Programmatic Advertising in 2026: What CMOs Actually Need to Know

​Programmatic advertising is often misunderstood, under-used, or dismissed as a “black box” — yet in 2026 it represents one of the biggest untapped opportunities for UK marketers.

​In this session, Richard Smith & Jennifer Laing from Causal will present a clear, practical overview of the state of programmatic advertising in 2026, separating persistent myths from commercial reality. He’ll break down where programmatic genuinely delivers value today, where it’s commonly misapplied, and how CMOs should be thinking about it across the modern media mix.

​The session will explore CTV, DOOH, and display as high-potential channels that remain under-leveraged by many UK brands, outlining where the real opportunities lie and what capabilities CMOs need in place to capitalise on them. This is not a technical deep-dive, but a CMO-level briefing designed to help marketing leaders make better strategic and budget decisions — and to get properly educated on what programmatic can (and can’t) do in 2026.

Event Sponsor : Causal
Causal transforms data into the competitive edge that separates market-leaders from everyone else. As a trusted partner to top brands and agencies across all verticals and industries, we push advertising beyond benchmarks, turning insights into leaner, sharper strategies that move markets.