This week's Guest Blog Post is brought to you by the DMEXCO Team.
In 2025, YouTube turns 20. That’s two full decades of uploads, trends, and marketing revolutions. What started as a simple video-sharing site is now a cultural engine, a business model, and a must-have channel in any serious marketing strategy. But how did we get here? And more importantly: where are we going next?
YouTube’s rise wasn’t accidental. Its DNA is pure community, fueled by creators who from day one understood that digital audiences crave authenticity, not polish. But it’s the YouTube Partner Programme that turned creators into entrepreneurs. By monetising content and sharing revenue, YouTube didn’t just reward creativity, it turned it into an economy.
That model, simple in theory, has been transformative. Creators could earn real income doing what they love. As a result, the platform attracted not just users, but also creators, brands, and advertisers. The YouTube Partner Programme is a cornerstone of YouTube’s success, creating an ecosystem where content, commerce, and community are inseparably linked.
Additionally, over the years, YouTube’s content formats have evolved alongside user behaviour from short-form virality and livestreams to polished brand storytelling and long-form education. The rise of YouTube Shorts signals another shift, opening new creative territory for advertisers looking to tap into mobile-first, Gen Z audiences.
In Germany, the evolution of YouTube is inseparable from the rise of VideoDays – a festival where fans and creators connect in real life. As Tim Endres, Director of gamescom, puts it: “To begin with, YouTube was almost an insiders’ secret at gamescom. Just a few years later, thousands of fans were lining up to see their favorite YouTubers.” This shift from niche to mainstream says everything about the power of platform culture. It’s fast, it’s participatory, and it’s creator-led. For marketers, that’s the takeaway: the future of influence isn’t top-down. It’s born in the comments section, shared in stories, and amplified through algorithms.
If your brand is still approaching YouTube as just another ad channel, you’re missing the point. This is a space where communities shape narratives. Brands can either contribute to that dialogue or be ignored entirely.
Digital culture doesn’t stand still, and neither should your marketing playbook. That’s why the DMEXCO Conference 2025 is more than just a trade fair. It’s where the next wave of digital business takes shape.
If you’re working in commerce, don’t miss the DMEXCO Commerce Summit. Taking place on 17th September on the Commerce Stage, this summit is where innovation meets execution. Think AI-powered personalisation, seamless omnichannel journeys, and composable commerce architectures that finally break the silos between tech and customer experience. It’s real-world strategy, backed by real-world case studies, and the place to be for anyone serious about the next era of digital retail.
Retail marketers, meanwhile, should circle the afternoon. The DMEXCO Retail Media Summit on 17th September at the Media Stage dives deep into one of the industry’s most disruptive forces. Retail media is reshaping how brands and retailers collaborate, from data-driven targeting to full-funnel campaigns that actually deliver. Expect sharp insights from top retailers, tech innovators, and media leaders who are building advertising ecosystems where Onsite meets Offsite – and shoppers win.
Whether you’re building campaigns on YouTube, innovating your commerce stack, or redefining retail media from the ground up – DMEXCO is where digital momentum turns into real business impact. Join the conversation. Shape the future.
Our Interact 2025 speaker Q&A series continues, and this time we're spotlighting Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs).
Recorded live at Interact 2025 in Brussels on 21st May, Sebastian shares his expert perspective on the growing relevance of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) and why they’re quickly becoming a cornerstone of the evolving digital ecosystem.
From the challenges of maintaining performance while respecting user privacy, to the collaborative innovation required to make PETs work at scale, this candid conversation highlights the strategic importance of PETs and how they can help future-proof advertising practices in Europe and beyond.
Whether you're a publisher, brand, or tech provider, this is a must-watch for anyone navigating the transition to a more privacy-conscious space.
Our Interact 2025 conference, held on 20th–21st May at nHow Brussels, brought together Europe’s digital advertising community for two days of big ideas and bold discussions.
Under the theme ‘Digital Skylight - Clarity and Purpose for 2025 and Beyond’, the event covered everything from policy and sustainability to programmatic, Retail Media, and more, all designed to equip the industry with the insights needed for the year ahead.
👉 Watch the event highlights here
👉 Catch up on our Q&A with Dr. Daniel Knapp here
👉 Catch up on our Q&A with Magnite here
👉 Catch up on our Q&A with WPP Media here
7th August 2025 – Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe has published a new Q&A to explain the roles and functions of the different players in the supply chain and how they cooperate to create a healthy ecosystem, where rogue actors are not welcome. The digital advertising ecosystem relies on a range of actors (advertisers, publishers, platforms, and intermediaries) to deliver relevant ads to consumers, support content creation, and fund a wide variety of online services. The new Q&A outlines who these players are, how they interact, and why their diversity is essential to fostering innovation, competition, and financial sustainability across the online economy.
The Q&A also addresses how the industry works collectively to prevent fraud and limit the influence of rogue actors. It provides an overview of key transparency standards, including ads.txt, sellers.json, the SupplyChain Object, and their demand-side counterparts, and highlights the importance of certification schemes, industry policies, and due diligence in building a secure and trustworthy digital advertising supply chain.
Importantly, the document explains how the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) supports GDPR and ePrivacy compliance, and how IAB Europe is strengthening TCF enforcement through dedicated compliance programmes.
The Q&A concludes with concrete recommendations to promote responsible industry behaviour and support ongoing efforts to raise standards across the supply chain.
This document builds on a recent IAB Europe paper that assesses the adoption of supply chain transparency standards with a detailed methodology.
You can view the Q&A document here.
Following our Retail Media Impact Summit in Amsterdam, we're offering a unique opportunity to dive deeper into the world of Retail Media with two expert-led training courses - all in one day. Whether you’re new to the space or looking to enhance your expertise, these in-person sessions are designed to help you stay ahead in this fast-growing sector.
Seats are limited and filling fast, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to upskill and stay ahead in this booming industry.
We’re hosting two focused courses back-to-back in person in Amsterdam, designed to give you both the fundamentals and advanced measurement insights in one day.
Retail Media Essentials - 09:30 - 12:30 CET
This interactive course covers the core concepts you need to know: omnichannel Retail Media strategies, measurement standards, in-store opportunities, and the latest market trends. Perfect for those starting out or wanting to solidify their foundation.
Retail & Commerce Media Measurement Deep-Dive - 13:00 - 15:00 CET
Take a deep dive into Retail Media measurement with this session, exploring key metrics, frameworks, data privacy considerations, and the biggest industry challenges. Ideal for professionals ready to boost their measurement expertise.
Attend both courses to gain a comprehensive view of the Retail Media landscape in just one day!
The sessions will be led by senior industry leaders with hands-on experience, ensuring you gain both practical knowledge and strategic insight.
Yara Daher
Yara is a Retail Media pioneer who helped launch some of the industry’s first major Retail Media Networks for brands like Walmart,
Target and Best Buy.
Arjen Heida
Arjen is a retail and commerce media leader who drove triple-digit growth as Managing Director of bol Retail Media. He now advises on strategy, capability building, and growth.
With limited seats available, early registration is your best chance to secure a spot.
View course details here and register below.
Celebrating Excellence, Driving Innovation - Why You Should Enter the 2025 MIXX Awards Europe
In an industry as fast-paced and forward-looking as digital advertising, it's easy to stay focused on what's next. The next campaign, the next pitch, the next big idea. But taking a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate success is more than just a nice-to-have, it’s a vital part of growth, innovation, and future-proofing your business.
That’s why industry awards matter. And why entering the 2025 MIXX Awards Europe should be on your to-do list this year.
At its core, an award is more than a trophy or a title. It’s recognition from your peers and industry leaders that your work is not just good, it's exceptional. For over a decade, the MIXX Awards Europe have been spotlighting standout campaigns that blend creativity, strategy, and innovation. This year, under the theme Future Proof Creativity, we’re looking for work that leads, lasts, and shapes the future of digital advertising.
