When AI Meets AdTech: Membrana Media at Google’s Summit

Last week, the Membrana Media team participated in the annual Google Partner Leadership Summit, an event that brings together key stakeholders shaping the future of digital advertising. This year, Google unveiled a range of new AI-powered formats that are literally rewriting the rules of how brands, content, and audiences interact.

AI Reshapes the Advertising World

The core message of the summit revolved around one main idea: AI is becoming the new infrastructure of AdTech. As Google representatives and independent experts noted, today’s algorithms can read emotional cues on screen, detect uncluttered display zones, and identify the most unobtrusive placement for ad delivery.

As a result, ads are turning into a natural part of the viewing experience rather than an interruption. This approach, known as smart placement allocation, is redefining what video advertising should look like.

For Membrana Media, a company that has been developing AI-driven video formats for several years, it’s a clear signal: the company is moving in sync with global technology trends.

The Attention Economy: Ads Users Choose

Significant discussion was allocated to Offerwall, the rewarded ad unit from Google, and its industry counterpart, AdWall from Membrana Media. The critical takeaway highlighted this product category's capacity for direct revenue generation by successfully converting non-subscribing users into high-engagement advertising consumers in exchange for access to curated content inventory.

These formats transform advertising into a conscious interaction — users can watch a video, complete a short survey, or subscribe in exchange for premium content access or editorial bonuses.

Google is expanding customization options: publishers can now adjust ad length, tailor messages for specific audience segments, and experiment with dynamic pricing.
In the future, solutions like Adwall will also help collect first-party data, which is expected to play a central role in the post-cookie world (whenever Google finally decides to phase cookies out).

For publishers, adaptive rewarded ad formats open new opportunities for monetization beyond traditional banners and pre-rolls.

Europe’s Fastest-Growing Digital Ad Markets

During regional discussions, particular attention was given to Ukraine and the United Kingdom. There are two of Membrana Media’s key priority markets.
Ukraine ranks second in Europe by the share of digital in marketing budgets – 79%, with over 30% year-over-year growth.

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Meanwhile, the UK remains Europe’s largest digital market: video advertising is growing at 24% annually, retail media accounts for 20% of total ad spend, and both SVOD and AVOD segments are expanding at double-digit rates.

Among the product announcements presented at the summit were:

• The launch of Premier CTV Network,
• integration of display demand into video inventory,
• Ads Traffic Navigator, an AI-powered campaign optimization tool,
• and updates to the Policy Center API with expanded analytics.

Vertical Video Like a New Monetization Standard

One of the most discussed topics at the summit was the rise of vertical video formats. Google identified this direction as one of the fastest-growing in 2025, and Membrana Media was among the first global partners to pilot new vertical monetization formats together with Google.

This early access allows the company to test next-generation technologies that will soon become industry standards and gives publishers working with Membrana Media a tangible competitive edge.

The future of digital advertising is already here and it’s inseparable from artificial intelligence as the driving force of change.