WPP CFO says The Trade Desk operates in a smaller slice of the ad market

April 29, 2026 WPP CFO Joanne Wilson said WPP works with “a number of DSPs and SSPs,” making decisions “project by project, client by client.” The priority, she said, is “effective investment of our clients’ media spend and full transparency — transparency for our clients and transparency for our partners.” There’s the transparency framing of her remarks — and the characterization of the open internet as a small and declining slice of overall spend. TOP STORY The Programmatic Marketer WPP CFO says The Trade Desk operates in a smaller slice of the ad market Holdcos have shifted from trusting ad tech vendors by default to demanding proof of value. Advertisement OTHER THINGS TO KNOW As retail media and programmatic spend surge, independent agencies are juggling more platforms, more data and more expectations. As a result, execution is becoming the biggest risk to performance and retention. Partner insights from Pathlabs. While in-stream remains highly effective for storytelling and scale within premium content environments, native formats can engage audiences at the exact moment of decision, when viewers are actively choosing what to watch. Partner insights from Nexxen. From Digiday’s sister brand Glossy: Join brand executives from Allbirds, Ulta, Merit Beauty, Peloton and many others at the Glossy E-Commerce Summit from June 1-3 in Miami. Make lasting connections that help you get ahead. MARKETING The Programmatic Marketer 'That is an objective': Omnicom tests AI agents to cut out the ad tech middlemen The move is one of the more concrete signs yet that the holdcos are serious about dismantling the programmatic supply chain they’ve long complained about but remained dependent on.  Beyond Ads ‘The bridge between intuition and ROI’: The M&A race to own advertising’s last unmeasured lever The ad industry’s hottest M&A target isn’t what you think. The Business of AI The rise of deepfakes poses a new trust challenge for publishers As AI deepfakes surge and become harder to detect, publishers are under pressure to fact-check content and safeguard credibility. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM KEEN DECISION SYSTEMS How marketing teams are making more confident decisions According to research from Keen Decision Systems, only 10% of marketers incorporate prior knowledge into their forecasts, an indication that most start from scratch every time. Audio Anywhere Podcast engagement drives brand audio spending ahead of World Cup Sport radio, streaming audio and especially podcasts are being used to amplify summer media plans around soccer’s big moment. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM CIRCANA Why purchase data is the missing piece to transform TV into a commerce play As TV evolves into a more immersive storefront experience, there are new opportunities for advertisers to open up two-way interactions with consumers. To keep pace with this shift, advertisers need modern strategies. Advertisement FROM DIGIDAY+ Member exclusive Future of TV Briefing: Ad tech’s pod bidding push moves CTV toward advancing the live sports ad model in 2026 This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at how ad tech companies including Comcast’s FreeWheel, Index Exchange and The Trade Desk are preparing CTV’s programmatic supply chain for upgraded auction dynamics amid an influx of live sports ad inventory. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM AUDIOEYE Accessibility can’t be left behind as AI builds the web faster AI gives marketers the speed they’ve always wanted. Landing pages now take minutes to build, instead of weeks. But rapidly-built experiences aren’t accessible to everyone, and that’s a problem for brands. ICYMI The Programmatic Marketer Inside The Trade Desk's programmatic power struggle The Trade Desk faces rising tensions with agencies over transparency — and more importantly, programmatic control. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy