Every few months in the life of a publisher, a new supply-side platform or white-label exchange appears with an attractive proposition: “license our technology for just 2-3% of spend, and we’ll even inject demand into your pipes on day one”.

Not too long ago, Dmexco was considered the gut of ad tech — crowded, chaotic and central to the industry’s forward momentum. It was where deals were sparked, rivalries played out and the future of programmatic was loudly debated.

James Macdonald shares his thoughts on DMEXCO 2025 with Performance Marketing World.

With US antitrust enforcers renewing their efforts this week to press for a forced sale of Google’s online ad business, publishers and rival adtech developers are watching closely.

David Nelson and James MacDonald, co-Founders of global programmatic adtech Limelight Inc. work their way through Mediashotz's Adtech Tarot cards to give us a hint of what the future holds…

David Nelson, co-founder and CEO, Limelight Inc., describes how publishers and agencies should be preparing for a post-Google monopoly ad ecosystem - starting today.

The underbelly of programmatic has always had issues like these. Right now, this double game appears to be a remarkably common state of affairs among ad platforms and their clients.

AI is no longer the new kid on the adtech block. It is baked into the way we buy media, measure attention, and personalise experiences. Yet the more embedded AI becomes, the more important it is to handle it with care.

Team Spotlight: Meet Daniel Nelson, our Customer Success Co-Director at Limelight! 

Efficiency Meets Sustainability: Ad Tech’s Hidden Environmental Cost

At Limelight, Customer Success isn’t just a department—it’s a mindset. Andrew, our Co-Director of Customer Success , oversees a global team of Customer Success Managers who act as strategic partners to our clients. From onboarding and platform training to high-level campaign optimisation and technical troubleshooting, Andrew ensures we’re not just supporting our clients—we’re helping them win. “One thing that sets us apart is that we’re fully SaaS,” Andy explains. “We don’t run an ad trading business—so when our platform partners succeed, we succeed. Our incentives are completely aligned.” A standout moment this year? The launch of the Adaptive Rules Center (ARC), a feature that lets partners build their own algorithms and optimise campaigns in real-time, directly in the platform UI. “In an industry obsessed with AI, we’ve built something genuinely useful that puts control back in the partner’s hands,” Andrew says. Managing expectations is part of the job—especially when it comes to technical investigations or feature rollouts. Andrew’s secret? “Be honest, communicate often, and never make promises you can’t keep.” From helping partners navigate a constantly evolving landscape to championing new tools like our Self-Serve DSP, Andy’s team makes it look effortless—even though we know it’s anything but. And behind it all is a strong sense of culture, even in a remote-first world. “People always ask if we miss the office. But we make up for it with our annual World Tour—past trips include Marrakesh, Rio and Cyprus!” Favourite part of the job? “Getting to know our partners, watching them grow, and smashing the goals they set. There’s no better feeling than helping them exceed their own expectations.” Andy calls it “Technology with a heartbeat.” We call it Customer Success, the Limelight way.

Beyond Cost-Cutting: Building Ad Tech Efficiency on Transparency, Trading Intelligence & Trust

The Spectre of Inefficiency in AdTech: What's Really Holding Us Back?

This was Limelight’s first visit to MAD//FEST , and the team deployed in numbers. We had Savina Parvanova , Andrew Macdonald , Graeme Rains and Russell Pegrum all joining the fray at The Digital Voice™ Cabana, and supporting our co-founder and CRO James Macdonald as he took centre stage for ‘The abracadabra magic touch

So, another MADFest has been and gone. And, once again, the organizers pulled it off in style – with panels, presentations, and fireside chats. Not to mention a unique roll call of headline speakers. One thing is for sure: the organizers more than did justice to the event’s overarching theme of ‘Be Less Boring’.

London isn’t just basking in record temperatures this week, it’s also sizzling from all the hot topics in play at MAD//Fest London. We have a crack team on the ground in the form of The Digital Voice™, reporting back some of the takeaways at the sold out marketing and advertising event.

Cannes Captures host Ed Steer of Sphere Digital Recruitment speaks with James Macdonald, CRO, to cover all things AI, CTV and Audio. Sponsored by LoopMe!

In a landscape increasingly driven by automation and algorithms, it’s tempting for brands to pin their point of difference on AI. But in today’s crowded market, that’s no longer enough. David Nelson argues that while AI is undeniably a powerful enabler, it’s not a differentiator.

This year the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity proved a hotbed for connections, discussing ‘hot’ themes, such as AI, CTV, human creativity, and figuring out new ways to work together. Mediashotz asked adtech, creative and marketing leaders from around the world for their thoughts.