WEEK IN REVIEW: ROBOCALLS, TIKTOK, AND ADTECH MACHINATIONS

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Table of Contents

• Week in Review: Trump, TikTok, Trade Desk, and the Contextual Comeback

  • 1. The FCC’s Robocall Crackdown? Ghosted.

  • 2. Perplexity AI and the TikTok Bidding War No One …

  • 3. Yahoo DSP Finally Decides Transparency Might Be …

  • 4. Omnicom and IPG’s Megamerger: Two Dinosaurs Hol …

  • 5. McDonald’s CMO Resigns, But Grimace’s PR Team S …

  • 6. The Trade Desk Is Not Doing M&A Because Jeff Gr …

  • 7. Netflix’s Next Big Move: Owning Its Ad Tech Bef …

  • Final Thoughts: 2025 is Already A Circus, and We’r …

    • Viant’s Growth, AI Strategy, and CTV Innovation

    • The Battle for IAB ALM: Gavin Dunaway Saw It All, and He Has Thoughts

    • Netflix’s Ad Gamble: Reinventing Itself or Selling Out?

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1. The FCC’s Robocall Crackdown? Ghosted.

Ah, the FCC. The federal watchdog that thought it could rain in the wild, wild west of robocalls, armed only with a rulebook and a prayer. They aimed to make things clear: if you're gonna spam people's phones with unsolicited calls and texts, get their explicit consent first. Novel idea, right? But of course, the lead-gen industry—aka the cowboy of the digital ad world—had other plans. Their reaction? "You can't tame us that easily, pal."

Cue the 11th Circuit Court, the cool-headed judge with a "don’t tell me how to do my job" vibe. In an epic mic-drop moment, they basically told the FCC, “You overreached, sweetheart.” The court said that the FCC’s fancy new rules were just a little too much. It’s one thing to ask for consent; it’s another to tell companies they need to get the go-ahead from every single player in the telemarketing game. So, for now, the floodgates stay wide open, and consumers? Well, they’re still drowning in a sea of unsolicited car warranty offers, fake vacation deals, and “urgent” credit card pitches.

The lead gen industry isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving. They’ve got the green light to continue doing what they do best: sell your phone number to the highest bidder like it’s their personal tradeable asset. Consumers are left with the "block all" button as their best option, hoping it holds up against the endless march of spam.

But here’s where things get really spicy—Eric Troutman, the ultra TCPA guru, isn’t sitting on his laurels. He came in swinging, filing petitions like a litigator on a caffeine high, trying to keep the FCC’s attempt to regulate this wild world on hold. Because why not? It’s not like there’s a national crisis with every person’s phone buzzing off the hook every five minutes, right?

Troutman’s play wasn’t just a legal move; it was a power grab. He’s got the playbook on how to stall these kinds of regulations and get businesses what they want. This isn’t the end of the battle. It’s just the first round. The lead gen industry isn’t done yet, and with Troutman in their corner, you can bet they’re ready to play the long game. Meanwhile, consumers are stuck in the middle, holding their phones and wondering if there’s ever going to be an escape from this constant barrage.

So, what happens next? Well, as it stands, it’s still open season on your phone number. And the FCC? They’ll just have to figure out where they went wrong, assuming they ever get the chance to try again. The rest of us? We’re just left with a lot of unwanted noise.

2. Perplexity AI and the TikTok Bidding War No One Asked For

Imagine waking up to find that your favorite coffee shop is about to be sold to an ever-expanding corporate blob, and the top bidders include a chatbot startup, a YouTuber who’s built an empire out of giving away free money, and a group called "The People’s Bid" (which, let’s be real, sounds like a failed Bernie Sanders PAC). Welcome to TikTok’s U.S. future in 2025—where the bids are bizarre, the stakes are high, and the whole thing is as chaotic as your mom trying to figure out Instagram stories.

Perplexity AI, a search engine that probably nobody has heard of (until now), is throwing its hat in the ring to buy TikTok. The twist? They want the U.S. government to own 50% of the company. Yep, you read that right. The government—let’s say it together: half ownership—of a social media platform where teenagers dance to viral songs and we’re all pretending we don’t secretly scroll for hours. And ByteDance? Oh, they still get a cut, just without the recommendation algorithm that makes TikTok the addictive monster we can’t quit. So, you know, basically just the husk of a once-great idea.

