The Ad Project, Powered by Podean

The Ad Project is your ultimate guide to conquering the world of digital advertising and retail media. While we specialize in unravelling the complexities of Amazon advertising, we explore the entire retail media landscape, providing you with comprehensive insights that empower you to excel in the rapidly evolving e-commerce industry. Our expert guests bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, ensuring you're equipped with the latest strategies and tactics to thrive in the highly competitive digital marketing space. What sets us apart is our holistic approach, offering a deep dive into Amazon advertising while also exploring the broader retail media ecosystem and offering practical, actionable advice that you can implement immediately to improve your strategy. Whether you're a seasoned advertiser or just getting started, The Ad Project is your trusted resource for staying ahead of the game, driving results, and achieving success across multiple platforms.

The Ad Project, Powered by Podean is a business podcast hosted by Ad Advance, with 180 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Ad Advance hosts The Ad Project, Powered by Podean, a business show with 180 episodes published.

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  Episode #180

  Expanding the Map: Amerge Joins the Podean Family

  Apr 27, 202626 minS2

  <p>Joe Shelerud welcomes Will Fisher, CCO and co-founder of Amerge, fresh off the announcement that Amerge is joining Podean, the same group that acquired Ad Advance just weeks earlier. In this episode, Joe and Will pull back the curtain on what it really takes to build a world-class Amazon agency, and what joining a global group means for their teams, clients, and the future of retail media.</p><p>Key Takeaways:</p>The Amerge origin story — Three ex-Amazon employees (spread across London, Bratislava, and beyond) who saw a gap.Tech-first DNA — Both Amerge and Ad Advance independently built proprietary tech...

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  Episode #179

  The AI Arms Race: Real Tools, Real Use Cases & What's Actually Working Right Now

  Apr 15, 202627 minS2

  <p>Joe Shelerud, CEO of Ad Advance, sits down with Ryan Craver, Chief Strategy Officer of Podean, for a candid, fast-moving conversation on what's actually happening in AI right now — and what it means for agencies and marketers.</p><p>Key Takeaways:</p>The pace is the story. From ChatGPT's launch in November 2022 to Claude Sonnet 4.6, OpenClaw, and Perplexity Computer all dropping within weeks of each other — the speed of innovation has fundamentally changed how teams need to operate.Agent orchestration is here. OpenClaw, Claude Cowork, and Perplexity Computer each offer different on-ramps to agentic workflows. Ryan and Joe break down...

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  Episode #178

  Building Culture That Actually Works: Agency Growth, Acquisitions & What's Next

  Apr 3, 202629 minS2

  <p>Joe Shelerud is joined by Mark Power, co-founder and Chief Engagement Officer at Podean — the global commerce agency that recently acquired Ad Advance — for a candid conversation about building agencies from the ground up and why culture is the most underrated competitive advantage.</p><p>Key Takeaways:</p>Mark's 30-year journey from B2B email marketing in London → content marketing → IPG → founding Podean with co-founder Travis JohnsonWhy Amazon is more than a sales channel — and the gap Podean was built to fill"Positive Energy" as a cultural umbrella — how Podean distilled its values into something every team member, across every acquired...

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  Episode #177

  Turning Upper Funnel Strategy into Measurable Growth

  Mar 26, 202624 minS2

  <p>If you've ever struggled to justify brand spend to a CMO or CEO — this episode is for you.</p><p>Joe Shelerud is joined by Tony Miller, Director of Programmatic Strategy at Ad Advance (now powered by Podean), to break down one of their most powerful tools: Customer Avatar. Instead of relying on assumptions about who your customers are, Customer Avatar reverse-engineers your actual best buyers using Amazon's purchase data — and builds targeted, scalable audiences from there.</p><p>Key takeaways:</p>Why upper funnel advertising has historically felt like guesswork — and how to fix itHow Customer Avatar is built...

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  Episode #176

  Unlocking the Power of Open Internet: Amazon DSP’s Evolution in Streaming Media Buying

  Jan 29, 202626 minS2

  <p>In Episode 176, Maarja Hewitt and Tony Miller, Ad Advance's Director Programmatic Strategy, discuss Amazon DSP’s shift to the Open Internet with new partnerships from Roku, Disney, Netflix, and Spotify. Key takeaways include:</p>One-Stop Shop: Amazon DSP expands to offer video and audio ads across the Open Internet.Unified Media: Solves fragmentation by offering better frequency control and measurement.New Opportunities: Roku, Disney, and Netflix partnerships unlock unique reach and global scaling.Audio Expansion: Platforms like Spotify and SiriusXM bring addressable, programmatic audio to DSP.2026 Outlook: A reset in media planning with unified reach and outcome-based strategies.<br/><p>...

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