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New! Identify and Engage Buying Groups with AI-enhanced sales outreach within Gong Engage. Learn More
The old model—where premium inventory was sold directly by in-house sales teams and unsold impressions were pushed to programmatic channels—no longer reflects how the market operates. Over the past few years, advancements in AI, the growing importance of first-party data, and shifts in advertiser expectations have fundamentally changed how publishers sell.
In this article, we’ll explore how programmatic and direct sales can work together—not in competition, but in sync—as part of a unified, AI-powered strategy that maximizes both revenue and relevance.
As we move forward, combining programmatic advertising in ABM, generative AI, and human expertise will redefine sales performance, efficiency, and customer satisfaction—making the future both exciting and highly competitive.
Programmatic advertising has evolved far beyond its origins as a method for offloading unsold or low-value inventory. In the past, programmatic channels were primarily used to handle remnant inventory not secured by direct sales teams. However, developments such as programmatic guaranteed and private marketplaces (PMPs) have blurred the lines:
As third-party cookies fade away and privacy regulations tighten, publishers have shifted their focus to collecting and activating their own first-party data, such as:
This data is now a critical competitive advantage. AI technologies play a central role in analyzing this data to predict user behavior, build high-intent audience segments, and enable smarter, privacy-compliant targeting—whether through direct sales or programmatic channels.
A common myth is that programmatic advertising replaces the need for human sales teams. But in reality, the best companies are seeing the opposite. In fact, 82% of top-performing sales teams are already using AI in their work. This shows that AI solutions aren‘t just a nice-to-have—it’s become a key part of how modern sales teams succeed.
When programmatic strategy is explained and co-developed across teams, good things happen:
To stay competitive, publishers have invested in proprietary platforms and data infrastructure that unify direct and programmatic channels. This means buyers can access inventory using consistent targeting, measurement, and attribution tools—regardless of how they transact.
For example, unified dashboards allow advertisers to manage campaigns across multiple channels like display, video, and connected TV in one place. AI-powered algorithms optimize bidding strategies whether through direct deals or real-time auctions. And cross-channel attribution models provide clear insights into how ads perform across programmatic and direct placements, enabling smarter budget allocation.
The media buying landscape has evolved: advertisers no longer just want placements—they want people. For example,
These examples show how today’s advertisers demand more than broad reach: they want precise targeting based on job roles, company size, buying stage, and even behavioral signals that indicate purchase intent. This means they’re looking for audiences who have engaged with specific content, attended industry events, or demonstrated relevant business needs.
Whether buying directly or through programmatic exchanges, advertisers expect data-driven insights that deliver their messages to the right people at the right time. Because of this, the role of the sales rep must evolve. Modern sales professionals should understand programmatic advertising trends, how programmatic advertising works, how data powers campaigns, and how to position their inventory in ways that appeal to precision-focused digital ads.
Publisher programmatic strategy refers to how publishers use automated systems to sell their ad inventory in a smarter way—without hurting their high-value direct sales. Instead of choosing only direct sales or programmatic, successful publishers combine both to maximize revenue and relevance.
A strong programmatic strategy involves several key elements that work together to balance automation and premium sales:
Tiered Inventory Packaging (Premium vs. Remnant)
Publishers may separate their ad space into different groups based on value. Premium inventory includes high-quality placements with guaranteed audiences and higher prices. Remnant inventory refers to leftover or less valuable space that might not sell through direct deals. By packaging these tiers separately, publishers can sell premium spots directly while using programmatic channels to monetize remnant inventory efficiently.
For example, a publisher might sell homepage banner ads directly to big advertisers while using programmatic systems to fill smaller sidebar ads that don’t sell as quickly.
Setting clear pricing rules helps maintain the value of premium ad inventory. Publishers set minimum prices for programmatic sales to make sure their ad space isn’t sold too cheaply. This way, automated sales support direct deals without lowering their value, protecting both revenue and brand reputation.
For example, if a premium homepage ad usually sells for $100 cost per thousand (CPM) directly, the publisher might set a floor price of $80 CPM for programmatic buyers. The automated system won’t sell it for less than that.
Instead of targeting broad or generic groups, publishers use data to divide their audiences into smaller, more specific lead segmentation based on how B2B buyers engage with their site and what behaviors they show. This includes things like how often someone visits, what types of content they consume, how long they stay, or whether they’ve taken actions that suggest they might be ready to buy.
For example, a publisher might segment buyers who visit the site several times a week and have downloaded a whitepaper. This behavior shows strong interest (and likely buying intent). Advertisers can then target this buying group with relevant offers, such as demos or invites to industry events. This level of precision makes ads more effective and boosts value for both advertisers and publishers.
Publishers combine their own data (first-party) with intent data from outside sources (third-party) to get a fuller picture of their audience. First-party data includes things like subscription status, pages viewed, or time spent on the website. Third-party data can add extra context, such as job titles, company size, industry, or past purchases.
For example, a publisher may know a visitor frequently reads content on supply chain solutions (first-party data). By layering in third-party data, they can also see that the user is a procurement manager at a mid-sized manufacturing firm. That makes it easy for an advertiser selling logistics software to target that user with tailored messaging, boosting the odds of engagement and conversion.
Even with marketing automation, human sales teams play a key role. Providing sales reps with enablement or ABM tools like dashboards, audience insights, and performance reports empowers them to identify upsell opportunities and customize pitches. These tools help salespeople work alongside programmatic systems, boosting revenue and strengthening client relationships.
For example, as leads show stronger intent, tools like Gong and ML SmartReach™ ensure smooth handoffs by giving sales teams the right context, like engagement history and suggested follow-up scripts. This keeps momentum high, improves conversions, and ensures no lead slips through the cracks.
