Programmatic Rivals Capitalise on Transparency Demands Post-Audit

Friday, 3 April 20268 min read1 views

Following recent scrutiny over programmatic ad platform audits, competitors are aggressively promoting enhanced transparency features and AI capabilities. This shift signals a heightened focus on trust and performance within the ad tech ecosystem, prompting marketers to re-evaluate their platform choices.

What Happened

•Competitors to The Trade Desk are actively highlighting their unique features and transparency offerings.
•Nexxen has introduced new AI-driven functionalities to its platform.
•Amazon is exploring expanded partnerships within the streaming advertising sector.
•Viant, Blockboard, and Stackadapt are positioning themselves as strong alternatives in the programmatic space.
•The competitive landscape in demand-side platforms (DSPs) is intensifying, driven by calls for greater accountability.
•The push for transparency follows an audit row, indicating increased pressure on ad tech providers to demonstrate value.
•Source: Digiday, 3 April 2026

Why It Matters for NZ Marketers

•NZ marketers can leverage increased competition to demand better transparency and performance from their programmatic partners.
•Smaller agencies and brands in NZ may find new, more accessible platforms offering competitive features and pricing.
•The availability of advanced AI tools could help NZ marketers optimise campaigns more effectively, even with limited resources.
•Greater scrutiny on ad tech transparency aligns with NZ's consumer protection focus, potentially leading to more ethical media buying.
•NZ brands engaged in streaming advertising will benefit from Amazon's expanded partnerships, offering new reach opportunities.
•This trend empowers NZ marketers to negotiate better terms and demand clearer reporting on ad spend and campaign outcomes.

Strategic Implications

•Evaluate current programmatic partners for transparency, auditability, and feature parity against emerging alternatives.
•Prioritise platforms that offer robust reporting and clear insights into ad spend and impression quality.
•Explore AI-powered optimisation tools to enhance campaign efficiency and audience targeting.
•Diversify programmatic platform usage to mitigate risks and leverage specialised capabilities of different DSPs.
•Demand clear service level agreements (SLAs) regarding data access and audit rights from ad tech vendors.
•Invest in upskilling marketing teams to effectively utilise advanced programmatic features and interpret complex data.

Future Trend Signals

•Increased commoditisation of basic programmatic features, with differentiation shifting to AI and transparency.
•Consolidation or specialisation among DSPs as platforms compete on niche capabilities or superior data integrity.
•Greater demand for independent third-party verification and auditing across the ad tech supply chain.
•The rise of 'trust as a service' within the ad tech industry, with platforms actively promoting their ethical standards.

Sources

After The Trade Desk’s audit row, rivals rush to pitch features and transparency chops — Digiday

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