Right now, digital publishing feels like treading water in an ocean of inventory. The market is oversaturated. Everyone has supply. And in many cases, interest in Supply Path Optimization (SPO) has diminished. And in many cases, while Supply Path Optimization is still important, it is taking a back seat for some. The result? Publishers are left asking a fundamental question: How do I make my inventory stand out in a market where everything looks the same?
The answer doesn’t lie in playing defense—it’s time for publishers to play offense. That means shifting from a model of passive monetization to one of demand facilitation. You can’t wait for advertisers to discover the value of your inventory—you have to show them, tell them, and sometimes even build custom paths to it.
Recommended: How Programmatic Platforms are Democratising Ecommerce for SMEs
Stop Waiting. Start Facilitating.
At the heart of this transformation is the need for publishers to act more like demand partners, not just supply vendors. For too long, the programmatic system has operated under the assumption that great supply will find its match through open marketplaces or opaque waterfall strategies. But with so much interchangeable inventory flooding the ecosystem, even premium content gets lost in the shuffle.
Facilitating demand starts with relationships. Publishers and their vendor partners should proactively bring deals to the table. This means anticipating advertiser needs, bundling relevant inventory, and pitching ideas before they’re asked for. It’s the difference between being a passive shelf item and a curated, limited-time offer.
A good place to start is by creating a deal library—a living catalog of your best inventory, categorized by audience segments, seasonal themes, contextual alignment, and ad formats. Imagine being able to say to a buyer, “Here are five turnkey deals already built around your campaign goals. Pick one and go live tomorrow.” That’s real differentiation.
Recommended: Native Advertising and AI: Marketing’s Secret Weapon
Get Creative
Publishers should stop relying solely on legacy value propositions like “brand-safe” or “high viewability”—these are table stakes now. What drives deal velocity today is creative packaging and strategic collaboration. Can you offer unique contextual pairings during key cultural moments? Can you provide sponsorship opportunities across video series or editorial franchises?
Another major lever for differentiation is data—especially contextual and performance data around video inventory. Buyers need more than impressions; they need insight. Who is watching your video content, when, on what device, and what do they do afterward? What types of content and scenes are driving performance?
This is where publishers can push partners—SSPs, data vendors, and platforms—for better insight into their own inventory. More granular context makes it easier to justify higher CPMs and secure bespoke deals. If a publisher can prove that a specific video series consistently delivers high engagement among, say, health-conscious Gen Z viewers on CTV, that’s a story buyers will want to hear.
Better yet, integrate demand-side data when possible. If publishers can combine their own contextual insights with retailer or performance signals, they’ll not only increase value but also increase trust. This type of collaboration paves the way for differentiated deals that are targeted, measurable, and high-impact.
In a climate of uncertainty, the winners will be the ones who stop treating their inventory like a commodity and start treating it like a brand. Demand facilitation, creative packaging, better data, and strategic hustle—these are the tools that will help publishers rise above the noise.
Demand partners, in particular, warrant particular attention. If they aren’t already, publishers need to treat their demand partners like true partners rather than just another vendor. Supply partners are leaning in more and more, and the synergies between the two sides of the equation are where real value gets created.
The good news? Publishers still have what buyers want. The challenge now is making sure they see it.
Recommended: Short Links, Big Impact: How AI Impacts Trust and Value in 2025
For media inquiries, you can write to our MarTech Newsroom at sudipto@intentamplify.com