Winning a MIXX Award doesn't just offer a moment of celebration. It brings long-term value to your team, clients, and brand:
✅ Elevate your reputation: MIXX Award winners are known for pushing boundaries. Being recognised helps you stand out in a competitive landscape.
✅ Drive business growth: Awards can open doors. From attracting new clients to forging partnerships, recognition leads to new opportunities.
✅ Motivate and reward teams: Entering (and winning) awards is a powerful way to celebrate the people behind the work, boosting morale, pride, and retention.
✅ Benchmark performance: Awards force you to evaluate your work, articulate its impact, and see how it stacks up against the best in the industry.
✅ Inspire the ecosystem: Sharing your success story helps raise the creative bar and inspires others to innovate boldly.
Now in its 14th year, the MIXX Awards Europe is the benchmark for digital advertising excellence across the continent. With 28 categories spanning emerging tech, storytelling, purpose-driven strategy, channel innovation, and immersive experiences, there’s a space to shine for every type of campaign.
Whether you’re driving results in CTV or digital audio, using AI or immersive tech to enhance experiences, or leading with purpose through strategic impact, the MIXX Awards recognise the work that matters, and the teams behind it.
The final deadline to submit entries is Thursday, 18th September, with winners announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, 29th October, streamed across Europe to ensure everyone can take part.
📝 Pro tip: Enter your work in multiple categories to maximise your visibility and impact.
Enter your most future-proof, game-changing work into the 2025 MIXX Awards Europe and show the industry what great looks like.
👉 Visit our Awards Page here
👉 Download the Entry Notes here
Need some inspiration? Check out this blog post featuring winning tips from last year’s top campaigns to help craft a standout entry.
Following our deep dives into market trends with Dr. Daniel Knapp and the evolving CTV landscape with Rebecca Ackers, we’re excited to bring you the third instalment in our exclusive Interact 2025 speaker video series.
This time, we zoom in on one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic areas of digital advertising - Retail Media.
Recorded live at Interact 2025, Jason shares his perspective on the latest developments in Retail Media, why this space is gaining momentum across Europe, and what still needs to happen to unlock its full potential.
From his reflections on the role Interact plays in advancing industry collaboration, to the biggest challenges facing buyers and sellers in Retail Media today, Jason offers a candid, expert take on where the market is heading, and why he’s excited about what’s coming next.
Our Interact 2025 conference, held on 20th–21st May at nHow Brussels, brought together Europe’s digital advertising community for two days of big ideas and bold discussions.
Under the theme ‘Digital Skylight - Clarity and Purpose for 2025 and Beyond’, the event covered everything from policy and sustainability to programmatic, Retail Media, and more, all designed to equip the industry with the insights needed for the year ahead.
👉 Watch the event highlights here
👉 Catch up on our first Q&A with Dr. Daniel Knapp here
👉 Catch up on our second Q&A with Magnite here
Retail Media is growing fast, but it can’t keep growing on hype alone. As investment surges and new players enter the space, the need for shared standards, consistent measurement, and true cross-industry collaboration has never been greater.
That’s why we wanted to launch a new kind of event to meet the moment. One designed not as a traditional conference, but as a working Summit, built entirely around the people shaping the future of the space.
Our Retail Media Impact Summit, taking place on 24th September in Amsterdam, is not your typical conference. With no panels or product pitches, the event will centre on collaborative roundtables, focused workshops, and a clear set of industry goals.
Hosted in partnership with VIA, the Summit will bring 150 senior leaders from across the ecosystem together to roll up their sleeves and work on the industry’s next chapter, together.
Here are 5 reasons why you should be one of them:
1. It’s Europe’s First Retail Media Leadership Summit
This is the first event of its kind in Europe. Fully dedicated to Retail Media and curated for senior decision-makers. It’s an exclusive opportunity to connect with leaders from retail, brands, agencies, ad tech, and more, all focused on the same goal: shaping what’s next.
