The Unfolding Thought Podcast asks a provocative question: Why do we—and the groups we form—think and act the way we do? Although we may feel we understand ourselves and others, much of what drives our thoughts, choices, and behaviors remains hidden or overlooked. Through candid discussions and multi-disciplinary explorations, we reveal those unseen forces—biases, contexts, and patterns—and show how they influence individual and collective dynamics.
If you’re a leader or an intellectually curious mind looking for deep, high-value conversations, join us. We’ll challenge common assumptions, illuminate new perspectives, and spark meaningful change—helping you navigate relationships with greater clarity, innovate with confidence, and connect more authentically with those around you.
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The Unfolding Thought Podcast asks a provocative question: Why do we—and the groups we form—think and act the way we do? Although we may feel we understand ourselves and others, much of what drives our thoughts, choices, and behaviors remains hidden or overlooked. Through candid discussions and multi-disciplinary explorations, we reveal those unseen forces—biases, contexts, and patterns—and show how they influence individual and collective dynamics.
If you’re a leader or an intellectually curious mind looking for deep, high-value conversations, join us. We’ll challenge common assumptions, illuminate new perspectives, and spark meaningful change—helping you navigate relationships with greater clarity, innovate with confidence, and connect more authentically with those around you.
The Ad Contrarian, Bob Hoffman: How Marketing Lost Its Mind
The Unfolding Thought Podcast
1 hour 26 minutes
3 weeks ago
The Ad Contrarian, Bob Hoffman: How Marketing Lost Its Mind
In this episode of The Unfolding Thought Podcast, Eric Pratum speaks with Bob Hoffman — author of Adscam and The Ad Contrarian — about the uncomfortable truths at the heart of digital advertising.
Bob explains how adtech evolved into one of the largest surveillance systems ever built, why marketers mistake data quantity for quality, and how political deregulation is quietly eroding online privacy.
They unpack the illusion of precision in behavioral targeting, the billions lost to fraud and waste, and why empathy and ethics—not algorithms—may be the only path to rebuilding trust between brands and the public.
Topics Explored
* How real-time bidding turns personal data into a global broadcast
* Why the online ad economy rewards fraud more than performance
* The quiet rollback of digital-privacy protections in the U.S.
* How measurement and "attribution" distort both marketing and democracy
* What Arielle Garcia's revelations say about Google's control of ad trade groups
* Why marketers keep believing in bad numbers
* What honest advertising might look like in a post-surveillance world
Links
* Bob's website – https://www.bobhoffmanswebsite.com [https://www.bobhoffmanswebsite.com/]
* Irish Council for Civil Liberties report on real-time bidding – https://www.iccl.ie/news/iccl-report-on-the-scale-of-real-time-bidding-data-broadcasts-in-the-u-s-and-europe/
* Arielle Garcia article – https://www.mi-3.com.au/18-06-2024/ex-um-privacy-chief-lifts-lid-google-has-captured-trade-associations-and-holdcos
* Pentagon Pizza Twitter story – https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/16/pentagon-pizza-account-israel-iran-attack/84229144007/
* Don McMillan video, How Marketers Twist Statistics – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOpD2b55s4
For more episodes, visit unfoldingthought.com [http://unfoldingthought.com/]
Questions or guest ideas: eric@inboundandagile.com
The Unfolding Thought Podcast
The Unfolding Thought Podcast asks a provocative question: Why do we—and the groups we form—think and act the way we do? Although we may feel we understand ourselves and others, much of what drives our thoughts, choices, and behaviors remains hidden or overlooked. Through candid discussions and multi-disciplinary explorations, we reveal those unseen forces—biases, contexts, and patterns—and show how they influence individual and collective dynamics.
If you’re a leader or an intellectually curious mind looking for deep, high-value conversations, join us. We’ll challenge common assumptions, illuminate new perspectives, and spark meaningful change—helping you navigate relationships with greater clarity, innovate with confidence, and connect more authentically with those around you.
