SMART TALK
The human side of an
AI-driven advertising industry.
AI is changing how advertising works.
Campaigns move faster, workflows are getting simpler, and data is becoming easier to access.
But business is still built on trust, good relationships, and people who understand what their clients actually need.
We sit down with GDR co-founder and COO, Gunnar Kihl, to talk about partnerships, the changing role of sales, and why the human connection still matters in an increasingly automated industry.
Gunnar has spent decades in digital advertising, working closely with agencies, advertisers, publishers, and technology partners.
He's seen the industry reinvent itself more than once.
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Let's start with the obvious.
Everyone is talking about AI. What are you hearing from clients and partners?
Honestly, it depends on whom you're talking to.
Some are already using AI to rethink entire workflows.
Others are still trying to work out where it actually saves them time or money.
And both are perfectly reasonable places to be.
What I hear consistently is that people want less complexity.
They want to get from a campaign brief to something they can actually use without five different teams, endless emails, and a complicated setup.
That's where AI can make a real difference. But I'm not particularly interested in AI for the sake of AI.
If it doesn't solve a problem for the customer, what's the point?
You've spent decades in this industry.
What's genuinely different this time?
The speed.
Things that used to take weeks can now happen in minutes, and that changes expectations across the board.
Clients expect faster answers. Agencies need to do more with the resources they have. Publishers need to make their inventory more accessible and attractive to buyers.
But here's the interesting part: when the technology gets faster, the quality of the decisions becomes even more important.
You can generate a report in seconds. That doesn't automatically mean you've asked the right question or chosen the right audience.
Experience still counts.
Understanding the business problem still counts.
And knowing when something makes sense commercially?
That hasn't changed.
So where does that leave sales?
Will AI eventually do the selling too?
It will certainly change parts of it.
Research, reporting, prospecting, and a lot of the preparation can be automated. I'm all for that.
But sales is not just about presenting a product and explaining its features.
It's about understanding why someone might need it, what they're trying to achieve, and what is stopping them from getting there.
Sometimes a client tells you they need one thing, but after a proper conversation, you realise the real problem is somewhere else entirely.
An AI tool can help you prepare for that conversation. It can even suggest the right questions.
But you still need judgement, curiosity, and the ability to listen.
And you need to be honest. If your solution isn't the right fit, say so.
That might not win you the deal today, but it gives you a much better chance of earning the next conversation.
GDR recently made the Top 10 list of Best Privacy-First Audience Data Providers in 2026.
What does recognition like that mean when you're out talking to the market?
It's great to see the work recognised, of course. It gives people another reason to take a closer look at what we're doing.
But an award or a mention won't close a deal on its own.
The real question is what happens when a client tests our audiences. Do they reach the right people? Does the solution fit their workflow? Does it deliver value at a fair price?
That's what matters to me.
Recognition can open a door. What you deliver after walking through it determines whether that door stays open.
Let's talk about partnerships.
What makes one work in practice?
A good partnership has to work for both sides.
That sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how often people focus on the announcement rather than the actual business opportunity.
- You need a clear reason to work together.
- You need to understand what each partner brings to the table, how the products fit together, and where the value comes from for the customer.
- And then you need people who follow through.
The best partnerships aren't built around logos on a website. They're built when both sides pick up the phone, solve problems, share opportunities, and make things happen.
I've always believed that the commercial relationship is just as important as the technical integration.
You need both.
With AI increasingly helping clients discover and evaluate solutions, do personal relationships still matter?
Absolutely. But their role is changing.
We're moving towards a world where software can compare solutions, assess performance, and make choices at a scale no sales team could ever manage manually.
That's a good thing. If your product performs, offers the right reach, and is priced fairly, you should have a chance to compete.
But the market doesn't operate in a vacuum.
Clients still need to understand what they're buying, trust the people behind it, and feel confident that someone will pick up the phone when they need help.
Think about it this way: AI might help a client discover your product. A good working relationship helps turn that first test into a long-term partnership.
The important thing is to earn the trust.
You can't rely on a relationship to compensate for a product that doesn't deliver.
GDR's IDfree.ai platform can generate detailed audience reports in seconds, complete with visual profiles, representative images, and word clouds.
How does that change the conversation with a client?
It gives us something much more concrete to talk about.
Instead of spending half a meeting explaining how a process works, we can show people what they're actually getting. We can take an audience idea and turn it into something visual and tangible, very quickly.
That makes a difference, especially when you're talking to people who don't want to become data specialists just to run a campaign.
A good report should help a client make a decision. It should tell a story about the audience, show what makes it relevant, and help people see how they might use it.
And if the client wants to change direction, we can explore that together rather than start another long process.
For me, that's the real value of AI here.
It removes unnecessary work and gives us more time to discuss the things that matter:
- the audience,
- the campaign,
- and the performance.
How has AI affected your work at GDR?
The mass adoption of AI came at exactly the right time for GDR.
Since 2014, we've been meticulously collecting non-personal societal data and applying it to 110 × 110-metre geo-intelligence grids.
This gives us a robust core model that the industry and AI systems can work with, learn from, and build on.
We've spent years building this foundation, and as AI becomes more integrated into advertising, the market is finding greater value in the models we've developed.
For me, that's one of the most exciting developments.
The work we've believed in and been doing for years has become more relevant than ever.
Looking ahead, what do you think will separate the winners from the rest of the digital advertising ecosystem?
I'd look at three things.
First, product quality. If your solution doesn't deliver, the rest doesn't matter for very long.
Second, simplicity. The industry has accumulated a lot of technology and a lot of processes. Companies that make it easier for customers to get results will have an advantage.
Third, the ability to work well with others.
No single company has everything. Agencies, publishers, data providers, and technology platforms all bring different strengths.
The companies that understand how to combine those strengths will be well positioned.
I'm optimistic about where we're heading. But I don't think the winners will necessarily be the companies talking the loudest about the future.
They'll be the ones solving real problems for customers today while making sensible decisions about what's coming next.
One final thought?
Looking at the bigger picture, the mass adoption of AI has made our models more valuable to the market than ever before.
That's a great position to be in, but it's also a responsibility.
Our team and colleagues have spent years building a foundation of non-personal societal data and geo-intelligence that helps the industry understand audiences without relying on personal identifiers.
Now, as AI changes how advertising works, we have an opportunity to help shape what comes next - with better data, more meaningful insights, and solutions that make life easier for our clients and partners.
Technology will keep moving forward. Our job is to make sure the foundations are solid.
And throughout all of it, the relationships we build and the value we deliver remain just as important.
Thank you for the interesting
Smart Talk, Gunnar.
Reach Gunnar: