In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital advertising, major brands are increasingly turning to in-house ad-tech stacks to gain tighter control over their first-party data. This shift is driven by the booming connected TV (CTV) market and the need for privacy-first strategies, as third-party cookies crumble and regulations tighten. According to a report from eMarketer, the programmatic advertising market is on the brink of seismic shifts due to changes in identity and audience data, with a landmark antitrust ruling potentially accelerating ad tech consolidation.

Executives at leading brands argue that building proprietary platforms reduces reliance on walled gardens like Google and Meta, allowing for more direct engagement with consumers. This move is particularly crucial amid the CTV boom, where programmatic spending is projected to surge. Grand View Research estimates the global programmatic advertising market at USD 678.37 billion in 2023, projected to reach USD 2,753.03 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 22.8%.

The Data Control Imperative

Privacy concerns are at the heart of this in-house revolution. With regulations like GDPR and CCPA enforcing stricter data handling, brands are prioritizing first-party data to maintain compliance and build trust. A post on X from industry observers highlights how brands are viewing themselves as media companies, leveraging AI to create defensible moats through content and advertising integration, reflecting sentiment that AI is commoditizing product development.

Ad Age reports in its piece on ad tech in 2030 that brands are constructing next-generation marketing platforms using AI, data, and composable apps to prepare for future changes. This allows for personalized CTV campaigns that respect user privacy while delivering targeted ads, reducing the risks associated with external data brokers.

CTV Boom Fuels Proprietary Platforms

The explosion in connected TV viewership is a key catalyst. Programmatic CTV advertising combines the broad reach of traditional TV with digital precision, but many marketers find pure programmatic approaches insufficient. AdExchanger notes in an article that while CTV offers powerful targeting, brands need hybrid strategies to unlock full potential, blending programmatic with direct buys for better ROI.

Projections from various sources underscore the growth: programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) spend is expected to hit $1.23 billion by 2026, as per industry estimates. StackAdapt’s blog on digital out-of-home advertising explains how DOOH transforms marketing by reaching audiences in public spaces via digital screens, integrated with programmatic buying for real-time optimization.

Reducing Walled-Garden Dependence

By developing in-house stacks, brands are breaking free from the dominance of tech giants. A 2020 AdExchanger survey revealed that 69% of brands have partially or completely moved programmatic buying in-house for display, video, and CTV, seeking greater control over first-party data. This trend has only accelerated, with WebProNews reporting that brands are ditching external ad agencies in favor of AI-driven in-house marketing amid economic pressures and data privacy shifts.

Executives advise on weighing cost-benefit tradeoffs, as building these systems requires significant investment in talent and technology. Agencies, in response, are pivoting to offer consulting services for integrating in-house stacks with existing martech ecosystems, ensuring seamless scaling. As one X post from a marketing professional notes, automation agencies are evolving into productized services, using tools like AI for ad copy and video creation to support in-house efforts.

Agency Responses and Consulting Shifts

Traditional ad agencies are feeling the heat. A Medium article by Maggie Clapperton discusses how major brands like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Netflix are bringing programmatic advertising in-house for full control, prompting agencies to worry about their relevance. To adapt, agencies are offering specialized consulting to help brands navigate the complexities of in-house ad tech.

Epom’s blog on programmatic trends for 2025 emphasizes the role of AI and demand-side platforms (DSPs) in optimizing CTV and DOOH campaigns. Brands integrating these with proprietary data stacks can achieve better performance metrics, but execs caution that the upfront costs—hiring data scientists, investing in software—must be balanced against long-term savings from reduced agency fees.

Programmatic DOOH Projections and Trends

The programmatic DOOH sector is poised for explosive growth, with Bannerflow predicting key trends like dynamic signage and programmatic buying dominating 2019 and beyond—trends that have persisted into 2025. Recent X posts reflect enthusiasm for PDOOH, with one venture capitalist stating that the market will grow aggressively over the next decade, extending digital content to more formats and locations.

Geomotiv’s analysis of the ad tech landscape in 2024-2025 highlights top companies driving innovation, noting how the industry is developing amid consolidation. For brands, this means opportunities to build stacks that incorporate DOOH for omnichannel strategies, projecting spends that align with overall programmatic growth forecasts from Amra and Elma’s 2025 statistics.

Strategic Tradeoffs for Industry Execs

Industry insiders advise clients to carefully evaluate the tradeoffs: in-house stacks offer data sovereignty but introduce complexity in management and integration. ROI Revolution’s insights on programmatic trends stress staying ahead with stats like rising CTV ad spends, urging brands to blend in-house capabilities with external expertise for hybrid models.

A Storyboard18 post on X captures the essence, stating that brands are building proprietary ad-tech stacks to regain control of first-party data, reduce walled-garden dependence, and support CTV needs, but with costs and strategic tradeoffs. This echoes broader sentiments in posts found on X, where execs discuss the need for repeatable systems and in-house UGC pipelines for agile ad iterations.

Future-Proofing with Martech Integration

Agencies are stepping up by providing consulting to integrate in-house ad tech with martech for seamless scaling. CrownTV’s X post mentions API connections and centralized management as key for DOOH scaling, with 67% expecting increases in such advertising. This integration is vital for brands to handle the data deluge from CTV and DOOH.

Pavithra Charan Sankarakrishnan’s X response to WARC highlights how in India, traditional TV is evolving into CTV with programmatic ads, offering targeting at a fraction of budgets— a model applicable globally. As the Sui Network’s X post illustrates, blockchain and onchain advertising are emerging, with brands like AWS and TikTok exploring these for a $750B industry rebuild.

Navigating Economic and Tech Pressures

Economic pressures are accelerating this shift, as noted in WebProNews, with brands opting for self-sufficiency via AI and programmatic tools. The CNBC The Exchange post from 2021, still relevant, discusses how streaming ads are changing TV, with companies like MNTN lowering barriers for smaller businesses through subscription models.

Looking ahead, the in-house ad tech movement is set to redefine marketing, with brands advised to focus on cost-benefit analyses and agency partnerships for integration. Posts found on X emphasize food brands using Q-com for offline exposure with online tech, pre-launch ad validation, and the transformation of brands into media entities in an AI-driven world.