Podcast Summary: Behind the Numbers — How Neuro-Contextual Makes Advertising Feel Human Again

Podcast: Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast
Episode Title: How Neuro-Contextual Makes Advertising Feel Human Again
Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Marcus (EMARKETER)
Guests: Jeremy Goldman (Senior Director of Content, EMARKETER) & Brian Gleason (CEO, Seedtag)

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode explores how neuro-contextual advertising—the combination of AI, neuroscience, and contextual targeting—can make digital advertising feel more natural, emotionally resonant, and privacy-conscious. The conversation draws primarily on Seedtag’s recent research into brain responses to ads, the limits of current contextual strategies, and why human-centric, emotionally intelligent advertising is the future.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Defining Attention in Advertising

• Attention’s Role:
  • Brian: Attention means capturing someone's focus amid digital noise, going beyond basic visibility:

    “Are you receptive to a new message, to a new thing, to an idea, to a concept? Did you get my attention?” (04:16)

  • Marcus: True attention involves processing, not just clicking or viewing:

    “There’s a big difference between clicking on a thing and really paying attention... really focusing on something.” (04:57)

  • Jeremy: The industry’s shift from buying impressions to measuring what actually resonates:

    “If not all impressions are created equal, why do I want to pay for them on a per thousand basis?” (05:25)

2. From Contextual to Neurocontextual — What’s the Leap?

• The Research Approach:
  • Brian recounts partnering with neuroscientists to measure how ads resonate in the brain, specifically:
    • Cross-brain activity: Are people neurologically engaged?
    • Frontal lobe alpha asymmetry: Measures emotional connection (trust, nostalgia, admiration).

      “We partnered with key institutions... to say, okay, how do we even measure this? It was really looking at cross-brain activity, and... the frontal lobe alpha asymmetry.” (07:24)

• Emotional Matching:
  • Marrying how someone feels with where and what they see (environment + emotion + creative).
  • Data showed a 350% increase in recall for neuro-contextually relevant ads compared to non-contextual, and 30% higher retention with emotional resonance.

    “If I'm in a sports page and it is nostalgic, and the advertisement is nostalgic... that's the unlock.” (09:15)

• Storytelling & Trust:
  • This approach is closer to effective storytelling and builds consumer trust, moving away from ‘surveillance marketing’.

    “It’s making advertising feel human again, which seems like it should be obvious, but really isn’t.” (13:38)

3. Problems With Traditional Behavioral (Cookie-Based) Targeting

• Overuse and Intrusion:
  • The industry became “hooked” on cookies, leading to intrusive tracking and ad fatigue.
  • Brian:

    “We overused it, right? Like we chased everybody all over the web... We just care that we found them.” (14:02)

• Regulatory Backlash:
  • Consumer demand for privacy led to regulation and the need for new, less invasive strategies.
  • Neuro-contextual allows advertisers to reach ‘high intent moments’ without cookies:

    “Neurocontextual signals allow advertisers to reach high-intent interest moments without cookies or identifiers...” (16:33)

4. Tangible Outcomes & Surprising Insights

• Device Differences:
  • Emotional connection/trust was significantly higher on mobile than desktop, suggesting device context matters for emotional resonance.

    “The emotional connectivity on a mobile device was much higher than a desktop. I wouldn’t have expected that.” (17:14)

• Competitive Differentiation:
  • Contextual and neuro-contextual targeting allows advertisers and agencies to find white space and unique audiences overlooked by competitors.

    “That’s the eye-opening moment where there is that unlock to go, oh my god, if I use this I could see white space that I haven’t seen before.” (19:30)

5. Looking Forward — The Industry’s Evolution

• Planning Tools for Publishers & Agencies:
  • Seedtag aims to provide emotional intelligence tools to publishers and agencies, allowing more nuanced audience insight and media plans.
  • Agencies need these capabilities built into their planning systems, not as an add-on feature.
  • For brands, the goal is to connect creative strength with the right moment and environment.

    “You spent all this money on creativity... really giving them the ability to understand the value of this...” (22:11)

QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On advertising’s new era:

  “Contextual advertising with a heart.” — Marcus summarizing Brian (13:38)

• Emotional impact vs. performance metrics:

  “We’re typically looking at performance metrics — did someone click? Now, this is diving in and saying ‘how does your brain work and react to certain things?’” — Brian (08:23)

• On the promise for brands:

  “For brands, brand recall is one of the biggest challenges... This [technology] can unlock the value.” — Brian (15:45)

• Humor and real talk:

  (On traveling without his family) “I sleep so much better on the road… doesn’t happen to me in Lisbon!” — Jeremy (03:27)

TIMESTAMPS FOR KEY SEGMENTS

• Intro & Guest Warm-up: 00:00–03:45
• What Is Attention in Advertising? 03:45–06:15
• How Neurocontextual Targeting Works: 07:01–09:01
• Research Outcomes & Emotional Resonance: 09:01–12:08
• Neurocontextual vs. Traditional Contextual: 12:08–14:02
• Privacy, Cookies, and the Shift to Context: 14:02–16:33
• Implications for Publishers, Agencies, and Brands: 21:34–23:48
• Closing Thoughts & Show Notes: 23:48–end

TAKEAWAYS FOR MARKETERS

• Neuro-contextual advertising uses AI and neuroscience to match not just the content, but also the mood and emotional state of consumers for more powerful ad recall and trust.
• Privacy-centric, emotionally intelligent advertising is the clear path forward as regulators and users move away from cookies and surveillance-based targeting.
• Device context matters—mobile environments can provide stronger emotional connections, especially for younger audiences.
• Success depends on integrating neuro-contextual insights throughout the campaign funnel, not just at the top.
• Advertisers and publishers who adopt emotionally aware planning tools will have a measurable advantage in an increasingly competitive, privacy-first landscape.

FURTHER READING

• Seedtag’s research: Tapping into the Brain’s Design: Neuroscience and AI for Real Human Connection (link in podcast show notes)

This episode is ideal listening for marketers and advertisers seeking to move beyond legacy targeting and discover how AI can help them craft more human, effective ad experiences—without sacrificing consumer trust.