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Q: What adtech trends offer publishers cause for optimism in 2026?
A: Inevitably, it comes down to the direction AI is heading in. We are going to see more and more AI consolidation at a technological level, in the sense of merging fragmented tech stacks into integrated platforms for improved efficiency, better user experiences and optimisation of advertising. We are going to be moving away from disconnected tools towards unified platforms that bring all sorts of functions together, and I think that is going to make it easier for publishers to automate and improve and save a great deal of time and labour.
Obviously, there are plenty of real and potential disruptions coming from AI as well, including the effect it is having on search traffic, but I also think it is important that we don’t swallow every last bit of the AI sales pitch, because if we do, we might as well all go home now. They want us to believe it is coming for every human job, but I believe very passionately in the irreplaceable contribution of humans, and in many cases, publishers are better at those jobs than AI would be. And where they’re not, AI can be a force for efficiency and optimisation.
Q: What existing adtech trend is an ongoing must-have for publishers?
A: I’m going to be general and say: any technology that empowers publishers to get a better share of the business their content generates – whether that is technology that facilitates direct deals in order to cut out the middle men who proliferate in the supply chain, or tech that allows them to more actively monetise the first-party data that is one of their great strengths.
Everyone knows I am a massive advocate for adtech, but equally, I don’t think anyone really wins if adtech thrives at the expense of publishers themselves. We know the adtech tax has been eating up publishers’ margins for a long time, and AI hasn’t necessarily taken that away – in fact, in some cases it has added costs in areas where there weren’t costs before.
So, I would say that publishers should work to cut out any adtech that doesn’t add value, and go big on any adtech that does. Good ad tech will generate good performance, but there is also plenty of expensive technology publishers can live without, and they will be rewarded if they do the work to eliminate it from their supply chain.
Q: What should we take forward and what should we leave behind as we go into 2026?
A: We have a general mantra in our own business of quality over quantity, and I think that is a goal that smart companies in the programmatic space increasingly share, including quality publishers with strong brands. That means shifting focus from just hitting high impression numbers to ensuring ads run on relevant, premium, brand-safe publisher sites. That is clearly the road to better engagement, better ROI, stronger brand equity and a more trusted ad ecosystem. In other words, let’s hang on to quality and leave the quantity behind.
Q: How important is in-house vs outsourcing when it comes to publishers’ adtech choices?
A: It feels like common sense, but my feeling is always that you should in-house only what you are an expert on. Don’t add head count in order to build out something you can buy off the shelf. The world is moving fast, and if you make the wrong in-house technology call, it can really cost you. So don’t try to reinvent the wheel and then have to work even harder to maintain your bottom line. Now more than ever, it feels like outsourcing is your friend, but even then, choose carefully and focus on tools that simplify your tech stack.
Q: Search traffic is receding – what tools do publishers have that will help them compensate?
A: It’s all about generative engine optimisation – GEO. It is not about tools, but it is about dropping everything and optimising your business and your brand to the new AI-driven search ecosystem, so that you are summarised, cited and trusted in the places where consumers are looking. That means building clear content frameworks and structured data, getting your expert insights into the most credible channels and keeping a beady eye out for AI mistakes. Search isn’t going anywhere – consumers are searching as much as they ever did – but if you continue to rely on traditional SEO you are quickly going to feel the ground disappearing beneath your feet.
Q: Do you see any hidden dangers for publishers in a year that promises a lot of change?
A: We know that late payments are a huge issue for publishers, and are creating a lot of pain up and down the supply chain. So, it is important to protect your finances, because cash flow will kill you, even when everything else is going well. There are adtech-specific solutions out there that are designed to support publishers and other small businesses.
Other than that, I’ve heard a lot of people cautioning against badly-implemented, badly-integrated AI. I read a statistic the other day that said only 5% of AI pilots achieve rapid revenue acceleration and 95% fail to do so, which I think is really interesting. When AI fails, it really fails, and at a remarkable cost, and enterprise AI starts to look a lot less powerful and transformative if enterprises are losing a lot of money messing it up.
Q: What’s in the pipeline from The Digital Voice?
A: Like everyone else, we are at a tipping point in terms of how we are as a business. We don’t call ourselves a PR agency anymore, for example. We’re much more of an amplification partner to our client partners: how can we amplify your voice across all the many platforms available? But in other respects, we are focused on staying the same: continuing to be unique, be disruptive in what we do, bring a huge amount of energy to it, while focusing on simplifying the messages of our clients for maximum cut-through.
We’ve had the same team for years and years and years, 34 people right now, very negligible churn, and some of our clients have been with us for as long as ten years. So we are not looking to grow for growth’s sake, but we want growth for our client partners, who are our absolute focus. Looking after them is by far our biggest priority.
About us
The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique adtech PR agency with boundless energy for PR. We love to shout our partners’ brand, vision and products from the rooftops, and are unashamedly energetic and fearless. As a leading amplification agency for the adtech industry, The Digital Voice delivers PR, thought leadership, awards, events, multimedia, podcasts, content and creative.
Established in 2012 by adtech veteran, Founder and CEO Julia Linehan, our team is 100% remote, with Julia backed by 34 exceptional journalists, press and content experts, creative designers, marketing and PR pros, social, multimedia and event management specialists who make up the team. Over the years, The Digital Voice has built up an enviable client roster, including companies such as Nectar360, impact.com, GumGum, Jellyfish and Samsung Ads.
More information at: www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk
