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2026 Cannes Lions: Authenticity In The Age of AI

Sarah Sluis — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:30:21 +0000

Authenticity. Outcomes. Workflow….and containerization? After a week sweating on the Croisette, the AdExchanger team offers you a sweat-free synopsis of the 2026 Cannes Lions.

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How AI Can Enhance Content Without Generating It

Alyssa Boyle — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:00:02 +0000

As much as consumers complain about AI-generated content, advertising experts say AI still has an important place in video creation and production, including for ads. But using AI in content without turning off consumers is a tricky dance.

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The LiveRamp Exit Ramp; Hydration Break Hate Has FIFA Sweating

AdExchanger — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:03:32 +0000

Since Publicis Groupe is acquiring LiveRamp, many brands will likely find themselves in the market for a new independent vendor for audience and identity data. Plus: FIFA’s controversial ad-filled hydration breaks twice per every World Cup game.

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How Tovala Banks On Subscriptions And Incrementality – But Not Ads – To Profit From Its Oven

James Hercher — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 19:51:22 +0000

Smart TVs, refrigerators and other home appliances may pester you with marketing and perhaps even check your presence in the room using a front-facing camera. But at least the hardware is cheap! That’s the promise. Some companies, like the TV manufacturing startup Telly, take it to the logical extreme by offering free televisions in exchange […]

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What the Industry Is Getting Wrong About AI, with John Dick, CivicScience | Cannes 2026

AdExchanger Content Studio — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:47:42 +0000

Everyone at Cannes is talking about AI — but CivicScience CEO and founder John Dick says the industry is missing its most important stakeholder: the consumer. Drawing on survey data, Dick argues AI may be among the most unpopular technologies ever introduced to the public, with the average person “somewhere between skeptical and terrified.” While […]

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Large Language Models Are Overkill For Some Marketing Tasks. Enter The Small Language Model

Joanna Gerber — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:05:33 +0000

It’s no secret that large language models (LLMs) have gotten exorbitantly expensive. Companies are starting to limit their employees’ AI usage to save money; OpenAI has even discussed lowering the cost of tokens to retain financially anxious customers. But you know what’s cheaper than a large language model? A small language model. AI company ZeroGPU […]

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Why Measurement Is The Key To Solving Digital Audio’s Scalability Challenge

Andrew Byrd — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:00:37 +0000

Audio advertising has a scale problem. While Spotify, Pandora and iHeartMedia dominate industry attention, roughly half of the ad-supported audio market sits outside those platforms. Hundreds of streaming audio publishers, podcast creators and niche content providers are competing for advertising dollars without the sales teams, audience data or measurement capabilities needed to consistently attract large […]

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Things Are About To Get Hollyweird; Facts And Phantasms

AdExchanger — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 04:03:04 +0000

The Tech Revolution Will Be Televised Every business considers itself a tech company these days. Remember Allbirds sneakers pivoting to AI? In the entertainment industry, the line between tech and media is growing especially murky. Legacy entertainment studios own streaming platforms, and tech companies produce their own films and shows. Unfortunately, a showdown between Hollywood […]

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Shopify Wades Deeper Into Advertising, But Not Ad Tech

James Hercher — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:04:50 +0000

Shopify is slowly but surely making its way into the ads business. An earlier step in that journey was the hiring of Samir Pradhan as VP of product for merchant marketing in November 2025. There is no product called “Merchant Marketing,” as Pradhan told AdExchanger. But merchant marketing is the way the company thinks about […]

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Cannes-terview: Why Audio Ad Spend Still Lags, According To Spotify’s VP Of Product

Allison Schiff — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:06:01 +0000

A lot of the conversations folks have in Cannes are the same ones they’re having at home, the only difference being that both parties are wearing sunglasses and linen shorts. One of those recurring threads is audio. Not unlike gaming, audio commands time and attention, but the ad dollars haven’t caught up. It’s a head-scratcher […]

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