field, I’ve seen firsthand how prioritizing short-term gains can often erode long-term partnerships. It’s clear that now is the time for a new approach that balances efficiency with integrity for sustainable success.
Quality Over Quantity: A Paradigm Shift
In our industry, there is a prevailing belief that “more” is always better: more ad calls, more impressions, and more data. However, this approach often results in diminishing returns and erodes trust in digital advertising. In recent years, we have seen that prioritizing quality over quantity can lead to far better results. For example, some publishers have found that reducing ad calls can significantly improve income. This seemingly paradoxical tactic is effective as it enhances user experience, lessens ad fatigue, and enables more accurate targeting.
Made-for-advertising (MFA) sites illustrate the risks of prioritizing quantity over quality. While they may boost short-term metrics, they often provide poor user experiences, ultimately damaging the reputation of digital advertisers.
The Transparency Imperative
Transparency is crucial for the long-term health and sustainability of our industry. Even today, advertisers often pay for campaigns without clearly understanding where their ads are displayed or how they perform. This “black box” approach undermines the entire ecosystem.
True sustainability in ad tech depends on delivering clear, comprehensive reporting on ad placement and performance. Advertisers need real insights into where their investment is going and the results they’re achieving. While this level of transparency may initially uncover uncomfortable truths, it fosters the trust and credibility essential for long-term success.
Efficiency With Ethics: The Role of SPO
Supply Path Optimization (SPO) offers a clear path forward in an increasingly intricate ad tech landscape. By lowering the barriers between advertisers and publishers, we can enhance transparency, minimize fraud, and create more efficient systems. Effective SPO strikes a careful balance between upholding high standards and maintaining flexibility.
This approach ensures the integrity of our ad ecosystem while allowing us to remain competitive in a dynamic market. We must uphold quality standards while providing value that meets the diverse needs of clients. In an industry where price sensitivity often drives decisions, it is crucial to highlight the long-term benefits of maintaining high standards, even if it means not always being the lowest-cost option. By fostering more direct, valuable connections between advertisers and publishers, we can lower costs, improve ad quality, and drive better performance.
As privacy regulations tighten and third-party cookies phase out, SPO becomes even more essential. It enables the development of alternative targeting strategies that don’t rely on third-party data, positioning companies for success in the evolving digital landscape.
The Path Forward
As we navigate the challenges facing our industry, it’s crucial to prioritize both efficiency and integrity. By focusing on quality over quantity in ad delivery, we ensure that we’re delivering value rather than just chasing impressions. This approach demands full transparency across our operations and the implementation of thoughtful, balanced SPO strategies. By embracing these principles, companies will be well-positioned for the future, enabling more efficient spending and better performance for advertisers while offering publishers higher fill rates and potentially improved CPMs.
The future of ad tech lies in creating genuine value through ethical, transparent practices that support long-term sustainability. As industry leaders, it’s our responsibility to drive this transformation, fostering an ad tech ecosystem that is not only profitable but also sustainable and respected.
The wait is over, and Super Bowl Sunday has finally arrived.
For dedicated sports fans, the Super Bowl is the one day a year they can publicly declare their love for the game. For brands, however, it signifies something even bigger. Anything is possible on Super Bowl Sunday. Goals can be reached, limits can be broken, and brands have the chance to make history.
As we know, gaining exposure is an ongoing challenge in today’s world of endless choices. That’s why the Super Bowl continues to make headlines in the marketing world, and here are the three reasons why.
First, given that the Super Bowl is one of the most-viewed broadcasts in the United States, it has been reported that brands pay an average of $7 million for no more than thirty seconds of air time (DecenterAds, 2025). While this may seem like a significant investment, consider the opportunity to instantly scale your reach to a global audience of sports fans, culture enthusiasts, and Gen Z viewers eagerly awaiting the halftime show. For reference, the share of streaming viewers for the Super Bowl in the United States climbed from 28% in 2023 to 34% in 2024, illustrating the game’s ongoing expansion in scope each year (Stoll, 2024).
