The Identity Crisis: Winners in the Next Five Years

Media buying has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade. Where agencies and advertisers once negotiated directly with publishers, today much of the process is dominated by platform-direct buying. YouTube, Meta, and TikTok have created ecosystems so sophisticated and self-contained that they have come to define the media buying process. While this shift has introduced challenges for the broader ecosystem, it has also created opportunities for platforms to thrive as central players in advertising.

Agencies, recognizing these changes, have been adapting. Historically, they balanced creative, strategy, and media buying as integrated partners to brands. Today, they’re evolving to meet the needs of a platform-first world, investing in data partnerships, technology, and services that ensure campaigns deliver results in these highly controlled ecosystems. They’ve also embraced the convergence of media and creative — a long-overdue realignment that promises to improve how brands show up in the marketplace.

Still, as platforms take a larger share of ad spending, brands themselves are also going direct. This trend has benefited independent agencies and consultancies, which are often more agile in navigating this new reality. A recent report from Advertiser Perceptions illustrates how quickly this shift is happening. This dynamic reflects the fundamental truth of the platform era — success requires the ability to operate seamlessly across platforms.

For the adtech industry, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. The winners of the next five years will be those companies that create tools and technologies to enhance platform-direct buying, making it smarter, more impactful, and more efficient.

Key Features of Tomorrow’s Adtech Winners

To thrive in this environment, adtech companies must solve the most pressing pain points associated with platform-first advertising. Here are the features that will define the winners:

1. Enhanced Direct-to-Platform Buys
   While platforms like YouTube, Meta, and TikTok dominate, the process of buying media on these platforms isn’t always intuitive or efficient. Adtech tools that streamline campaign setup, optimize bids, or automate targeting will become invaluable. These solutions will reduce complexity and allow brands and agencies to execute faster and more effectively.
2. Cross-Platform Activation
   Advertisers rarely rely on a single platform; they need their campaigns to work across multiple ecosystems. Adtech companies that create tools to unify reporting, manage creative assets across platforms, and enable real-time optimizations will provide immense value by simplifying what is currently a fragmented process.
3. Unique Data beyond what the platforms offer
   Walled gardens control their ecosystems tightly, which can limit advertisers’ access to valuable insights. The next generation of adtech will generate data the platforms don’t provide — such as creative intelligence. For example, tools that analyze which elements of a video ad drive performance (e.g., tone, visuals, pacing) will give advertisers a deeper understanding of what resonates with audiences, filling a critical gap in the platform data offering.
4. Influencing Contextual Choices Based on Brand Goals
   As explored in “Contextual Advertising as the Privacy-First Solution”, relevance is no longer about who the user is but where and how the brand shows up. The most successful tools will guide contextual ad placements aligned with brand goals, helping advertisers ensure their campaigns appear in environments that reinforce their messaging and positioning. For example, a luxury brand might prioritize premium content, while a family-oriented brand focuses on environments that feel safe and welcoming.

The Role of Agencies in a Platform-Driven World

Agencies remain critical partners in this evolving ecosystem. Their ability to craft strategy, guide creative development, and integrate media planning with execution positions them to add unique value. The future of agencies lies in building expertise around platforms — helping brands navigate complex ecosystems while ensuring campaigns align with broader business goals.

Agencies are also doubling down on their investments in data and technology. By forging partnerships with adtech companies and leveraging proprietary tools, they are positioning themselves to not only operate effectively in the platform-first era but also to shape its evolution.

Optimism for the Future

The rise of platform-centric advertising doesn’t mean the end of creativity or strategy — it means a new way of thinking about how they work together. The adtech tools of tomorrow will empower brands, agencies, and marketers to deliver smarter campaigns, with data and creativity working hand in hand.

This approach benefits everyone:

• Brands will achieve better outcomes through more efficient and relevant advertising.
• Agencies will reclaim their role as strategic partners, helping to align media and creative in powerful ways.
• Consumers will see ads that feel meaningful, timely, and aligned with their interests.

This isn’t just about making media buying easier; it’s about unlocking the full potential of the platform ecosystem. With the right tools, we can create a future where advertising feels more human, less invasive, and far more effective.

In the next article, we’ll explore how these trends intersect with the evolution of creative strategy and why platform-native creative will define the next wave of marketing. Stay tuned for “The Identity Crisis: Rethinking Creative for the Platform Era.”