Brands are no longer just buying ad space—they’re actively developing their own systems to steer media spend more strategically.
That’s according to tech and brand leaders in a recent Ad Age article, which described how leading businesses are creating their own AI-driven algorithms to gain an edge in programmatic advertising.
In fact, new tools that ease the cost of tuning large language models have enabled companies like Lenovo and Sargento to build custom algorithms and experiment with digital campaigns. And they’re already reporting better-quality ad inventory and audience segmentation.
But while brands can leverage their own AI to unlock improvements, no single AI model has total visibility into the digital ecosystem. So, how can they gain a full understanding of users right across the internet?
Intelligence is only as strong as the system it’s built into
New research by Marketing Week found that 80% of CMOs are concerned about their workforce’s AI skills gap – particularly in data, analytics, and martech.
It’s perhaps this lack of experience that explains the eagerness to leap into self-built AI, without fully accounting for its limitations. While the first-party data that powers brands’ AI is trustworthy and valuable, it also carries risks like limited scope, data silos and the need for robust privacy compliance. Plus, it lacks the crucial integration of the vast remainder of the internet.
Self-built AI may give brands greater control, but it doesn’t replace the scale, intelligence or interconnected systems that martech platforms with embedded AI deliver. They help to buy digital ad inventory via broader audience insights, real-time optimisation and scaled programmatic execution.
Brands that harness rich first-party data, fortified with an integrated tech platform’s universal understanding of users, can unlock an unbeatable combination of targeting personalisation. The key to success isn’t choosing one approach over the other— it’s integrating both for maximum impact.
Collaboration makes the data count
While most marketing and advertising platforms bring a wealth of intelligence on user behaviour and media performance, the real power lies in combining that with the unique, high-quality first-party data that only brands can offer. Brands hold rich first-party data, real signals from real customers that can be refined and enhanced using their own AI models. But first-party data alone lacks the broader context of the wider digital ecosystem.
Martech platforms complement this by offering visibility into how users behave beyond a brand’s owned channels, leveraging the first party data to then drive smarter decisions to optimise and execute campaigns effectively. When these two worlds come together; brand-owned insight and AI- powered intelligence, the result is more precise targeting, smarter creative decisions, and personalised experiences that truly resonate.
This is why collaboration is more powerful than substitution; brands building AI tools in-house still benefit immensely from partnering with end-to-end martech platforms that offer more than just execution. The most effective platforms act as strategic partners, enhancing creative strategy, informing segmentation, and helping activate data in smarter ways.
Treat AI like your most junior employee
Despite the excitement around programmatic AI, there’s still caution when it comes to rolling it out widely. Protecting brand reputation in an environment shaped by AI is critical—just one inappropriate or harmful ad can cause long-term damage.
Ensuring consistent brand messaging is another challenge. Can a system designed to optimise for speed, scale, and precise targeting still uphold a brand’s distinct tone and values? And if the AI absorbs societal biases, is it really capable of delivering fair and inclusive advertising?
As a result, programmatic collaboration shouldn’t end with data. In the same way that brands and tech platforms need each other for full targeting efficacy, advertising still requires significant human oversight, even with the increased use of AI.
It’s true that the role of people will evolve as AI advances and improves. But in many use cases, capabilities remain limited. For now, governance is critical: not just to verify AI performance, but to ensure campaigns align with brand values and meet strategic goals.
For complex marketing strategies, teams must still evaluate, refine and execute, using AI as a supporting tool rather than a replacement. Though the technology can handle large-scale data interpretation, supervision is essential for holistic strategy delivery.
The AI-powered, platform-guided future
Ultimately, AI is transforming how brands buy media. But it doesn’t negate the need for strategic guidance, cross-functional collaboration or smart partnerships. The future of advertising will be shaped by AI, but only when it’s paired with the right people and platforms to steer it.
Brands that succeed won’t be the ones who automate the most, but the ones who integrate the smartest. In this new era, treat AI as a co-pilot, powered by martech platforms that unlock its full potential.
