The Ad Podcast

Episoder

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  ⁠Alexander Guerrero⁠ - Founder and CEO - ⁠Nextide Media⁠ 10.10.2026 30min

  Alexander Guerrero, Founder and CEO of Nextide Media—the modern adtech network unlocking livestreaming for enterprise brands. Alexander started NexTide after experiencing firsthand how painful and unpredictable creator-led live activations could be. Today, he’s built the technology stack that treats live streamers as modern publishers—combining non-disruptive ad overlays with LiveGuard™, a patent-pending AI brand safety engine that monitors live video, audio, and chat in real time. From working with major brands like State Farm to backing from creators and investors across gaming and sports, Alexander is turning live attention into scalable media outcomes. Today, we’re diving into the mechanics of live brand safety, fixing the broken creator campaign workflow, and why livestreaming is the next major media channel.
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  How AI Agents Are Transforming High-Consideration Buying Journeys | Gregg Johnson, Invoca, CEO 09.10.2026 14min

  Enterprise brands navigating complex, high-consideration buyer journeys face a structural shift as consumer research moves toward LLM aggregation and agentic commerce. In this episode of The AD Podcast, Gregg Johnson, CEO of Invoca, joins host Dylan Conroy to break down why top-of-funnel web traffic is decreasing while transaction readiness and conversion rates are hitting new peaks. Learn how marketing leaders are deploying custom, brand-owned AI agents to protect their digital equity, streamline complex purchase decisions, and bridge the gap between automated conversational systems and human sales teams.Agentic Commerce Mechanics: How LLMs and personal AI agents consolidate multi-tab buyer research into real-time streams.Owned Property Defense: Why CMOs must avoid over-indexing on external discovery and build specialized brand agents.Attribution to Orchestration: The technical pivot from passive campaign tracking to active, AI-driven funnel management.Hybrid Sales Routing: Feeding web and conversational context to human agents to eliminate transfer friction.Multi-Generational Marketing: Structuring full-funnel experiences for varied generational buying behaviors across telco, insurance, and automotive sectors.Gregg Johnson is the CEO of Invoca, a leading AI conversational intelligence platform serving enterprise customers across complex industries. With extensive executive leadership experience at Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Johnson specializes in scaling enterprise revenue systems and conversational data architecturesConnect with the guest and host:Gregg Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsongregg/Explore Invoca: https://www.invoca.com/Dylan Conroy LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/⁠⁠⁠Strike Social:⁠⁠⁠ https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-performance-marketing/⁠
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  Mastering Fan Intelligence vs. Social Media | Bethany Eppner, Fandom, Head of Business Marketing 09.10.2026 11min

  Modern digital publishers and enterprise marketers face unprecedented disruption as AI answer engines transform traditional organic search discovery.In this episode of The AD Podcast, host Dylan Conroy sits down with Bethany Epner, Head of Business Marketing at Fandom, to explore how platforms serving 300 million global uniques adapt to evolving search behaviors. The conversation examines why high-intent passion ecosystems thrive despite AI traffic compression, how to establish operational boundaries for generative AI, and why behavioral fan intelligence outperforms traditional social media listening.Key Topics Covered:Strategies for navigating referral traffic shifts caused by LLM search answer engines.The AI Production Framework: Restricting automation to backend tools while protecting human authenticity.Harnessing deep user engagement and 10+ minute session dwell times for premium brand monetization.Fan Intelligence vs. Social Listening: Utilizing behavioral intent data to predict emerging pop-culture trends.Real-time trend integration models for enterprise CPG and QSR advertisers.Guest Profile: Bethany Epner is the Head of Business Marketing at Fandom, leading global market strategy and enterprise client solutions across gaming, entertainment, and pop-culture verticals.Connect with Guest, Host & Sponsor:Bethany Epner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyepner/Fandom Platform: https://www.fandom.com/Dylan Conroy LinkedIn:⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/⁠⁠Strike Social:⁠⁠ https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-performance-marketing/⁠
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  The 5-Part AI Framework for Marketers | George Khatatrian, Braze, VP of AI Decisioning 09.10.2026 17min

