From connected TVs to seat-back screens and smart shelves, the next adtech frontier is physical, contextual and fully in motion. Here are six trends heard at our Tech Talks series at Possible.
Comscore's cabana at Possible 2025 celebrating the local Miami community
Behind every buzzword at Possible (AI, retail media, omnichannel, CTV) was a far more practical question: how do we actually make this work?
Because while the technology keeps advancing at pace, the reality behind the scenes is more complex. Swivel chair workflows still dominate agency back offices. Siloed systems make media planning feel like a juggling act. And many marketers are stuck with more signals than they can realistically activate.
But change is underway – and it’s happening everywhere. In stores. In our skies. In your living room. In your pocket. Across a series of candid Tech Talks at Possible 2025, we heard from leaders from across adtech, retail media, measurement and automation to make sense of the noise and surface the signals marketers need to pay attention to.
Their message? The future of advertising isn’t just digital, it’s deeply physical, increasingly contextual and finally starting to scale. Here’s a peek at what we heard.
Advertisement
The AI buzz is real – but so is the burnout. That’s why forward-thinking marketers are looking beyond flashy front-end tools to AI’s unsung impact on back-end operations.
Take Fluency’s vice-president of channels and engagement, Andy Maclay, who framed automation not as a creative disruptor but as a practical enabler: “There’s this unsexy truth that in the back office operations of advertising agencies or in-house brands... a team of people that has to actually activate [all these new technologies].”
By eliminating manual “swivel chair processes,” AI agents can help agencies move faster, localize smarter and scale high-performing campaigns – even across thousands or millions of variations. In this sense, AI isn’t replacing jobs; it’s multiplying what your existing teams can do.
As the retail media gold rush continues, attention is shifting from the homepage to the store shelf. Grocery TV’s co-founder and chief executive, Marlow Nickell, called it out: “In-store media is starting to have its moment as the infrastructure has been built out to allow brands to access it at scale… It’s hitting this tipping point now where you can really be at a national scale.”
With 85% of grocery transactions still happening offline, this once-overlooked channel is getting a digital upgrade – complete with programmatic buying, contextual targeting and closed-loop measurement. For brands, it’s a rare chance to combine reach with relevance in high-dwell, high-intent zones. And even non-endemic advertisers are getting in on the action.
LG Ad Solutions’ chief marketing officer, Tony Marlow, made the case that CTV is no longer just a media line item – it’s the starting point for strategy: “CTV is the consumer’s first point of contact for most of their content needs... and it’s becoming the linchpin in the media plan… So when we talk about CTV-first, it’s not just first for the audiences, it’s also first for the marketer trying to seek that connection.”
From direct-to-glass buys to interactive formats and shoppable moments, connected TVs are morphing into experiential canvases. As AI helps tailor creative to dynamic audience segments, the dream of delivering the right message to the right screen at the right time is no longer theoretical – it’s increasingly programmable.
Inflight advertising is going through a reinvention, as Viasat Ads’ director of advertising, Matt Miller, explained: “In some ways, in-flight is the last dark spot of an omnichannel strategy… we can provide that and we can do that in an easy way that’s safe to test.”
With 95%+ view-through rates and the ability to target by route, destination or event, the channel offers a uniquely captive, context-rich environment. What’s more, Viasat’s five-day turnaround means it’s no longer a ‘long-lead luxury’ but a test-and-learn playground for attention-hungry B2B and mid-market brands alike.
Comscore’s chief marketing officer Jackelyn Keller reminded us of the phone in every pocket and the role it plays while other screens are running: “There’s a huge opportunity for marketers to really look at all of the touch points, which includes what that engagement looks like within social apps… when it comes to understanding the intent and how consumers are engaging with their communities, that’s where social gets really exciting.”
As audiences bounce between TV, live events, betting apps and digital communities, brands need to stop planning in silos. Cross-screen measurement, holistic planning and real-time creativity (think Oreo’s famous blackout tweet) are the new table stakes.
“We help marketers understand where the consumer is and how to get incremental reach across all digital touchpoints,” said Keller, pointing to Comscore’s role in decoding where your budget actually drives lift.
Advertisement
Economic turbulence was a recurring backdrop to many of these conversations, but so was a quiet confidence that smart marketing still cuts through. As Kroger’s director of integrated media Kay Vizon put it in a candid chat with Maggie Merklin, chief customer officer at Analytic Partners: “The only way you’re going to differentiate yourself [when everyone is screaming value in an uncertain economic market] is through your brand” – encouraging brands to stick to their guns on marketing best practices.
That means balancing short-term tactics with long-term brand building, staying close to finance and leaning into data-fueled creativity. Or, in her words, “Still coming up with interesting new ways to stand out, to land, with impact, to really drive relevancy with the customers that you want to grow. Don’t lose your sense of creativity – even now.”
Stay tuned for the full Tech Talks video series coming soon to The Drum TV as we bring the best of Possible 2025 to your screen.
Advertisement