2. It’s Designed to Deliver Real Outcomes
Forget panels and product pitches. This Summit is built around action, from roundtable discussions to live whitepaper drafting sessions. It’s where strategic challenges will be tackled head-on and new industry standards will be co-created in real time.
3. Tackle the Topics That Matter Most
Dive into six key themes driving the future of Retail Media:
These focused sessions are led by key leaders and designed to generate frameworks and guidance that the industry can adopt.
4. Hear from the Experts Building the Future
Get insights from industry trailblazers, including our Chief Economist, Daniel Knapp, and Drew Cashmore, the former leader behind major global Retail Media operations. These keynote moments will frame the big picture and spark deeper discussion.
5. Build Meaningful Connections in an Intimate Setting
With just 150 attendees, the Summit offers a rare chance to connect in-depth with peers. Whether over a working session, coffee break, or evening networking dinner, you’ll build the kinds of partnerships that push your strategy and the industry forward.
Spaces are filling up fast. If you want to be part of building a more connected, more effective, and more scalable Retail Media landscape, this is the room to be in.
Find out more here and register below to secure your place.
Don’t forget, if you’re an IAB Europe member, you have access to discounted tickets.
It’s now or never! There's only one week left to submit your work for the 2025 MIXX Awards Europe at the early bird rate (deadline: Thursday, 7th August). Secure your entry now and save up to €120 per campaign.
The MIXX Awards Europe celebrate the very best in digital advertising creativity and effectiveness across the continent. Recognising campaigns that combine strategic brilliance, inspiring creativity, and measurable results, the MIXX Awards provide a prestigious stage for agencies, advertisers, and media owners to showcase their work at a pan-European level.
Entries are judged by a jury of senior digital experts from brands, agencies, and publishers, making this one of the most respected honours in the industry. Winners don’t just take home trophies; they gain industry visibility, peer benchmarking, and a powerful business credential.
Whether you're innovating with AI, mastering CTV, driving impact through branded content, or pushing the boundaries of media integration, the MIXX Awards Europe are where Europe’s best digital stories are told and celebrated.
View the full list of 2024 MIXX Awards Europe winners to explore the campaigns that set the bar.
Why Check Them Out?
Key Takeaways from 2024 Successes
Get Inspired, Enter Now
Last year’s MIXX winners offer an invaluable roadmap: clear strategy, unmatched creativity, tangible results, and media innovation. Check them out, get inspired, and craft a submission that's not just award‑worthy, but memorable.
Let’s make your campaign future‑proof and campaign-worthy at MIXX 2025.
View our MIXX Awards page here
Access the Entry notes here
In this blog post, Andrei Baragan, CTO, Cedara, and IAB Europe’s Data Analyst & Sustainability Lead, Dimitris Beis, explore how the latest version of the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF v1.2) marks a significant step forward in the advertising industry’s journey towards meaningful climate action.
Backed by a benchmarking study conducted by Cedara and leading media organisations, they highlight why data fidelity is essential for a sustainable media future.
As the issue of environmental sustainability matures in the advertising industry, the spotlight is increasingly shifting from intentions to implementation, especially when it comes to quantifying and reducing carbon emissions across the digital media supply chain. Transparent and robust carbon measurement is no longer optional; it is foundational to building a sustainable media ecosystem.
To meet this critical need, the newly released Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) v1.2 provides a robust and standardised methodology for measuring carbon emissions in programmatic media. This version introduces a hierarchical approach to emissions data quality, explicitly prioritising contributed data—actual, supplier-provided metrics—as the gold standard for emissions reporting. By structuring the methodology around data fidelity, the GMSF empowers advertisers, publishers, and ad tech providers to make better-informed decisions that drive meaningful emissions reductions.