  Enterprise marketing executives face severe operational bottlenecks when attempting to scale lifecycle personalization across fragmented customer touchpoints. In this episode of The AD Podcast, host Dylan Conroy sits down with George Khachatryan, Vice President of AI Decisioning at Braze, to unpack how enterprise organizations can transition from static segmentation rules to self-improving, autonomous decisioning engines.-The 5-Part AI Framework: Categorizing enterprise workflows across Data, Content, Experimentation, Decisioning, and Workflow. -Propensity Scores vs. Action Engines: Why churn probabilities fail without reinforcement learning models that output specific operational actions. -Beyond A/B Testing: Utilizing Multi-Armed Bandits to dynamically dial down low-performing campaign variants in real time. -Democratizing Optimization: How Decisioning Studio Go enables non-technical marketers to deploy tens of thousands of campaign variants without data science overhead. Headless CRM Orchestration: Connecting Braze Operator Connect to Claude and ChatGPT via Model Context Protocol (MCP).George Khachatryan is the Vice President of AI Decisioning at Braze, where they lead machine learning strategy, decisioning studio development, and multi-agent integrations for global enterprise brands.Connect with our guest: George Khachatryan LinkedIn:⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-khachatryan/Braze:⁠ https://www.braze.com/⁠Dylan Conroy LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/⁠Strike Social:⁠ https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-performance-marketing/⁠
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  How Braze Uses Internal AI to Automate Workflows | Astha Malik, Braze, CBO 08.10.2026 10min

  Managing enterprise marketing complexity often leaves strategy teams overwhelmed by manual tool administration and operational execution. In this live interview from Forge in Las Vegas, Astha Malik, Chief Business Officer at Braze, breaks down how leading organizations deploy internal AI transformation to reclaim high-value strategic capacity.In this episode, we cover:-Internal AI governance and the operational role of the "AI Tsar"-Maintaining a 15-year founder-led hacker ethos through fast beta iterations-Balancing long-term product vision with Gartner Leaders Quadrant execution-Running enterprise event communications entirely on native AI tooling-Eliminating operational drudgery to unlock creative "white space" for growthAstha Malik is the Chief Business Officer at Braze, where she leads global strategy, operations, and marketing initiatives. She also leads the company’s internal AI transformation strategy, helping build a culture of operational innovation.Connect with our guest and sponsors:Astha Malik LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asthamalik/Braze: https://www.braze.com/Dylan Conroy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/Strike Social: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-performance-marketing/
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  Solving Real-Time Messaging & System Automation | Sarah Reddington, Intuit, Manager of Growth Tech 08.10.2026 7min

  How do enterprise brands move from batch segmentation to true 1-to-1 customer personalization?Sarah Reddington, Manager of Growth Tech at Intuit, joins the show to break down how engineering modern marketing stacks, Braze AI agents, and real-time data connectors unlock timely, relevant customer experiences at scale.Key Takeaways:-Transitioning traditional marketing operations into cross-functional Growth Tech roles-Overcoming customer message fatigue through intent-driven timing-Deploying Braze Decision Studio and Headless Connectors for seamless automation-Balancing instant AI execution support with human-led strategic ideationConnect with the Guest:Sarah Reddington LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-reddington-8626732/Intuit Platform: https://www.intuit.com/Dylan Conroy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/Strike Social Media Performance: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-paid-social-media-ads-outcomes/
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  ⁠Jason Notte⁠ - Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief - ⁠Game Changers News 02.10.2026 33min

  Jason Notte is an award-winning sports business journalist and media executive serving as the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Game Changers News.With a career spanning over two decades as a columnist and editor for outlets including ADWEEK, TheStreet, MSN Money, MarketWatch, and Boston.com, Notte specializes in uncovering the untold stories behind sports media rights, stadium operations, sponsorship ROI, and modern fan culture. Through Game Changers News, he highlights the operational and creative leaders driving innovation across the sports ecosystem.
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  ⁠Chris Milone⁠ - CMO - ⁠A Place for Mom 02.10.2026 57min

  Chris Milone is a seasoned, four-time Chief Marketing Officer and marketing executive currently serving as the CMO at A Place for Mom, North America's leading senior living advisory network.With a career spanning over two decades across fintech, financial services, and digital marketplaces, Milone brings a strong performance-marketing foundation to large-scale brand strategy. Prior to joining A Place for Mom, he served for five years as CMO at personal loan platform Best Egg (Marlette Funding), led Digital Strategy at Barclays (where he helped launch the landmark Uber Visa card), and spearheaded performance initiatives across major channels. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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  ⁠Nicholas Spiro⁠ - Chief Commercial Officer - ⁠Viral Nation⁠ 01.10.2026 41min

