Podcast Summary: Next in Media

Episode Title: Navigating Data Identity and AI in Marketing with Matt Spiegel
Host: Mike Shields
Guest: Matt Spiegel, EVP of Marketing Solutions Growth Strategies, TransUnion
Date: February 10, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike Shields sits down with Matt Spiegel of TransUnion to explore the rapid and complex changes reshaping the media, marketing, and advertising landscape. Central themes include the evolving state of data and identity in digital advertising, the ongoing disruption from privacy regulations and cookie deprecation (“signal loss”), and the surge of artificial intelligence (AI) in media buying. Spiegel brings a seasoned perspective, touching on the practical realities marketers face as they strive for greater precision, scale, and efficiency—all while navigating chaotic, noisy, ever-shifting technological terrain.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Complex Landscape of Modern Marketing

• Fragmented Data Ecosystems: Marketers operate with scattered data—CRM systems, loyalty apps, transaction databases—that are rarely linked, complicating efforts to build a unified customer view.
  • “The headline for me is that there is still at the core a set of disconnected data assets that create so many of the problems that we deal with...” – Matt Spiegel [04:40]
• Core Marketing Needs Remain the Same: Despite upheaval (signal loss, AI, privacy laws), marketers still aim to aggregate data to better understand consumers and activate at scale—but the means to do so have fundamentally shifted.
  • “I still believe the end goal is still pretty much the same...understand consumers holistically better and apply that to great marketing strategies and do that at scale. But yes, you have to do that differently.” – Matt Spiegel [05:18]
• It’s Not Just Technology: While tech is crucial, organizational data practices and hygiene—cleanliness, linkage, consistency—are often the bigger challenges.

2. Platforms vs. Marketers: The Identity Resolution Race

• Platform (“Walled Garden”) Advantage: Major platforms with vast logged-in user bases are naturally ahead in identity resolution, offering “easy button” outcomes, but often sharing little of the underlying data or insights.
  • “There’s no doubt about the fact that they have a scaled view of customers with a level of dimensionality that few marketers can have on their own... there’s an easy button, if you will, of being able to make calls to those big platforms and just get outcomes...” – Matt Spiegel [06:36]
• The Transparency Trade-Off: Platforms can deliver results, but marketers sacrifice transparency and struggle with attribution across different channels and vendors.
• Long-Term Industry Trends: Spiegel foresees a continued trend toward transparency, interoperability, and more sophisticated data-sharing, but emphasizes this is a cyclical journey.

3. Agencies, Holding Companies, and the Data Game

• Agency Investments in Identity & AI: Agencies are positioning themselves as tech-forward, AI-powered, identity-driven platforms—often reminiscent of past attempts but with renewed seriousness and investment.
  • “If you’re a scaled media agency, you have to have that view of identity resolution. How you get there is a different discussion... some have built this from the ground up and some turn to companies like TransUnion to be that core infrastructure.” – Matt Spiegel [10:55]
• Challenges of Building vs. Outsourcing: It’s arduous and risky for agencies to keep cutting-edge internally, especially given client churn and evolving needs; independent data partners like TransUnion can provide more stability and consistency.
  • “If you're in that latter camp [frequently changing agencies], then sticking your data infrastructure to your agency partner I think brings you challenges. You do not want to have to start that over all the time.” – Matt Spiegel [12:25]

4. The Role of Identity Resolution in Measurement & Activation

• Foundational Consistency is Crucial: Diverging identity infrastructures for targeting and measurement create confusion and unreliable results.
  • “One of the biggest issues our industry faces is when you use one identity infrastructure to target and you use another identity infrastructure to measure." – Matt Spiegel [16:00]
• Room for Customization: While foundational accuracy and scale are not the places to differentiate, agencies build unique value by adding analytics, measurement sophistication, and creative overlays atop the shared data bedrock.

5. The AI Revolution—Reality vs. Hype

• AI as an Optimizer, Not a Silver Bullet: While AI is transforming media buying and optimization, claims that identity data “doesn’t matter anymore” are overblown.
  • “Let’s use these AI engines to massively speed how quickly we understand those things. Let's use AI engines to create a whole bunch of better propensity... But the idea that those tools mean identity resolution and an understanding of consumers is less needed... I don't buy that argument.” – Matt Spiegel [22:11]
• Why Customer Understanding Still Matters: Platforms’ AI may optimize for campaign outcomes, but knowing customers is essential for bigger strategic decisions (what products to build, which segments to pursue).
• The Pendulum Swings & Industry Myths: Over-corrections in industry thinking are common—one-to-one scaling was overhyped, and now the dismissal of identity in favor of AI is an “overcorrection” as well.