At the core of GMSF v1.2 is a clear and pragmatic data hierarchy that categorises the input data, i.e., the data required to obtain emissions figures using the GMSF, into levels. For example, the component of the GMSF methodology that addresses the volume of programmatic activity behind an impression features the following data levels:
This tiered model offers a scalable path for the industry to progress from relying on generalised assumptions towards creating a shared foundation for operational carbon reduction that is reliably quantified.
To assess the real-world impact of this data hierarchy, four leading media and advertising organisations: DPG Media, iq digital, GumGum, and Adnuntius partnered with Cedara to conduct a comprehensive benchmarking study. The goal was to quantify carbon emissions intensity (grams CO₂e per impression) across all three GMSF data tiers.
The results were both compelling and consistent. Across the board, the use of contributed data yielded dramatically lower emissions intensity figures compared to estimation-based methods.
| Company | Contributed Data | Ads.txt Proxy | Standard Defaults | Estimate Improvement* |
| Adnuntius | 0.10 g CO₂e | 0.47 g CO₂e | 0.79 g CO₂e | 4X+ |
| DPG Media | 0.13 g CO₂e | 0.43 g CO₂e | 0.82 g CO₂e | 3X+ |
| GumGum | 0.16 g CO₂e | 0.33 g CO₂e | 0.81 g CO₂e | 2X+ |
| iq digital | 0.09 g CO₂e | 0.45 g CO₂e | 0.77 g CO₂e | 5X+ |
* reduction in emissions estimate arising from using contributed data over the ads.txt proxy
These findings validate a central design principle of GMSF v1.2: the closer the data source is to the actual transaction, the more reliable, and often lower, the resulting emissions estimate will be. By enabling advertisers and publishers to move beyond proxies and defaults, contributed data offers a path toward more accountable, defensible, and climate-conscious media buying.
The implications of these results are profound. For brands under pressure to decarbonise their marketing operations, sourcing emissions figures based on contributed data is not just a technical preference; it’s a strategic imperative. Accurate emissions data empowers advertisers to prioritise lower-carbon inventory, influence partner selection, and drive competitive advantage through credible sustainability claims.
For publishers and ad tech platforms, the message is clear: transparency pays off. By enabling access to real data, they can better position themselves as low-emission media partners and strengthen trust with sustainability-minded buyers.
Furthermore, by standardising expectations around data fidelity, GMSF v1.2 lays the groundwork for a cleaner media supply chain, one where carbon is no longer an invisible cost of digital reach.
As media decarbonisation gains momentum, frameworks like GMSF v1.2 represent a critical leap forward in how the industry measures, manages, and ultimately reduces its environmental impact. The evidence from Cedara’s benchmarking study reinforces that data quality matters, and that contributed data is not just more accurate, it’s transformational.
For an industry long reliant on estimates and assumptions, the path to net zero now begins with real numbers. And the sooner stakeholders embrace them, the faster the media ecosystem can realise a more sustainable, transparent, and accountable future.
The benchmarking analysis examined one month of advertising data, focusing on the top 1,000 publishers by impression volume for each participating vendor. The study calculated Ad Selection emissions—encompassing both server processing and network transmission—using the three data levels defined in GMSF v1.2.
For contributed data calculations, actual bid logs provided precise bid volumes and request counts for the vendors, which were then extended to estimate rest of supply chain activity using GMSF multipliers.
The ads.txt proxy method applied standardised coefficients (1.412 for server emissions, 1.464 for network emissions) to the number of lines in each publisher's ads.txt file, with a default assumption of 3,000 lines where ads.txt files were unavailable.
To isolate the impact of data quality on Ad Selection emissions specifically, other emission components such as Creative Transmission and User Device were held constant across all three measurement approaches.
Following the release of our first exclusive Q&A with Dr. Daniel Knapp, where we unpacked the AdEx 2024 findings and broader market trends, we're excited to share the second instalment in our Interact 2025 speaker video series.