Choosing the right marketing media mix for each type of ad sale is key to maximizing both reach and revenue. Not all media environments perform the same in programmatic versus direct contexts, so knowing where each thrives helps publishers build smarter, more profitable strategies.
Fit for Programmatic:
These formats benefit from automation’s speed, scale, and audience data matching especially when using layered targeting or real-time bidding.
Fit for Direct Sales:
These placements offer premium value and benefit from your sales team’s ability to create custom packages, often tied to broader ad campaign goals.
To stand out in a crowded ad market, publishers need to show clear value, offer precise targeting, and provide flexible ways for advertisers to buy. Buyers are looking for performance, transparency, and audience relevance.
Here’s what you can do to make your inventory more attractive to buyers:
Want to command premium pricing? Offer premium insights. Publishers should provide access to third-party intent data (like ML Insights) to help advertisers reach in-market buyers. Go beyond basic demographics—highlight behaviors, conversion patterns, and on-site journeys. Intent signals are especially valuable, helping advertisers reach users who are already deep in the funnel.
Here are a few key examples of third-party intent signals:
Just as important as depth of reach is quality data and data integrity. Ensure your data is transparent, privacy-compliant, and sourced responsibly. Advertisers want to know not just what the data says, but how it was collected—clean, trustworthy data builds confidence and drives repeat investment. In a recent Fast Company article, Madison Logic CEO, Keith Turco says:
Not all site visits are created equal. Someone diving into a long-form demo video has a different mindset than someone quickly scanning headlines. That’s why publishers should categorize content based on visitor behavior and intent.
Here’s how different content types align with advertiser goals:
Publishers who clearly communicate the behavioral context of each content segment can better match inventory with advertiser needs—making their offerings more valuable to both programmatic and direct buyers.
Even in an automated AI world, there’s still a big role for human sales—especially when it comes to custom placements, brand integrations, or exclusive sponsorships. To close these high-value deals, your sales team needs data, tools, and visibility.
Business development managers should be able to:
When sales teams are equipped with full knowledge of your ad tech stack, audience insights, and pricing flexibility, they become strategic partners—not just sellers.
In today’s fast changing, data-driven world, publishers don’t have to choose between programmatic and direct sales. Instead, they’re combining both in multi-channel strategies that use the strengths of each channel to meet advertisers—and audiences—where they are.
To succeed, publishers need to know which types of inventory work best for each approach—and when to rely on programmatic automated scale versus direct sales’ personalized impact.
Use the following charts to help determine when to use programmatic or direct sales. These can be used to guide packaging decisions, improve team alignment, and ensure every impression is sold through the most effective channel:
Scenario | Why It Works |
Remnant inventory or unsold impressions | Avoid wasted inventory by monetizing at scale through real-time bidding or private marketplaces. |
Audience-based targeting at scale | Reach users across multiple touchpoints using data. Ideal for awareness or mid-funnel campaigns. |
Multi-device, multi-context reach (e.g. CTV, audio) | Reach people away from the desktop—when they’re listening to a podcast, watching smart TV, or scrolling apps. |
Time-sensitive campaigns | Real-time bidding and instant activation let advertisers launch fast without going through manual processes. |
Lookalike or behavioral targeting | Sophisticated DSP algorithms can find audience segments that are difficult to surface through direct channels. |
Retargeting and sequential messaging | Campaigns can follow users across platforms for better engagement and frequency control. |
Programmatic in Action:
For example, a B2B software brand wants to reach IT decision-makers across the buying journey. Through programmatic channels, they serve CTV ads during evening hours, audio ads during commutes, and retargeting banners during work hours—creating more personalized buyer experiences.
Scenario | Why It Works |
Custom sponsorships or content integrations | These require collaboration, creative planning, and guaranteed placement. |
Homepage takeovers or roadblocks | Premium, high-impact placements demand negotiation and strategic alignment. |
First-party data exclusives | Publishers can gate access to proprietary audiences and offer exclusive targeting. |
High-touch client engagements | Some advertisers prefer human contact, custom packages, and ongoing partnership. |
High-value verticals or niche B2B audiences | Sales teams can sell specialized inventory with industry context and premium pricing. |
Direct Sales in Action:
For example, a Fortune 500 advertiser negotiates a three-month direct sponsorship of a publisher’s business leadership hub, including branded content, homepage takeovers, and exclusive newsletter placements. These high-touch experiences are hard to replicate in a purely automated environment.
Publishers who succeed today use both direct and programmatic sales as complementary strategies—not competing ones.
Together, these multi-channel ABM approaches help advertisers stay top of mind throughout the entire buyer journey—from broad awareness to targeted, high-intent engagement. To capitalize on this, here’s a practical way publishers can package their inventory for maximum impact:
Create bundled packages that combine:
This offers advertisers the best of both worlds, automated reach and B2B personalization relevance, making your media more compelling, competitive, and valuable.
Publishers and sales teams don’t need to worry about automation—in fact, they should embrace it because it offers advertisers targeting optimization across channels like ABM Audio Advertising, ABM CTV, and ABM Display Advertising. These solutions help advertisers reach the right audiences more effectively, meaning more ads get sold and visitors enjoy a more personalized experience—all while making things easier for everyone.
Publishers who modernize their strategy, empower their people, and embrace data will find themselves selling more inventory to better aligned advertisers, while creating better site experiences for users.
Ready to see it in action? Request a demo today and discover how our ABM advertising solutions can help you unlock new revenue opportunities across audio, CTV, and display.