Episode 174: Auren Hoffman Wants to Make LiveRamp Great Again

Auren Hoffman, founder of LiveRamp, joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to discuss Publicis’ acquisition of LiveRamp, the company’s biggest missed opportunities, and why connectivity is becoming even more important in the AI era. They also dive into Google I/O, AI-powered search, publisher challenges, product-led companies, and how AI is changing the way operators work. Takeaways - LiveRamp’s biggest strength is still its network and connectivity. - Auren believes better product execution could unlock much larger growth. - AI agents will increase the need for fast data movement across platforms. - Product-focused leadership continues to define successful ad tech companies. - Google’s AI-first search experience is reshaping web traffic and publishing. - AI tools are rapidly changing how executives and teams operate. Chapters 00:00 Publicis acquires LiveRamp 01:14 Auren’s perspective on LiveRamp’s evolution 02:17 The biggest product opportunities ahead 05:35 Middleware, clean rooms, and connectivity 07:20 Pricing and growth challenges 09:13 Why AI changes the value of data infrastructure 12:03 What Publicis could improve 15:37 Product leadership in ad tech 19:45 Trade Desk, UID2, and the competitive landscape 21:13 Google I/O and AI-powered search 26:27 Why AI is changing how operators work 29:28 The changing economics of publishing 34:21 Vox, podcasts, and creator-led media 36:32 Amazon affiliate cuts and publisher impact Guests: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi, Auren Hoffman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices