AdTechGod Pod

At Marketecture Live III, Aleen Dreksler, Co-founder and CEO of Betches Media, discusses how a college blog evolved into a large-scale entertainment brand. She shares insights on understanding audience behavior, adapting across platforms, and using humor and relatability to connect with women. The conversation also touches on Betches Sports, brand collaborations, and the company’s direction moving forward.

Takeaways

Betches focused on understanding real experiences rather than targeting demographics

Humor plays a key role in audience engagement and brand connection

A consistent voice helps build long-term loyalty

Growth came from adapting to platforms where audiences already spend time

Relatable content helps audiences feel understood

Cultural relevance is more effective than traditional advertising approaches

There is an underserved space in how women engage with sports content

The company operates across both media and creative work with brands

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the episode and Betches Media

01:37 Origins of Betches as an anonymous college blog

03:02 Early gap in women’s content and tone of voice

05:14 Growth into a larger media brand

05:42 Expanding across platforms

07:20 Focusing on psychographics over demographics

08:15 Maintaining a consistent brand voice

09:09 Reaching different generations

10:44 Launching Betches Sports

12:33 Working with brands

14:04 Evolution of the business model

14:33 The role of humor in marketing

16:15 Future direction of Betches

17:32 Reflections and advice
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Amanda DeVito, Chief Marketing Officer at Butler/Till, shares her journey from strategy leader to executive and what it really takes to grow within a single company over 15 years. She breaks down the power of culture, access over “empowerment,” and why modern agencies must embrace collaboration, AI, and adaptability to stay relevant.

From building internal evangelists to navigating the future of marketing, Amanda offers a candid look at leadership, brand building, and what agencies must do to win in an increasingly complex landscape.

Takeaways

Culture and continuous challenge are key to long-term career growth

Access, not just empowerment, drives real diversity and impact

Strong agencies create internal evangelists, not just employees

Collaboration across media, creative, and data is now essential

AI will amplify both strong and weak strategies

Brand building still matters even in a performance-driven world

Relevance comes from understanding audiences deeply

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Amanda DeVito and Butler/Till

01:30 Amanda’s journey into marketing and leadership

04:00 Why culture keeps people long-term

06:00 Diversity, access, and leadership dynamics

08:40 Building internal evangelists at scale

11:40 The shift toward media as a strategic center

14:00 Why collaboration is the modern agency model

16:00 The evolution of storytelling through data

18:00 Short-term vs long-term brand building

19:30 What’s coming in the next 12–18 months (AI & agentic)

22:30 How fast the industry is changing

24:30 Strategy vs tools in modern marketing

26:00 Influencers, relevance, and consumer behavior

28:50 The power of community and virality
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At Marketecture Live in NYC, Bob Lord (President, Horizon Media) and Obele Brown-West (President, Colle McVoy), with Mike Shields (Founder, Next in Media) break down innovation cycles, legacy tech challenges, and why human creativity still matters in an AI-driven world.

Takeaways:

AI is creating massive confusion, but also an opportunity

Legacy systems are the biggest barrier to progress

The future is platform-based, not siloed

AI won’t replace creativity, but will scale execution

Upskilling talent is more important than replacing it

Legal and transparency concerns are rising fast

Agency business models must evolve

Creative and media are converging again

Chapters :

00:00 Introduction to Marketecture Live

01:23 The “AI Armageddon” Debate Begins

01:54 What Clients Are Really Saying About AI

02:53 Why Brands and Agencies Aren’t Ready Yet

03:28 The Need for New Marketing Operating Systems

04:40 Can AI Replace Agencies?

06:00 Legacy Tech Is Slowing Everything Down

07:30 Open Ecosystems vs. Fragmentation

08:28 Do New Agencies Have the Advantage?

10:06 AI, Jobs, and the Need for Upskilling

12:11 Rethinking Agency Pricing Models

14:04 Connecting Marketing to Business Outcomes

15:16 The Limits of AI in Creativity

17:07 AI Legal Risks and Client Concerns

19:19 Responsible AI Use in Agencies

20:46 The Future: AI as a Growth Engine

21:03 The Reunification of Creative and Media

22:05 Closing Thoughts

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Katie Daleo, GM of the CPG ads business at DoorDash, joins the AdTechGod Pod to discuss how retail media is evolving and how DoorDash is helping CPG brands reach consumers in new ways. She shares her journey from Right Media and Unilever to building retail media capabilities at Jet and DoorDash, along with insights into data, targeting, and the future of advertising.

