• by Shawn Riegsecker , Op-Ed Contributor, September 6, 2024

The future of a streamlined advertising tech industry won’t be shaped by cookies — it will come from addressing the day-to-day tasks that form the bedrock of successful campaigns. 

The frenzy to deprecate cookies — a move led by Google Chrome and then reversed — highlights the inefficiency of our industry’s processes.

We got caught up trying to fix a problem we created. While cookies weren’t supposed to drive ad tech, they became the go-to solution for programmatic advertising — the tactic behind most digital ads.

Ad tech, born over two decades ago, promised to revolutionize media, enhance efficiency, boost productivity, and improve campaign performance. But instead of simplifying things, it has added layers of complexity, introducing a tangled web of vendors, tools, and platforms that increase costs and confusion.

In the early 2000s, digital media was managed with Outlook and Excel — tools that have barely evolved in efficiency since.

While there are more devices, apps, and ways to buy media now, media teams are burdened by rising overhead, IT costs, and growing complexity. The talent required to navigate these complexities has become more expensive, adding to the industry's struggles. 

Media agencies are tasked with helping brands reach the right consumers across an ever-expanding array of screens, devices, and channels.

But that is just the beginning. Every day, agencies face an onslaught of tools, systems, and vendors, many of which overpromise and underdeliver. The result? A convoluted, expensive system that distracts from the work of truly improving campaign outcomes.

Moreover, agencies spend a fortune on tech teams and external consultants to try and fix these inefficiencies. Despite more than two decades of experience, the digital ad industry still struggles to address its fundamental problems. Worse yet, every few years, the cycle repeats, with more money wasted and the issues only growing.

Ironically, ad tech’s rapid adoption — intended to overcome fragmentation — has instead mirrored it.

Old and ineffective solutions persist while new ones, like Google’s privacy sandbox and data clean rooms, pile up. This fragmentation weakens efficiency, strains relationships with clients, and erodes profitability.

It’s like a construction crew using pickaxes and shovels instead of modern machinery. Many advertising professionals find themselves trapped in outdated, inefficient processes and obsolete software.

To move forward, the industry must reevaluate its priorities, focusing on the real needs of media professionals.

We must simplify the current maze of tools and systems, while also integrating ad tech solutions more effectively. While we may not eliminate every point solution, a commitment to meaningful integration could streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and reduce costs. 

Here are some concrete steps to improve automation and foster a healthier work environment:

Media-Planning Automation

Media professionals often find themselves stuck in repetitive tasks such as copying and pasting previous campaign plans into new ones. This process could be streamlined with a few clicks, automatically importing data into new plans. This will not only save time, but would also reduce the likelihood of human error.

Automated Reporting and Reconciliation

Similarly, the copy-and-paste routine in reporting and reconciliation is rife with opportunities for mistakes. Automating these tasks ensures greater accuracy — crucial when it comes to reconciling accounts and paying publishers.

Streamlining Direct Ad Deals

Automating the email chains and phone calls involved in RFPs and negotiations could also bring much-needed relief. Centralizing information for vendor partners in a system accessible from anywhere would free employees from treating email like a media management tool.

Even in programmatic ad buying, where many deals are made with a few clicks, a significant portion still requires negotiation and personal interaction. This is especially true for CTV ads, where a large portion of inventory is only available directly through the publisher.

By automating these processes, we can reduce employee burnout and labor costs.

Media professionals didn’t pursue higher education to spend their days managing email chains and repetitive tasks. They want to think strategically, be creative, and grow in their careers.

Empowering them with automation isn’t just about efficiency — it’s an investment in their future.

With a collective effort to solve the industry’s real challenges, we can rebuild advertising technology into something more efficient, resilient, and adaptable to the demands of tomorrow.