Second, 96% of fans use multiple devices while watching a live sporting event (DecenterAds, 2025). For those in the programmatic advertising world, this insight reminds them that making ripples in advertising does not require a hefty $7 million budget. Through real-time bidding, location-based targeting, dynamic creatives, omnichannel optimization, and audience segmentation, brands can maximize their reach by ensuring the right message reaches the right audience at the perfect time, resulting in unparalleled exposure (Brandastic, 2025).
As advertisers worldwide work tirelessly to prepare for the big day, we’re here to discuss why we are excited, and no, it’s not for the game. The ads displayed on the jumbo screen throughout the night set the standard for creativity and innovation for the entire year. In fact, 43% of viewers watch the Super Bowl specifically for the ads, and to make matters even more compelling, half of them actually make purchases based on the ads they see (DecenterAds, 2025).
This is what characterizes Super Bowl advertisements. It is not just about visibility but about creating a cultural moment. Here at Primis, we understand the power of content and its ability to determine an ad’s failure or subsequent success. The best ads are those that captivate the audience and tell a story. This is why the creativity and storytelling that are showcased on the screens during the big game are remembered for years to come. Brands deliver tailored and relevant content, turning the once-dreaded commercial breaks into moments we eagerly anticipate. A prime example from last year’s game is the Dunkin Donuts x Ben Affleck campaign. The campaign launched during halftime and quickly gained worldwide traction.
That said, whether we like to admit it or not, the Super Bowl is the one night a year when consumers genuinely enjoy ads rather than tune them out in complete frustration. The Super Bowl takes on an entirely new meaning when viewed from this perspective. More than just a global sporting event, the Super Bowl has become one of the most powerful marketing events of the year.
This unprecedented visibility allows advertisers to engage with a large global audience. To capitalize on this opportunity, brands must utilize the right ads positioned in the right context at the right time for maximum impact.
At Primis, we ensure you never miss out on opportunities to scale your brand. For events like these, we work closely with our clients to secure the perfect inventory ahead of the anticipated traffic surge. With our support, they gain access to precisely matched inventory for their audience.
Whether you’re looking for premium ad inventory to elevate your brand or high-quality demand to maximize your revenue, our team is here to help. Contact us today!
The ad tech industry has changed considerably in the last year, challenging our ability to keep up with rapid changes. This year has been a rollercoaster of uncertainty between Google’s initial proposal to phase out third-party cookies and its subsequent suspension, which provided a collective sense of relief.
As we reflect on 2024 and the forecasts that proved to be accurate or entirely false, we would like to discuss a select few that have sparked our interest over the last 12 months.
Third-Party Cookies
As we approach the end of 2024, we continue shifting away from third-party data-gathering practices and toward strict privacy regulations that are gradually reshaping the sector. Despite starting in early 2023, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecution against Google is ongoing and expected to conclude in the coming months. The notorious lawsuit addresses Google’s DoubleClick and Ad Manager services and touches on allegations of monopolistic behavior in the digital advertising sector.Despite the seriousness of the allegations, privacy concerns are hardly a novel subject. As you may recall, back in 2021, a McKinsly analysis revealed that only 33% of American customers trust corporations to manage their data responsibly (Brodherson, Broitman, Cherok, Robinson, 2021).
As the industry awaits the pending verdict and weighs the benefits of first-party data against the challenges of third-party data, it is critical to continue exploring alternative solutions that meet the forever-evolving industry requirements. It is crucial to keep in mind that while third-party cookies provide a multitude of data gathered from various websites and sources, their use might not always be in line with one’s long-term aims and objectives.
Therefore, as programmatic advertising turns toward the application of first-party data, contextual targeting has shown to be a viable solution for problematic third-party cookies. Contextual targeting enables the unobtrusive collection of information, enabling user-specific adverts and, thus, an optimized user experience that benefits both parties. By utilizing contextual targeting, marketers can ensure the continued distribution of high-quality video while adhering to the strict privacy and security laws that have dominated the market in recent years.
