#650: Maximizing your ad spend with Matt Wasserlauf, Blockboard

Summary

Episode Summary: Maximizing Your Ad Spend with Matt Wasserlauf, Blockboard

Podcast: The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® — Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX
Episode #: 650
Guest: Matt Wasserlauf, CEO at Blockboard
Date: March 14, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this special episode recorded live at ETEL Palm Springs, host Greg Kihlström interviews Matt Wasserlauf, CEO of Blockboard, on the critical topic of wasted ad spend in digital advertising. The episode dives deep into how marketers are grappling with inefficiencies, rampant fraud, and legacy verification systems—and how Blockboard’s innovative solution harnesses blockchain and artificial intelligence to eliminate waste and maximize advertising outcomes. Key discussion points include the magnitude of ad fraud, shortcomings of traditional ad verification, real-world results from Blockboard’s clients, and the opportunities AI brings to marketing teams.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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The Scale of Ad Waste in Digital Advertising

[03:54]

• Ad waste is a massive problem for marketers, especially as budgets tighten and expectations grow.
• Matt Wasserlauf cites Juniper Research:

  "$84 billion to be exact. That's a Juniper Research number. $84 billion of advertising is getting wasted."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 03:54)

• Major causes: Ineffective targeting, fraud, and inefficiencies in the ad tech ecosystem.

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Pre-Blockboard Attempts to Combat Ad Waste

[04:36–05:18]

• Advertisers have traditionally used verification companies (e.g., DoubleVerify, IAS, Moat).
  • These “manual and cumbersome” services review ad placements but only provide post-campaign analysis—often too late.
  • Matt points out,

    "They don't provide you real time results. You have to analyze that post buy... it's allowed... this problem to grow to $84 billion."
    (Matt Wasserlauf, 04:57)

• These limitations have allowed waste and fraud to escalate.

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The Consumer Experience and Where the Real Loss Lies

[05:27]

• While consumers see some negative effects (repetitive ads, intrusive streaming experiences), they are not the primary victims.

• "The biggest losers in all of this have been the marketers."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 05:55)

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Blockboard’s Solution: Immediate, Transparent, Outcome-Focused

[06:11]

• Blockboard, founded six years ago, rebuilt the ad ecosystem using blockchain (Ethereum) and AI.
• Focus on making every advertising dollar work, especially for “challenger brands” and outcome-driven agencies.

• "We're driving outcomes, the focus being on KPIs that are sales and leads and really helping them build their businesses."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 06:44)

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How Blockchain Is Used in the Ad Ecosystem

[07:13]

• Wasserlauf addresses blockchain misconceptions—it's primarily about security, not cryptocurrency.
• Blockboard uses Ethereum and smart contracts as “digital insertion orders”—automated, coded agreements setting campaign parameters and securing ad calls in under 33 milliseconds.

• "On Ethereum we use a smart contract... in less than 33 milliseconds, we secure the ad call they want and deliver their ads. That process... is the key to the kingdom."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 07:45)

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Tangible Results: AI + Blockchain in Action

[08:11]

• Case study: Proactive Skincare saw sales increase by 217% in one month after onboarding Blockboard.
• Blockchain provides secure foundations, while AI accelerates and sustains business outcomes—eliminating the usual “diminishing returns” in campaign performance.

• "AI is removing diminishing returns. It's unbelievable. And Proactive... is enjoying that."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 08:54)

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AI’s Role: Empowering Teams, Not Replacing Them

[09:05–09:38]

• AI’s value is in continuous campaign improvement via machine learning, freeing marketing teams to focus on other impact areas.
• Wasserlauf is optimistic, stressing:

  "I don't think it's a threat to humanity... If you get learned on AI, it's going to be a great opportunity for you."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 09:38)

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Getting Started with Blockboard

[10:24]

• Easy onboarding—typically starting with pilot programs on comfortable budgets, with results visible “right away.”
• Proactive’s early results exemplify this low-barrier, high-reward approach.

• "It usually starts with a test... you'll see the impact right away."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 10:34)

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The Slow Pace of Industry Adoption

[11:15]

• The digital ad industry is “very entrenched,” with significant resistance to change due to costly technology investments and risk aversion.

• "Everyone is more or less reticent to change... it is happening, for my taste, much too slowly."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 11:40)

• Most successful adoption comes from innovative, outcome-focused customers willing to test and learn.

