Agentic Buying & DSP Defection Signal Market Upheaval

Mar 16 — Mar 17, 2026

Butler/Till's early wins with agentic media buying are cutting costs while The Trade Desk faces advertiser defection, signaling a fundamental shift in how media is bought and who controls the process. Simultaneously, the industry is grappling with AI's overhyped value and the viability of principal media models post-WPP.

Category Spotlights

Media Buying & Automation

4 changes

Agentic media buying is moving from theory to practice, with early tests demonstrating real cost reductions in media spend and supply chain efficiency.

Mentioned:Butler/TillThe Trade Desk

Sources:

Butler/Till's first agentic media buying tests cut media and supply chain costs
The Trade Desk remains the dominant DSP but its advertisers are starting to shop around

AI & Content Quality

2 changes

Gen AI's promised value in media is being questioned as publishers like WaPo face subscriber backlash over algorithm-driven pricing and content quality concerns.

Mentioned:Washington PostGen AI

Sources:

Gen AI's Empty Calories; WaPo Subs Pay What The Algorithm Says