Our forecast for the coming year?
We predict that traditional practices will significantly change as marketers gradually switch to first-party data acquisition through creative and unique methods. The transition is inevitable and anticipated to take place in the coming months, regardless of the outcome of the US prosecution against Google.
The Rapid Rise of AI
In our technological landscape, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly common.
AI has been an important aspect of programmatic advertising since its inception, with tech teams, data scientists, and traders adopting it in order to boost campaign performance. Therefore, while not a novel solution, the last 12 months (particularly the launches of ChatGPT, which have made interfaces and AI-powered technologies accessible to the masses) have returned the discourse right back to AI.
However, the subject remains relevant as the shift from predictive AI to generative AI has changed the programmatic advertising landscape.
During the predictive era of AI, marketers utilized models and statistical insights to assess advertising risks, probabilities, and outcomes. Predictive models powered by applicable datasets anticipated how a campaign would be received by analyzing metrics such as behavioral data, audience segmentation, ad personalization, and other relevant insights. However, with the transition from predictive to generative models, AI can now provide quick, scalable, and diverse creative iterations, allowing our markets to benefit from real-time campaign performance data post-publication. Furthermore, generative AI transforms creative testing and processes, which we believe will be critical to fully integrating AI into all facets of digital advertising.
A recent post published on the Ad Exchanger website addressed AI and its subsequent impact on the programmatic market. According to the article (Bannet, 2024), as artificial intelligence advances and the automation of mundane tasks becomes readily accessible, traders are growing increasingly concerned about the possible threat to their profession.
However, as the last 12 months have shown, depending solely on AI to optimize the efficacy of advertising is a costly error. Take Apple’s Olympic campaign as an illustration of how crucial human interaction is to the longevity and performance of a programmed system. That is why a combination of AI and human intuition will be the best approach this year.
With increased time for creativity, we expect AI to greatly impact our sector and those who work tirelessly to preserve it. In other words, a calculated approach to AI strikes the best possible balance between caution, conservatism, innovation, and creativity. As Rotem Shaul, CEO of Primis, writes in FromDiscovery to Stagnation: AI is Shaping the Future of Publishing, “[…] AI must enhance our pursuit of knowledge, not limit it”.
Curation
Artificial intelligence’s emergence and third-party cookies’ decline have given rise to curation, which has drawn considerable attention in the past year. Curation symbolizes the shift from buy-side to sell-side data processing, which has increased programmatic purchasing’s effectiveness, transparency, and utility.
Despite the success of data adoption through DMPs, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the difficulties that have arisen during this period of growth and advancement. Our dependence on DSP data collection has been influenced by several factors, including a lack of real-time data, excessive reliance on third-party cookies and IDs, data pricing, privacy and transparency concerns, and more.
However, the application of curation (SSP data collection) has successfully addressed the limitations mentioned above. Curation pricing is dynamic, using percentage-based pricing instead of static CPM, which lowers costs and increases flexibility for media buyers globally. Additionally, unlike DMP-based data applications, curation provides comprehensive log-level data and real-time feedback, enabling more profound insights, better performance, and quicker KPI correction. Finally, since data is handled directly on the selling side, curation inherently minimizes data loss, which aligns with the industry’s emphasis on privacy.
That said, curation seems to be a natural progression for those aiming to optimize ad campaigns. Curation is cost-effective, dependable, transparent, and actionable, thanks to real-time data and attributions. Curation is essentially our next frontier and the new trending business model for all in digital advertising; it reflects the trend toward increased transparency and efficiency in programmatic advertising. In turn, the sooner the market can adapt to the shifting supply stream, the faster we can expand and evolve into a more secure, dependable, and fair industry.
In the publishing and advertising industries, there’s growing concern about the potential threats AI poses to publishers, news, and similar sectors, including its effect on content creation. Many worry about implications for the free press and job security, rallying against these perceived threats. While these concerns are valid, the conversation needs a broader perspective.
