The adoption of generative AI enables customized video ad production
We’re seeing a shift in how content is created, and it’s not subtle. Generative AI is becoming a practical tool in the hands of marketers, especially at small and midsize companies. This is a fundamental change in the economics of creativity.
Instead of producing one ad and hoping it works across all audiences, brands are now generating multiple versions using AI. 42% of marketers using or planning to use generative AI are doing just that, creating tailored versions of a single video to address the needs and preferences of different viewer groups. Another 38% are using it to adjust visuals and styling. 36% are refining messaging to better align with specific contexts. These numbers from the IAB aren’t theoretical, they reflect how the industry is working today.
Smaller teams are gaining the kind of flexibility and responsiveness that used to require large agency budgets and weeks of work. AI helps cut those timelines significantly. It allows more room to try multiple ideas, test for what works, and discard what doesn’t, fast. C-suites need to understand that this shift isn’t about flashy tools, this is about intelligent adaptability. It’s also about owning the creative process from end to end, especially when budgets are tight and teams are lean.
The bottom line: If you’re not leveraging generative AI to improve your content variation at scale, your competitors probably are. And more importantly, they’re learning faster from the feedback loop. The reward goes to those who can create differently and react faster. That’s how you widen your advantage.
CTV is emerging as a pivotal channel in digital video campaigns
CTV, Connected TV, is finally living up to its potential. Advertisers no longer see it as the experimental cousin to social video. This year, buyers expect that 47% of CTV inventory will be biddable. That’s up from 34% just last year. And 85% of CTV campaigns are now bought programmatically, a 10-point jump. These numbers tell a very clear story: CTV is maturing fast, and it’s scaling with real money behind it.
What’s driving this change? ROI, and a better path to scale. 41% of buyers expect programmatic CTV to deliver stronger returns. 35% see it as a way to reach larger audiences efficiently. These aren’t aspirational hopes, they represent actual shifts in budget allocation.
For C-suite leaders, this means you need to view CTV not just as another screen, but as an integrated ROI channel that can do the heavy lifting across the entire marketing funnel. CTV combines the storytelling familiarity of traditional TV with the precision of digital analytics.
There’s also a growing need to tighten how CTV fits into your broader tech stack. If your systems can’t handle targeting, measurement, and feedback loops as cleanly on CTV as they do on social or mobile, then you’ve introduced inefficiency into your media investment. Don’t let scale be the excuse for data fragmentation. Build for alignment now while this space is still firming up.
CTV is no longer optional. It’s showing up in budgets, boardrooms, and campaign KPIs. The teams that treat CTV like a strategic channel, not just an experimental one, are going to capture that lead and keep it.
Strategic partnership enhances the value of programmatic capabilities
Programmatic access isn’t a differentiator anymore, it’s the baseline. If your platform isn’t programmatic, it’s not in the conversation. What matters now is execution and strategic input. Buyers are clear: they want more than automation. They want partners who deliver ideas and performance. Jamie Finstein, VP at the IAB’s Media Center, distilled it clearly: “Being available programmatically is table stakes. Being a strategic partner who delivers ideas and results is becoming what’s vital to win ad spend.”
This shifts the expectation from transactional to consultative. Media buyers are no longer impressed with platforms that can execute at scale, they expect that. What they value now is strategic alignment with business outcomes. When your team brings insights that impact creative structure, optimize audience targeting, or adapt smarter to changing real-time data, you’re no longer just a vendor, you’re a growth partner.
For executive leaders, this means revisiting how your teams engage. Do your internal systems and agency relationships provide true guidance, or are they just fulfilling orders? The highest-performing campaigns now come from collaboration. The ad industry is evolving toward a model where strategic thinking and automated delivery are expected to operate in parallel, not in isolation.
If you’re not sitting at the intersection of media execution and creative strategy, you’re not capturing the full value of your media spend. And as digital video gets more competitive and more data-driven, that gap compounds. Programmatic is the infrastructure, but strategy is how budgets get earned and retained.
