Brian Gleason, a prominent figure in the advertising technology landscape, has transitioned from his role as CRO and president of retail media at Criteo to helm contextual ad platform Seedtag as its new CEO. In a recent interview with AdExchanger, Gleason articulated a strong conviction that contextual advertising presents a significantly larger opportunity than the retail media sector he previously championed. He posits that the industry’s intense focus on cookies and granular targeting has led to a detachment from the fundamental purpose of advertising: fostering genuine connection with consumers.
Gleason’s perspective is rooted in a belief that true advertising success hinges on capturing attention and evoking emotion, elements that he argues are often missed by cookie-centric methodologies and traditional content classification systems. He suggests that advancements in agentic artificial intelligence (AI) are now capable of uncovering deeper consumer insights that can be effectively leveraged by ad tech platforms. Seedtag, under his new leadership, is poised to capitalize on this shift, having already made strategic moves such as the acquisition of video-focused SSP Beachfront last year. This acquisition aims to empower its AI agent, Liz, to target audiences across Connected TV (CTV) and the open web with a nuanced understanding of context and emotional resonance.
The Shifting Sands of Digital Advertising: From Cookies to Context
The digital advertising industry has been in a state of flux for years, grappling with evolving privacy regulations, the deprecation of third-party cookies, and a growing demand for more meaningful consumer engagement. Gleason’s move to Seedtag and his outspoken advocacy for contextual advertising signal a potential paradigm shift. For years, the industry has been heavily reliant on behavioral targeting, meticulously tracking user activity across the web to deliver personalized ads. However, this approach has faced increasing scrutiny due to privacy concerns and a perceived over-saturation of intrusive advertising.
The impending demise of third-party cookies, accelerated by browser changes and privacy-focused legislation like the GDPR and CCPA, has forced marketers to seek alternative strategies. Retail media networks, which leverage first-party data from e-commerce platforms, emerged as a strong contender, offering brands direct access to purchase intent signals. Gleason’s previous work at Criteo placed him at the forefront of this retail media boom, a sector that has witnessed exponential growth, with projections suggesting the U.S. retail media ad spend could reach over $60 billion by 2024, according to eMarketer.
However, Gleason now asserts that contextual advertising offers an even more expansive and potentially more impactful avenue for advertisers. He contends that the industry has become "so hyper-focused on cookies and targeting that we lost what advertising really was about: connection." This statement underscores a growing sentiment that while granular targeting can be effective, it doesn’t necessarily translate to deeper brand affinity or emotional engagement.
Seedtag’s Ambitious Vision: Neurocontextual Targeting and Global Expansion
Seedtag, a company that has been steadily building its presence in the contextual advertising space, appears well-positioned to benefit from this industry pivot. Gleason revealed that the global contextual advertising market is estimated to be between $250 billion and $350 billion, a substantial figure that highlights the sheer scale of the opportunity.
"It took a lot to rip me away from commerce media, because I love that space, but this was an even bigger opportunity," Gleason stated in the interview, emphasizing the magnitude of the contextual market.
Seedtag’s current operations are already significant, with a global footprint spanning 17 markets and connections to over 16,000 publishers. The company, which originated in Madrid, has seen robust growth in the U.S. market, achieving a 120% increase in the past year, and experienced over 30% growth in EMEA in the last quarter.
Gleason outlined three primary priorities for Seedtag under his leadership:
Neurocontextual Targeting: Connecting Through Emotion and Attention
The first and most critical priority is the introduction and scaling of "neurocontextual targeting." This innovative approach moves beyond traditional keyword and category-based contextual analysis to incorporate emotional resonance, attention signals, and deeper interest indicators. Gleason explained that while Seedtag was an early adopter of sophisticated keyword-based contextual solutions, the company is now leveraging its proprietary AI platform, Liz, to unlock a more profound understanding of content and audience sentiment.
"Contextual used to just look at keywords and categories, and Seedtag was one of the first to build a solution around that. Now we’ve got our artificial intelligence platform, Liz," Gleason elaborated. This emphasis on emotional connection is particularly relevant in an era where consumers are increasingly fatigued by intrusive advertising and are seeking more authentic brand interactions. By understanding the emotional undercurrent of content, advertisers can potentially align their messages with moods and sentiments, fostering a more impactful and memorable experience.
Global Scaling and U.S. Market Penetration
The second priority is the continued expansion of Seedtag’s operations, particularly within the U.S. market and across all its existing territories. The impressive 120% growth in the U.S. last year suggests strong market traction. Gleason’s ambition is to solidify Seedtag’s position as a leading contextual advertising provider globally.