Katie explains how DoorDash uses closed-loop measurement, dish-level targeting, and off-site audience activation to help brands drive performance. She also discusses the growing complexity of retail media networks, why simplification matters for advertisers, and how AI and data will shape the next phase of the ad tech ecosystem.

Takeaways

Katie Daleo’s career spans early ad tech, CPG brand management, and retail media leadership.

DoorDash connects CPG brands with consumers using its marketplace and retail media platform.

Dish-level targeting lets brands reach users based on the meals and cuisines they order.

Closed-loop measurement allows advertisers to track campaigns directly to purchases on DoorDash.

Retail media networks must balance simplification with tailored solutions for different brands.

AI and data analysis are becoming key tools for faster consumer discovery and decision making.

Strong leadership comes from curiosity, intentional career moves, and understanding personal strengths and gaps.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Katie Daleo and the DoorDash CPG ads business

01:00 Katie’s path from Right Media to Unilever and into retail media

04:00 How DoorDash’s retail media platform works for CPG brands

05:18 Dish-level targeting and how brands reach food-affinity audiences

07:25 The role of data science and insights teams in advertising strategy

08:22 Trends shaping retail media and advertising over the next year

10:20 Closed-loop measurement and full-funnel advertising on DoorDash

12:15 AI, consumer discovery, and the future of search and advertising

14:08 Using DoorDash data for off-site advertising campaigns

15:37 Building partnerships and scaling DoorDash retail media

18:16 Leadership lessons and building a successful career in ad tech
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Recorded live at the Marketecture Live Conference in New York City, this episode brings together Cosette Chaput, CEO & Co-Founder, Always Alpha; Allyson Felix, Co-Founder, Always Alpha; Wes Felix, Co-Founder, Always Alpha; and Zoe Ruderman, Chief Content Officer, ADWEEK, to unpack how female athletes are reshaping brand strategy, storytelling, and ROI.

From breaking outdated sports marketing models to building authentic athlete-driven campaigns, this conversation dives into why brands need to rethink their approach now, before the window closes ahead of LA28.

Takeaways

Women’s sports is a high-growth business, not a trend, delivering strong and compounding ROI.

Traditional sports marketing models were built for men and do not translate effectively to female audiences.

Brands miss the mark by targeting male audiences instead of engaging female consumers authentically.

Female athletes outperform influencers in engagement and trust despite having smaller followings.

The biggest opportunity lies in storytelling. Female athletes bring relatable, real-life narratives that drive deeper connection.

Waiting until major events like the Olympics is too late. Effective campaigns require long-term buildup.

Investment in women’s sports is currently top-heavy, creating sustainability risks if the broader ecosystem is not developed.

Brands that win collaborate with athletes as partners, not just endorsers.

Categories like beauty are leading the way, while sectors like finance and automotive still lag behind.

The window of opportunity is open but closing fast as competition and valuations rise.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the session and why women’s sports matter now

00:56 The origin story of Always Alpha

02:43 The problem with one-size-fits-all athlete representation

03:18 Why women’s sports is still misunderstood as a trend

04:40 Why traditional sports marketing does not work for women

05:32 Looking ahead to LA28 and the future of brand investment

06:19 The risk of a women’s sports bubble

08:15 What brands should be doing differently by LA28

09:08 The power of 360 storytelling in women’s sports

10:15 Authenticity and relatability as marketing advantages

11:23 What brands are getting wrong today

12:39 Why storytelling beats templated campaigns

14:05 Female athletes vs influencers, engagement and impact

15:19 ROI in women’s sports and brand trust

16:07 The education gap with brands entering sports

16:59 Why brands need to act now

17:26 Categories leading the way (beauty, retail)

18:17 Opportunities in underrepresented industries

19:00 How Always Alpha defines success today

20:17 What is driving optimism for the future

23:05 Closing remarks

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