THE FUTURE OF ADTECH
From AI to Connected TV and retail media, adtech is always evolving fast.
Every year brings new technologies, formats, and strategies that reshape how advertisers reach audiences and measure success. For marketers, publishers, and industry veterans alike, staying ahead of these trends is essential to thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape.
A brief history of adtech
Advertising has been around for millennia. Ads appear in Indian rock art paintings dating back 6,000 years, and in ancient Greek and Roman papyrus scrolls from 2,000 years ago.
As innovations such as radio and television arrived, so did new and exciting ad formats that played to each channel’s strengths. By the 1980s the advertising industry was a behemoth responsible for vast, iconic campaigns based on consumer research and Nielsen-driven performance metrics that reached millions of people. Print, radio and TV were the dominating channels.
Since the dawn of the internet, advertising has naturally changed time and again. The first digital advert appeared in 1994, and the first central server a year later in 1995. The advent of social media brought new opportunities and challenges, and changing consumer behaviour and privacy laws led to constant innovation through the last twenty years.
For a full look at the backstory of the adtech industry, check out
Adtech: A Short History.
The top adtech trends for 2026 and beyond
Here’s a snapshot of the trends that have been shaping the future of adtech across the UK, Europe, and global markets for the past few years.
1. AI & Machine Learning
These days, it seems you can't look anywhere without seeing the impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning. They are quickly becoming central to programmatic advertising.
Algorithms optimise bidding, predict audience behaviour, and personalise creative in real time, driving efficiency and engagement.
AI also powers smarter attribution models, allowing marketers to measure the impact of multi-touch campaigns across devices and channels. According to a 2025 report by eMarketer, AI adoption is growing in every advertising sector. 46% of advertisers planned to use AI for creating media strategies in 2025, whilst 57.4% of marketers expected AI to impact content creation significantly.
AI isn't universally trusted. Consumers and advertisers alike are still skeptical about this latest technological advancement, with 37% of US consumers viewing it negatively, and 54% of marketing decision-makers worldwide worrying about over-reliance on AI eroding human connection with consumers. It brings new concerns from privacy to intellectual property, reinforcing harmful biases and more.
However, AI has been around much longer than it's been trending. A consistent and careful human touch may well be the answer for long-term AI usage.
2. Connected TV (aka CTV)
CTV is revolutionising how brands reach audiences in a world where linear TV viewing is declining and steaming is constantly rising. Ads are now delivered via streaming platforms, smart TVs, and connected devices, combining traditional broadcast scale with digital targeting precision.
The IAB UK forecasts that CTV ad spend will surpass £2.5 billion in 2025, up from £1.8 billion in 2023, reflecting both consumer adoption and advertiser demand. CTV provides measurement capabilities and data-driven targeting previously only possible in digital channels, making it a key focus for brands in the UK, EU, and beyond.
This surge is also reflected in marketing plans: 2025 industry surveys show that a large majority of UK advertisers plan to increase programmatic CTV investment, with transparency and trusted placements now top priorities in campaign execution.
3. Retail media networks
Retail media is fast becoming a cornerstone of modern marketing strategies. By leveraging first-party data from retailers’ websites, apps, and loyalty programmes, brands can target shoppers across the full purchase journey, both online and in-store.
In the UK and worldwide, retail media is becoming a dominant force: the IAB UK’s half‑year 2025 digital ad spend report shows online retail media accounted for £1.5 billion of UK digital ad budgets, one of the fastest‑growing formats behind search and video.
Globally, retail media ad spend is projected to exceed $100 billion in 2025, with UK retail media networks like Sainsbury’s and Boots leading the way. Advertisers benefit from clear attribution and ROI measurement, creating campaigns that directly connect ad spend to sales outcomes.
Because retail media operates closer to point‑of‑purchase and uses consented first‑party data, it also aligns with the broader shift toward privacy‑centric targeting, making it a key growth area in privacy‑first adtech planning.
4. Privacy-first approaches
The future of adtech will be privacy-centric. With third-party cookies phased out and regulations like GDPR and CCPA firmly in place, adtech is pivoting to first-party data, contextual targeting, and privacy-preserving measurement methods.
According to industry data, ad buyers are increasing spend in channels where privacy‑aligned identity solutions and first‑party data are strongest, including CTV, retail media and search. showing that prioritising privacy doesn’t mean abandoning performance.
Brands and publishers that prioritise trust and transparency can maintain effective targeting while respecting consumer choice. Consent-driven campaigns and privacy-first attribution models are expected to dominate UK and European digital advertising by 2026.
