The IAB UK Podcast

Hosted by IAB UK

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Episodes

314

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

IAB UK is the industry body for digital advertising, committed to building a sustainable future for digital advertising. We do this by bringing the industry together through our 1,200 members - including media owners, agencies, ad tech and brands - to tackle and address the big issues, celebrate digital and help businesses prepare for the future. Hosted by Chief Strategy Officer, James Chandler, The IAB UK Podcast is released weekly and features interviews with guests, the latest trends and insightful thought leadership. Find out more about the IAB at iabuk.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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60 recent

October 28, 202627 min

Live from Gaming Upfronts 2026: Part 2

What makes advertising in gaming work for players and brands alike? In the second part of our Gaming Upfronts special, we hear from Xbox, Unity and Snap about building partnerships, understanding audiences and turning attention into action. First, Chris Bailes, Head of EMEA Sales, from Xbox Media Solutions explores the collaboration between KitKat and Candy Crush, sharing how a simple creative idea grew into a global campaign spanning in-game experiences, packaging, stores and creators. The conversation examines why putting players first is essential to a successful partnership. Next, Katya Kornilova, Global Advertising Growth Partnerships, from Unity discusses what gaming behaviour can reveal about audiences, how those insights can inform targeting and measurement, and why advertisers shouldn’t overlook older players. We also explore the role of rewarded video in creating an experience that benefits both players and brands. Finally, Dan Fernandes, Vertical Lead, Gaming, from Snap Inc. shares how gaming advertisers can use AR, creators and multiple ad formats to connect with audiences. From challenging demographic assumptions to measuring the impact of immersive experiences on purchases, the discussion looks at how brands can build campaigns that deliver beyond reach alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 21, 202629 min

Live from Gaming Upfronts 2026: Part 1

Gaming is part of mainstream culture, but what will it take for media plans to catch up? In the first of two episodes recorded at IAB UK’s Gaming Upfronts, Robert Jeromson speaks to Overwolf and ESL FACEIT Group about the opportunities for brands to connect with audiences through play. First, Overwolf’s Nathan Lindberg, VP of Brand Partnerships, explores the world of PC gaming, from the creators building mods and in-game tools to the audience insights helping advertisers challenge outdated stereotypes. He discusses how brands can support experiences players value and find their audiences within gaming. Then, ESL FACEIT Group's Dominic Grant, Director of Advertising Sales EMEA & Veronica Stevenson, Advertising Sales Lead, share why listening, consistency and trust matter when engaging esports communities. With DHL’s partnership as a case study, the conversation explores how brands can become part of gaming culture and turn community connections into business results. From rewarding players to building long-term partnerships, this episode asks how advertisers can earn their place in gaming. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 19, 202626 min

Both sides of the coin: a rounded perspective on Ad Tech in 2026

As AI reshapes digital advertising, can the industry turn greater automation into better business outcomes? In episode six of the Ad Tech Podcast, Adlook’s Luca Filardo joins us to discuss what the next chapter of programmatic could look like. Drawing on experience across both the buy and sell sides, Luca explores how AI is changing contextual targeting, streamlining campaign management and blurring the boundaries between DSPs and SSPs. He makes the case for a simpler, more connected advertising ecosystem that helps the open web compete with walled gardens, with effectiveness at its centre. We also discuss the potential of agentic buying, where human judgement and relationships remain essential, and what Luca’s move from the UK to the US has revealed about working across markets. Plus, the team unpacks the implications of Apple’s browser changes for publishers and identity solutions, and explores how IAB Tech Lab’s Trusted Server initiative could give publishers greater control over their advertising infrastructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 14, 202625 min

Beyond Retail: the rise of commerce media

Commerce media has become one of the fastest-growing areas of digital advertising, but is it time to think bigger? In this episode of the IAB UK Podcast , James Chandler is joined by Denise Breslin, IAB UK's new Commerce Media Lead , and David Fieldhouse, Commerce, Media & Innovation Lead at WPP Media , to discuss why the industry is moving beyond the term retail media and embracing the broader opportunity of commerce media . Together they explore how first-party transactional data is opening up new opportunities far beyond traditional retail, with sectors including travel, finance and marketplaces all becoming powerful commerce media players. They discuss the challenges of fragmentation, the need for better measurement and standards, and why the convergence of brand and commerce is changing the way advertisers think about media investment. The conversation also looks ahead to the role AI will play in commerce media, from predictive modelling and agentic shopping to the growing importance of data collaboration. Plus, they consider where the UK sits on the global stage, why London continues to drive innovation, and what the next 12 months could hold for one of advertising's fastest-evolving disciplines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 7, 202623 min