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Marketer Reluctance & AI Misconceptions

[12:03]

• Many fear AI as a threat to jobs, slowing its adoption.
• Wasserlauf reframes AI as transformative and encourages education and openness to change:

  "I'm trying to re-educate those... it's an amazing opportunity and when done right, it has unbelievable impact."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 12:18)

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Staying Agile — Advice for Marketers

[12:39]

• On agility and adaptability:

  "You have to stay agile to survive... continually look to be better, learn, understand new ways of doing things. You have to be agile to survive in this world."
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 12:42)

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Memorable Quotes

• “$84 billion of advertising is getting wasted.”
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 03:54)

• “The biggest losers in all of this have been the marketers.”
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 05:55)

• “AI is removing diminishing returns. It's unbelievable.”
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 08:54)

• “I don't think it's a threat to humanity... embrace it as a real opportunity.”
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 09:38)

• “You have to stay agile to survive.”
  (Matt Wasserlauf, 12:42)

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Key Timestamps

• [02:09] Introduction to the challenges of ad spend waste at ETEL Palm Springs
• [03:54] The jaw-dropping $84B ad waste problem
• [04:36] Shortcomings in legacy ad verification approaches
• [05:27] The real losers: marketers, not consumers
• [06:11] Blockboard’s blockchain + AI solution overview
• [07:13] Deep dive: why blockchain matters in advertising
• [08:11] AI-powered results: the Proactive Skincare case study
• [09:05] AI frees teams for higher-value work, not as a jobs threat
• [10:24] Getting started: onboarding with Blockboard
• [11:15] Industry adoption challenges and the need for change
• [12:39] Staying agile in martech and marketing leadership

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Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is practical, optimistic, and laser-focused on real-world results and challenges. Wasserlauf is candid about industry inertia and the threat of AI misconception, but maintains a clear, actionable optimism—urging listeners to embrace new technology, pilot innovative solutions, and stay agile to succeed in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Blockboard's blend of blockchain and AI offers a concrete, tested blueprint for eliminating digital ad waste and redefining marketing success, positioning challenger brands and forward-thinking agencies to lead the way.

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For listeners or marketers curious about maximizing ad spend impact, embracing AI, or ensuring transparency and security in digital advertising, this episode offers a blend of industry insight and practical experience.

Transcript

[Strayer University Announcer]

At Strayer University, we help students like you. Go from Will I To why not? For over 130 years, we've been innovating higher education to make it more affordable, accessible and attainable so you can reach your goals. Go from thinking Can I? To Yes, I Can and keep striving. Visit strayer.edu to learn more. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by CHEV and its many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Mom, can you tell me a story?

[Carvana Mom]

Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Was she brave?

[Carvana Mom]

She was tired mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required.

[Greg Kilstrom]

Did you have to fight a dragon?

[Carvana Mom]

Nope. She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Was it scary?

[Carvana Mom]

Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Greg Kilstrom]

Did the car have a sunroof?

[Carvana Mom]

It did actually.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Okay, good story.

[Carvana Mom]

Car buying you'll want to tell stories about Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Foreign.

[Greg Kilstrom]

Welcome to Season seven of the Agile Brand where we discuss the trends and topics marketing leaders need to know. Stay curious, stay agile and join the top enterprise brands and Martech platforms as we explore marketing technology, AI, e commerce and whatever's next for the Omnichannel customer experience. Together we'll discover what it takes to create an agile brand built for today and tomorrow and built for customers, employees and continued business growth. I'm your host Greg Kilstrom, advising Fortune 1000 brands on martech, AI and marketing operations. The Agile Brand Podcast is brought to you by Tech Systems, an industry leader in full stack technology services, talent services and real world application. For more information, go to teksystems.com to make sure you always get the latest episodes, please hit subscribe on the app you listen to podcasts on and leave us a rating so others can find us as well. Now onto the show.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

We are here at Etel Palm Springs and seeing and hearing the latest and greatest in e commerce and retail. This year many advertisers and retailers are being asked to do more with less. At the same time they have smaller budgets. They also must contend with an astonishing amount of waste. Nearly 2/3 of every ad dollar spent actually goes towards the end inventory and up to 15% of total spend goes to fraud or made for advertising content. Today we're going to talk about what to do about all of those wasted ad dollars. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Matt Weserloff CEO at Blackboard. Matt, welcome to the show.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Thanks, Greg. Happy to be here. Yeah.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Looking forward to talking about this with you. Before we dive in though, why don't you give us a little background on yourself and your role at Blackboard.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Sure. I'm the pioneer in video advertising. 25 years ago, I put some of the biggest brands in online video. And 25 years later, or should I say six years ago, I started Blackboard. We at Blackboard rebuilt the entire digital ad ecosystem on the blockchain. And today we're combining blockchain and artificial intelligence to drive amazing outcomes for our marketers.

