A New Playbook
As AI search upends the digital advert ecosystem, entrepreneurs are additionally discovering previous playbooks much less dependable.
“Anybody counting on conventional search information to grasp person conduct, phase audiences, and goal advertisements is having to recalibrate,” mentioned Matt Prohaska, CEO of Prohaska Consulting. He cited a lead-generation firm that had used the identical DSP for eight years however can now not predict lead quantity with previous accuracy, as search queries and associated behaviors change into much less clear and frequent.
“The entire ecosystem is being upended, and conventional DSPs want to regulate,” Prohaska mentioned.
If premium provide retains shrinking, high advertisers may bid up what’s left—sending CPMs increased, mentioned Jeremy Goldman, senior director at eMarketer.
To hedge in opposition to that, some DSPs are shifting towards channels much less depending on open-web visitors, notably linked TV. Omnichannel video advert spending, together with CTV, grew 34% yr over yr, based on eMarketer.
For its half, Viant is doubling down on CTV, audio, and digital out-of-home, whereas constructing direct provide paths to safe premium stock. Within the first half of 2025, 45% of complete advert spend on Viant’s platform was in CTV, Schulz mentioned. The Commerce Desk additionally reported increased use of CTV in Q2.
As Ana Milicevic, co-founder of programmatic consultancy Sparrow Advisors, places it: “The underlying subject is, can we as an business and buyers have religion that the open internet is robust sufficient by itself, versus full walled gardens?”
