Bayer

ANA: Four Challenges Slowing Retail Media Investment

A new report from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) finds that inconsistent measurement standards are limiting incremental brand investments in retail media. Retail media in the U.S. is estimated at $70 billion by eMarketer, yet 55% of ANA members cited a lack of measurement standards as the top challenge. Executives from brands including Bayer, Hershey, Kenvue and Mondelez said inconsistent measurement across retail media networks makes it difficult to gauge effectiveness. Retailers are responding by introducing new formats such as streaming and offsite ads and promoting awareness-building capabilities to win additional ad dollars, but measurement gaps remain a barrier to greater brand budget allocation to retail media.

DAX Hits Record Profits Driven by Defence, AI, Finance

DAX-listed companies posted record revenues and operating profits in Q2 2026, but gains are concentrated in a few sectors. An EY analysis shows cumulative EBIT rose 16% year-on-year to €52.6 billion while revenues increased 4.6% to about €463 billion. Growth was driven by defence (Rheinmetall +69%), aerospace (Airbus +28%), expansion of global AI data center infrastructure, and parts of the finance and chemicals sectors (BASF operating profit +137%). The automotive sector weakened: revenues fell 1.2% and operating profits dropped 12% (BMW -39%, Volkswagen and Daimler Truck -9% each). Employment declined: the studied companies employed ~3.49 million people, 41,000 fewer than a year earlier, with the auto sector shedding ~40,000 jobs. EY warns the record results mask structural weaknesses and reliance on special factors and overseas growth.

Chalice AI: Brand-Specific Models for Programmatic

This AdExchanger Talks podcast episode features Ali Manning, COO and co-founder of Chalice AI, discussing the company's approach to letting brands bring their own models into walled gardens, DSPs and SSPs. Chalice positions its software as continuously running, refreshable models (including generative AI) that optimize for brand-specific business outcomes rather than standard proxies like clicks or video completion. Manning describes challenges around the term "custom algorithm," explains Chalice's origin story, and gives a client example (Bayer’s One A Day) where Chalice used AI modelling and DSP bidding to drive offline "new to brand" sales. The conversation also touches on containerization and agentic bidding as possible ways to realize more precise programmatic outcomes.