Don Norton, General Manager of Data Solutions at AdImpact, joins AdTechGod to discuss his journey from DoubleClick and Google to AdImpact, the evolution of TV measurement, the rise of CTV, political advertising trends, AI&#x27;s role in media intelligence, and why relationships still matter in an increasingly automated industry. Takeaways Don shares lessons from DoubleClick, Google, Infillion, and AdImpact. AdImpact is expanding beyond political advertising into cross-TV intelligence. CTV and broadcast measurement require larger datasets and ACR technology for accuracy. Political advertising in 2026 is expected to rival presidential election spending levels. Local CTV presents one of the biggest growth opportunities in television advertising. AI is improving data processing, automation, and predictive insights. Despite automation, trust and human relationships remain critical in media buying and selling. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Don Norton and His Ad Tech Journey01:05 Starting at DoubleClick During the Early Internet Boom02:12 The Evolution from DoubleClick to Google04:00 Leaving Google and Joining Infillion05:31 Why Don Joined AdImpact06:06 AdImpact&#x27;s Growth Strategy and Expansion Beyond Political Advertising07:05 Understanding Cross-TV Measurement: Broadcast, Cable &amp; CTV08:01 The Challenge of Measuring Linear TV and Streaming Audiences10:09 What Advertisers Want from TV Measurement11:31 How AdImpact Uses ACR Data and Large TV Panels13:14 Who Uses AdImpact&#x27;s Data and Insights?14:26 The Biggest Data Challenges in Media Intelligence16:34 AI, Data Validation, and Operational Efficiency18:54 Political Advertising Outlook for 202620:27 The Future of Local CTV Advertising23:10 What&#x27;s Overhyped in Ad Tech?24:00 Why Relationships Still Matter in an AI-Driven Industry26:05 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks Guests: AdTech God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 139 TV Measurement, CTV Growth, Political Advertising with AdImpact's Don Norton

AdTechGod Pod

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** AdTechGod Pod

## Participants

- **AdTechGod** (None)
- **Don Norton** (AdImpact)

## Transcript

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Welcome to the AdTechGodPod, your window into the world of advertising technology and the people behind it. I'm your host, AdTechGod. Welcome to the AdTechGodPod, where I speak to the leaders of the ad tech industry. Today's guest is Don Norton, General Manager, Data Solutions at AdImpact.

Don has been at AdImpact for over three and a half years, but prior to that, he spent six years at Infillion, over 10 years at Google, and six years at DoubleClick. So Don has really seen it all during our pre-chat. We talked about how many DoubleClickers I've had on this podcast, and I'm surprised to say I've had quite a few. So Don, thanks for joining me today, and thanks for being my guest. Thank you, ATG. Glad to be here. I've interviewed quite a few DoubleClickers in the last two years or so.

And one thing that keeps coming up is just how early on you guys were in the industry and what you saw in terms of the evolution of digital advertising, how that was moved into Google, and what became now one of the largest companies in the world. I would love for you to take us through your journey and your background, and then what led you to where you are today at AdImpact?

Yeah, I've been in ad tech all my career. I went into DoubleClick right out of college. DoubleClick had just gone public. So I don't have to say the date, people can do the research. And yeah, we were really focused on really a media network at the time. I came in as a trafficker. So I started with the nuts and bolts, now known as ad operations and AI is getting involved in that. But when I started, you know, traffickers were the ones tha...

Ep. 139 TV Measurement, CTV Growth, Political Advertising with AdImpact's Don Norton

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.

Ep. 139 TV Measurement, CTV Growth, Political Advertising with AdImpact's Don Norton

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.