Adtech’s New Year’s Resolutions: Finally Quit the Cookie, Measure CTV, and Bring Some Positivity

Published: December 19, 2024

The adtech industry made strides in 2024.

Companies beyond the sell-side, like Coca-Cola, got excited about curation. M&A started to get a bit more strategic. Google shared a tad more about its post-cookie plans. And bad actors using techniques like ID bridging were shown the light.

But it’s not all upside. This year also brought a glut of inventory quality problems, including made-for-advertising sites (exacerbated by AI), murky programmatic auctions within CTV, and nefarious targeting tactics.

As the annual time for self-reflection draws nearer, ADWEEK asked adtech execs how they want the industry to grow next year.

Meritocracy rules: Bill Wise, CEO, Mediaocean

“We all want a fair marketplace where meritocracy wins. Google has had the privilege of bundling. When it announced the only way to buy YouTube programmatically was through its own DSP, it went from No. 7 to No. 1. If you’re The Trade Desk, that’s hard to deal with.

On the flip side, scale and bundling matter—it provides efficiency to the market. No one in the history of the world has ever seen a company like Google. What they have done is nothing short of remarkable, they have created opportunities for all of us.

Separately, all my wishes go towards a fast close of the Innovid acquisition.“

Privacy Sandbox? Not on 2025’s Watch: Maor Sadra, CEO, Incrmntal

“This will be short. Google won’t go ahead with its Privacy Sandbox in 2025 or 2026.

Quite frankly, Google has enough on its plate. What with the privacy and antitrust lawsuits and the DOJ demanding it sells Chrome, it’s no wonder Privacy Sandbox has taken a back seat. Google’s unique positioning as the No. 1 advertising platform in the space means it can’t afford to make one-sided drastic changes in its measurement policies without receiving extreme backlash.

Sandbox isn’t happening anytime soon. But it doesn’t matter when or if it even does. Privacy has moved forward and cookies got eaten up long ago.”

The actual death of third-party cookies? Jaysen Gillespie, head of analytics & data science, RTB House

“The industry faces a defining moment: embracing the long-anticipated end of third-party cookies in Chrome.

With 50-80% of users likely to opt out of third-party tracking, now is the time for brands to ensure that plans are streamlined, focusing on the power of simplicity to get ahead. In reality, this means opting for a few solid, privacy-friendly options that truly work.

AI will undoubtedly continue to be a game-changing solution, but committing to using the technology thoughtfully is crucial, which involves balancing the technology’s potential with the need for transparency and trust. A fairer marketplace will benefit everyone, advertisers, publishers, and of course, users.”

Finally fully switching to first-party IDs: Louise Kloster, SVP marketing, Adform

“If 2024 has been about the decline if not quite the death of the third-party cookie, then next year will see its value for advertisers disappear completely.

With Google likely to install a consent-based model, research has projected that almost 90% of U.S. browsers will become cookieless.

There is no single, silver bullet solution waiting in the wings to replace it, and, considering the trouble the Privacy Sandbox has experienced, holding out hopes for one to materialize is unrealistic. Instead, we currently observe hundreds of rich and diverse identity alternatives in play, and we already experience advertisers’ appetite to leverage the full benefits of this new multi-ID world. DSPs who employ a rich combination of first-party IDs and alternative solutions will succeed while those that are ID-limited will fail media buyers. Advertisers meanwhile will reap the game-changing benefits of streamlined omnichannel performance and measurement, securing optimized reach with reduced ad waste.”

Know your clean room: Tim Norris-Wiles, managing director of clean rooms international, LiveRamp

“The industry needs to make data collaboration a team sport, both internally and externally. As the profile and ubiquity of DCRs continue to increase, we should expect to see more internal stakeholders take interest and want to understand the impact that data collaboration can have outside of just marketing and media. This represents an exciting opportunity for those marketers who have been leading the charge, but also one that will require a lot more internal alignment as they branch out into a world of additional value for their businesses.

Ultimately this coming year represents an opportunity for marketers to partner with their peers to work hand-in-hand on clean room implementation to enhance overarching brand strategies and privacy standards. As we all continue to prioritize data privacy, provenance, and usage, data clean rooms are set to stand tall as a key solution for improving both inter and intra-company relationships.”

Treat Context like the Queen she is: Jonathan Gudai, CEO, Adomni Response

“Targeting audiences based on context is a time-tested, proven way to drive optimal performance results. A couple of examples include: having your ad show up adjacent to genres of a show, or having ads show up in certain environments at specific times to optimize impact by factoring in the consumer’s headspace with the physical space.”

Stronger first-party data strategies: Phil Duffield, VP of the UK, The Trade Desk

“For too long, we’ve been fixated on what’s coming next, often overlooking what’s happening right in front of us today. The truth is, digital media is rapidly evolving with mass shifts toward first-party data, omnichannel identity solutions, and advancements in AI. These tools are empowering marketers to secure the right ad impressions at the best price, reaching the right audience at exactly the right moment.