  Nicholas Spiro, Chief Commercial Officer at Viral Nation—a global social-first transformation group that merges creator marketing, media buying, and AI-powered brand safety. Nicholas is a veteran platform leader who had a front-row seat to the evolution of digital ads during his tenure across Meta, Twitter, and Snap Inc. before taking the commercial reins at Viral Nation. Serving on the Board of Directors for the American Advertising Federation, Nicholas sits right at the intersection of internet culture, enterprise performance, and brand protection technology. Today, we’re diving into turning viral moments into sustainable revenue, navigating brand safety in a user-generated world, and how AI is changing creator discovery at scale.
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  Multi-Channel Personalization at Enterprise Scale | Liron Biton, Elementor, Group Manager 30.09.2026 10min

  As AI tools and vibe coding lower the technical entry barrier across digital platforms, enterprise marketing and product leaders face intense pressure to overhaul lifecycle engagement strategies.In this episode, Liron Biton, Group Manager of Lifecycle Marketing at Elementor, reveals how his team transformed traditional retention models across an ecosystem powering 40% of the web.Key Tactical Blueprint Covered:- Building multi-channel customer journeys using in-app messaging and native Content Cards- Generating over 60% year-over-year revenue growth by monetizing "My Account" user portals- Automating manual conversion rate optimization using Braze AI operators- Adapting core software products for non-technical creators via Model Context Protocols (MCP)- Implementing agentic capabilities (Angie) inside WordPress platform managementLiron Biton manages lifecycle marketing at Elementor, leading global retention architectures, automated messaging pipelines, and expansion revenue strategy.Connect CTAs:Liron Biton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liron-biton/Elementor Platform: https://elementor.com/Dylan Conroy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/Strike Social Media Performance: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-paid-social-media-ads-outcomes/
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  ⁠Maggie Reznikoff⁠ - Chief Client Officer - ⁠Open Influence 25.09.2026 51min

  Maggie Reznikoff is a creator economy executive, influencer marketing authority, and the Chief Client Officer at Open Influence.Starting her career in public relations at PR agencies including Ketchum, Reznikoff joined Open Influence in 2017. Over eight years and six promotions—culminating in her elevation to Chief Client Officer—she has built and scaled the agency's global client experience and account management functions. She has directed creator and social strategy for Fortune 100 brands, including Amazon, The Walt Disney Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Netflix, Google, and Procter & Gamble. A frequent industry speaker, Reznikoff focuses on integrating performance analytics with human-centric creator storytelling and navigating the impact of generative AI across creator workflows.
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  Proving Retail Media Incrementality Beyond ROAS | Dan Eisenberg, Blue Chip, CMO 25.09.2026 15min

  As corporate leadership demands strict financial accountability, CPG brand marketers must move beyond surface-level ROAS to prove incremental sales impact. In this episode recorded live at Grocery Shop, host Dylan Conroy sits down with Dan Eisenberg, CMO of Blue Chip, to discuss the evolution of commerce marketing and retail media networks.Key Topics Covered:- Transitioning from standard ROAS metrics to true C-suite incrementality models.- Harnessing first-party retail media data (Walmart Connect) to power full-funnel CTV buys.- Monetizing physical store foot traffic with dynamic digital out-of-home media.- Auditing creator networks versus native retail media influencer inventory.Compressing commercial storyboarding timelines from weeks to hours using custom AI agents.Dan Eisenberg is the Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Blue Chip, an independent brand commerce agency with 45 years of category leadership in CPG, grocery, and food & beverage.Connect with Dan Eisenberg on LinkedIn or visit Blue Chip. Brought to you by Strike Social. Follow host Dylan Conroy on LinkedIn.
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  ⁠Karim Leduc⁠ - Founder and CEO - ⁠DULCEDO Management 25.09.2026 37min

  Karim Leduc, Founder and CEO of DULCEDO — a premier multidisciplinary talent management agency, representing over 600 top-tier content creators, professional athletes, actors, models, and esports stars. Karim is a pioneer of the creator economy who launched DULCEDO as a modeling agency in 2008 before establishing on of the very first dedicated influencer management companies. Over the years, he has systematically built an ecosystem that includes dedicated talent representation, public relations through Sundae Creative Agency, and AI-driven match-making through the acquisition of Node App. Today, we’re diving into the operational discipline of creator management, keeping talent loyal, separating brand agency services from talent representation, and why Karim believes top creators are becoming the next rockstars of global culture.
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  ⁠Mulenga Agley - Founder and CEO - ⁠Growthcurve | Global Integrated Creative Agency 24.09.2026 1t 2min

