IAB wants to ditch programmatic, in favour of automation

The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) has started a push for the ad industry to move away from the term programmatic, in favour of automation.

It has released a whitepaper, An Evolving Framework for Advertising Automation, as part of the IAB Programmatic Symposium in New York, which argues there is a need for a common vocabulary.

“The term “programmatic” describes the application of data and software to automate digital advertising, and has become shorthand for a diverse and evolving range of platforms, tools, and processes. With automated technologies now the de facto means of executing digital advertising investments, discerning the specific roles and utility of these technologies is critical to ensuring effective functioning of the marketplace,” reads the report.

“Instead of relying on the false dichotomy of defining overall buying and selling practices as programmatic or not, IAB proposes a framework rooted in the digital supply chain processes that can (or cannot) be automated.” 

The IAB argues that this shift in vocabulary would help support consistent benchmarking for the marketplace, and facilitate meaningful conversations among buyers, sellers, and vendors.