Observed Signal · Sep 15, 2026 · Editorial Analysis · Source: Meedia · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
MEEDIA Dossier: Programmatic Advertising in the Age of AI
This MEEDIA dossier examines the current state of programmatic advertising in the age of AI. It revisits the debate sparked by Brian O'Kelley's claim that 'programmatic advertising is dead', contrasting it with Eric Hall's (BVDW) rebuttal. The article notes that in spring 2026, more media types like print, cinema, and OOH are becoming programmatically bookable, and AI is helping to compensate for signal loss in the data market. The dossier includes links to related articles on topics such as Amazon's ChatGPT ads, programmatic retail media, and the value of first-party data.
Editorial dossier analyzing the state of programmatic advertising with AI; no breaking news or major financials.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- MEEDIA published a dossier on programmatic advertising in the age of AI on September 15, 2026.
- Brian O'Kelley, co-inventor of RTB, said in 2025 that programmatic advertising is dead.
- Eric Hall of BVDW countered that programmatic is not dead and needs adaptation.
- In spring 2026, more media types (print, cinema, OOH) are becoming programmatically bookable.
- AI is being used to compensate for signal loss in the data market.
Connected Companies & Entities
13 Entities mapped“Das große MEEDIA-Dossier im September...”
“Kurz darauf antwortete der BVDW in Person Eric Hall...”
“Ravi Ahluwalia, der deutsche Statthalter von Vistar Media...”
“Daniel Knapp, Chefökonom des IAB Europe...”
“Amazon: Mehr käufliche Produkte im Videostream; Amazon macht ChatGPT-Werbung buchbar...”
“Marin Ćurković, Co-Founder und CEO von All Eyes on Screens...”
“Marken und Agenturen können ChatGPT Ads ab sofort über Adform buchen...”
“Über die Anbindung an die Plattform der One Tech Group...”
“Der finnische Medienkonzern Sanoma...”
“Emma Newman, CRO Pubmatic...”
“Cyreens händlerübergreifendes Instore-Netzwerk...”
“Für OpenAI ist der Deal ein wichtiger Schritt...”
“Comscore misst den Performance-Effekt von KI...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
AI in Advertising and Media: Key Updates
A MEEDIA roundup (published 2026-07-30) compiles the most important recent developments where artificial intelligence intersects with advertising and media. Items include platform responses to AI misuse (YouTube, X, Facebook), new AI product launches (Meta's Muse image generator), industry tests and studies (Havas Media, Wortliga/Sistrix), startup breakthroughs (Moonshot AI's Kimi K3), and new adtech/CTV offerings (Alchemist Media Labs' Everscreen.AI). The collection also covers regulatory and transparency topics (AI crawler access, upcoming EU AI Act labelling), publisher and agency initiatives (Plan.Net, Mediaplus, BCN), and risks such as AI-enabled ad fraud. The digest highlights how AI changes creative workflows, targeting, measurement, and monetization across publishers, agencies, platforms and advertisers.
Transforming AdTech: Embracing Agentic AI's New Era
Quo Vadis published a webinar recording and accompanying commentary exploring how agentic AI is reshaping the media value chain. The post promotes two upcoming live events (Last Media Dollar Live in NYC on Feb 25, 2026; Advertising Economic Forum on March 18–19, 2026) and summarizes an interview with Andrew Mole about programmatic shifts. Key topics include Google’s announced near‑term $180 billion capex plan signaling accelerated AI infrastructure buildout, the Ad Context Protocol (AdCP) and Prebid.org’s development of an open-source Prebid Sales Agent to enable publisher-side autonomous ad management, and concerns about transparency and trust to avoid RTB-era “lemon market” outcomes. The piece positions the agentic era as both an opportunity and a structural change in workflows, incentives, and value capture across publishers and buyers.
DOOH Store Locator Position Study Shows Top and Bottom Perform
A study by Vistar Media, Omnicom Media, and Annalect examined the optimal placement of store locator information in dynamic DOOH creatives. Testing 7,200 participants in the Netherlands, the study found that placing the store locator at the top of the creative increased purchase intent by 20%, while bottom placement boosted visit intent by 9%. The middle position underperformed on both metrics. Category-specific results showed significant lifts for retailers and confectionery brands. The study also highlighted the importance of design elements like pin icons and contrast, and cautioned against prominent retailer branding that could reduce brand recall for advertisers.
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