While brands obsess over acquiring more transactional data and perfecting their CRM strategies, they’re sitting on a treasure trove of insights that most treat as mere operational exhaust: their campaign impression logs.
After strong spurts of adspend growth in 2025, the first quarter of 2026 will be a bit softer, as advertisers re-assess their strategies. New AI ad technology, the ongoing rise of retail media, and new innovations could auger for a stronger year overall.
Most brands overlook the true power of first-party data—campaign impression logs. Unlocking this untapped layer transforms passive data into actionable intelligence, driving smarter audience strategies and competitive marketing advantage.
Mobile advertising is set to be revolutionized again after a decade of explosive growth in the app space. AI will enhance traditional machine learning tools to provide even more accuracy in ad targeting and data optimization.
As digital platforms increase the choice of cars to buy, automotive brands must fuse customer behavioral data with smart targeting solutions to reach their target audiences. And then the media and creative must sell the benefits of the car to shoppers that spend hours making their final decision.
Curation in digital advertising promises to give advertisers high-quality ad impressions and access to the best-performing inventory. The current market dynamics show that curation has a strong future, but the winners have yet to be identified.
The future of advertising is transforming into a scale game for adtech platforms and agencies, who are all aiming for a slice of an expanded digital advertising pie. The acquisition frenzy is set to continue.
Brands are realizing that to get the best return from their media investments, they must collaborate with other players in the digital advertising chain.
Ad Curation is the hot new product in adtech, fueled by a desire to prove to advertisers that spending on the Open Web can deliver performance. How will the curation debate play out?