Not to be outdone, you’ve got Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank, who’s somehow managing to keep a straight face while offering to buy TikTok, along with billionaire Frank McCourt, the guy who once owned the LA Dodgers. They’re proposing to prioritize user privacy and national security while probably throwing in a few "just trust us" vibes. Meanwhile, the guy who made his fortune off of "Hey, let me give away a $100,000 car to a random person"—a.k.a., MrBeast—has decided that this is the time to throw his money into the TikTok ring. Because, of course, what says "regulatory stability" like a dude whose main claim to fame is stunts involving massive giveaways and absurd levels of charity?

And then, of course, there’s Elon Musk, who’s been mentioned as a possible buyer, but he’s probably too busy turning X (formerly Twitter) into a weird political echo chamber to care about buying a social media platform that actually has users. It’s all a bit like watching a group of teenagers at a high school talent show, where everyone is competing for the same prize, but nobody’s really sure what the prize actually is—or if it even exists.

So there we are, folks. A bidding war for TikTok that’s less about who can deliver a better product and more about who can make the most noise. Will it be a YouTuber? A chatbot startup? A group of billionaires who can barely contain their glee at the thought of owning the next big thing? Who knows. But one thing’s for sure: this is the corporate equivalent of a reality TV show, and it’s about to get even messier. Stay tuned.

3. Yahoo DSP Finally Decides Transparency Might Be Good (Six Years Too Late)

The IAB Tech Lab’s Data Transparency Labels have been floating around since 2019, but if you’re wondering why it’s taken so long for them to catch on, welcome to the frustratingly slow grind that is ad tech. Imagine trying to teach a boomer how to upload a PDF—yep, that’s basically been the adoption rate for these labels. But finally, Yahoo DSP, in a move that almost feels like they’re waking up from a 10-year nap, has decided to throw its hat in the ring and say, “Hey, maybe advertisers should actually know what they’re buying.” Groundbreaking, right? It’s like they just invented fire. But let’s not get too carried away here.

The idea behind these labels is simple: just like food labels tell you if your granola bar is 90% sugar and 10% sadness, these labels let advertisers know whether the audience segments they’re buying are made up of real people or cobbled together from questionable data sources. It’s almost like asking, “Is this audience real, or is it a Frankenstein monster built from scraps of stale demographic data?” The intention here is to give advertisers some clarity before they sink millions of dollars into the digital ad equivalent of a roulette wheel.

But here’s the kicker: will this actually change the garbage-in, garbage-out nature of ad tech? Let’s be real—it probably won’t. As nice as it is to have labels that show us the ingredients, the fact is that ad tech has been rolling in unverified data for so long, it’s going to take more than some transparency labels to fix the system. But, hey, at least Yahoo is trying something while most DSPs are still in the “just trust us, bro” era of data sales.

Anthony Vargas over at AdExchanger really brought this into the spotlight, and it’s about time someone called out the fact that while the industry’s been talking about transparency for ages, no one’s really been doing much about it. Yahoo’s move is a step in the right direction, but let’s not pretend it’s the solution to every problem in ad tech. It’s more like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Sure, it’s better than nothing, but it’s not going to fix the real issues.

And while Yahoo gets a gold star for making the first move, let’s see if this actually sparks a wider change in an industry where most players would rather keep the curtains firmly closed and pretend they aren’t selling questionable data. So yeah, Yahoo’s doing the bare minimum, but in ad tech, the bare minimum sometimes feels like a godsend.

4. Omnicom and IPG’s Megamerger: Two Dinosaurs Holding Hands Before the Meteor Hits

So, here’s the latest in the ad world’s corporate theater: Omnicom and IPG—two of the biggest ad agencies in the game—are getting hitched. And it’s not a love story; it’s more like the Frankenstein monster of the ad industry. This merger will create a behemoth, controlling a whopping $25 billion in revenue and about 100,000 employees. Sounds sexy, right? Well, only if you’re into oversized, bloated corporate entities that couldn’t tell you the difference between a creative brief and a budget spreadsheet if their lives depended on it.

The strategy here is painfully simple: if you can’t beat WPP or Publicis, just out-bureaucracy them. That’s right—when your competition is running circles around you, just band together and create an even bigger circle. It’s like the corporate version of the two wrongs make a right philosophy. We’ll throw a little M&A magic dust on top and hope no one notices that all that’s left is two massive companies swimming in their own red tape. They’ll probably spend the next few years working out how to “synergize” every department. And by "synergize," we mean cut jobs, streamline everything into some nonsensical management structure, and fire up the PowerPoint presentations to justify the whole thing.