6. Ad Tech Market Dynamics & Agency Futures

• Vibrancy & Chaos, Cycles of Hype: The market is experiencing a new “buzz cycle,” with abundant startups and innovation driven by AI. However, consolidation is likely after the hype ebbs.
  • “The buzz is back, which in some ways is great. In some ways is, you know, annoying... The number of people starting new companies in this category are crazy.” – Matt Spiegel [23:01]
• Human Agency Won’t Disappear—Yet: Speculation that bots and agentic systems will replace human planners is likely overstated; there will be automation, but “a human in the loop” will remain essential, at least for the near future.
  • “We are going to have agents that do a ton of work in this ecosystem...I think that we will mostly keep a human in a loop somewhere.” – Matt Spiegel [25:11]
• Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Change: Economic shocks could trigger job losses as automation increases, but new roles will emerge as the industry evolves.

7. The Marketer’s Day-to-Day Reality: Noise, Pressure, and Opportunity

• Constant Firefighting: Marketers juggle requests from CIOs, scrutiny from CFOs, enticements from platforms, and challenges with measurement and attribution.
• Necessity of Analytical Chops & Partnerships: Success increasingly depends on analytical thinking, data-savvy leadership, and choosing the right external partners.
  • “At the core to drive sustainable growth can be challenging and it requires not always just pressing the easy button.” – Matt Spiegel [28:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Identity Data and AI:

  • “Consumer insights are not going to be available to you if you're just taking the outcome from an AI engine.” – Matt Spiegel [22:11]

• On Platform vs. Marketer Power:

  • “There’s an easy button for marketers in turning into the platforms. And that's the trade off, right, which is can I press the button? ...I don't necessarily know why and I know I have some double counting, if you will.” – Matt Spiegel [08:44]

• On Agency Differentiation & Data Consistency:

  • “You actually don't want to differentiate on whether you have right or wrong identity resolution… you want really high quality accuracy and you want scale.” – Matt Spiegel [15:25]
  • “One of the biggest issues our industry faces is when you use one identity infrastructure to target and you use another identity infrastructure to measure. Now you've got this data, you know, confusion that's really, really hard for marketers...” – Matt Spiegel [16:05]

• On the Human Future in Marketing Operations:

  • “Media buying was all going to move in house... I think the same thing is probably getting a little overdone now that we're going to wake up and it's just going to be all automated agents that control everything. But let's nuance this a little bit...” – Matt Spiegel [25:11]

• On Industry Hype and Cycles:

  • “We’re in the reality where over the next couple of years that we’re going to have some hype cycles and...a couple years from now… (companies) are going to have to fade and consolidate. We're going to go through that cycle again.” – Matt Spiegel [23:57]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:54] – Matt’s overview: Data disconnection, infrastructure gaps, and the persistent complexity of marketing
• [05:54] – Platforms’ advantage in identity and “outcomes-based” marketing
• [10:22] – Agency strategies and the challenge of building/buying data infrastructure
• [14:29] – TransUnion’s approach to enabling agency differentiation without sacrificing accuracy
• [19:22] – The AI discussion: Generative AI’s real impact vs. myth
• [22:11] – Why AI doesn’t negate the need for identity data and human insight
• [23:01] – Ad tech’s current vibrancy, hype, and Matt’s take on cycles in the industry
• [25:11] – The future of agency/planner roles in an increasingly AI-mediated world
• [27:31] – The chaotic, noisy daily reality for brands and the pressure on CMOs

Conclusion

This episode captures the state of flux in data-driven marketing, spotlighting the ongoing arms race between platforms, agencies, and brands as they grapple with identity, AI, and ever-more complex customer journeys. Spiegel’s pragmatic perspective is both clear-eyed about the noise and hype, and optimistic about the possibilities—so long as marketers invest in foundational data connectivity, remain analytical, and approach AI as an enabler rather than a panacea. The conversation is lively, candid, and packed with real-world insights for anyone navigating the crossroads of media, technology, and data.