The Advertising Sector in 2025: Predictions from The Trade Desk

2024 was a moment of inflection for how the ad tech sector values the premium open internet. As the industry matures, there is a growing appetite to tackle inefficiencies and embrace transparent media buying processes that deliver a better advertising experience.

With 67 percent of UAE respondents’ digital time spent on the open internet versus walled gardens (according to research by The Trade Desk and YouGov), understanding where audiences are across the open internet will be imperative for brands to hit the ground running once the cookie is retired.

Marketers are reassessing the limitations of the walled gardens against the value of the premium open internet channels such as connected TV (CTV) and digital audio, where innovation is happening at breakneck pace. 2025 will be an exciting year for the industry, as advances in identity, supply-side optimisation and omnichannel continue to empower advertisers to deliver ads with data-driven precision.

An inevitable revolution in online targeting

Google’s antitrust trial could create change in the infrastructure of the internet in 2025, regardless of the outcome. Major publishers and brands such as Reach PLC and Kimberly Clark have already taken steps to embrace new identity solutions that empower advertisers to serve fewer, more relevant ads, representing a shift in momentum towards the open internet.

As the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia advance their ambitious global plans across sustainability, travel, tourism, branding, and technology investments, the region is poised to embrace AI-powered programmatic advertising like never before. This cutting-edge, data-driven approach to buying, selling, and measuring advertising across all devices, markets, and channels in real time will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of marketing and communication in the region.

The enhanced targeting and measurement capabilities of channels such as CTV and digital audio are drawing an increasing share of the ad spend pie. The data and insight they offer allows advertisers to better understand the ROI of their campaigns. A recent survey by The Trade Desk and YouGov reveals that UAE residents spend nine hours daily with digital media on various channels and devices outside of social media. Of that time spent on the open internet, streaming via Connected TV (CTV) accounts for 17 percent.  Brands continuing to reap the benefits of a data-driven approach will fuel a positive cycle, where advertisers proactively seek out partners and channels that allow them to be more efficient and effective.

An accelerated effort to clean up the advertising supply chain

As momentum in the industry swings towards the open internet, advertisers are reassessing the value and efficiency of the advertising supply chain. As a result, the industry’s commitment to supply-side optimisation (SPO) is growing. Take the TV market as an example, major players including Disney Advertising and Paramount Advertising are supporting The Trade Desk to implement a cleaner, more transparent supply chain with our new TV operating system, Ventura.

Brands need more transparency within the ecosystem to know that the inventory they are buying is delivering real value. It is our collective responsibility to ensure we are delivering more value than we are extracting. And it is our hope that the industry follows suit, so that 2025 can be a year where the industry commits to cleaning up the supply chain and cuts waste wherever possible.

Unlocking the power of omnichannel

Audience fragmentation is not going to ease in 2025. In a world where consumers travel back and forth across multiple channels and devices, advertisers must deliver connected, audience-first omnichannel campaigns. This is the only way they stand to improve performance and land messages with impact.

Our recent research, in partnership with PA Consulting and Brainsights, revealed that omnichannel campaigns are 1.4x more attention-grabbing than those run on a single platform, and audiences are 1.9x more likely to connect with them.

Advertisers are waking up to the benefits of investing in omnichannel. As more brands recognise the ability of new identity solutions to join channels together, we’ll see them increasingly connect identity and omnichannel strategies to deliver joined up campaigns.

Terry Kane, Managing Director Middle East and Africa at The Trade Desk