The programmatic advertising industry stands at a critical inflection point. That was the clear consensus at the New Digital Age roundtable in Cannes, chaired by NDA’s Editor, Justin Pearse, and featuring some of the industry’s most experienced leaders. The discussion (read Part One here) ranged from murky KPIs to broken trust, disjointed agency models to disintermediated publishers — but concluded with hope. Real change is within reach.
Participants included: Eve Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer at Teal and Fractional CMO at Audience Store; Freddie Turner, Managing Director EMEA at Chalice; Matt Nash, Senior Vice President EMEA at Pixability; Sara Vincent, Managing Director UK at Utiq; Fern Potter, Senior Vice President Strategy and Growth at Multilocal; Matt Barash, Chief Commercial Officer at Nova; James Florence, Head of Advertising Technology at Immediate; Sam Wilson, Vice President, Streaming Platform EMEA at Magnite; and Lou Paskalis, CEO and Founder of AJL Advisory LLC.
The legacy of broken systems
Matt Barash was unapologetic in his diagnosis: “Programmatic has been a massive failure. There’s been a tonne of wealth creation, but almost no movement in terms of KPIs.”
He painted a picture of an industry obsessed with volume and optimisation, yet struggling with credibility, inefficiency and economic sustainability. “It was a dream sold to publishers and agencies, but now the economics don’t work. The house is on fire.”
Freddie Turner highlighted the opportunity for agencies to lead the charge on innovation when the right conditions are in place. ‘When incentives are aligned with performance and strategic outcomes, agencies are empowered to think boldly, act decisively, and deliver real impact for clients.’”
Creativity, data and the path forward
One consistent theme was the neglected role of creativity in programmatic. “We’ve failed as a sector to lean into creative,” said Barash. “Data is essential, but if the creative is poor, nothing else matters.”
Lou Paskalis argued for rethinking the entire role of programmatic as a data source. “It should be fuelling enterprise-wide customer orchestration,” he said. “Right now, we’re not even using it properly within marketing, let alone across the business.”
AI, if properly harnessed, could provide the insights needed to fuel that transition, said Eve Hughes. “There’s so much data, but brands aren’t using it to tell strategic stories. That’s the opportunity.”
Paskalis recalled how agencies were once trusted advisors. “Now, brands don’t know if they’re working for the client or themselves,” he said. “That has to be rebuilt.”
Sara Vincent noted that platforms like Meta and Google have reshaped the power dynamics of the industry. “The role of agencies has been challenged in recent years. There’s now a chance to reset the dynamic, putting trust, expertise and long-term thinking back at the heart of the client-agency relationship.
“Testing is crucial,” she said. “But brands are fearful. They talk about change but stick to legacy KPIs and trusted platforms.”
Fixing the foundation: education and simplicity
James Florence pointed out the lack of user-friendly tools for publishers and advertisers. “Platforms like Meta succeed because they make the value exchange so clear,” he said. “We haven’t done that well on the open web.”
Fern Potter stressed that the industry’s language and tools are still far too complex. “We’re asking people to understand opaque systems with no consistency,” she said. “We need to simplify and better articulate the value we bring.”
Matt Nash echoed this, emphasising the need for brand education. “Most marketers don’t understand the nuances. But that’s not their fault. Agencies and vendors need to step up and guide them.”
SPO, curation and the sell-side renaissance
Sam Wilson and Potter discussed how the sell side is regaining power. “The rise of supply path optimisation (SPO) and curation is finally giving publishers the tools to reassert value,” said Wilson. “We’re moving from disintermediation to direct connection.”
Potter added that this shift is key to balancing quality and performance. “The curation layer brings in premium inventory, better data fidelity and removes unnecessary tech layers,” she said. “That benefits both advertiser and publisher.”
Florence agreed, suggesting curation could help mid-tier publishers survive and thrive. “They struggle to invest in content and tech. Smarter curation tools can help them scale without giving up control.”
A more strategic CMO for a more complex world
Multiple participants noted that the role of the CMO is rapidly changing. Hughes argued that fractional CMO roles exist because businesses don’t trust marketing. “They want growth, not just brand,” she said. “That’s why the CMO must evolve into a strategic growth leader.”
Paskalis added, “Marketing has become a walled garden inside the business. If we can position it as the enterprise’s insight engine, it regains value and trust.”
Conclusion: programmatic with purpose
Ultimately, the group was cautiously optimistic. There was agreement that with clearer KPIs, better tooling, re-engaged brands and smarter strategies, programmatic could thrive once again — but not in its old form.
“Let’s stop thinking in silos and start thinking in outcomes,” said Potter. “Everything is converging. The opportunity is to create a simpler, more effective and more ethical ecosystem.”
Barash summed it up: “We’re at an inflection point. This can still be a great industry — if we choose to make it one.”
