Bob Regular, CEO at Infolinks Media, has been in ad tech long enough to see every hype cycle come and go. With all that experience, Bob now maintains that the marketing industry is stuck chasing the wrong things, arguing that smarter media buy paths — rather than shorter ones — are the key to unlocking efficiency, performance, and trust in programmatic media.

On this episode of On Scope, Bob joins host Mike Berberich to break down why proprietary inventory and context signals are rewriting the rules for programmatic and why advertisers who optimize for outcomes instead of shortcuts will be the ones who win in the long run. Together, Bob and Mike explore where the industry has gone wrong in its quest for programmatic efficiency, the engagement signals that indicate high-performing ad placements that all marketers need to know, and Bob’s tips for how marketers can get beyond the jargon and begin to apply common sense to achieve optimized, transparent media buys.

In a special segment, Matthew Schwartz, editor of ANA magazine, provides an on-the-ground report of PepsiCo’s in-house content agency, the Content Studio, and an in-depth look at broader trends within the in-house agency space. Matthew sits down with Lou Arbetter, head of the Content Studio, Jayne Amrosini, head of strategy at the Content Studio, and representatives from BBDO and Vaynermedia to learn how in-house and external agencies are collaborating to power stronger business results and what the future of in-house agencies looks like.

If this episode has made you realize you need to rethink your entire approach to media, the ANA Media Practice has the tools and insights to help. From CTV and retail media to influencer and programmatic transparency, this is the hub for smarter media, cleaner supply chains, and billions in efficiency gains. Check out all the resources available by visiting www.ana.net/media.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to see on a future episode, let them know by emailing onscope@ana.net.