New AI Tools Target Ad Analytics and Retargeting
New agentic AI platforms are being launched for advertising analytics and programmatic media. iSpot has unveiled SAGE, an AI for real-time, cross-channel video ad data analysis. Separately, Partner Connect has launched an AI-powered retargeting solution with Index Exchange and The Trade Desk to target high-intent buyers.
- "Agentic AI," the technology behind iSpot's SAGE, represents a significant evolution from earlier AI models. Instead of simply analyzing past data or generating content on command, agentic AI is designed to be a proactive teammate that can sense, reason, and take autonomous actions to achieve specific goals within preset guardrails. - iSpot SAGE is designed to accelerate creative workflows by using its AI agents for specific tasks. Its "Creative Insights Analyst" diagnoses ad performance, while the "Creative Planning Assistant" generates strategic recommendations, allowing users to create data-driven creative briefs, script outlines, and storyboards directly from the platform. - The platform's AI performs frame-by-frame analysis of video ads, tagging elements like storylines, characters, and settings, and then links those specific creative choices to performance metrics like likability, attention, and purchase intent. This allows for granular, direct comparisons against competitor ads and themes. - iSpot, founded in 2012, has raised a total of $438 million and is backed by investors including Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Madrona Venture Group, signaling significant market confidence in its approach to cross-platform TV ad measurement. - The Partner Connect solution addresses a new consumer behavior pattern where users consult AI-generated recommendations and then click through to cited publisher sources to verify the information. Research indicates 12% of users take this step, creating a new, high-intent moment for advertisers to reach them. - This "AI retargeting" is facilitated through major players in programmatic advertising. The Trade Desk, the industry's largest independent demand-side platform (DSP), enables advertisers to buy ad inventory, while Index Exchange, a major supply-side platform (SSP), provides access to that premium publisher inventory at scale. - The CEO of Evertune, the company behind Partner Connect, is Brian Stempeck, who previously served as the Chief Strategy Officer at The Trade Desk, highlighting a deep integration with the programmatic ecosystem. - This trend aligns with The Trade Desk's broader AI strategy, centered on its Kokai platform, which acts as an AI "copilot" for advertisers. Kokai's AI processes over 13 million ad impressions per second to handle optimization and execution, while human marketers set the overall campaign strategy.
