Advertising Week NYC 2025: The New Age of Measurable Media

Summary

During Advertising Week New York, AppsFlyer participated in discussions with industry leaders from Roku, Tinuiti, GoPuff, and US Soccer, focusing on measuring performance across connected TV (CTV), mobile, and AI-driven channels. Brian Quinn, President and GM of North America at AppsFlyer, highlighted agentic AI's potential, with ChatGPT's SDK integration enabling brand experiences within conversational ecosystems. However, measuring ROI across these emerging channels remains a challenge.

In a Flyerside Chat, Roku's Dan Lapinski emphasized that while last-click attribution has its place, CTV success depends on understanding incremental impact. Tinuiti's Harry Brown stressed incrementality for proving campaign results and the next phase of turning measurement insights into data activation and audience building. Panelists agreed CTV has become easier and more cost-effective, creating a window for advertisers before prices rise.

Another panel with GoPuff, US Soccer, and M&C Saatchi Performance discussed aligning brand and performance goals through unified measurement. Tyler Stewart from GoPuff noted reframing brand marketing to drive measurable behavior, while Ange Morris from US Soccer emphasized working with transparent partners. Key takeaways: cross-channel measurement is non-negotiable, incrementality proves real impact, data activation is the next frontier, and alignment beats automation.

The central theme is that marketers need clarity and proof of performance, and unified measurement frameworks are essential regardless of channel.

Analyst Note

What's notable here is the convergence of messaging around CTV measurement and the role of AI. The industry is signaling that CTV has reached a tipping point where cost and ease of entry are favorable, but the window is closing. For ad ops and UA teams, the key implication is that incrementality testing and data activation are no longer optional—they are prerequisites for justifying CTV spend.

The discussion around ChatGPT's SDK integration also highlights an emerging channel that will require similar measurement rigor. Meanwhile, the consistent theme of unified measurement underscores that the bottleneck is organizational alignment, not technology. This matters now because as CTV scales, those who establish cross-channel measurement frameworks early will have a competitive advantage in proving ROI and optimizing spend.

The emphasis on data activation over last-click attribution reflects a broader shift toward performance-based brand marketing, which demands closer collaboration between brand and performance teams. Ad ops professionals should note that the convergence of CTV, mobile, and AI-driven channels makes a unified measurement stack essential for navigating fragmentation and privacy constraints.