• by Shirley Marschall , Featured Contributor, March 3, 2025

Ad tech has always been a battleground, but lately, it feels more like an endless tug-of-war. Every major shift sparks extreme viewpoints -- either full embrace or complete rejection. But if you take a step back, there’s a pattern: Every major shift is met with an equal and opposite reaction.

This isn’t just chaos, it’s physics.

• AI: The savior of marketing efficiency, or the destroyer of trust?
• Privacy: A fundamental right, or an innovation blocker?
• Personalization: The key to engagement, or thinly veiled surveillance?
• Open Source: True decentralization, or Big Tech’s latest rebranding strategy?
• CTV & Retail Media: The future of advertising, or another fragmented headache?
• Big Tech vs. independent players: Dominant ecosystems vs. the fight for open competition?

Action and Reaction: Why No One Has Clear Answers

The truth is, ad tech’s biggest shifts don’t happen in isolation, they happen in response to something else.

The death of cookies led to a first-party data surge, which in turn fueled retail media dominance, which then triggered a privacy backlash.

The rise of walled gardens led to demands for interoperability, which then led to Big Tech's embrace of “open-source” solutions (with conditions, of course).

The oversupply of programmatic inventory created low-quality, MFA-heavy environments, which then sparked a renewed focus on attention metrics and quality media buys.

This constant state of flux leads to knee-jerk reactions: brands, platforms, and vendors swinging between radical adoption and outright rejection. The industry either overcorrects or resists change until it’s forced upon it. But in reality, most of us live in the middle.

Beyond the Tug-of-War: True Disruptors vs. Industry Cycles

Some shifts aren’t just reactions -- they reset the entire system. AI isn’t just another iteration of automation; it’s a true disruptor, reshaping the foundations of how advertising operates. Just like the birth of the internet, AI doesn’t just create a reaction. It forces an entirely new way of thinking.

So how do we make sense of this? How do we avoid getting caught in the hype cycles while staying ahead of meaningful change?

Recognize the cycle: Many industry battles are predictable patterns of action and reaction. Spotting them early can help brands and marketers anticipate rather than react.

Understand true disruption: AI isn’t a reaction to something, it’s a shift that rewrites the rules. Instead of treating it as another trend, companies need to prepare for a systemic overhaul.

Stop looking for a “winner” in industry debates: Walled gardens vs. open web, MMM vs. MTA, Big Tech vs. independent players -- there’s no universal answer. The best strategies balance multiple approaches.

Prioritize adaptability over certainty: The only constant in ad tech is change. The best strategies don’t rely on absolutes, they evolve with the ecosystem.

The Big Question: Are We Learning, or Just Reacting?

Ad tech’s muddy middle isn’t a bad place to be, it’s where critical thinking happens. But are we using this space to build smarter solutions, or are we just caught in an endless cycle of contradictions?

The future of ad tech won’t be decided by those who shout the loudest. iI will be shaped by those who can navigate the uncertainty with clarity and pragmatism.