20 ad tech executives predict 2025 trends

Ad tech is in for another bumpy ride this year as prominent programmatic powerbrokers continue to face uncertainties, most pressingly: What happens to Google and its ad business, threatened by antitrust rulings. Ken Harlan, CEO of ad platform Mobile Fuse, predicted straight up that “Google will shut down its exchange business” in the litigation fallout. Smaller players in the industry see Google’s woes as a moment to reshuffle the deck and explore new technology that serves ads through programmatic auctions, and they’re looking at new paradigms that use AI to manage online ads. Read Ad Age’s guide to Google’s antitrust ad tech trial Meanwhile, new strategies are rising up in programmatic advertising such as “curation,” which is a way to select the most desirable inventory online and make that available instead of the usual low-quality feed available in open web programmatic advertising. At the same time, privacy advocates are as vocal as ever, wanting to ensure that any new ad systems stop prying into the lives of every consumer in the universe. With all that in mind, Ad Age asked 20 leading ad tech experts their thoughts on the most important themes this year, ranging from AI to connected TV and from curation to data. Here is what they had to say about what to watch—and watch out for—in 2025. Read Ad Age’s 2025 predictions stories here DSPs and SSPs topple the ad tech hierarchy Andrew Casale, president and CEO, Index ExchangeAd marketplace Innovation from the sell side of programmatic will continue ramping up dramatically, rebalancing value creation in the market and driving more ad dollars to working media in the process. Another year will pass and the third-party cookie will remain an increasingly irrelevant, yet much talked about, event. Jon Schulz, chief marketing officer, Viant TechnologyDemand-side platform Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize advertising by automating the complex and time-intensive processes of media planning, bidding and optimization. Much like software-as-a-service transformed software, making it scalable, on-demand and easily accessible, AI-as-a-Service promises to reshape advertising by freeing up time for media planners and buyers to focus on higher-level strategic tasks. Beyond automating planning and decision-making, AI’s capabilities are expanding into measurement, with the potential to analyze and derive actionable insights from campaign performance. The CTV space is expanding rapidly, with opportunities to shift from basic app-level targeting to more advanced methods such as contextual and emotional targeting based on the tone of the content itself. These innovations unlock smarter, safer and more measurable campaigns that deliver greater results. Bennett Crumbling, head of marketing, OptableData collaboration platform The massive explosion in alternative ID frameworks has created a headache for both the buy and sell sides of the ecosystem. Although the promise of more deterministic (better quality data) is strong, these frameworks are often complicated to implement and even more so to manage across an increasing amount of demand partners. We see this getting easier to manage in 2025 and ultimately the best partners from the demand side will emerge as publishers learn more. Curation represents a huge shift away from the previous way that audience data was purchased through demand-side platforms. Data vendors will find new ways to partner more closely with media owners through unique commercial agreements and demand-generation techniques, such as direct licensing and integration, and revenue-sharing agreements. In some cases, publishers may even act as data vendors themselves. Publishers will need flexible data stacks to support server-side integration so that activation and optimization are possible. Data clean room collaboration unlocks new possibilities for sophisticated publishers to work directly with their agency and advertiser clients. This will drive all new forms of media planning engagements and activation workflows with the goal for publishers to increase revenues. Additionally, the continued move away from open market programmatic will mean that publishers and media owners need to invest in direct sales efforts to drive demand even through programmatic partnerships (while carefully managing channel conflict). How GPTs and more automation technology are entering programmatic systems Mateusz Jędrocha, chief product officer, AdlookDigital ad platform As the limitations of cookie-based solutions and traditional data management platforms become more evident, 2025 will see marketers pivot to more effective and scalable targeting approaches. Advertisers with robust first-party data will focus on activation, while those without comprehensive datasets will experiment with alternative IDs. However, due to challenges with scale and cost efficiency, advertisers will increasingly prioritize AI-enriched content and contextual targeting. The coming year will also see a shift in programmatic advertising measurement, moving beyond basic viewability to prioritize metrics that reflect true user engagement, such as attention and interaction. This trend will be particularly important in high-involvement sectors such as automotive and technology, where attentive views can directly influence purchase decisions. Advertisers will increasingly seek platforms that optimize for meaningful engagement. In 2025, curation will gain importance but with a focus on consolidation for greater efficiency and transparency. Currently, the concept of curation is fragmented across supply-side, demand-side and data management platforms, creating complexity without added value. Advertisers will streamline their partnerships, opting for fewer curation