ShowHeroes

Fritz Strobl to Expand Channel Factory in Austria

Adtech firm Channel Factory is expanding its presence in Austria by appointing Fritz Strobl as Commercial Lead Austria, a newly created role effective immediately. Strobl will develop business with media agencies and advertisers and reports into the DACH organization under Managing Director Patrick Edlefsen. Strobl previously spent about six and a half years at Showheroes, led the company's 2019 market entry into Austria, and from 2022 served as Head of Sales for Austria and later Switzerland; earlier roles include Vice Media, Kurier Digital, Forbes Austria and Verlagsgruppe News. He is active on the IAB Austria board, focuses on video/CTV and cookieless advertising, and has led an IAB working group on Big Screen Advertising since 2023. Channel Factory emphasizes contextual and environment-quality video advertising, brand safety/suitability and CTV work across walled gardens and is present in 54 countries.

Acheron builds ad infrastructure for AI chat agents

Acheron, a new adtech initiative from Bielefeld-based Boola GmbH led by Jörg and Kay Schneider, is developing an advertising infrastructure for chat- and AI-agent interfaces. The planned product comprises three modules: an SDK that analyzes user prompts with NLP and converts contextual signals into OpenRTB-compatible data; an ad server to connect demand via PMPs and direct deals focused on the supply side; and a Seller Agent intended to communicate with Buying Agents via the Ad Context Protocol (AdCP) for future agent-to-agent trading. Early direct integrations into chat environments are reportedly in testing, but Acheron has not disclosed partner names. The company aims to bridge existing programmatic demand (OpenRTB, deals, PMPs) with emerging agentic AI interfaces while addressing targeting and brand-safety concerns specific to conversational UIs.

Industry Leaders Warn of Shrinking Entry-Level Marketing Roles

The Drum polled industry members about increasing early-career opportunities in marketing amid rising youth unemployment, AI adoption and economic pressure. Agency and marketing leaders — including representatives from Collaborate Global, ShowHeroes, Croud, Bray Leino, APS Group, GumGum, Yodel Mobile, Twenty One Twelve Marketing and Differentiated — describe programs that target schools, internships and trainee schemes, and warn that automation is removing traditional entry-level tasks. Contributors call for coordinated action across employers, education and government, advocating apprenticeships, mentoring, placements and structured trainee programmes to preserve the talent pipeline and equip young people with skills to work alongside AI.