The Future of Advertising: AI Agents, Contextual Targeting | Brendan Norman of Classify
In this episode of Inside Marketing with MarketSurge, we sit down with Brendan Norman, Co-founder and CEO of Classify
— a groundbreaking platform organizing the world’s digital content to make it privacy-safe, searchable, and monetizable.
— a groundbreaking platform organizing the world’s digital content to make it privacy-safe, searchable, and monetizable.
Before founding Classify, Brendan helped scale the Facebook Audience Network into a $3B business and played a key role in Unity’s IPO. But when he tried to market a completely new platform, he hit a wall: there was no way to accurately find or understand content at the page level.
So, he built the solution.
Today, Classify’s AI-Powered Classification Engine and ContentGraph™ are redefining how advertisers, publishers, and marketers connect across the open web — driving precision targeting, transparency, and sustainability in an industry overdue for innovation.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
• The evolution from audience targeting to contextual intelligence
• How Classify’s AI agents are changing how ads are delivered and optimized
• The real reason ad tech has been so fragmented — and what’s fixing it
• How a new industry protocol could democratize advertising for small businesses
• Why smarter curation = more sustainable digital ecosystems
• The evolution from audience targeting to contextual intelligence
• How Classify’s AI agents are changing how ads are delivered and optimized
• The real reason ad tech has been so fragmented — and what’s fixing it
• How a new industry protocol could democratize advertising for small businesses
• Why smarter curation = more sustainable digital ecosystems
👉 Key Highlights:
✅ From Facebook to founding Classify — Brendan’s journey through ad tech’s biggest revolutions
✅ The difference between contextual targeting and curation (and why both matter)
✅ The groundbreaking new Advertising Context Protocol (ACP) and how it changes the game
✅ How AI agents will simplify campaign setup, targeting, and optimization — instantly
✅ Why more efficient targeting isn’t just profitable — it’s better for the planet
✅ From Facebook to founding Classify — Brendan’s journey through ad tech’s biggest revolutions
✅ The difference between contextual targeting and curation (and why both matter)
✅ The groundbreaking new Advertising Context Protocol (ACP) and how it changes the game
✅ How AI agents will simplify campaign setup, targeting, and optimization — instantly
✅ Why more efficient targeting isn’t just profitable — it’s better for the planet
🎯 Whether you’re a CMO, startup founder, or just obsessed with the future of AI and digital advertising, this episode gives you a front-row seat to the next big shift in marketing tech.
🧠 Connect with Brendan Norman:
🌐 Website: https://tryclassify.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendannorman
🌐 Website: https://tryclassify.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendannorman
📈 Connect with MarketSurge:
🌐 Website: https://marketsurge.io
🎯 Book your 15-minute Value or Free Coffee Call:
👉 https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee
🎙️ Podcast: Inside Marketing with MarketSurge
💼 LinkedIn: MarketSurge on LinkedIn
📘 Facebook: MarketSurge Business Page
🐦 Twitter/X: @marketsurging
🌐 Website: https://marketsurge.io
🎯 Book your 15-minute Value or Free Coffee Call:
👉 https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee
🎙️ Podcast: Inside Marketing with MarketSurge
💼 LinkedIn: MarketSurge on LinkedIn
📘 Facebook: MarketSurge Business Page
🐦 Twitter/X: @marketsurging
Creators and Guests
Host
Reed Hansen
Reed Hansen is a seasoned digital marketing executive with a proven track record of driving business growth through innovative strategies. As the Chief Growth Officer at MarketSurge, he focuses on leveraging AI-powered marketing tools to help businesses scale efficiently. Reed's expertise spans from leading startups to Fortune 500 companies, making him a recognized authority in the digital marketing space. His unique ability to combine data-driven insights with creative solutions has been instrumental in achieving remarkable sales growth for his clients.
