At this year’s IAB Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM) in Palm Desert, one theme echoed across keynotes and panels: the Open Web is at a pivotal moment. The conversation wasn’t just about challenges—it was about momentum, resilience, and the opportunity to get it right in 2025.
The Trade Desk’s Jeff Green captured it perfectly: “There’s never been a better time to be a part of the Open Internet… it’s stronger than it’s ever been. But it’s also fragile. This is the year we get our collective [act ]together.”
That balance—strength, yet urgency—was a recurring theme. The Open Web continues to drive innovation, competition, and premium content, but maintaining its growth and sustainability requires commitment from all of us. As an industry, we need to focus on interoperability, addressability, and responsible data practices to ensure its long-term success.
The Sell-Side’s Moment: More Than Just Pipes
2025 is shaping up to be the year of the sell side. With AI-driven decisions, scaled curation, and deeper value creation amidst signal loss, SSPs are evolving far beyond transactional platforms. Andrew Casale’s fireside chat underscored that moving decisioning to the sell side isn’t just about curation—it’s a structural shift creating entirely new business models.
For publishers, this is a massive opportunity—not just to regain control, but to build sustainable monetization strategies in a shifting identity landscape.
AI: The Game Changer (If Used Right)
From customer experience to ad performance, AI is reshaping digital advertising. The biggest takeaways?
🔹 AI-enhanced ads drive higher conversion rates and better engagement.
🔹 Generative AI is a creative tool, not a replacement for human ingenuity.
🔹 The right prompts + human oversight = precision, personalization, and better storytelling.
🔹 AI will continue to play a growing role in optimizing ad delivery, predicting consumer behavior, and improving campaign performance.
At Adapex, we’ve long embraced AI to optimize ad monetization. The key? A balance of data, automation, and human expertise—because performance isn’t just about reach, it’s about relevance.
CTV, Audio & Streaming: The Next Frontier
Jeff Green also reinforced that CTV will be the biggest programmatic opportunity yet, but scaling real-time bidding for live streaming remains a major technical challenge. Solving this will unlock an entirely new frontier for programmatic advertising.
Meanwhile, audio is gaining traction—Spotify is leaning into digital advertising, and brands are following. Key insights?
📺 Streaming is no longer just about content—it’s a direct connection to audiences.
🎧 Audio is an untapped programmatic growth area.
🛒 Commerce and content are converging. The future of advertising is seamless, personalized, and interactive.
Brand Purpose & Responsible Media: The Power of Authenticity
Consumers expect simplicity, authenticity, and personalization. Brands that align with a meaningful purpose don’t just build loyalty—they drive growth. The challenge for marketers?
💡 Be clear on your value.
💡 Prioritize progress over perfection.
💡 Champion responsible media—transparency, privacy, and consumer trust matter.
The Future of Addressability & Identity
With third-party cookies disappearing, the industry is at a turning point in how it approaches identity and addressability. The conversation centered on the need for scalable, privacy-compliant solutions that drive results for both advertisers and publishers.
Horizon Media shared insights on its Blu platform, showcasing the power of first-party data and addressability, noting 27-30% performance uplifts for advertisers leveraging its connected audience approach—proving the critical role of identity solutions in today’s ad ecosystem.
At the same time, brands know first-party data is a valuable currency and are doubling down on ways to maximize its return. As advertisers invest in their data strategies, publishers must ensure they have the right tools to activate and monetize their audiences effectively.
At Adapex, we help publishers bridge this gap, ensuring they remain competitive with privacy-first identity solutions that drive measurable revenue.
Ron Howard, Storytelling & the Human Element
A standout moment? Hollywood legend Ron Howard shared how storytelling remains the most powerful tool in media. Whether crafting a blockbuster film or a brand campaign, the fundamentals remain:
✨ Hook your audience.
✨ Create sequences that build connection.
✨ Lean into human emotion.
As AI continues to shape the ad industry, this is a reminder: the best ads aren’t just data-driven—they’re human-driven.
Final Takeaway: The Future is What We Make It
IAB ALM 2025 reinforced that the Open Web, AI, and addressability are at critical turning points—but the momentum is there. Whether through better measurement, stronger collaboration, or AI-driven personalization, the future of digital advertising will be built by those who take action.
At Adapex, we’re here to help publishers and advertisers innovate, adapt, and grow in this evolving landscape. Let’s keep the conversation going.
