Kerel Cooper, GumGum’s new CMO, unpacks the future of contextual advertising, curated marketplaces, and DEI, revealing key ad tech trends for 2025.
Ad tech is on the cusp of a major shift. With identity-based tracking under increasing scrutiny and consumers demanding more privacy, the industry is primed for fresh ideas—and Kerel Cooper is leading the charge.
As GumGum’s newly minted CMO, Kerel brings a vision for advanced contextual solutions that respect users’ right to privacy while still delivering results. From the “wild west” of open programmatic giving way to curated marketplaces, to the rise of real-time sentiment analysis and scene-by-scene creative optimization, Kerel’s perspective offers a front-row seat to the trends poised to define 2025.
Beyond the tech talk, he’s also a champion for diversity and inclusion in an industry ripe for fresh voices and perspectives. Get ready to explore how GumGum is moving from cookies to context—and what it means for the future of advertising.
Leading With Context
Kerel Cooper’s New Role at GumGum and Why Privacy-Centric Advertising Matters
Lynne d Johnson: You’re stepping into the CMO role at a pivotal time in ad tech. How do you see GumGum’s contextual capabilities evolving under your leadership—especially as brands grow more concerned about privacy and user experience?
Kerel Cooper: Stepping into the CMO role at GumGum at this pivotal time in ad tech is an incredible opportunity to build on GumGum’s commitment to smarter, more respectful advertising. As privacy concerns grow, brands are looking for solutions that prioritize trust while creating meaningful moments with their consumers. And if we know anything in this industry, it’s that data is incredibly important in creating the best match between an ad and a consumer.
Our Mindset Graph combines our contextual, attention, and creative data to shift the focus from static demographic and past engagement signals to what consumers care about right now. It predicts what will drive engagement before campaigns go live and continuously optimizes performance during activation and reporting. It’s an exciting time to have joined GumGum and an exciting time for the industry, and I’m looking forward to helping drive the industry forward with solutions like advanced contextual and our Mindset Graph.
The Next Wave of Contextual
From Simple Keyword Matching to Real-Time Sentiment Analysis and Scene-by-Scene Optimization
LdJ: We’ve come a long way from simple keyword matching. What’s the most promising breakthrough you see for contextual targeting in 2025 (e.g., real-time sentiment analysis, scene-by-scene creative optimization), and how might that shape the future for both direct deals and programmatic?
KC: This year, I see significant potential in the evolution of contextual technologies like real-time sentiment analysis and scene-by-scene creative optimization. Contextual is expanding beyond the webpage and into areas like CTV, OLV, and live sports. These advancements will fundamentally alter both direct deals and programmatic advertising by enabling more precise and dynamically adaptable engagement strategies, ensuring content relevance and viewer engagement at every touchpoint.
From Wild West to Walled Gardens
How Curated Marketplaces Are Transforming Premium Publisher Monetization
LdJ: You’ve mentioned the “wild west” of open programmatic is fading fast. How should publishers—especially news and other premium outlets—prepare to stand out in curated marketplaces, and what role do you see SSPs playing in that evolution?
KC: As the chaotic “wild west” of open programmatic continues to be replaced by curated marketplaces across all digital channels, the future of programmatic advertising lies where premium inventory, suitability, and contextual insights converge to create a high-quality environment for brands.
Publishers, especially premium and news publishers, must leverage their unique content and audience insights to stand out. SSPs will play a crucial role in helping to ensure that high-quality inventory is matched effectively with brand needs, enhancing transparency and driving performance.
Navigating Video and CTV
Balancing Brand Safety With Real-Time Relevance in Visually-Driven Formats
LdJ: Contextual is expanding beyond standard display into video and CTV. How can news publishers, premium content creators, and brands balance the tension between real-time content (like breaking news) and brand safety/suitability in these visually driven formats?
KC: To effectively balance real-time content and brand safety in video and CTV, publishers, premium content creators, and brands should implement advanced contextual analysis tools. For example, GumGum can assess content in real-time, ensuring that ads are placed in suitable environments that align with brand values and match a consumer’s current interest.
In addition, leveraging predictive analytics can help brands anticipate content themes and viewer engagement, allow for smarter ad placements, unveil new or undiscovered audiences, and connect with the consumer while they are in the right mindset. This approach not only protects brands but also enhances consumer experiences by making advertising more relevant for all.
Context, Culture, and Inclusion
Why DEI and Real-Time Contextual Targeting Go Hand-in-Hand for the Future of Ad Tech
LdJ: As a leading Black voice in the industry, how do you see DEI shaping the next few years of advertising? Specifically, do you think contextual technology can help foster more inclusive storytelling and outreach—both for publishers and advertisers
KC: As reported in the most recent ANA Diversity Report, the marketing and advertising industry still has a lot of room for improvement to reach equity levels of representation and we cannot shy away from this work. As a leader in the industry, I will continue to do my part by helping others achieve their full potential by being seen and heard. As it relates to publishers and advertisers, I believe that in order to reach and have people engage with your content or brand, you need to meet them emotionally and culturally, as well as in the right mindset.
At the heart of that is context and being contextually relevant. For the most part, cookies and IDs are based on binary signals and what someone has done in the past, but contextual is based on what someone is interested in at a current moment. Instead of relying on past behaviors or demographics like age, race, or sexuality, publishers and advertisers will win by engaging with consumers in the current moment and reaching them with messaging or products that are useful and relevant as we jump from screen to screen.
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About Kerel Cooper
Kerel is the Chief Marketing Officer at GumGum, a contextual-first, global digital advertising platform that captures people’s attention without personal data. Kerel leads all marketing activities that help evolve the brand, increasing revenue, awareness, and relevance amongst target audiences. Kerel is also an adjunct professor at Kean University, teaching digital and sports marketing. Cooper is an award-winning executive with 20+ years of digital media experience building Advertising Operations, Account Management, and Marketing teams. Previously, Kerel served as President of Advertising at Group Black and Chief Marketing Officer at LiveIntent. He is the co-founder and co-host of the Minority Report Podcast, highlighting people of color, women & LGBTQ+ leaders within business, media, and technology.
He has been widely recognized for his leadership and innovation. In 2021, Kerel was included in Crain’s New York Business Notable Black Leaders and Executives list and was selected as the Adweek Readers’ Choice: Best of Tech Diversity Advocate of the Year award. He also won the Diversity Advocate of the Year Award at the Campaign Tech Awards and the Award of Excellence by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts in 2021.