Directly Sold Ads Offer a Position of Strength

Advertising has gone through a lot of changes throughout history. At the start of the ad business, brands had to buy directly. With the rise of the internet, centralized ad networks popped up, giving brands the ability to target contextually related audiences. Then we got true targeting-based programmatic where brands could find the individual with ease.

Publishers played along every step of the way. We were happy to work with partners one-on-one to give ad campaigns. But as the sale moved increasingly to networks and ad tech providers, we became more dependent on them. Many lost the skill required to sell advertising.