According to the World Federation of Advertisers, digital ad fraud may become the second largest source of criminal income in the world after drug trafficking. For marketers spending billions on digital ads, this isn't just concerning—it's a crisis.

This week, Elena and Rob are joined by "The Ad Contrarian" Bob Hoffman. As a former agency CEO turned industry critic, Bob shares his unfiltered perspective on digital advertising's dangers, from invasive tracking to rampant fraud. Plus, hear his thoughts on why marketers keep falling for fraudulent metrics, how advertising can thrive without surveillance, and why young marketers need to question industry "truisms" more often.

Topics covered: 

• [02:00 ] The moment Bob became an industry critic
• [11:00 ] Why tracking makes digital advertising dangerous
• [19:00 ] How ad fraud became a $100B+ problem
• [24:00 ] Why brand purpose marketing often fails
• [29:00 ] The three fundamentals of effective marketing
• [34:00 ] Why marketers need more original thinking 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
Bob Hoffman: My Talk at the European Parliament: https://typeagroup.createsend.com/campaigns/reports/viewCampaign.aspx?d=d&c=FC142680CDB9311A&ID=386E63F648DA11042540EF23F30FEDED&temp=False&tx=0&source=Report
The Three Word Brief: Simple Advice for People Who Advertise: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Word-Brief-Simple-Advertise/dp/B0DN19JTCF
Bob Hoffman’s Newsletter: https://www.bobhoffmanswebsite.com/
 

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