Episode 168: A Guide for Using AI Agents in Media Analytics, with Newton Research’s John Hoctor

John Hoctor, CEO of Newton Research, joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to break down how AI agents are reshaping marketing analytics. From automating complex workflows to enabling faster experimentation, the conversation explores what “agent-native” really means and how brands can move beyond basic AI usage. Takeaways AI agents act like junior data scientists, automating complex analytics workflows. Consistency and methodology matter more than raw AI capability in enterprise use. Most companies still underutilize their data despite having access to it. Incrementality testing becomes more scalable when automation removes setup friction. The future isn’t just AI tools—it’s structured, repeatable workflows built around them. Chapters 00:00 Intro & Guest (John Hoctor, Newton Research) 01:06 Ari’s CBS Sunday Morning Appearance 02:32 Podcast Updates & Website Move 04:06 What is Newton Research? 06:49 Early AI Agents & ReAct Framework 09:54 How the Agents Work (Architecture) 11:43 Training Agents Like Data Scientists 14:40 Workflows vs Prompting (Execution) 16:38 Incrementality & Automated Testing 19:07 Causal Models & Advanced Analytics 23:12 Advice for Marketers Using AI 28:03 News Segment Begins (TBP / OpenAI Deal) 34:59 Mediaocean + Agentic Buying Discussion 38:18 MiQ Growth & Publicis + Microsoft Deal 44:59 Meta AI, Claude Mythos & Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices