MAD//Fest 2025: why programmatic needs to be less boring

For most marketers, adtech is mainly experienced as the tools at their fingertips, and they don’t think about what goes on in the background. Yet when you peel back the layers, you uncover a strategic balancing act of creativity, adaptability and technological advancement. This complexity isn’t just the key challenge of our industry, but the source of its excitement.

This year’s MAD//Fest made one thing clear: programmatic is moving fast, and if you’re not adapting in all these areas, you’re falling behind. ‘Be Less Boring’ was the strapline, and it is true, boring isn’t an option anymore. We’ve reached a pivotal moment where we either disrupt and innovate or get left behind. Here are a few of the insights I took away from the event.

When working across international markets, no two countries are alike

If you’re working globally, an understanding of local markets is a non-negotiable. From personal experience, there are significant differences in the maturity of different regions. So, flexibility and cultural sensitivity are key tools to help nail global success.

MAD//Fest 2025 brought together visionaries from across the globe, revealing just how diverse our industry truly is. But the differences in cultural pace, technological maturity and consumer behaviour across the digital advertising industry were striking.

When asked who is leading in programmatic, there’s not one simple answer. To start with, there’s a lot happening in different regions. China and the US are leading when it comes to anything relating to tech, investment or scale, but when you look over to the Nordics, Singapore and South Korea, they're way ahead when it comes to user experience and automation.

From our own experience, local nuances around consumer behaviour, media habits, and even the role that agencies play, are shaping how we operate regionally. What resonates in one market may fall flat in another, and the organisations seeing the most success are those whose offerings are built on foundations of adaptability.

Innovation isn’t about the tech, it’s about the mindset

Now that everyone has some sort of AI capability under their belt, what programmatic can achieve is becoming more standardised from a tech perspective. True leadership and success is no longer about who has the most advanced tools. Now, the ones who stand out are those who are willing to challenge convention and approach fresh ideas with curiosity.

Accountability is the new black in programmatic

This year’s MAD//Fest went behind the buzz of retail media and AI-driven optimisation, both of which are redefining the space, but it also looked more broadly across the business. As we continue to move slowly away from a cookie-dependent world, the focus is now shifting towards a shared ecosystem of data, collaboration, clean rooms and contextual intelligence.

In light of this, perhaps the standout trending theme on everyone’s agenda was accountability. In a mature programmatic space, advertisers now demand transparency, sustainability and trust. We are more aware than ever of what our data is being used for and who it’s going to. Striking the balance between ROI and an ethical responsibility to be transparent is more critical than ever. Those who are getting that right are the ones who are leading the pack.

Don’t wait for permission - seize the opportunities of today

If MAD//Fest 2025 left us with one lasting message, it’s that we’re in an era defined by rapid progress and opportunities. Whether you’re established in your field, building your career or launching a new product or idea, lean in and lead with curiosity.

The programmatic landscape is strikingly full of potential, and exciting breakthroughs are waiting just around the corner. It’s time we all step up, resolve to be less boring and explore the opportunities that are going to shape our industry next.

Also published in: Marketing Donut