5. Automation and programmatic evolution
Programmatic buying continues to evolve beyond standard display and video, expanding into formats such as audio, DOOH and even influencer-driven inventory. Automation streamlines the buying process, using machine learning and AI to optimise bids, placements and creative delivery in real time. This complexity allows marketers to reach audiences with precision and scale, but it also requires sophisticated governance to maintain transparency, viewability and ROI.
Industry analysts predict that by 2026, over 80% of digital media in mature markets like the UK will be bought programmatically. This suggests programmatic channels such as private marketplaces and direct deals, will dominate digital buying in mature markets, with automated trading accounting for a significant majority of media spend as advertisers prioritise scale, control and data efficiency.
Marketers who master these evolving tools will be better placed to navigate issues like data fragmentation, measurement and channel integration in the years ahead.
6. Cross-channel and omnichannel measurement
Consumers now engage across multiple screens, devices, and touchpoints, making measuring advertising success a complex game. To make sense of this complexity, adtech is increasingly focused on cross-channel measurement and omnichannel attribution, integrating online, offline, CTV and retail media performance.
This shift allows brands to see the bigger picture: not just which click or impression led to a conversion, but how campaigns drive long-term engagement, loyalty, and growth. By combining AI-powered analytics with privacy-safe data, advertisers can optimise spend across the UK, Europe, and global markets while respecting consumer trust.
Combined with aggregated insights rather than individual tracking, this approach supports optimisation across UK, European and global markets while respecting evolving privacy norms.
What's next?
The future of adtech is fast, dynamic, and exciting. To stay ahead, marketers need to keep learning, testing and adapting. To ensure you're up to date on the latest, explore more in our Adtech Uni, where we break down the industry for professionals at every level.
Adtech Glossary
If you have more buzzwords, acronyms and techie know-how you need to break down, you can check out our adtech glossary below: 150+ adtech terms explained in layman's terms!
Adtech Basics
Adtech is a vast, complex ecosystem full of acronyms and moving parts. This is our no-nonsense guide on the basics, jargon-free so you can make sense of adtech even if you've not got a techie bone in your body.
Privacy and Regulation
Data privacy is more than just a buzzword. Over the years, it continues to be responsible for changing how adtech works. We explain GDPR, cookie changes, and how your data is used.
Common Challenges
Like all industries, the adtech world has its hurdles, including ad fraud, viewability and brand safety. We explain the challenges and how the industry fights to keep advertising honest.
Measuring Success
Clicks, impressions, conversions. What does it all mean? Learn about the key ad metrics and how advertisers measure their campaign success with simple attribution models.
Sustainability
The digital advertising industry, like every other, leaves a carbon footprint. From servers and supply chains to creative files and vendor networks, adtech is having a very real impact on climate change.
FAQ
Q: What trends are shaping the future of adtech in the UK?
A: Key trends include AI-driven automation, Connected TV (CTV), retail media networks, privacy-first targeting and cross-channel measurement. UK advertisers are increasingly investing in programmatic CTV and consent-driven campaigns.
Q: How is CTV changing advertising in Europe?
A: CTV enables precise targeting on streaming platforms and smart TVs, combining traditional TV reach with digital data-driven insights. UK and EU marketers are leveraging this for better ROI and measurable engagement.
Q: Why is first-party data important for future adtech?
A: With third-party cookies being phased out, first-party data provides consented, privacy-compliant insights. Brands in the UK and Europe use it for effective targeting and personalised campaigns.
Q: What role does automation play in modern adtech?
A: Automation and programmatic buying streamline ad placement, optimise bids and manage multi-format campaigns efficiently. It’s essential for advertisers aiming for scale across UK and EU digital channels.
Additional Reading
"Adtech: A Short History"
A brief look at the history of adtech, from advertising's ancient origins to the innovations of the modern day.
"A Newcomer's Guide to Multichannel Advertising"
Our nuts-and-bolts channel guide for those starting out in the business, complete with conversation starters to get you networking!
"What is an Adtech Stack, and How Should You Go About Building One?"
What is the elusive entity that houses the acronyms, platforms and solutions that enable brands, advertisers and publishers to engage in advanced digital advertising?
"A Short History of AI: Could AI be Brilliant?"
It is sobering to consider that the concept of artificial intelligence is actually older than rock & roll. But unlike rock & roll, AI’s peak years unmistakably lie ahead.
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