The Future of Ad Ops: Perspectives and Opportunities for 2024

As ad revenue stabilizes in the new year, the media industry is on track to regain its confidence. Galvanized by the proliferation of AI, strong performance, and positive economic outlook, Ad Ops teams can concentrate on strategic improvements to their operations, more dynamic responsibilities within their organizations, and a renewed focus on their missions.

Uncertainties about how privacy and data regulations will shape the future of advertising haven’t slowed other advancements in the industry. Ad Ops has a crucial role to play in the future of campaigns, budget planning, and engagement strategies. Innovation is always required in digital media—and Ad Ops must continue to flex its creativity in 2024. 

As we move through the final weeks of the year, we at Boostr are excited for a fresh start. Here are our predictions for what the new year will bring for Ad Ops teams—and a few ideas for how to capitalize. 

Generative AI shifts priorities 

Many professionals view AI with some ambivalence. Will it make their jobs irrelevant? Will it make their functions easier or add complexity? 

We predict that AI will continue to revolutionize how ad campaigns are delivered, optimized, and billed in 2024. This should be seen as a boon for Ad Ops teams, allowing their roles to be reimagined as visionary leadership positions, not bogged down by the monotony of execution. 

Years ago as software developers created solutions to comprehensively integrate OMS systems with ad servers, many thought it was the death of Ad Ops. We know now that it was only the start of a new chapter. With AI taking on a greater role in revenue discovery, data analysis, reporting, and troubleshooting, Ad Ops professionals can redefine for themselves what their roles will look like, delivering higher value and more inspired campaign management. 

Ad Ops enters the C-Suite

There’s an interesting trend emerging in media: Ad Ops leaders are increasingly stepping into the C-suite, taking on roles that were once only available to those with strict sales backgrounds. For example, ahead of a major restructuring at Paramount Global, John Halley, a former Ad Ops leader, was named President of Advertising. This isn’t a one-off phenomenon—media companies are increasingly promoting Ad Ops personnel to the top of tiers of sales management. 

As we move into 2024, we will continue to see a closer working relationship between Ad Ops and Sales, coalescing into more streamlined daily operations and data-driven conversations. This collaboration creates a straighter path to the top for Ad Ops staff while making decisions smarter at every stage of the sales pipeline.

Ops improvements prioritized

Ad Ops can be an underappreciated function—but as the backbone of monetization, the Ad Ops role is increasingly gaining recognition. To that end, we anticipate more wholesale changes to how teams get their work done. This is increasingly taking the shape of tools designed to automate repetitive functions while aggregating the most relevant data for leaders to use in the ad delivery process. 

Thanks to these new tools, 2024 might just be the year that Ad Ops says goodbye once and for all to Excel and Google Sheets and moves into platforms that handle data entry and management more efficiently. As smart solutions become more available and affordable, other processes will be streamlined. Trafficking sheets will finally be managed outside of email, for example, and first-party data will replace third-party data aggregators. 

Ad Ops is no longer strictly tactical. As leaders recognize its strategic function, teams can anticipate transformations that help them do their best work.

Get ahead of the curve

Ad Ops’ proximity to revenue makes it vital to every media organization’s success. As this function becomes increasingly strategic, team members will be asked to solve new business problems and create sustainable revenue growth. These responsibilities will be underpinned and enabled by tech tools that liberate Ad Ops from spreadsheets and allow them to perform higher-value work. 

To make sure you are on the path to progressive Ad Ops, mindfully introducing AI solutions can accelerate and create sustainability as teams become more strategic. Focusing beyond delivery, with a greater emphasis on advertiser performance, will support robust working relationships and pave the way for business-wide growth. 

The future, as always, is unwritten. Google says it will sunset third-party cookies in 2024. Although the company could delay its plans again, leaning into first-party data now is critical to meet looming changes. Ad Ops can lead the charge, embracing technologies that help them capture and leverage first-party data—an important asset in the new age of advertising. 

What is certain about 2024 is that efficiency alone is not enough. The best-performing publishers need Ad Ops visionaries who are able to experiment, use technology to measure results and pave the way for the company as a whole. This requires technology that is up to the task. 

Boostr is the only ad management platform created with media publishers in mind. As dynamic as the industry itself, our OMS and CRM aim to liberate Ad Ops from spreadsheets and usher in a new era of strategy and profitability. Find out how Boostr can work for you in 2024. Book a personalized demo now!