Episode Summary: The Refresh News: IAB ALM 2025 Wrap-Up with David Cohen
Podcast: AdTechGod Pod
Host: The AdTech God
Guest: David Cohen, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
Release Date: January 31, 2025
In this episode of the AdTechGod Pod, host The AdTech God sits down with David Cohen, the CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), to discuss insights and takeaways from the recent 2025 IAB ALM (Advertising Leaders Meeting) event held in Palm Desert. The conversation delves into the evolving landscape of advertising technology, focusing on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the future of addressability amidst cookie deprecation, and the mounting regulatory challenges facing the industry.
1. Highlights from IAB ALM 2025
The episode kicks off with reflections on the IAB ALM 2025 event, praised by the host for its high-energy and quality content. David Cohen shares his enthusiasm about the event's robust discussions and the presence of industry titans tackling pressing challenges.
Notable Quote:
"AI is one of those things that we marvel at... there is a part of the value chain that goes untouched by AI. So everything from insights to planning to execution to measurement and optimization, everything will have an AI component to it."
— David Cohen [02:21]
2. The Transformative Impact of AI on AdTech
AI emerged as a central theme throughout the event. Cohen elaborates on how AI is reshaping various facets of the advertising ecosystem, from media buying and measurement to consumer engagement and creative processes.
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Threats and Opportunities: While AI poses challenges such as potential impacts on search traffic and publisher monetization, it also offers unprecedented opportunities for innovation across the advertising value chain.
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Creative Evolution: Traditionally, the industry has heavily emphasized technology, data, and media, often overlooking the creative aspect. However, generative AI is now bringing creativity to the forefront, enabling dynamic ad copy, visual asset creation, and personalized product descriptions at scale.
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Market Mix Modeling: AI facilitates near real-time market mix modeling, addressing the limitations of traditional, slower, and backward-looking models. This advancement allows marketers to adapt swiftly to changing market dynamics.
Notable Quote:
"We have spent a relatively little amount of time talking about the creative and creativity side of the business. Generative AI brings the opportunity for creative to such a spotlight."
— David Cohen [04:54]
3. The Future of Addressability Amidst Cookie Deprecation
With the deprecation of third-party cookies in full swing, the IAB emphasizes a diversified approach to addressability. Instead of seeking a single replacement for cookies, the industry is exploring a portfolio of solutions to navigate the evolving landscape.
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Diversification and Exploration: The IAB advises the industry to diversify strategies, test new methods, and explore various solutions concurrently.
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Emerging Solutions: Contextual advertising is regaining traction, ID-less solutions like Google’s Pair Protocol are being developed, and privacy-enhancing technologies such as clean rooms and privacy sandboxes are being integrated.
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Preparedness: The industry's prolonged preparation for cookie deprecation has mitigated its immediate impact, with IAB suggesting that the eventual phase-out will be a non-event provided the industry continues to innovate.
Notable Quote:
"The future will not be one thing. The future will be you need to diversify, you need to test, you need to explore."
— David Cohen [06:44]
4. Navigating Regulatory Challenges
Regulatory pressures, particularly surrounding privacy and data usage, are intensifying. Cohen outlines the primary policy challenges and the IAB’s initiatives to address them.
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State-Level Privacy Laws: Unlike the unified approach in Europe, the U.S. faces a patchwork of privacy laws across 20 states. The IAB has introduced tools like the Multi-State Privacy Agreement (MSPA), the Global Privacy Platform (GPP), and the IAB Diligence Platform to help the industry comply efficiently.
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Federal Legislation Aspirations: The IAB is advocating for a comprehensive national data privacy law to replace the fragmented state-by-state regulations. Such a law would simplify compliance and provide a unified framework for the industry.
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FTC’s Evolving Stance: With potential changes in administration, the IAB is hopeful for a more balanced regulatory environment, focusing on emerging issues like AI governance and sensitive personal information.
Notable Quote:
"If ever there was a time to put that over the finish line, it would be when you have a single party majority in the Senate, in the House and in the executive branch."
— David Cohen [09:14]
5. Industry Sentiments and Surprising Discussions
Cohen reflects on unexpected conversations from the event, highlighting areas like responsible media, sustainability, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and brand safety. He notes a surprising lack of focus on TikTok's regulatory status, predicting a "wait and see" attitude within the industry.
Notable Quote:
"We call responsible media as kind of a catch... it has not been a home run or slam dunk for some time, but in the current environment, it is even more pressured."
— David Cohen [14:58]
6. Future of IAB ALM Events
Looking ahead, Cohen announces the upcoming locations for the IAB ALM events. After returning to Palm Desert in 2026, the conference will relocate to San Antonio for 2027 and 2028, aiming to explore new venues and expand the industry's geographical footprint.
Notable Quote:
"San Antonio is not one that is typically on the conference circuit. So we're always trying to find places that are new and unexplored and untapped."
— David Cohen [17:20]
Conclusion
The episode provides a comprehensive overview of the current state and future directions of the advertising technology industry. David Cohen's insights underscore the pivotal role of AI, the necessity for diversified addressability strategies, and the pressing need for streamlined regulatory frameworks. Listeners gain valuable perspectives on how to navigate the complexities of today's adtech environment and stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape.
Timestamps Reference:
- [02:21] Introduction to AI's impact
- [04:54] Discussion on creative opportunities with AI
- [06:44] Addressability and cookie deprecation
- [09:14] Regulatory challenges and IAB initiatives
- [14:58] Surprising discussions at IAB ALM 2025
- [17:20] Future IAB ALM locations