Cross-Channel Capabilities, Especially CTV
The third key focus is expanding Seedtag’s capabilities into cross-channel advertising, with a particular emphasis on Connected TV (CTV). While CTV represents a rapidly growing advertising medium, Gleason noted limitations in applying traditional contextual targeting to this environment. The acquisition of Beachfront, a company with deep roots in CTV and video, is a strategic move to address this gap and enable Liz to deliver contextually relevant and emotionally resonant advertising on streaming platforms. The CTV ad market is projected to reach $30 billion in the U.S. by 2025, highlighting the immense revenue potential for platforms that can effectively navigate its complexities.
Strategic Acceleration and Publisher Empowerment
While Gleason emphasized that there will be no fundamental shift in Seedtag’s core direction, he anticipates accelerating growth in specific areas due to his extensive background. His experience in agency holding companies like WPP, coupled with strong relationships with major agencies such as Publicis and Omnicom, positions him to integrate Seedtag’s tools more seamlessly into their planning and buying systems.
"Our relationships with brands are incredibly important. Expanding our footprint with more publisher supply, specifically in CTV, is also important. And there’s the agency connection," Gleason stated. "Integrating our tools into their planning systems is something we can accelerate."
Furthermore, Gleason expressed a commitment to helping publishers monetize their inventory more effectively. He drew upon his early career experiences in publishing, emphasizing the importance of understanding the publisher-consumer relationship and maximizing its value. Seedtag’s Liz AI agent is designed to provide publishers with deeper insights into their content and the emotional connections it fosters, enabling them to better position their inventory for advertisers.
"It’s about understanding the value of the relationship you have with the consumer, then figuring out how to get the maximum value from that relationship. You need to not just have a targeting mechanism based on an audience, but to bring relevancy to the content by understanding it," he explained.
The Future of Programmatic: AI Agents and Interoperability
The conversation then turned to the evolving landscape of programmatic advertising, with the emerging vision of buy-side AI agents communicating directly with sell-side AI agents. Gleason acknowledged this trend but expressed caution about the potential proliferation of numerous disparate agents. He stressed the need for interoperability and seamless connectivity between these entities.
"I don’t know if they’re going to be separate agents on both sides. How many different agents can anybody operate?" he questioned. "There’s got to be connectivity between those two worlds, and it’s not easy to bring them together. But there will be a few players that come out on top."
Gleason positioned Seedtag as a potential bridge between the buy and sell sides, offering intelligence that spans both, rather than operating in isolation. He highlighted the challenge and excitement of creating this capability at scale, across multiple channels, to achieve meaningful impact.
Addressing the "Black Box" Problem and Ensuring Transparency
In light of the increasing reliance on AI and complex algorithms, the perennial concern of "black-box" systems and unaccountable AI models remains a significant challenge. Gleason acknowledged this risk, stating, "It’s absolutely true. Transparency, brand safety and privacy have to be the basic foundations for anything we do."
He emphasized the need for complete transparency regarding inventory, ad placements, and outcome reporting. Moreover, Gleason stressed that the adoption of AI should not alienate human stakeholders. "It can’t just be technology talking to technology. We have to bring people along the journey and help clients understand AI: Here are the models, how they work, how you can customize them and how they surface the emotional connection." This suggests a commitment to demystifying AI and empowering clients with actionable knowledge.
Seedtag’s Market Positioning: An Accessible Intelligence Layer
The blurring lines between DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms) and SSPs (Supply-Side Platforms) raise questions about Seedtag’s specific role in the ecosystem. Gleason clarified that Seedtag is not aiming to become an end-to-end platform. Instead, its strategy is to make its intelligence accessible through various buying paths.
"We have an exchange where our inventory is available, and we’re going to continue to build that out. However anybody wants to buy, we want to make our intelligence accessible to that buying path," he explained. The Liz agent will serve as the primary activation point, but Seedtag will also offer pathways for clients to activate campaigns through traditional DSPs via their exchange.
Exploring Synergies with Retail and Commerce Media
When asked about potential collaborations with retail and commerce media platforms, including his former employer Criteo, Gleason expressed keen interest. He sees a powerful synergy between commerce data and neurocontextual targeting.
"If I’m thinking about commerce and neurocontextual, well, emotion is brand recall. Imagine taking an emotional signal, marrying that to a contextual target and purchase intent, and then moving that up and down the funnel," he said. This vision suggests an opportunity to connect the emotional drivers of consumer behavior with their transactional intent, creating highly effective, full-funnel marketing strategies.
"We’d love to have that conversation with everybody, including Criteo," Gleason concluded, leaving the door open for future strategic partnerships that could redefine how brands connect with consumers in the digital age. His appointment at Seedtag marks a significant development, signaling a strong belief in the future of contextually driven advertising powered by sophisticated AI.
