TripleLift Report Reveals Programmatic Curation Execution Gap

Event summary

  • TripleLift's report found 99% of buyers consider deal curation important, but only 21% rate their execution as very effective.
  • 60% of buyers don't know what they're paying for curation, highlighting accountability issues.
  • 81% of buyers cited deal performance not meeting expectations as a top challenge.
  • 20% of programmatic traffic continues to be flagged as invalid or low-value inventory.
  • Report surveyed 223 advertisers across the U.S. and U.K.

The big picture

The report highlights a fundamental disconnect in programmatic advertising where curation is valued but poorly executed. This gap is exacerbated by lack of fee transparency and fragmented workflows, suggesting a need for more integrated, autonomous systems. The findings come as the ad tech industry increasingly relies on AI to optimize campaign performance across multiple channels.

What we're watching

Execution Risk
How TripleLift's proposed shift of decision-making to the sell side will impact programmatic performance.
AI Integration
Whether the advertising industry can reduce the 'review tax' burden as AI adoption accelerates.
Creative Alignment
The pace at which advertisers will bridge the disconnect between creative importance and contextual targeting.