partners who offer a direct, optimized supply path, emphasizing brand safety and reducing inefficiencies. This approach will protect ad budgets, foster trust and support brand safety in a more connected digital advertising environment. Eli Heath, senior VP of global addressability, LotameData collaboration platform Skepticism of programmatic open marketplaces is growing, and 2025 will see widespread adoption of sell-side curation and audience activations by way of private marketplaces, all in the pursuit of efficiency, transparency and performance. This will present a much-needed win-win for buyers and sellers alike: Buyers gain direct access to quality inventory and addressable audiences, while media owners grow revenues through curation-fueled demand and improve control of their hard-earned first-party data. Curation’s critics will dismiss it as just a new version of the old ad network model, but this misses the point. Unlike the opaque “black box” practices of ad networks, which ultimately led to their demise, curation offers a level of transparency and quality control that advertisers have been demanding for years. This evolution will turn curation into the premium version of ad networks that are more transparent, more selective and focused on top-tier audiences and inventory that best align with advertiser objectives. Nicole Scaglione, global VP, connected TV, over-the-top TV and online video, PubMaticSupply-side platform Connected TV’s move to programmatic versus direct sold will be steady and strategic. Media companies like Netflix, Disney, NBCUniversal and Roku will gradually move more inventory into programmatic pipes, while ensuring they’re not sacrificing transparency or quality in the name of automation. They will focus on tech stack enhancements that enable more control and interoperability among solutions, not less. Kyle Dozeman, chief revenue officer, Americas, PubMatic In 2025, the digital advertising industry will witness a significant shift toward programmatic buying on new platforms, driven by the expansion of digital inventory across new sectors such as gaming, social and commerce media, as well as shifting ad budgets to more performant media. Commerce media will increasingly embrace supply-side platforms and sell-side technology to drive revenue, realizing the need for an integrated platform to manage their onsite and off-site monetization strategies. Additionally, more social media companies will seek programmatic solutions to monetize their audiences beyond walled gardens. Curation will become a core strategy in programmatic advertising in 2025 as advertisers demand more control over the quality of their inventory. They will prioritize curated content from trusted publishers over “made for advertising” material, while publishers push for transparency on fees and buying practices. This focus on curation will force advertisers, publishers and tech platforms to work more closely, replacing older, less collaborative models with partnerships that emphasize trust and quality. Supply-side platforms will use curation as an opportunity to work directly with advertisers, helping them find unique audiences on premium and long-tail content. This will be one catalyst of the “return to ad networks” or the “walled gardens of the open web.” At the same time, publishers will demand transparency and become more involved in curation deals. Anonymous ad tech power broker I have a gut feeling one company is coming for The Trade Desk, but I don’t want to say which one, but they’ve been making big moves in the space. As for FAST (free ad-supported TV), I think there are too many longtail shit content channels. Those will die. We’ll be dominated by four or five major ones, and that’s it. I also think companies like Charter/Spectrum are sleeping giants and no one is talking about their incredible growth. So, someone is going to go after The Trade Desk to try and eat their lunch; media consolidation will accelerate not decelerate; and we’ll see FAST growth level off and some shut their doors. Ad Age Tech Power List 2025 We’re looking for top digital innovators from agencies, brands, platforms, ad tech companies and tech startups Enter here Google takes drastic measures in wake of antitrust cases Ken Harlan, founder and CEO, MobileFuseMobile advertising firm We expect to see Google sunset its exchange business (the part of Google’s ad platform that was at the center of its ad tech antitrust case last year.) Google’s ad exchange business, specifically its network segment, has experienced steady declines in revenue. While Google’s ad exchange business declines, owned-and-operated properties, including YouTube, are growing. When you combine this with the recent antitrust case loss Google experienced in search, and the ongoing antitrust investigations into other pieces of the organization, it’s clear Google needs to cut losses and double down on areas that perform well. Meanwhile, YouTube is set to dominate the connected TV (CTV) space in 2025, leveraging its content library, innovative ad formats and data-driven targeting. Google’s pivot to AI-powered search, led by Gemini AI, is altering the digital landscape and how consumers rely on search. Once the main driver of website traffic, Google and other platforms now deliver direct answers within search results, reducing the need for users to visit external sites. This shift will continue, and ultimately challenges the traditional web traffic model. Google will care less about the open web (a result of its shift away from ad tech services), and marketers will recognize that the audience available on the open web has plummeted, forcing them to reassess their open web programmatic ad strategies. Jaysen Gillespie, head of analytics and data science, RTB HouseAd tech platform The