Concerns vs. Reality
Free Press
AI doesn’t inherently threaten the concept of a free press. The fundamental right to publish and express opinions remains intact; what changes is the audience size. AI may reduce the frequency of people consuming traditional news sources, but the essence of a free press persists. If people visit 50% less and 50% of sites shut down, enough sites will still cover every important aspect. Before the internet, we consumed news via television, newspapers, and radio, with fewer options, yet the concept of a free press was as strong.
Number of Journalists in the US (1950s to 2020s)
Job Losses and Historical Context
The fear of job losses due to AI is real but mirrors fears from past technological advancements, fears that ended up not materializing in most cases. In the 18th century, 80% of the world’s population worked in agriculture. Today, that number is around 5%, yet we don’t face 75% unemployment. Technological improvements in agriculture freed up labor for more productive and diverse occupations.
While the farmer’s concern about world famine was genuine, it stemmed from self-interest bias. Today, the publishing and advertising industry’s fears about AI could be similarly biased, rooted in the desire to preserve the status quo.
Even if the free press remains intact and job losses ultimately add efficiency to the market, there is a larger concern.
Content Discovery vs. Definitive Answers
Progress is driven by the continuous exchange of ideas. Millions contribute to this process, with evolution and innovation created by passing ideas back and forth. To exchange ideas, one needs to be exposed to ideas, adopt opinions, and discuss.
AI provides a single, definitive response, hindering the natural discovery process we’re accustomed to. We often discover new content without realizing it, like reading various menus in restaurants over the years versus asking an AI for a single recommendation. While an AI’s answer might be convenient, over time, we learn more about food by reading menus, trying new things, even dishes we didn’t like. This process of discovery and experimentation helps us evolve in ways that wouldn’t happen in a one-answer world. The same context applies to discovering things on the web.
Search Engines
Search engines encourage users to explore multiple sources. On average, users visit 2-3 websites per search before finding the information they need. When including refinements and modifications to the search query, this number increases, potentially visiting 4-6 websites in total.
A personal experience with cocktail making: I used to search for recipes on Google, exploring multiple links. Some sites would add unique suggestions for upgrading a Margarita or an Old Fashioned. I evolved. Lately, I’ve been relying on ChatGPT and got a single, definitive recipe. While the cocktails are still great, my learning and creativity have plateaued. The shift from discovery to passive consumption limited my personal growth; I explore less than I used to.
When you apply the same concept to everything we are searching for, not just cocktails,relying on a single, definitive source as a means of gathering information prevents you from learning, testing, and adopting independent opinions. The less people discover content, the slower new ideas will be assimilated.
Discovery Within Websites
Websites are built for discovery. You go on a news site to learn the latest news about local politics, and while scrolling the homepage, you get exposed to news about climate change, celebrity gossip, the latest in sports, and so much more. The most successful sites are those that have perfected keeping their users reading and discovering more.
The same applies to almost every category. Surfing a recipe site to get one recipe, you get exposed to others. You might not cook those other recipes right away, but for those who love cooking, they save it, try later, or just learn something new.
The internet, whether it’s search engines or sites, is built around helping users discover more and more content. As they discover more content, opinions are shaped, skills improved, and ideas developed.
Frequency
The first time I heard about climate change, I wasn’t really bothered. It took a lot of time for my mind to digest the threat. The pace of change is related to frequency—how often and how many times I was exposed.
When addressing frequency from a content discovery point of view, it’s more than just repeating the message; exposure alone isn’t enough. Users need to spend real time consuming it, and that requires effort. Let’s look at this article as an example:
The Writer Matters: Most people didn’t make it to this part; some left because they don’t relate to my writing style. The same people, hearing the same opinion from someone they enjoy reading, would have read everything and maybe adopted some ideas I shared. Different people saying the same things differently result in more readers digesting new information.
Timing Matters: To read this article, you have to spend a lot of time, meaning if I “met” you at the wrong time, you wouldn’t. If others share the same content repeatedly, the chances of many writers “meeting” you at the right time will increase, resulting in more people reading this perspective.
