IAB’s David Cohen on future of full-funnel video, CTV’s performance push & keeping the ‘A’ in IAB

If last year was about AI hype, this year’s NewFronts had a clear focus: connected TV, full-funnel thinking and the shifting shape of search. “Content, commerce and creators – that’s the big thematic,” says Cohen. “And if we were playing a drinking game every time someone said ‘full funnel,’ I’d be drunk by now.”

The message was consistent: CTV isn’t just about brand awareness any more. It wants a slice of the performance pie, which has long been the territory of search and social. “It’s not just for top-of-the-funnel activity. In times of economic uncertainty, people focus on ROI. That’s been almost every presentation.”

Platforms are leaning into that. From Amazon to Roku, presenters emphasized measurable outcomes, with video no longer confined to building reach. “The funnel’s collapsing,” says Cohen. “From inspiration to shopping cart in half a second. You can skip a lot of the old steps.”

Even LinkedIn – historically a B2B social platform – turned up with a surprising CTV play. Its NewFronts debut included physical cars driving around Manhattan and traditional out-of-home advertising to promote its video push. “They want to own it,” says Cohen. “Their approach was creative, refreshing and a sign that B2B marketing – long overlooked at NewFronts – is ready for primetime.”

The event itself is evolving, too. Originally set up to run in tandem with TV’s Upfronts, Cohen hints the NewFronts may soon go fully solo. “The timing of the Upfronts – tied to fall release schedules and legacy habits – doesn’t mean very much any more. We’re debating whether to move NewFronts earlier in the year. That May slot might not make sense for long.”

It’s a sign of confidence and of how far digital has come. But for all the optimism, Cohen’s also watching the terrain shift beneath publishers’ feet. While the IAB’s annual PwC report shows that mid-sized publishers are growing in revenue, the long tail is shrinking – and fast. “It’s hard being a small publisher these days,” he says. “The top 10 properties continue to grow modestly. But the smallest players are really struggling.”

One culprit is the change in how people search. AI-powered assistants and platforms like Perplexity are answering queries directly, bypassing the publisher entirely. “The idea that everything lives on a single website is an antiquated construct,” says Cohen. “Publishers need to atomize their content – make sure it’s showing up on TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, everywhere.”

That’s creating a whole new challenge for media businesses. “We’re on the precipice of the AI equivalent of SEO,” he says. “And the business model of publishing will need to be rethought.”

Cohen sees agents – human or not – doing the buying, planning and searching on behalf of consumers. “Who’s the customer in that world? Is it me? Or is it my agent? Subscriptions, advertising, the entire model – it’s all up for reinvention.”

Still, for now, he’s keeping one thing the same. Asked whether the IAB might finally drop the ‘A,’ given that interactive advertising barely scratches the surface of what it does, Cohen laughs. “You’ll be the first to know. Maybe the second. But no, we’re not dropping the ‘A.’”