[Greg Kilstrom]

Nice.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Nice. Love it. Well, yeah, let's, let's dive in here. And I want to start by talking about the challenge that I, that I posed in the, in the intro. You know, wasted ad dollars generate less than optimal outcomes. And in an environment where marketers are being asked to do more with less, this waste is going to be very detrimental to, you know, the retailers we're talking with today at ETEL as well as many others and their ad campaign success this year. So why don't we start with, you know, how bad is this issue exactly?

[Matt Wasserloff]

It's, it's horrific. $84 billion to be exact. That's a Juniper Research number. $84 billion of advertising is getting wasted. So we attack, we attack the problem. We've solved the problem. And so our marketers who really are focused on outcomes like sales and leads, and that's why we're here at etel, they're enjoying the benefits of no waste.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah, yeah. So what's the typical like paint the picture for, you know, what's the typical like pre blackboard solution for marketers that, you know, they know there's this issue, I mean, this has been, well, a well documented issue. How are they, how were they trying

[Matt Wasserloff]

to solve it before, Before Blackboard, you would use a verification company. So the biggest are doubleverify, ias, Integral Ad Science, Moat was one. And you would pay them to look at all of your ad delivery and tell you where it was well spent and where it wasn't well spent. The problem with those services is they're manual and they're very cumbersome and they don't provide you real time results. You have to analyze that post buy. So it hasn't been a very good solution. And for the past 15 years, what really it's allowed is for this problem to grow to $84 billion.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah, yeah, well, and that's $84 billion on the advertisers. And I mean that's, that's huge. That impacts a lot. What about the consumer?

[Matt Wasserloff]

Like, yeah, the consumer, the consumer is really not the victim here. Although I will say the consumer's experience in streaming in particular is suboptimal. If you're watching sports or even the shows on Netflix and what have you, they're not great experiences, they're interruptive. There's high frequency with these marketers. You'll see the same ad. Right. Many, many times. So there's a lot to improve for the consumer. But really the, the biggest losers in all of this have been the marketers.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah, yeah. So let's talk a little bit about Blackboard solution here and you know, how you solve for this. I know you briefly mentioned, but you know, talk a little bit about Blackboard and where it kind of fits into this process.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Sure. You know, we're six years old, we've become a much bigger company because our advertisers are really happy. What we're doing is we're allowed, we're making every dollar for them work. So a lot of our customers are challenger brands who are really focused on making their dollar work out there. We work with great agencies who are really focused on their clients and their clients business. So we're having a lot of fun helping marketers really leverage this incredible new medium which is streaming CTV. We're driving outcomes, the focus being on KPIs that are sales and leads and really helping them build their businesses. So it's been a great six years.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Can you talk a little bit about, you know, you mentioned it's built on AI and blockchain. Can you talk a little? I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with some applications of blockchain, but how is blockchain used kind of in this.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Right. You know, so pre Sam Bankman Fried I tried to educate the world on really the best use case of blockchain, which is security. Okay, Security. It's not cryptocurrency, it's all about securing the back end. And that's why I chose Ethereum blockchain to be particular for our enterprise here. So Blackboard is built on Ethereum, we use, on Ethereum we use a smart contract, which is really a digital insertion order. It's a piece of code that has the parameters of the marketers goals and campaign. And quickly, in less than 33 milliseconds, we secure the ad call that they want and we drive and deliver their ads. And that process on a smart contract is the key to the kingdom.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah, yeah. Well, and, you know, so talk a little bit about the results the customers are seeing because of that.

[Matt Wasserloff]

So we have amazing customers. Proactive Skincare was our first that tested not only blockchain, but AI. So the key in this is really the blockchain providing security so that when you tap AI and the potential of accelerating those outcomes, there are guardrails in place. So Proactive, in one month, sales went up 217%. And they've been our biggest customer ever since. They continue to see improvement. You know, one of the. The real exciting parts of AI is it's removing diminishing returns. You know, typically when you're trying to drive outcomes, you know, you may accelerate those outcomes, and over time, you might see them diminish. AI is removing diminishing returns. It's unbelievable. And Proactive. Proactive is enjoying that.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

And is that just because of, like, machine learning? Yeah.

