This year’s Programmatic I/O conference, held in San Francisco, brought ad-tech leaders, agencies, brands and vendors together to share insights about Programmatic Media (an automated way to buy, sell and fulfill digital advertising).

Much of the conference focused on how Media professionals can optimize or even revolutionize their programmatic buying via various tactics, including optimizing your supply chain, training your demand-side platform and finding transparent data. The conference also addressed upcoming innovations such as fully programmatic broadcast television, blockchain integrations and the use of artificial intelligence for creative optimization.

During my time at Programmatic I/O, the following topics stood out for their ability to powerfully impact our clients’ businesses:

1. Programmatic media will change the way B2B marketers influence buying decisions at target organizations.

We can now use B2B data to provide programmatic buyers with the insights they need to identify and reach their targets at a large scale. The average number of people now involved in B2B purchase decisions is 6.8, according to the Harvard Business Review. Through programmatic media, we can leverage the right data and the right creative to get the right message in front of the right person, at the right time.

2. Programmatic TV capabilities are growing.

Whether you watch TV from a Roku device or from a cable provider, chances are that you have seen a programmatic ad. These TV ads allow advertisers to target individuals at a household level, serving ads that are relevant to their lives. As technology and inventory develops, advertisers will have an even greater opportunity to buy these ads at a much lower cost than a direct TV buy.

3. Programmatic media will continue to change rapidly as the industry progresses.

Every year, agencies and brands seek to find new ways to use data and machine learning to generate new customers or leads at a lower cost. This constant search for the perfect ad-tech solution spawns creativity and innovation in the industry. Programmatic media spend will grow 41% over the next two years, surpassing $65 billion by 2020, according to Lauren Fisher, principal analyst at eMarketer. This growth fuels the production of new technologies within areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and customer data platforms.

Questions about how we can help reach your audience through programmatic media? Contact us.