Phil Duffield, VP UK at The Trade Desk, examines media buying. He expands on how brands have turned challenges into transformation, keeping pace with the content boom, and facilitating smarter buying.

A new approach to digital advertising innovation is here. 

From widespread adoption of first-party data to the growth of premium channels, powerful forces are pushing brands to prioritise quality over quantity.

At The Trade Desk we’re watching this shift firsthand, as our clients continue to move towards more strategic means of engaging with their audiences. 

This evolution has cleared the runway for programmatic to take off. Modern data and AI tools, such as OpenSincera and Kokai, can help advertisers soar.

How brands turned potential challenges into transformation 

Advertisers have always operated in an uncertain world – marketing budgets are often the first to face cuts in turbulent times. 

But recent years have demanded that more is achieved with less. Brands are appraising their approaches and, rightly, asking how to extract more value from their digital spend. 

The Trade Desk is working closely with many of the world’s biggest brands on this journey. By helping them make the most of the latest ad tech tools, we are ensuring that every pound of advertising spend is supporting business growth. 

A clear view from the cockpit 

The traditional walled gardens of digital advertising are cracking under regulatory pressure. 

Brands are questioning whether they were ever getting value from the draconian tactics of Big Tech players. The answer is a resounding no. 

Advertisers have lost patience with their murky practices, cheap reach and low impact. Instead, brands have embraced identity and targeting solutions outside of walled gardens, helping swing momentum towards the open internet.

Premium content is thriving and advertisers are directing spend towards these channels, as they not only promise value, but prove it.

Keeping pace with the content boom

Consumer demand for premium content is surging – and advertisers are following. Audiences are getting their news, listening to their favourite podcasts, and streaming their favourite shows via the open internet – on platforms like Spotify, Netflix, or the Guardian. 

Brands need to be in the same room as these audiences. This is where the richest opportunities lie: reaching consumers at the right moment, with the right message.

But to do so effectively, brands must understand the shape of daily digital life. That requires the transparent digital advertising data made available through tools like OpenSincera which provides more granular information about the environments and configurations where ads run across the open internet.

High-quality content will shrivel unless it can be accurately valued and advertising space sold accordingly. We need to support this ecosystem to preserve the future of journalism for all. Brands reach engaged audiences in premium spaces while also supporting this content to thrive – a positive cycle of investment and growth for brand and publisher alike.  

Smarter buying for uncertain times

The scrutiny on ad spend hasn’t eased. If anything, it’s intensifying. In an uncertain macroeconomic climate, every pound must prove its worth. For today’s CMOs, efficiency is everything. 

Advertisers are seeking ways to cut wasted spend at every stage – from planning to ad buying.

This is where AI tools like The Trade Desk’s Kokai come into their own. Like any effective co-pilot, Kokai helps brands identify the most efficient, high-value routes. It empowers advertisers to quickly understand which supply paths and vendors deliver real value. 

This is making advertisers sharper and less forgiving. Tolerance for poor-quality impressions or convoluted supply chains is low, while expectations for efficiency have never been higher.

Helping programmatic take flight

Challenges have become catalysts. Programmatic advertising is now poised on the runway. 

At The Trade Desk, we’ve spent the past decade preparing for this moment. The convergence of today’s conditions and the continued growth of AI is a match made in heaven for brands.

That’s why we built Kokai – a platform designed to unlock the full potential of data-driven advertising. It does this by focusing on two pillars

1. Data that drives decisions: Understanding fast-changing, fragmented consumer behaviour requires quality data. With Kokai and our supply-chain quality tool OpenSincera, advertisers can access granular insights at scale, improving campaign efficiency without compromising on reach or impact.

2. AI that scales precision: Our platform analyses over 15 million ad opportunities per second. With AI embedded at its core, Kokai enables marketers to act on vast datasets with speed and accuracy, automating complexity and freeing them to focus on creativity and strategic thinking.

These tools are the final lift-off systems for programmatic. But what’s next?

With more precise, efficient campaigns, advertisers can reduce waste, while consumers benefit from fewer, more relevant ads. All without losing touch with the content they love.

Let’s unleash the full potential of data-driven advertising

Advertisers have the mindset and direction to make this the golden age of advertising. All that’s needed now are the right tools.