Thinking out loud here… the “open web” for advertising as we’ve known it could be gone in five years. (I was just having this conversation with Laura Carrier and wanted to put it out there for feedback and wild opinions.)
It will be replaced – in phases – by a fragmented set of discovery tools into which brands can insert ads to improve their own chances of discovery and relevance; Gemini, Chat, Perplexity, Claude, Grok – these become the new starting point for consumers, as Tod Sacerdoti pointed out recently as he announced his switch from G to Chat.
If this becomes the new reality, the CMO’s world becomes even more disjointed; programmatic ads decisioned by a DSP could exist, but only if these new surfaces allow access; live sports and streaming (entertainment content is king!) reigns supreme, and brands will pay a premium to showcase their products to real human eyeballs. Also, we will see a generational divide in behavioral change and new tool adoption.
Cross-channel attribution and connective ID tools remain paramount, though the rise of agentic AI commerce will cloud the picture; sharp divide between product categories, whereby luxury goods and high-ticket items continue to demand a longer consideration cycle.
So fascinating how this will play out. As Rishad Tobaccowala shared in his latest podcast, AI will be like David’s stone and the playing field will be flattened. The implications on both demand and sell sides for the Ad tech space will be truly transformational. Buckle up and innovate fast.
Would love to know what you think Danilo Tauro, PhD Steve Pinto Chris Kane !