You’ve seen the headlines. The ANA’s latest transparency report paints a grim picture: a staggering $26.8 billion in global media value is being squandered each year in the programmatic ecosystem. To make matters worse, this programmatic “waste” has skyrocketed by 34% in just two years. Let that sink in. While we’re all chasing ROI and efficiency, a huge chunk of ad spend vanishes into the murky depths of the ad-tech supply chain.
This isn’t a new problem. We all remember when P&G’s Marc Pritchard issued a call to arms, demanding a cleanup of the “murky,” “fraudulent,” and “antiquated” media supply chain. That was years nearly eight ago. And yet, here we are, still grappling with the same fundamental issues of waste and opacity. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Or do they?
The AI Microscope is Here, and It’s About to Get Uncomfortable
Enter AI. The game is about to change, and for many, it’s going to be an uncomfortable reckoning. Artificial intelligence is poised to put every vendor and agency relationship under the microscope. The “trust me, it’s working” era is over. With AI-powered analytics and the rise of agentic workflows, every dollar, every impression, and every single step in the ad-tech process will be scrutinized with a level of detail we’ve never seen before.
This is where the rubber meets the road. AdAge just reported that P&G & Bayer are increasing scrutiny – and more marketers are rightly demanding more transparency. They’re starting to question the real ROI of their bloated tech stacks and are rethinking their ad-tech relationships from the ground up. The age of the programmatic black box is finally coming to a close, and a new era of clarity and accountability is dawning.
Transparent Partners Was Built for This Moment
At Transparent Partners, this is the world we’ve been living in since day one. Our firm was founded on the very principle of transparency, long before it became the industry’s favorite buzzword. From the early days of programmatic ambiguity to today’s complex, multi-layered ecosystem, we’ve been in the trenches with brands, helping them navigate the fog and find a clearer path to real, measurable results.
We’re not just consultants; we’re partners in growth. We help brands:
- Shine a light on their ad-tech and mar-tech tax
- Navigate the complexities of agency and vendor management
- Unlock the true potential of their marketing investments
We do this every single day, and we’re passionate about helping brands cut through the noise and build a marketing ecosystem that’s efficient, effective, and, above all, transparent.
The industry is at a tipping point. The challenges are significant, but so are the opportunities. With the right partner, you can turn the chaos into a competitive advantage. If you’re ready to stop pouring your budget into the black hole and start building a more transparent and accountable future, we should talk.
We welcome the opportunity to show you how.
Wes Waterston, Chief Growth Officer