This merger is a massive win for everyone involved—if your goal is to make ad agency life even more soul-crushing than it already is. Get ready for endless “synergy” meetings, where executives in $1,500 suits gather to figure out how to carve up the company’s lunch budget and rebrand the hell out of nothing. The buzzword bingo is going to be off the charts. As for the 100,000 employees, you can bet your bottom dollar that a good chunk of them are about to get a shiny new pink slip. It’s the classic M&A move: consolidation of power, shrinking headcounts, and restructuring for that sweet, sweet bottom-line growth.

Mark Read over at WPP is already throwing shade from the sidelines, because, of course, what would a massive ad agency shake-up be without some passive-aggressive tweets from the competition? Meanwhile, over at Publicis, they’re pretending it’s all good—putting on their best "we’re fine" face, even though they can see the writing on the wall. "You think you’re a big player, Omnicom? Cute. We’ll see if this works out for you in the long run.” Publicis is the kind of company that likes to be the biggest kid on the block, so watching two rivals join forces is like seeing a jealous ex come to terms with the fact that they were never really as special as they thought.

And in the background, indie agencies are popping the popcorn and having a good laugh. While the giants are busy merging and synergizing their way into an all-encompassing labyrinth of corporate nonsense, the little guys—smaller, leaner, and far more nimble—are watching with glee. Clients are going to start realizing that the huge agencies don’t offer the same personalized touch or real innovation anymore. Instead, they’re a bloated mess trying to convince everyone that bigger is better. Spoiler alert: it’s not.

The indie agencies, fresh off their creative authenticity kick, are already gearing up to swoop in, offering the personalized, nimble, and, dare we say, human-centric approach that these mega-agencies have forgotten how to do. There’s a real sense of freedom when you're not tied down by three layers of management and a never-ending need for approvals. Meanwhile, Omnicom and IPG will be busy playing Who’s The Boss? while clients sit there wondering if it might be time to just take things in-house and cut out the middleman altogether.

So, as Omnicom and IPG join forces in this corporate game of Jenga, let’s just sit back, grab the popcorn, and wait for the inevitable crash. It’s not going to be pretty.

5. McDonald’s CMO Resigns, But Grimace’s PR Team Still Standing Strong

Tariq Hassan is officially out at McDonald’s, wrapping up his tenure as the mastermind behind the viral Grimace Shake campaign that turned Gen Z into a mass of confused existential crises. Let’s be honest, the only thing more puzzling than the meme was how McDonald’s turned a purple blob into the most talked-about thing on the internet in 2024. Hassan, though, has decided it’s time to exit stage left. His next move? Well, he's "taking time to spend with family," because, as every corporate exec says when they're quietly plotting their next gig, "I need more balance." But let's call a spade a spade: He’s got a shiny new job lined up. My guess? He’s heading to CTV, because where else does every ad exec with a pulse seem to be going these days?

In his place is Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald’s new CMO and the woman tasked with the Herculean feat of following Hassan’s meme-fueled insanity. Buetikofer is no rookie. She’s previously ran McDonald's Canada, and she's best known for launching the MyMcDonald's Rewards program, which, let’s be real, was basically a fancier version of a punch card but with an app. You know, a loyalty program that was "innovative" in the same way adding whipped cream to a latte is considered creative—it’s a small tweak, but we all act like it’s revolutionizing the coffee industry.

So, now McDonald's is trading in the meme king for a loyalty program queen. Will she turn the brand into an even more convoluted tech-driven monstrosity or bring back the flavor that made us all crave Big Macs in the first place? Who knows, but one thing’s clear—she’s walking into a role with a whole lot more than just a few Happy Meal toys to juggle. The bar’s been set, and it’s higher than a Grimace Shake-induced fever dream.

In the meantime, Hassan is probably counting his blessings for having dipped out while McDonald’s still had a decent-sized marketing budget and before their next big "innovation" involves holographic burgers or whatever else CTV-adjacent brands are dreaming up next. Good luck, Alyssa—you're going to need it.

6. The Trade Desk Is Not Doing M&A Because Jeff Green Prefers To Build It Himself

Unlike literally every other adtech company, The Trade Desk (TTD) is out here refusing to play by the rules. While the entire industry is throwing cash at acquisitions like it’s Monopoly money, CEO Jeff Green is over here saying, “Nah, we’re good. We’d rather build our own tech from scratch than deal with the headache of cleaning up someone else’s mess.” Since 2017, TTD has acquired exactly one company—Sincera—because, let’s face it, they’re not interested in jumping on the M&A bandwagon just to make their balance sheet look sexier. Green's strategy? Do it in-house, and do it better.

