Ed. 6 Multi-ecosystem
Edition 6: April 21, 2023
The shift to multi-ecosystem in media buying and marketing.

As more and more advanced algorithms and models present in our lives, the role of many functions are changing—one in particular is media buying.
Over the last 18 months, most major digital advertisers have launched ad buying formats that rely more on ML models and less on individual inputs from a media buyer.
These ‘AI’ tools aim to deliver one promise — trust us with your controls, and we’ll get you the best performance. Essentially, they deliver your media to the people they think will give you the best return - based on their wealth of data (which is a problem).
Sometimes, they work well — other times, they do things you don’t want, like over-index on branded spend (without you knowing). All in the name of maximizing immediate, short-term ROAS.
This means that the role of single-ecosystem functions, like Paid Search Buying, is changing because the amount of control on advertising platforms is decreasing.
And so here we are, seeing a rise in black-box decision making algorithms—all trained on their own platform data.
This means that the advertising landscape is becoming increasingly controlled by algorithms which operate within their own channel vacuums - operating as walled gardens that optimize for the best return inside their garden, never able to see beyond their walls.
These ecosystems don’t talk to each other because the incentive systems don’t allow for it. Every platform wants you to spend the most amount of money with them - so data models and attribution are all skewed to over-index on their individual results.
This means that the entire media buying function will need to shift upwards to solve new challenges — maximization of the multi-ecosystem.
The future lies with those who can orchestrate the symphony of channels the best.
And in order to do that, you need data.
Not platform data - because those are skewed to shout from the rooftops that they’re the best. But an actual data model that looks across these walled gardens to tell connected stories to your customer across all channels.
The multi-ecosystem orchestrator will thrive and their success will be underpinned by the data models that connect these walled gardens together.
As automation permeates through the media landscape, the human function moves upstream to bridge the gap between systems to build truth in advertising metrics, and ensure that the story stays coordinated, connected, and human.
Because the buyer journey still belongs with us.
Best,
Kenneth Shen
CEO, Half Past Nine