demise of third-party cookies in Chrome has been on the horizon for years, so it should be no surprise that Google will provide users with more choice. Predictions suggest that 60% to 80% of users will turn off third-party cookies in Google Chrome, influenced by their interest levels in privacy and Google’s cookie dialogue. This era of ineffective and unreliable third-party data means that in its place, next-generation AI technologies will drive a resurgence of contextual, page-based targeting. With its ability to make high-quality decisions at scale, AI will redefine precision in digital marketing, ensuring brands thrive despite the industry’s unknowns. Marketers prep for Google cookie changes and signal loss Once the cookie tidal wave crashes, the “audience buying” model as we know it will be swept away. The focus will shift to building something stronger with first-party data, where audiences will become increasingly valuable. By identifying customers and retargeting ads, particularly through deep learning technology, brands can drive conversions, acquire new customers and enhance cross-selling opportunities from related sites. Louise Kloster, senior VP of marketing, AdformAdvertising platform If 2024 was about the decline, if not quite the death, of the third-party cookie, then this year will see its value for advertisers disappear completely. With Google likely to install a consent-based model, research has projected that almost 90% of U.S. browsers will become cookieless. There is no single, silver bullet solution waiting in the wings to replace it, and, considering the trouble the Privacy Sandbox has experienced, holding out hopes for one to materialize is unrealistic. Instead, we currently observe hundreds of rich and diverse identity alternatives in play, and we already experience advertisers’ appetite to leverage the full benefits of this new multi-ID world. Demand-side platforms that employ a rich combination of first-party IDs and alternative solutions will succeed while those that are ID-limited will fail media buyers. Matt Spiegel, executive VP of TruAudience growth strategy, TransUnionData and insights company Brands will need to navigate the increasingly fragmented commerce media landscape, including retail, finance, travel and other sectors. Much like the longstanding slotting fees that consumer packaged goods companies have paid to retailers, brands will face a “pay-to-play” environment to secure visibility on the digital shelf. The key challenge will be efficient budget allocation and measurement, as advertisers will need to carefully assess investment returns across networks. We can expect heightened mergers and acquisition activity, with networks acquiring data-focused companies to bolster targeting capabilities and help brands make smarter, more informed investment decisions. Daniel Aks, president, UndertonePersonalization-focused ad platform We can expect a surge in non-retail companies leveraging their first-party data to create robust “commerce media” ecosystems. Building on the approaches taken by companies such as Chase and United Airlines, more brands in the financial services, transportation and hospitality industries are likely to follow suit. These companies, while not traditional retailers, possess vast troves of valuable consumer data, spanning purchase behaviors, travel habits and lifestyle preferences, that can be monetized for targeted advertising. 2025 will also be a breakthrough year for “dynamic creative optimization” (DCO) as generative AI finally unlocks its full potential. Brands will go beyond basic customization, using AI-driven tools to create and optimize thousands of tailored ad variations in real time, driving deeper personalization and engagement. A new wave of startups and innovations will simplify DCO adoption, making advanced creative strategies more accessible. With the impending breakup of Google, an opening for a set of new ad tech entrants aimed at corralling the open web in a more publisher-forward manner will emerge, reshaping the competitive landscape. These new players are likely to focus on empowering publishers with greater control over monetization and audience data, challenging long-standing walled gardens. Hugh Stevens, U.K. managing director, LiveRampIdentity management firm With inflation expected to persist into 2025, marketing budgets will likely stay lean while demand for performance metrics and attribution will continue to rise. Accurate, transparent and omnichannel measurement that delivers actionable insights will be vital to optimizing media spend. As a result, we will see a continued shift in spending toward both retail media and commerce media environments. Indeed, as advertisers increasingly leverage first-party data to mitigate signal uncertainty (i.e. restricted sharing of cookies and other data points), the unique insights available within commerce media will likely close the gap between these networks and retail media. With high-quality datasets like consumer behavioral insights, key customer groups and trending interests, these can provide a deeper understanding of target audiences and are highly valued by advertisers. While retail media currently holds the edge for scale and reach, increased usage of data collaboration and tools like clean rooms will enhance connectivity and propel commerce media as the go-to partner for advertisers. Linear and connected TV singularity Kevin Krim, CEO, EDOTV and CTV ad platform In 2025, streaming platforms will expand beyond live sports, offering more appointment viewing like comedy specials, concerts, political events and even unconventional fare like hot-dog eating contests. Award shows may go streaming-exclusive, and weekly releases for scripted programming could make a comeback to sustain audience