Counterargument: Many of you might not agree with me; some might want to prove me wrong by writing a counterargument. By doing so, they add another layer to the discussion. Fewer people discovering content will result in fewer pushbacks and counterarguments.
The Importance of Publishing
As sites receive less traffic, people will discover content less frequently, diminishing the crucial repetitive effect needed to drive any message. Additionally, we lose the diversity of people reading the same message in different styles, leading to fewer counterarguments and debates as exposure decreases.
AI as Counter-Technology to Historical Advancements
Technological advancements have historically helped people discover more information. Long ago, there was usually one source: a king, Church, or Rabbi, allowing only one point of view. New ideas took a long time to emerge. Newspapers provided 2-3 different points of view daily. Then came radio and TV, offering 10-15, and later, hundreds of channels and opinions in real-time. The internet allowed us to discover much more, giving access to multiple perspectives. Each new technology cannibalized old ones by being more efficient in exposing information. The internet replaced newspapers with easier access to content. Smartphones made it even easier than desktops. Every advancement resulted in more information, advancements equaled quantity.
AI, in the context of spreading information, does exactly the opposite. For the first time ever, we have a tech advancement that reduces the amount of information people will be exposed to. This is a huge setback; as people discover fewer opinions, we revert to historical times when there was one source of information. If AI existed long ago, its modules would be trained according to the available information at that time and would answer things like:
Women shouldn’t vote because they don’t have the same IQ as men.
Blacks were created to serve whites.
Gay people shouldn’t be accepted in our society.
And like old times, we risk making new ideas surface harder and less frequently. You can’t debate the king, you can’t debate God (pope, rabbi), and you can’t debate AI. Stagnation in human progress is the risk we are facing.
The State of Publishing and Progress
The free press is not in existential danger. Even if half of all news sites lost traffic or closed, sufficient coverage would still exist, maintaining the legal right to criticize the government or anyone else. However, the state of publishing reflects global discovery and learning, from cocktail tips to diverse news perspectives. Reduced exposure to varied opinions can slow human progress and innovation.
The number of active content sites and related jobs can be perceived as some kind of measurement tool to how much new information people are accessing. Each site, even small ones, represents individuals searching, reading, and learning. Every site that shuts down signifies a shift towards passive consumption of fixed answers.
While definitive answers offer convenience, AI must enhance our pursuit of knowledge, not limit it. The state of publishing is our crystal ball, predicting the pace of future progress. A healthy publishing industry, with thriving publishers, signifies a brighter future, not just for those working in publishing and advertising.
Publishers hold immense power and influence. When they push a narrative, it quickly becomes the talk of the town. When many publishers align on the same agenda, the impact is huge.
Over the last decade, mainstream news sites, general interest magazines, financial journals, and TV channels have extensively covered internet privacy. Everyone loves going after giants, and attacking big platforms like Google brings traffic. Additionally, privacy issues are closely tied to the publishing world, leading to biased decision-making regarding the topic’s importance. In my opinion, the topic, though important, received more attention than its actual impact warranted and experienced overcoverage.
This surge in privacy-related content amplified users’ concerns, leading to significant industry shifts as users worldwide demanded more privacy. This pressure led companies like Apple, Mozilla, and others to eliminate third-party cookies from their browsers. It also made Google contemplate doing the same with Chrome.
Browser Market Share
Chrome’s market share has seen a year-over-year decline. While some of this decline can be attributed to the natural growth of Safari, driven by the increasing popularity of Apple devices, in my opinion, privacy concerns have also eroded Chrome’s user base. This is evident when examining Chrome’s shrinking market share on non-Apple devices. The market share of browsers like Brave and DuckDuckGo climbing from 0% to 2.7% further highlights the increasing user demand for enhanced privacy features.
While Chrome is a free product, Chrome users are valuable to Google, and losing users directly impacts Google’s revenue.
Legislation and Regulation Heat
Simultaneously, legislators, seeing the demand for privacy, stepped in and created regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). More countries, such as Brazil with its LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados) and Canada with its PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act), are adding their own regulations. Additionally, more U.S. states, including New York, Virginia, and Colorado, are enacting their own privacy laws. These regulations further pressured companies, including Google, to prioritize user privacy.
