In a misguided attempt to re-write the language of advertising, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) in a recent report changed the word “programmatic” to “automation.” An AdAge article chronicled a litany of negative responses to the idea from several named industry insiders. While they made the point collectively, each one only glanced the real reason the idea is off base.
Programmatic advertising automates a part of the process. Marketers grapple with a multitude of elements to build a targeted campaign in a world where market and demographic segments are more tightly defined than ever. Programmatic advertising is an interaction between marketers and machines. By contrast, automation is a general term that misses the point. Someday, when the human half of the engagement is completely replaced by AI infused super machines we will need another word. For now, programmatic will do fine. Source: Inspired by an article in AdAge