SAN JUAN, PR – The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace, and advertising isn’t any exception. At the Beet Retreat San Juan, Anna Spanfeller, vice president of agency development at AI marketing intelligence firm Cognitiv, spoke about how AI, and specifically deep learning, is reshaping the advertising landscape.
Spanfeller emphasized the ubiquity of AI in everyday life, from OpenAI’s ChatGPT to Apple’s Siri, and how its capabilities are now being harnessed for advertising.
“What’s really great about it and what Cognitiv is actually based on is deep learning,” she said in this interview with Beet.TV. “The most advanced form of AI matters because it’s able to process tens of thousands of data points in a very short amount of time.”
This deep-learning approach is revolutionizing programmatic advertising by allowing brands to analyze vast amounts of data in real time, uncovering key insights about consumer behavior. Cognitiv’s technology, built upon the expertise of co-founder Dr. Aaron Andalman, a former computational neuroscientist at Stanford, applies neural network research to programmatic advertising to refine ad targeting and drive better results.
Understanding the customer journey
One of the key advantages of deep learning in advertising is its ability to interpret and predict customer behavior more accurately than traditional methods.
“Because we have deep learning, we can make these non-obvious connections between thousands of data points to really get a sense of what’s driving consumers,” Spanfeller said. AI helps advertisers determine what potential customers are interested in, what they are shopping for and what they need to know in a specific moment.
AI’s ability to process real-time data also allows brands to identify the different stages of a consumer’s journey, detecting when they are showing stronger intent to make a purchase or when they are disengaging.
Spanfeller highlighted the importance of this approach: “Just because someone looked at a car website a month ago doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to purchase a car. It’s important to understand the full customer journey, the different stages of intent and the inflection points.”
Content, context and performance
In addition to analyzing user behavior, Spanfeller emphasized that context is a crucial element in effective advertising.
“What we found with many years of knowledge, testing, and experimentation is that the content and context of the page were oftentimes as strong, if not stronger, an indicator of performance than user behavior,” she said.
By ensuring that ads are placed within relevant content, advertisers can significantly improve their effectiveness. AI-driven deep learning helps brands optimize not only their targeting but also the placement and messaging of their ads, maximizing engagement and conversion rates.
Future of AI in advertising
Spanfeller said she’s optimistic about the future of AI-powered advertising. She is particularly excited about advancements that provide deeper insights into AI decision-making, which will allow brands to refine their strategies further.
“AI is going to keep getting better, and there will be additional applications for us to use,” she said.
You’re watching coverage from Beet Retreat San Juan 2025, presented by Cognitiv, Index Exchange & TransUnion. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