This time, we turn our attention to one of the hottest topics in digital advertising right now - Connected TV (CTV).
Recorded live at Interact 2025, Rebecca shares her expert insights into the current state of the CTV landscape, why it’s generating so much buzz, and what’s needed to overcome the challenges still holding it back.
From audience fragmentation and measurement hurdles to exciting innovation and increased investment, this candid conversation looks at where CTV is heading over the next 12 months and what brands, agencies, and publishers should be thinking about now.
Our Interact 2025 conference, held on 20th–21st May at nHow Brussels, brought together Europe’s digital advertising community for two days of big ideas and bold discussions.
Under the theme ‘Digital Skylight - Clarity and Purpose for 2025 and Beyond’, the event covered everything from policy and sustainability to programmatic, Retail Media, and more, all designed to equip the industry with the insights needed for the year ahead.
👉 Watch the event highlights here
👉 Catch up on our first Q&A with Dr. Daniel Knapp here
Stay tuned for more expert interviews from Interact 2025 in the coming weeks!
23rd July, 2025, Brussels, Belgium - As part of the European Commission's ongoing efforts to reduce regulatory burden and strengthen Europe’s digital competitiveness, IAB Europe has submitted written input on two key legislative initiatives: the GDPR Implementation Dialogue and the Review of the ePrivacy Directive.
These contributions reflect the industry’s commitment to constructive dialogue and effective regulation that protects fundamental rights while enabling innovation and growth in the European digital advertising sector.
IAB Europe advocates for a proportional, truly risk-based approach to enforcement and compliance under the GDPR. Our recommendations aim to:
Download our full input on the GDPR Implementation Dialogue here.
The ePrivacy framework must evolve to reflect the realities of today’s digital ecosystem. IAB Europe supports:
Download our position on the ePrivacy Directive Review here.
Our latest Attitudes to Retail Media Report was released last week. And it’s our most comprehensive look at the state of Retail Media across Europe yet.
Based on insights from over 180 industry professionals spanning 31 markets, the 2025 report captures perspectives from advertisers, agencies, retailers, and ad tech providers. It tracks how strategies are evolving, which areas are gaining traction, and where the biggest opportunities and barriers exist.
Retail Media has become one of the fastest-growing segments of digital advertising in Europe, but it’s not without its growing pains. This year’s findings show significant momentum in investment and innovation, but also highlight a need for greater standardisation, improved measurement, and cross-industry alignment.
Below, we explore the top five trends from the report, and how they set the stage for deeper, action-driven conversations at our upcoming Retail Media Impact Summit in Amsterdam this September.
1. Partnerships Are Getting Stronger & Broader
This shows that Retail Media is becoming an embedded part of long-term brand strategy, and that buyers are expanding their Retail Media mix.
2. On‑site Dominates, but Off‑site Is Gaining Momentum
As Retail Media matures, brands are increasingly activating it across the full customer journey, blending retailer data with broader media touchpoints.
3. Data & Emerging Channels Fuel Growth
Retail Media is becoming more integrated, data-driven, and omnichannel, with significant room to innovate.
4. Fragmentation & Lack of Standards Still Block Progress
Despite enthusiasm and investment, the sector is still navigating siloed approaches, complex tech stacks, and varying measurement frameworks.
5. Measurement and Transparency Are Essential
Marketers are demanding not just results, but a shared understanding of how those results are measured and communicated.
These findings set the stage. But now we need to turn them into tangible progress. That’s exactly the aim of our Retail Media Impact Summit on 24th September in Amsterdam:
No panels. No product pitches. Just real conversations and practical workshops led by the people driving the future of Retail Media.
Expect:
This Summit isn’t just a discussion. It’s your opportunity to help shape the future of Retail Media in Europe.
Move Retail Media beyond hype, toward standards, measurement, and collective impact. Together, we can drive the next chapter for Europe’s Retail Media ecosystem.
Find out more here and register now to secure your place.
