Teads has returned to Cannes Lions following its merger with Roadbain. The newly formed company is showcasing to clients how they can leverage artificial intelligence, targeted advertising, and data-driven strategies to broaden their business reach.
Teads CEO David Kostman, along with Americas CEO Jeremy Aldity, discusses the changes post-merger, the collaboration with news publishers to restore advertising spends, and the potential of AI.
Q: What drives TEADS’ mission, and how do you support clients in enhancing their advertising strategies?
David Kostman: At Teads, we aim to build a platform that delivers substantial results at scale. The open internet offers real outcomes for advertisers, whether it’s branding or performance-focused campaigns. We’re striving to effectively connect the different stages of the consumer journey and aim to be a comprehensive partner for brands and agencies. It’s vital to balance brand marketing with performance strategies to cultivate audiences more efficiently, ultimately leading to real business results from media investments.
Jeremy Aldity: Traditionally, brands have used isolated strategies for advertising on the open internet. Now, there’s a significant chance for Teads to be the go-to platform enabling advertisers to engage a vast audience and generate better outcomes through a unified, end-to-end approach. We understand the challenge of balancing long-term brand awareness with short-term performance investments, and we want to help marketers navigate that.
Q: How has your experience at Cannes Lions changed, and what are your expectations for this year?
DK: Since the merger with Road Bain just four months ago, we’re eager to share more about the TEADS brand and our strategic direction at Cannes Lions this year. It’s a fantastic venue for connecting with our partners and engaging in meaningful conversations about the future of our industry and TEAD’s critical role in it.
JA: With 2025 approaching, brands are increasingly prioritizing measurable outcomes, especially against a backdrop of economic uncertainty. Cannes is likely to spark discussions surrounding advertising efficiency, results, and the significance of AI. It’s timely for us to highlight these pressing issues and how our vision aligns with them.
Q: What has the merger with Outbrain meant for your business?
DK: The partnership with Outbrain has proven to be a thrilling development, creating one of the largest advertising platforms on the open internet. The integration combines extensive expertise in performance advertising, predictive modeling, omnichannel branding, and video. This merger positions us to help brands refine their advertising strategies across the board.
JA: We’ve introduced the “Automated Outcomes” concept to embody the renewed vision at Teads, which raises expectations for the high-quality creative experiences we can deliver, aiming for tangible results with each media dollar spent. It was exciting to witness the positive response from the market just a few months after announcing the merger.
Q: With consumers being cautious regarding their spending, how does this impact advertising budgets?
DK: The current economic uncertainty has led advertisers to focus more keenly on achieving genuine business outcomes. They are looking to understand how each phase of the marketing funnel relates to actual results and sales ROI. Platforms that can clarify these questions and provide insights into various investment types are the ones thriving right now.
Q: Can you highlight a successful partnership example?
JA: We’ve established a strong foundation through over 50 collaborative partnerships with Fortune 500 companies globally. This reflects TEADS’ core capabilities and highlights our role as a consultative partner with a comprehensive understanding of brands’ goals and values when reaching their target audiences.
With the new TEADS, we’re equipped to broaden our advisory roles for these partners. We can offer solutions that seamlessly connect creative experiences across different platforms while demonstrating pathways for both branding and performance strategies—aiming for stronger business outcomes.
Q: Brands exhibit caution toward advertising with news publishers. What steps can publishers take in this regard?
DK: The challenge here isn’t centered on performance but rather on perceptions. Brands are often hesitant to advertise alongside misinformation found on social platforms, which leads them to avoid reliable news publishers. This perception must be addressed. Conversations should shift from emotional responses to factual evidence. Importantly, advertising on high-quality news content can yield successful outcomes, much like advertisements on lifestyle and sports content. Publishers providing clear data and technology that avoids unsafe content are beginning to win back trust.
Teads collaborates with partners like Stagwell and Prohaska to reclaim advertiser confidence and spending in Premium News. Brands see the value when they realize these environments are not only safe but effective, demonstrating that advertising can indeed support journalism in a meaningful way.
Q: How is AI expected to enhance open internet capabilities in comparison to restricted advertising strategies?
DK: Walled gardens are associated with specific user behaviors and interests through an algorithm-based approach, optimizing outcomes in diverse media landscapes. However, their reach is limited to particular user contexts. The open internet, instead, offers a broader canvas for generating awareness, influencing decisions, and achieving results, enhanced further by AI’s diverse engagement metrics and data signals. AI’s effective utilization of these signals can unlock immense opportunities, connecting consumer experiences across screens to drive results. It can also help bridge gaps in understanding consumer movement through marketing funnels.
Q: What does the future hold for platforms and demand-side platforms as AI continues to evolve?
JA: AI is poised to redefine the landscape for platforms and DSPs, particularly in how brands develop and enhance their campaigns. It enables swift production and testing of personalized creative assets across various channels. Additionally, AI is reducing barriers for small and medium-sized businesses to access premium video content, lowering costs and streamlining processes. Moving forward, advertising success will not solely depend on budget size but also on the intelligent use of technology.