As we head into a new year, my resolution for the industry is simple: let’s focus on building stronger first-party data strategies. This is how we unlock greater addressability, efficiency, and performance. Brands that make this a priority will not only stay ahead of the curve but will create smarter, more relevant campaigns that maximize ad spend.”

Embrace the can-do attitude: David Cohen, CEO, IAB

“My wish for 2025 is to return to the enthusiasm, optimism, and entrepreneurial spirit of the early days of the digital ecosystem. I remember the days when anything you could imagine was possible, and there was a core group of believers who were determined to usher in a new era of information, entertainment, communication, and of course, marketing and advertising.

While we certainly have our share of challenges today, we sometimes get so swept up with the headwinds that we forget what got us here in the first place. To change lives for the better and democratize access for all.”

More transparency: Frost Prioleau, CEO, Simpli.fi

“The adtech industry should resolve to be more transparent in 2025, and provide transparency across three important areas: What specific signals or data is used to create audience segments, and how recently were those signals collected? On what app/network/publishers was every impression delivered, and what was the cost and effectiveness of each impression? Breaking out how much of the advertiser’s budget was spent on inventory, data, DSP fees, and any other fees.”

Beware the controversial IP address: Andrew Casale, CEO of Index Exchange

“The cookie has gone stale. In 2025, the IP address will serve as the new flavor of controversy in the privacy debate.”

Did somebody say curation? Garrett McGrath, SVP, product management, Magnite

“The industry will continue to come up with new words to describe things we’ve been doing for years. But buzz and debate can’t compensate for results. With the convergence of signal loss, privacy regulation, path optimization, and increasingly robust audience capabilities, the move to sell side-centric processes will accelerate and increasingly consolidate the value chain to the platforms that help publishers and buyers win at scale.”

Support and elevate women: Nadia Koski, global head of content at ShowHeroes Group

“With women making up just 28% of tech leaders, I want to see the adtech industry doing much more in 2025 to promote women to senior decision-making roles. Diverse leadership drives business success and inspires early-career women by showcasing tangible paths to leadership. Companies need to implement programs and support networks that help women advance in their careers and adopt policies that facilitate this progress, such as flexible work schedules—something that is particularly important for women.”

Retail media M&A: Matt Spiegel, EVP of TruAudience growth strategy, TransUnion

“Brands will need to navigate the increasingly fragmented commerce media landscape, including retail, finance, and travel. Much like the longstanding slotting fees CPGs have paid to retailers, brands will face a ‘pay-to-play’ environment to secure visibility on the digital shelf. The key challenge will be efficient budget allocation and measurement, as advertisers will need to carefully assess ROI across networks.

We can expect heightened M&A activity, with networks acquiring data-focused companies to bolster targeting capabilities and help brands make smarter, more informed investment decisions.”

Get more comfortable with AI: Diana Lee, CEO, Constellation

“I hope the adtech industry resolves to fully embrace AI not as a replacement for human creativity but as a partner in elevating it. We must give up the outdated notion that automation stifles originality and instead commit to using AI to unlock unprecedented levels of intuition, empathy, and cultural resonance in our campaigns. The future belongs to those who adapt today.

I hope we double down on ensuring the trustworthiness of the data that fuels our AI. In a world overflowing with information, marketers have a responsibility to guide AI systems with accuracy and integrity, creating a digital ecosystem where consumers can confidently engage. The risk of misinformation is at an all-time high, so the future lies in making sure the content people find is both relevant and credible.”

A CTV-first world: Tony Marlow, CMO, LG Ad Solutions

“I want to make it the year that the industry goes all-in on ad-supported CTV as we fully embrace a new CTV-first paradigm for marketing and media planning. Viewer behaviors are clear, the revolution has already been streamed, and now is the moment for CTV to take center stage as the cornerstone of modern advertising.

This new CTV-first world will usher in a smarter, more connected ecosystem where brands don’t just reach people but truly resonate and connect with them. We are unlocking transformative possibilities from shoppable TV to cloud gaming and cloud fitness—showing that CTV is truly all about connection whether you’re ordering pizza from your TV or burning it off with streamed living room yoga.”

Attributing off-screen conversions: Michael Scott, vice president, head of ad sales and operations, Samsung Ads

“Our hope for the industry in 2025 is for marketers to leverage CTV beyond a brand-building medium and harness its tremendous value as a performance-driven conversion platform. The new year will bring new norms, benchmarks, and a robust targeting framework transforming CTV into a true ‘holy grail’ for performance. To embrace the evolution of CTV as a conversion powerhouse, the industry needs to focus on redefining how crucial performance metrics are for both upper and lower-funnel brand campaigns as well as seek measurement partnerships that test CTV’s ability to drive conversion and accurately attribute off-screen conversions.”

Prioritize multicultural marketing: Kerel Cooper, CMO, GumGum

“I hope to see multicultural becoming a top priority for marketers. Instead of pulling back on multicultural marketing commitments, as many did in 2024, companies need to look at the data that shows the sheer buying and cultural power multicultural audiences hold. Multicultural is the new general market, and the companies that understand this will be the ones to grow successfully.”

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