  Mulenga Agley is a London-based growth strategist, marketing technologist, and entrepreneur best known as the Founder and CEO of Growthcurve, a tech-enabled growth marketing and performance agency that scales venture-backed startups and modern brands.
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  ⁠Erik Huberman⁠ - Founder and CEO - ⁠Hawke Media 23.09.2026 29min

  Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media—one of the fastest-growing digital marketing consultancies in North America. Erik is a serial e-commerce entrepreneur who built and sold two companies by the age of 26 before founding Hawke Media to solve a fundamental industry problem: how brands access top-tier marketing talent without getting locked into rigid, expensive traditional agency contracts. Through his signature 'Outsourced CMO' framework, Erik has helped scale over 5,000 brands—from high-growth startups to household names like Red Bull, Casamigos Tequila, and Crocs, Inc. He’s also a venture capitalist, host of the HawkeTalk podcast, and author of the bestselling book, The Hawke Method. Today, we’re diving into the death of traditional search, building media models that survive platform changes, and why competing on price is a losing game
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  ⁠Robb Fahrion⁠ - Co-Founder & Partner - ⁠Flying V Group 22.09.2026 50min

  Robb Fahrion is an e-commerce growth strategist, performance marketing executive, and the Co-Founder & Partner at Flying V Group, a digital marketing and advertising agency headquartered in Irvine, California.Fahrion holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing and Finance from Chapman University. Before co-founding Flying V Group alongside his brother Tyler, he gained corporate business strategy experience in financial services and commercial management. At Flying V Group, he specializes in scaling direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce brands, high-ticket B2B service companies, and enterprise clients through full-funnel digital strategy, paid acquisition (Meta and Google Ads), search engine optimization (SEO), and conversion rate optimization (CRO). He is also a frequent contributor to marketing industry publications and a speaker on agency operations and digital revenue growth.
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  ⁠Jeffrey Matisoff⁠ - CEO & Managing Partner, North America - ⁠The Brandtech Group 20.09.2026 41min

  Jeff Matisoff is a global media executive, growth strategist, and the CEO & Managing Partner, North America at The Brandtech Group.With over two decades of leadership in digital advertising, media transformation, and marketing technology, Matisoff previously served as a Partner at Jellyfish and held senior executive roles across Omnicom and WPP—including serving as Global President of WPP's EightBar, leading an 800-person organization dedicated to IBM's integrated creative and media. At The Brandtech Group, he leads regional growth across marketing, creative production, and generative AI, helping enterprise brands like Morgan Stanley, Workday, and Target integrate AI platforms, agentic workflows, and modern marketing strategy.
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  ⁠Ali Ugarte-Martinez⁠ - Co-Founder and COO - ⁠Foodie Tribe 17.09.2026 36min

  Ali Ugarte-Martinez, Co-Founder and COO of Foodie Tribe and Camino Collective. Ali is an agency leader and creator economy expert who built a multi-million-dollar influencer network connecting over 3,000 food and beverage creators with global brands across the US and Europe. From negotiating six-figure single-post brand deals to managing full-funnel social strategy for CPG giants and restaurant groups, Ali sits right at the intersection of niche vertical marketing, creator representation, and campaign operations. Today, we’re diving into navigating strict F&B brand guidelines, building high-converting niche creator networks, and how talent strategy is changing in the creator economy.
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  ⁠Dan Kabakov⁠ - Founder - ⁠Online Labs 17.09.2026 50min

  Dan Kabakov is an e-commerce growth strategist, certified Google Partner, and the Founder & Lead Google Ads Specialist at Online Labs.With over a decade of experience managing paid search and Performance Max campaigns for 50+ e-commerce brands, Kabakov specializes in scaling direct-to-consumer (DTC) storefronts through data-driven optimization and systematic account frameworks. He is the creator of "The E-commerce Ads System" and the author of "Fix Then Scale: Google Ads for Ecommerce," focusing on high-ticket retail accounts, attribution tracking, and leveraging custom AI tooling alongside human strategic judgment.Fix Then Scale: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HF9HWFZ7Free Google Ads audit: https://onlinelabs.io/free-google-ads-audit/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniskabakov/
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  ⁠Libby Morgan⁠ - Chief Executive Officer - ⁠NOVUS Media LLC 15.09.2026 44min

  Libby Morgan is an executive leader and the Chief Executive Officer at NOVUS Media LLC. She brings extensive international experience building and leading cross-disciplinary teams across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, driving omnichannel growth and media strategy for tier-one global brands like Nestlé.