It’s honestly a bit of a flex in a time when M&A is back with a vengeance. 2024 saw adtech mergers and acquisitions skyrocket by 73% year-over-year—because apparently, everyone in adtech got the memo that you can just buy your way to success now. Omnicom and IPG are playing matchmaker, Experian snapped up Audigent like it was a Black Friday deal, and Samba TV decided it needed Semasio’s tech like a kid needs candy. Meanwhile, Mediaocean casually dropped $500M on Innovid, probably after finding it in the couch cushions or something. Adtech is out here playing billion-dollar Jenga while TTD’s over in the corner, sipping its drink like, “We’re good, fam.”

But Green’s playing the long game—he’s betting big on first-party data and clean rooms. And let’s be honest, it sounds a lot more appealing than the current dumpster fire that Yahoo DSP is desperately trying to clean up with their "data transparency labels." I mean, sure, Yahoo's finally putting labels on their audience data like it's a grocery store shelf, but TTD is over here making sure it’s working with high-quality, clean data from the start. It's like buying organic while everyone else is out here shopping at the clearance rack.

While the rest of adtech tries to patch together their patchwork quilt of acquisitions, TTD is carving its own path. It's not sexy, but it’s solid. No need to play the M&A game when you’re busy building something that actually works.

7. Netflix’s Next Big Move: Owning Its Ad Tech Before Upfronts Season

Netflix’s ad-supported tier is doing better than expected, growing like a teenager who just discovered protein shakes and the joys of bulking up. After years of hesitation and hand-wringing over whether ads would even work on their platform, Netflix seems to have finally cracked the code—or at least kind of cracked it. They’ve figured out that, hey, people will pay for a lower-cost option if you slap a few ads in there. But now, in true Netflix fashion, they’re going all-in and rolling out their own in-house ad tech. Because, apparently, handing over the keys to Microsoft for ad tech was a huge mistake. Who knew?

The new ad tech stack is hitting the U.S. in April, just in time for the upfronts. You know, that magical time of year when media buyers throw obscene amounts of cash at anything remotely resembling premium inventory. This is Netflix’s big play to prove they’re not just dabbling in ads but are ready to make a serious move in the CTV space. If they actually nail this tech rollout, they could go from “meh, Netflix has ads now, whatever” to a must-buy for advertisers looking to hit those elusive CTV audiences. But let’s not get too excited—given how long it’s taken them to get to this point, don’t be surprised if they trip on their own feet and have to do a little extra rep on their tech stack before it truly sticks.

Netflix’s been dragging its feet for years on ad tech, and their trust issues with third-party tech are famous—they've been in a relationship with Microsoft’s tech, and now they’re in a new, slightly awkward phase of "let’s do this ourselves." It’s cute that they think they can just waltz in and change the game, but until that in-house stack actually works flawlessly during the big upfront rush, it’s still anyone’s guess whether they’ll be the CTV king or just another player in the crowded, increasingly chaotic space. But hey, maybe they’ll surprise us all. Or maybe they’ll flub it like they did with DVD rentals. Fingers crossed!

Final Thoughts: 2025 is Already A Circus, and We’re Just Getting Started

Between AI startups trying to snatch up TikTok like it's the last cookie at a party, the FCC getting dunked on by the courts like a kid with a bully complex, and legacy ad giants flailing around trying to prove they’re still relevant, 2025 is already shaping up to be a hilariously chaotic year. Honestly, if this was a movie, I’d be watching it with popcorn in hand, bracing for the absurdity to hit new heights.

And just wait—next week, we’ll likely get even more drama. The ad industry is never short on fireworks, so don’t be surprised if some fresh nonsense pops up from the streaming wars. Maybe another streaming service will claim it’s “finally cracked the code” on ad-supported models, only to flop harder than a dead fish. And, because no one can resist, expect at least one shiny new AI startup claiming they’ve “solved” advertising. Spoiler alert: they haven’t. They’ll just be adding more layers of complexity to an already bloated system, all while using the word “algorithm” way too often for anyone’s comfort.

In the midst of all this mess, let’s take a deep breath. Stay bold, stay curious, and, for the love of all that’s holy, keep your robocall blocker on full blast. Because if you thought the tech chaos was loud in 2024, just wait until it cranks up another notch in 2025. And remember, if anyone offers you a “solution” for adtech, ask them if it includes a manual for how to get your phone to stop ringing with offers for a “free vacation” in the Bahamas. You’ll be glad you did.

Until next time—stay bold, stay curious, and keep your robocall blocker on full

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