Navigating Ad Tech Disruptions: Why Brands Must Diversify Amid Industry Trials

1.Why should brands reconsider their advertising strategies in light of recent industry trials and disruptions? 

The recent antitrust trial against Google has revealed significant scrutiny over their practices in search and programmatic advertising. The trial's findings have prompted many brands to reconsider their dependency on Google’s ecosystem, and the risks at hand should encourage advertisers to use a platform that enable them to navigate all these channels on a level footing. This presents an opportunity for brands to diversify their ad tech strategies, adopting a more omnichannel approach that reduces reliance on a single ecosystem. By leveraging alternative channels like Connected TV (CTV), Digital Out of Home (DOOH), and audio, brands can ensure that they are not overly exposed to changes in any one platform, thereby fostering a more balanced and resilient advertising strategy.

2.What are some alternative data sources that brands can explore to replace third-party data? 

With third-party data deprecation already impacted the majority of browsers and new channels, brands are looking to bolster their first-party data strategies and exploring other privacy-compliant data sources. Some effective alternatives include:

• First-party data from direct interactions with consumers, such as website behaviour, purchase history, and customer feedback.
• Second-party data through strategic partnerships with other brands that share a similar audience but do not compete directly.
• Contextual data that allows advertisers to place ads based on the content of a webpage rather than specific user data.
• Cookieless ad tech providers with a transparent privacy first approach.   

3.What are the benefits of audience curation and more focused targeting for brands in the current ad tech environment? 

Audience curation allows brands to refine their target groups based on well-defined characteristics and behaviours, leading to higher engagement and improved ROI. In the current landscape, where data privacy is paramount, focusing on specific audience segments rather than broad-based targeting helps brands achieve more relevance and reduce wasted ad spend. Additionally, curating audiences based on first-party and contextual data allows brands to retain more control over their messaging while aligning with consumer privacy expectations. This curated targeting approach mitigates against a reliance on third-party cookies and aligns well with omnichannel strategies that emphasise cohesive customer experiences across multiple platforms.

4.How has the deprecation of third-party cookies impacted the digital advertising ecosystem? 

The phase-out of third-party cookies has fundamentally shifted how advertisers approach data-driven marketing. Without cookies, advertisers face challenges in tracking user behaviour across sites and personalising ads at scale. This shift has led to a greater emphasis on building first-party data infrastructures and adopting privacy-first advertising models. Many brands and platforms are exploring cookieless tracking methods, like browser APIs (e.g., Google’s Privacy Sandbox) contextual advertising, not to mention probabilistic and deterministic cookieless soloutions including ID5, RampID and Ftrack. The cookie deprecation is also accelerating innovation in data privacy technologies, including AI-powered audience segmentation, which offer advertisers new ways to achieve effective targeting without compromising user privacy.

5.What are the long-term implications of current ad tech trials for the broader digital advertising ecosystem? 

The ad tech trials, particularly those focusing on Google, are likely to reshape the entire digital advertising landscape by pushing the industry towards greater transparency and reduced customer lock-in. Regulatory actions, like the Digital Markets Act (DMA), underscore a move toward more equitable competition, which could amplify opportunities for independent ad tech companies and smaller players to thrive. In the long term, this will likely result in a more diverse ecosystem with multiple viable options for advertisers, reducing reliance on a few dominant platforms. For brands, this means a shift toward more diversified, omnichannel strategies that emphasise flexibility and independence from any single ecosystem. Additionally, the rise of AI in advertising could bring new considerations for data privacy and ethical ad targeting, shaping the future of consumer engagement across channels.

These trials indicate an industry-wide push toward a fairer marketplace that values transparency, accountability, and consumer trust —fundamentals that will define the next era of digital advertising.