[Matt Wasserloff]

Yes, it's machine learning. It's always improving. So rather than relying on our team, we have a great team of 80 people, and it's great for them to understand how to optimize campaigns and do all that work. But now that we're tapping AI and it's taking it out of their hands and they're looking at everything else that we haven't been looking at. It's been a real accelerator for us.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

And real quick on that part, you know that it sounds like AI frees up the team to do other things. Like, how do you think about that kind of relationship?

[Matt Wasserloff]

Yeah, I don't think it's a threat to humanity. Okay. And I, and I want to share with your listeners on this podcast. You know, embrace it as a real opportunity. And if you get learned on AI, it's going to be a great opportunity for you. So we're seeing that for the 80 of us at Blackboard, you know, we're understanding the potential of this great new technology and we're using it and educating our customers and our marketers and our marketing partners on how to really leverage it. So it's a great opportunity for our industry here at etel.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

That's great. That's great. So lots, lots of people listening out there are advertising already. You know, how do they start working with you? Like, what's, what's.

[Matt Wasserloff]

We pride ourselves in ease. I mean, you know, it's just a matter of touching base with us and us finding you. And when we do find you, it usually starts with a test. A test that. With a budget that you're comfortable with, and you'll see the impact right away. And so it becomes a fun exercise for, you know, Proactive being the example we've been talking about here. You know, in one month they saw sales go up 217% and it was a very fun and exciting conversation going forward.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah, yeah. So want to get your thoughts a little bit on, you know, where we go from here. So, you know, your platform uses blockchain, uses AI, you know, two tech. I'm sure it uses a bunch of other tech as well. You know, where, where do you kind of see this technology continuing to improve? This, this big challenge of fraud and waste?

[Matt Wasserloff]

Right, right. I, I, unfortunately it's not going fast enough. Our industries, you know, I'm talking about the digital ad industry, is very entrenched. You know, a lot of people spent a lot of time and a lot of money building tech stacks. And so everyone is more or less reticent to change and, or hesitant to change. And you know, all we can do is one, you know, one at a time, you know, finding customers like Proactive who are interested in this new technology and testing and learning. Those are our customers. But it is happening for my taste, much too slowly.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, do you think there's, on the marketer side, do you think there's reluctance to use too much AI too quickly? Or is it, is it more just a matter of education?

[Matt Wasserloff]

No, I think we've been slow to use it. I think the industry views it as a threat to their jobs. And so, you know, I'm trying to re, educate those who I get a chance to talk to and hear on this podcast. I mean, it's a, an amazing opportunity and when done right, it has unbelievable impact. So we have to, we have to find like minded people.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah, absolutely. Well, thanks so much for joining. One last question for you before we wrap up. I'd like to ask this to everybody. What do you do to stay agile in your role and how do you find a way to do it consistently?

[Matt Wasserloff]

You have to stay agile to survive. We are in a very hyper connected world, but we're also in a world that has lots of different challenges and we have to continually look to be better, learn, understand new ways of doing things. You have to be agile to survive in this world. And that's. And I, and I'm doing it every single day.

[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Yeah. Love it. Well, again, I'd like to thank Matt Wasserloff, CEO at Blockboard for joining the show. You can learn more about Matt and Blockboard by following the links in the show notes and stay tuned for more interviews at ITEL Palm Springs thanks again

[Greg Kilstrom]

for listening to the Agile Brand brought to you by Tech Systems. If you enjoyed the show, please take a minute to subscribe and leave us a rating so that others can find the show as well. You can access more episodes of the show@theagile brand.com that's theagile brand.com and contact me. If you're interested in consulting or advisory services or are looking for a speaker for your next event, go to www.greggkilstrom.com. that's G R E G K I H L S t r o m.com the Agile brand is produced by Missing Link, a Latina owned, strategy driven, creatively fueled production co op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. Until next time, stay curious and stay agile.

[Strayer University Announcer]

The agile brand.

[Matt Wasserloff]

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[Interviewer at ETEL Palm Springs]

Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Matt Wasserloff]

Oh no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league. Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Carvana Mom]

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[Strayer University Announcer]

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