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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

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Learn it properly.

Short, diagram-led courses that connect the glossary into something you can use in a meeting.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Whimsical machine of gears and conveyors racing an ad card from an advertiser tower to a phone and TV, 1960s ink-and-gouache magazine-ad illustration

Course 01 · 9 lessons · Free

Programmatic 101

How an impression actually gets bought, who touches it on the way, where the money leaks, and how to tell whether any of it worked. Nine lessons, about 15 minutes each, each with a diagram.

See the course →
  1. Lesson 01The life of a programmatic impressionRead →
  2. Lesson 02Buy side vs. sell side: who sits whereRead →
  3. Lesson 03Auctions: first price, second price, and floorsRead →
  4. Lesson 04Waterfall vs. header biddingRead →
  5. Lesson 05The four ways to buy programmaticallyRead →
  6. Lesson 06How data and identity reach a bidRead →
  7. Lesson 07Supply path optimization and supply chain qualityRead →
  8. Lesson 08Measuring programmatic: from impression to incremental outcomeRead →
  9. Lesson 09Where programmatic is goingRead →

More tracks are in the works.