engagement. These live events highlight streaming’s unique power to create cultural moments, bringing people together in real time and drawing advertisers to capitalize on shared experiences. Streaming isn’t just reshaping how we watch—it’s redefining how we connect. As linear and streaming TV continue to merge, 2025 may mark the arrival of the “Convergent TV Singularity,” a transformative moment when the distinctions between the two blur entirely for buyers and sellers. This convergence reflects a shift in how media is planned, bought and optimized, with advanced audience targeting and measurable business results taking precedence over traditional metrics. Convergent TV buyers are adopting more sophisticated strategies, leveraging data to align campaigns with tangible business outcomes. They're optimizing for impression quality, reducing wasted spend from excessive frequency and prioritizing platforms that deliver results. More TV and streaming predictions AI helps solve ad tech challenges Emily Ketchen, VP and CMO of Intelligent Devices Group and International Markets, LenovoTech device and software company In 2025, expect to see brands use AI for marketing to spot opportunities quickly and to make ads more personalized, precise and impactful. Let me give you a couple examples of how we are doing this. The first example involves media targeting and using AI to reach Formula 1 fans. As a title sponsor of two F1 races a year, we can’t just blindly hope to reach the right audience. That’s where contextual ad tech firm Seedtag has come in. Their AI is used to identify IT decision makers who are F1 fans so we can target them specifically. The results showed that having AI in our pit crew was essential as Lenovo saw a 55% boost in advertising efficiency during F1 events. My second example is around using AI for media optimization. We are working with and testing partners, such as Chalice AI and Scibids, which is now part of DoubleVerify, that can auto-optimize our media campaigns based on our primary KPIs. This not only frees up time for our media team to focus on other tasks, but it improves campaign performance, as well. A test from the U.K. earlier this year drove a four-times return on ad spend compared to our benchmark average. These examples illustrate how AI can create smarter and more meaningful connections with your audience while enhancing the overall experience. Evan Reiss, VP, head of marketing, FoxitSoftware firm I expect to see the first AI agent applied to a company’s brand controls and creative, managing social media posts, and eventually the entire communication and voice strategy from end to end. These AI brand agents will use structured brand and creative data to maintain a consistent tone of voice and standard for the brand across all channels, including social media. Brands will also leverage Guardian AIs to manage their creative identity and ensure brand standards are upheld. These Guardian AIs will work alongside other AI systems to produce content that aligns with brand guidelines, and new marketing roles will emerge to manage these Guardian AIs across a brand's portfolio. Personalization will shift toward AI-driven models that will identify key customer touchpoints, informed by a customer’s journey leading up to that point, and manage personalized experiences tailored to each customer. As a result, advertising is about to get a lot easier and require fewer constraints for media buying teams. Joe Hirsch, CEO, PilotDeskAI ad tech startup The real value of large language models (LLMs) won’t come from general-purpose tools such as ChatGPT but from vertical-specific LLMs trained on industry-focused datasets. While general LLMs are great for broad tasks like drafting recipes and generic marketing or business plans, they lack the nuance required to tackle the complexities of specialized fields. Businesses that invest in fine-tuning LLMs for their unique verticals will gain a competitive edge, leveraging AI not just for scale but for truly actionable, context-aware solutions. Privacy regime reawakens Jamie Barnard, CEO, CompliantData compliance company So-called data clean rooms and unscrupulous data brokers will face more intense scrutiny for polluting the consent stream, laundering dirty data and exposing people to unfair, disproportionate and intrusive surveillance. Against a familiar backdrop of fraud, a new paradigm will emerge in 2025 with the dominance of Google, Meta and Amazon, the rise of connected TV and streaming services, and the heavy fines for unlawful (vendor-to-vendor) data sharing. Michael Parkes, co-founder and president, BranchLabHealth care data firm State privacy regulations, such as Washington's My Health My Data Act, will profoundly reshape pharmaceutical advertising by imposing strict limitations on the use of health data. As long-standing practices of linking de-identified health data to advertising IDs face increased scrutiny due to re-identification risks, legacy systems reliant on pseudonymized data are becoming obsolete in many jurisdictions. Frost Prioleau, co-founder and CEO, Simpli.fiDemand-side platform New regulations will force pharmaceutical companies to reallocate their advertising budgets away from linear TV and CTV, and pharma companies will be big spenders on influencer marketing and lobbying events. Meanwhile, retail media will attract more non-retail advertisers that will leverage purchase data on retail items to target ads for services and non-retail products. Also, “omni-channel” will become more “omni” as demand-side platforms and other media vendors broaden their capabilities to include non-programmatic media. 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20 ad tech executives predict 2025 trends

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