Digital Adspend H1 2026: find out the fastest growing part of the market

The UK digital advertising market reached £21.2 billion in the first half of the year, but the biggest story isn't just how much was spent, it's where that investment is going and what it says about the future of advertising. In this episode of the IAB UK Podcast , James Chandler is joined by Adam Edelshain, VP of Client Services at Media Sense , and IAB UK's Elizabeth Lane, Head of Insights , to unpack the latest IAB UK Digital Adspend report. Together they explore the trends shaping today's market, from the continued rise of retail media and the rapid growth of TV+, to the increasing dominance of programmatic advertising and why digital investment continues to grow despite ongoing economic pressures. The conversation also looks ahead to what a £50 billion UK digital advertising market could look like by 2027, how AI is changing not only the way campaigns are created and optimised but also the way people discover and choose products, and why the boundaries between channels are becoming increasingly blurred. If you want to understand where digital advertising is heading next, this episode offers an insightful look beyond the headline figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 5, 202632 min

Removing Friction: utilising raw data with AI

AI isn't just making advertising smarter—it's making it simpler. In this episode of the IAB UK Ad Tech Podcast , Alex is joined by Tom Laband, CEO & Co-founder of Adsquare, and Luc Benyon, Head of Marketing , to explore how AI is transforming audience intelligence, campaign planning and media activation. From conversational interfaces that replace complex workflows to AI-powered audience modelling built around the IAB Audience Taxonomy, they discuss how technology is helping advertisers spend less time navigating platforms and more time making informed decisions. Plus, the team rounds up the latest developments in ad tech, including AMP 3.0, Amazon's latest AI announcements, conversational advertising and what the rise of agentic technologies could mean for the future of programmatic advertising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 30, 202628 min

Best Cities, Lasting Connections: building partnerships that last

After a decade of ranking the world’s Best Cities, Time Out welcomed Intrepid Travel as the franchise’s first commercial partner. What made it the right match, and what can other brands learn from their approach? James Chandler is joined by Hazel McGuire, Chief Marketing Officer at Intrepid Travel, and Gareth Thomas, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Time Out, to explore how the collaboration came together and what each organisation brings to the relationship. From choosing partners with shared values to protecting editorial independence, they discuss the decisions behind the partnership, the role of personal relationships and how to build lasting commercial value. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 23, 202631 min

Powering Growth: how digital advertising fuels the UK economy

What does digital advertising’s £175 billion contribution to the UK economy look like beyond the headlines? James Chandler is joined by Sinead Coogan Jobes, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at IAB UK, and Neil Ross, Partner and Head of Practice for Tech, Media and Telecoms at Public First, to explore the Powering Growth report. From helping small businesses find customers to supporting growth across the UK’s regions, they discuss how digital advertising creates economic value and the barriers preventing businesses from making the most of it. They also examine AI’s role in the industry’s evolution and how creator marketing, retail media and TV+ could open up new opportunities. Looking ahead to 2035, the conversation explores the report’s possible growth paths and what government and industry should prioritise to realise digital advertising’s potential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 21, 202635 min

Threads of Context: how AI is rewriting targeting

AI is changing the way advertisers discover, package and optimise inventory, but what does that actually mean for buyers, publishers and the wider ad tech ecosystem? In this episode of the IAB UK Ad Tech Podcast , Pat is joined by Alexandra Balashoiu, Chief Product Officer at OneTag , to unpack the next evolution of programmatic curation. Together they explore how AI is helping move curation beyond simple inventory packaging and towards outcome-driven decisioning, where real-time signals, media quality and advertiser objectives work together to deliver better campaign performance. Plus, Pat, Joe & Alex round up the latest ad tech news, discussing Amazon DSP's adoption of VAST 4, the growing importance of creative identifiers, and the role creators are playing in helping AI companies build trust with audiences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 7, 202634 min

Shifting Sands: collaborative experimentation in the age of ai

AI is reshaping every corner of advertising, but what does that mean for the publishers whose content underpins the open web? In this episode of the IAB UK Ad Tech Podcast, Pat is joined by Damon Reeve, CEO of Ozone , to explore how AI is changing the ad tech landscape and the role publishers will play in its next chapter. Together they discuss the industry's biggest AI conversations, Ozone's approach to innovation, and why ensuring publishers remain at the heart of the ecosystem is essential as advertising continues to evolve. The conversation explores how technology can unlock new opportunities while protecting the value of trusted, premium content, and why collaboration across the industry will be critical in building an AI-powered future that benefits everyone. Plus, Alex and Joe round up the latest developments from across the ad tech industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.