"The digital advertising world is entering a reset. As privacy laws tighten, cookies vanish, and platform fees rise, companies are reclaiming control. Avenga's Pedro Carrascosa reveals why 2026 will be the year of the custom adtech renaissance - a shift toward building and owning adtech infrastructure. For more than a decade, we've all seen how big brands, publishers, and media companies have relied on big adtech vendors to power their digital advertising. And it worked, until it didn't."
"Today, we see the industry in the middle of a reset. High fees, lack of transparency, shrinking margins, and privacy regulations have made many organizations rethink their dependence on the feared 'black box' platforms. Now the pendulum is swinging back. 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the custom adtech renaissance. A period where telcos, media networks, and technology companies are starting to build and own their own adtech infrastructure."
Digital advertising is undergoing a reset as privacy laws, disappearing third‑party cookies, and rising platform fees undermine traditional adtech models. Organizations face opaque fees, shrinking margins, and regulatory pressure that make reliance on major adtech vendors untenable. Telcos, media networks, and technology companies are beginning to build and own custom adtech stacks to control data, reduce dependence on walled gardens, and monetise audiences. Success requires privacy‑by‑design data activation, first‑party data ecosystems, clean rooms, and bespoke identity frameworks. Owning infrastructure promises greater transparency, better margins, and new monetization pathways tied to proprietary customer datasets.
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