Smaller advertisers face greater challenges with CTV measurement and execution
CTV isn’t equal-opportunity, yet. The benefits larger advertisers are gaining from it are clear, but smaller spenders are still facing execution risk and measurement barriers. According to the IAB, 38% of small advertisers cite measurement issues, compared to 27% of mid-tier and 31% of large advertisers. The gap isn’t minor, and it’s causing friction.
A big part of the problem is resource limitations. Many smaller teams are heavily focused on bottom-funnel performance, direct response, conversions, attributed ROI. That focus can make upper-funnel activities like digital video feel unpredictable when results aren’t immediately measurable. Add in the complexity of managing fragmented supply chains, technical platforms, and disparate metrics, and the barriers add up.
C-suite executives at small and midsized firms should be laser-focused on solving this. CTV offers reach, targeting, and long-term brand value, but none of that gets realized if you can’t measure it effectively. Prioritizing clean attribution models, transparent data access, and strategic vendor alignment can reduce friction quickly.
For leaders in the ecosystem, whether platforms, publishers, or agencies, this is also an opportunity. The brands that most need help are often the most overlooked. Tools and services that simplify measurement or clarify CTV impact for smaller players won’t just open up new business; they’ll strengthen adoption and competition across the board.
This is a breakaway moment for CTV adoption, but without solving for equity of measurement and execution capacity, growth won’t scale evenly. Fixing that imbalance is a leadership issue, not just a technical one.
Human expertise remains essential in optimizing CTV deals
Automation is advancing, but human decision-making still drives the most effective outcomes in Connected TV. The IAB report makes this clear: 83% of media buyers say human involvement is necessary to customize CTV deals, and 74% plan to invest in internal resources to manage self-service platforms. The direction is hybrid, machines handle the scale, people handle the strategy.
Programmatic tools improve speed, reduce transaction costs, and make optimization easier. But when it comes to building custom deals, shaping messaging, or coordinating cross-platform strategy, experienced teams still carry the load. Automated platforms can’t yet match the insight that comes from reading market shifts in real time or aligning media spend with broad strategic themes like new product launches, seasonal campaigns, or audience migration.
For C-suite leaders, this demands a balance between efficiency and expertise. It means growing internal capability, not cutting it. As CTV becomes more self-serve, you’ll need teams who understand platform mechanics, creative implications, and the interplay between measurement and media strategy. Outsourcing that entirely is short-sighted. You don’t just need operators, you need decision-makers who can connect data, creative, and business priorities.
This is also an inflection point. As more teams move budget into CTV, competition for attention increases. Differentiation won’t come from automation alone. It’ll come from smart planning, sharper insights, and faster iteration, things that require human thinking, guided by data, operating inside well-structured teams.
If you want precision, scale, and return, you’ll need systems and humans working in tune. The tools are evolving, but people still make the calls that matter most.
Main highlights
- Generative AI adoption: Over 50% of ad buyers now use generative AI to create customized video ads, with strong adoption among small and midsize firms. Leaders should invest in AI tools to scale creative variation efficiently and accelerate time to market.
- CTV’s growing importance: Connected TV is becoming a primary channel, rivaling social video, with 47% of inventory now biddable and 85% of transactions programmatic. Executives should treat CTV as a core strategic channel for both reach and measurable ROI.
- Shift toward strategic partnerships: Programmatic access alone no longer wins budgets, buyers now expect strategic value and creative contributions from media partners. Leadership should prioritize partnerships that combine platform capabilities with business-aligned insights.
- Challenges for smaller advertisers: Small brands face more measurement issues, with 38% reporting difficulties, higher than mid-size or large peers. Leaders should invest in clean attribution models and scalable measurement tools to close the performance gap.
- Human expertise still critical: Despite automation, 83% of buyers emphasize human involvement for customizing CTV deals, and 74% are staffing in-house for self-serve platforms. Executives should balance automation with skilled internal teams to sustain performance and agility.