Moreover, Google has faced additional legislative pressure regarding privacy issues, with various governments scrutinizing their data collection and usage practices. This has led to investigations and fines in several jurisdictions, pushing Google to adopt more stringent privacy measures to comply with the evolving regulatory landscape.
Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome.” – Charlie Munger
Google is between a rock and a hard place, stuck between two powerful incentives. On one hand, they are losing browser market share and facing increased scrutiny from users and legislators demanding better privacy protections. On the other hand, they have a significant stake in the advertising world and the substantial revenue associated with it. This dual pressure explains why, unlike other browsers, Google has been seeking a solution that would eliminate cookies without significantly harming advertisers.
Earlier this week, Google announced their decision to halt their plans to kill third-party cookies. It seems that the revenue from online advertising presented a more substantial incentive than the potential market share loss from not aligning with other browsers in eliminating cookies. This decision highlights the challenging balance Google must strike between adhering to privacy demands and maintaining its advertising revenue.
Overreaction and Self-Responsibility
The immense pressure from publishers’ coverage led people globally to demand more privacy. Google capitulated to this pressure, only to be blamed by the same publishers for wanting to harm them. Google did not want to kill cookies; they caved to the demands. If publishers apply too much pressure again, the cycle will repeat. This time, however, Google might not be able to backtrack. Excessive pressure could lead to more stringent regulations, reduced innovation, and a less balanced digital ecosystem.
Unlike the clickbaity article titles suggest, I believe privacy is important and should be covered. However, publishers should be mindful that overcoverage can unintentionally cause overreaction. They must ensure they don’t give this topic more share of voice than it deserves, whether due to bias towards a topic associated with the publishing world or because of the allure of attacking big tech giants.
It’s crucial for all stakeholders to consider the long-term implications of their actions and strive for a balanced approach that addresses privacy concerns without stifling progress or disproportionately targeting specific entities. Responsible coverage is key to maintaining a balanced and informed public discourse.
Privacy and identity are having their moment. With cookie deprecation unfolding, finding effective data solutions is one of the top concerns on everyone’s mind in the ad tech industry.
What is Probabilistic Data?
The probabilistic approach is derived from predictive algorithms and patterns. An ID is created per user based on gathering information – whether it be from an IP address, user agent, or other machine-learning techniques.
This data becomes a great, overarching analysis of performance marketing and large-scale representations. Optimizing budgets based on these data points can give brands close projections of future trends. A strong contextual user journey profile can be built with probabilistic, looking at all of the information as pieces of a puzzle and building a global perspective.
Probabilistic vs. Deterministic
Deterministic data models are very popular amongst marketers at the moment. This approach relies heavily on user input data. Based on first-party data, this method allows marketers to paint a precise user analysis. The problem here is scalability. While deterministic is usually more accurate and offers authentic, quality data, it can’t be counted on to weather the post-cookies storm.
Depending on the chosen browsers and OS, probabilistic corrects the major scale issues that deterministic faces. This is because certain environments will hold onto data such as IP and user addresses when they are available. Most larger identifiers use probabilistic data when deterministic is unavailable, making it indispensable.
Probabilistic will most likely outlive deterministic going forward, but in the meantime, using a mix of both will be most fruitful.
Propelling Us into the Unknown
Probabilistic methods are (probably) the answer for successful targeting and advertising practices in the future. It’s important to remember that ad tech is only beginning when it comes to navigating this changing environment. Technological advancement can only continue to raise the bar for these identity solutions, but at the moment, there are not quite enough tools.
In order to reach the same or even near results as the standard before cookie deprecation, innovation will have to make leaps and bounds. With the unknown ahead of us, the best thing for publishers and marketers to do is brace themselves using everything available to them now and continue to look out for new solutions to come. Read our latest white paper to learn more about the tips you’ll need to excel in the cookie-free future.
