Alchemist Media Labs vs Smartly

Alchemist Media Labs Demystifies CTV Buying via Everscreen.AI

In an interview with ADZINE, Joe Pawlas and Matthias Wass von Czege of Hamburg-based Alchemist Media Labs discuss how they simplify Connected TV (CTV) buying for smaller agencies and advertisers. They highlight barriers such as access to demand-side platforms (DSPs), minimum budgets, and market fragmentation. Alchemist Media Labs offers a self-service platform, Everscreen.AI, that aggregates multiple DSPs through a single interface. The platform uses AI agents to recommend audience targeting, deals, and placements, with a focus on transparency and quality scoring. They emphasize that advertisers can see in a performance dashboard where impressions were delivered across DSPs. The platform also enables cross-DSP frequency capping and unique reach calculation on a household level, addressing the issue of fragmented reporting. The interview underscores the importance of transparency in media buying and the role of AI in optimizing CTV campaigns.

• Alchemist Media Labs offers a self-service CTV buying platform called Everscreen.AI.
• The platform aggregates multiple DSPs through a single interface.
• AI agents provide recommendations for audience targeting, deals, and placements.

Smartly Launches Intelligence Pro to Connect Campaign Planning, Performance and Incrementality

Smartly has announced the launch of Intelligence Pro, a new product that connects campaign planning, performance, and incrementality.

UK's The Times Tests Macro Payments for Standalone Content

The Times of London is preparing to test 'macro payments,' a new model allowing readers to purchase specific high-value content packages, such as annual guides, without a full subscription. Director of subscriptions Abs Ahmed outlined the strategy at a Digiday event, emphasizing that this approach targets occasional readers who are not ready to commit to a subscription. The initiative is expected to launch in the next few months, initially in the UK. The Times has identified a significant audience interested in flexible access, with over three-quarters of occasional readers showing appeal. The publisher also reports success with AI tools, including synthetic audiences for research, AI decisioning for personalized messaging, and Smartly for performance marketing, which cut acquisition costs by over 55%. The move comes as the publisher faces declining social and search referrals and increasing bot traffic.

• The Times of London plans to test 'macro payments' for standalone content packages.
• Testing is due to start within the next few months, initially in the UK.
• Over three quarters of occasional readers found flexible access appealing.

Smartly Appoints Kelly Uphoff as Chief Technology Officer

Smartly has appointed Kelly Uphoff as Chief Technology Officer, as announced in the newsroom on October 8, 2026.