AdTechGod Pod: The Refresh News – March 17, 2025

Episode Title: The Refresh News: March 17 – AI Agents, Meta's Community Notes & TikTok's Future
Host: Kate, Architecture
Release Date: March 17, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of the AdTechGod Pod, host Kate delves into the latest developments shaping the advertising technology landscape. Covering significant announcements from Scope 3, Meta’s introduction of Community Notes, updates on Coca Cola’s media strategy with Publicist, and the evolving situation surrounding TikTok’s future, Kate provides listeners with comprehensive insights and analyses crucial for industry professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Scope 3's Inaugural Landscape Conference

Key Announcements:

1. Brand Standards Enhancement
2. Agentic Advertising Platform

Brand Standards Improvement: Scope 3 unveiled enhancements to their brand safety and suitability measures. These improvements are designed to provide more robust protection and alignment with clients' brand needs.

Agentic Advertising Platform: One of the standout announcements was Scope 3’s agentic advertising platform, slated for release in Q2. This platform leverages custom large language models (LLMs) and autonomous AI agents to revolutionize ad campaign management.

Kate's Analysis: Kate highlights that these announcements are in line with CEO Brian O'Kelly’s recent discussions on LinkedIn, emphasizing the strategic direction towards integrating advanced AI technologies.

“Scope 3 is essentially training large language models like Claude and Gemini on their clients' data to create a customized output” (07:30).

Environmental Considerations: While some critics argue that increased AI utilization could lead to higher carbon emissions, Kate points out that advancements in AI efficiency and supply chain optimization might mitigate these concerns.

“AI systems are becoming more efficient to run, and if you pair that with a more efficient supply chain, we could come out on top with brand standards” (05:45).

Functionality and Impact: The agentic advertising platform allows media ecosystem participants to develop, deploy, and monetize their own AI agents, which can handle various campaign tasks autonomously. This includes audience analysis, competitive research, media execution, ad verification, and data science operations.

“AI agents are being presented to us as a standalone product, but eventually they'll just be a feature or a function within a larger workflow” (19:15).

Job Market Implications: Kate anticipates that the rise of AI agents may lead to the elimination of traditional entry-level media roles. Instead, media associates might transition to overseeing and managing teams of AI agents, ensuring human oversight remains integral.

“As more AI agents enter the market, it's very realistic to expect that our traditional entry-level media roles will be eliminated” (16:50).

Meta's Community Notes Feature

Rollout Strategy: Meta is introducing Community Notes as a beta feature before a nationwide launch. Initially, it will utilize X's open-source algorithms for content rating, with potential adjustments by Meta based on performance.

Functionality: Qualified contributors can add context to social media posts across Meta’s platforms by submitting notes supported by trustworthy sources. These notes undergo peer review but require consensus from diverse viewpoints to be published.

“No matter how many contributors agree on a note, it won't be published unless people who normally disagree decide that it provides enough helpful context” (12:40).

Challenges and Concerns: Kate expresses skepticism about the efficacy of Community Notes, citing research that indicates a significant portion of accurate notes remain unseen by users.

“Researchers found that 74% of accurate notes were never shown to users. That seems to be a pretty big flaw in the system” (13:20).

Implications for Content Moderation: While the concept of diverse contextual input is promising, the practical application poses challenges in ensuring comprehensive and unbiased information dissemination.

“Having a system that allows for additional context from people with opposing values and views seems like a good idea in theory” (13:00).

Coca Cola’s Media Strategy with Publicist

Business Transition: Publicist, Coca Cola’s media division in the US and Canada, has solidified its position as a dominant force in media buying, particularly within performance media. This strategic move consolidates Coca Cola’s media operations, while other aspects like content production remain with WPP and select agencies.

“Publicist is one Coca Cola's media business in the US and Canada. Given the way Publicist has become an absolute powerhouse when it comes to media buying, particularly performance media, this is not that surprising” (14:30).

Strategic Focus: The emphasis on media buying underscores Coca Cola’s commitment to optimizing their advertising expenditures and enhancing campaign performance through specialized expertise.

TikTok’s Future and Project Texas 2.0

Current Status: TikTok faces an impending deadline of April 5 regarding its ownership and operational structure within the US. Oracle emerges as the primary contender to become TikTok’s sole owner under Project Texas 2.0.

Regulatory Challenges: Despite Oracle’s potential acquisition, existing laws mandate that TikTok’s operations, data, and algorithms be controlled by a US-based entity. Additionally, approval from Chinese authorities poses another layer of complexity.

“That law requires that TikTok and any other apps like it have all their operations, data algorithms owned and operated by a US entity” (17:10).

Speculative Outlook: Kate speculates that multiple influential stakeholders may still influence the final outcome, suggesting that the resolution may deviate from current expectations.

“My hypothesis is that there are still several players who have some pretty powerful cards to play. Regardless, I think we're all going to be a little bit surprised at the final outcome” (18:00).

Additional Highlights

NBC’s Mega Contract with the International Olympic Committee: Kate briefly mentions NBC securing a significant contract with the International Olympic Committee for the Summer 2024 Olympic Games. This deal serves as a valuable case study for future media strategy and execution.

“The Summer 2024 Olympic Games are one of my favorite case studies to refer back to. When it comes to thinking about what the future of media strategy and execution will look like, that's all we have time for today” (19:50).

Conclusion

In this episode, Kate provided a thorough examination of pivotal trends and movements within the adtech industry. From Scope 3’s innovative AI-driven solutions and Meta’s experimental Community Notes to Coca Cola’s strategic media consolidation and the unresolved future of TikTok, the discussions encapsulate the dynamic and rapidly evolving nature of advertising technology. Kate’s insightful commentary equips listeners with a nuanced understanding of these developments, preparing them to navigate and leverage these changes effectively in their own endeavors.

For more information or to become a guest on the AdTechGod Pod, visit AdTechGod Pod.