[Watch on Demand] Advertising Horizons 2025

On the 4th of February 2025, digital advertising EU policy took centre stage in Brussels at our first dedicated policy event Advertising Horizons 2025.

With over 150 people in attendance, we saw European industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers come together to explore the future of our industry, delving into integral policy matters that will shape the road ahead. 

Featuring exclusive panel sessions with policymakers and industry experts, quick-fire lightning talks, case studies, and more it was a day filled with powerful insights, practical takeaways, and all-important opportunities to connect with peers and the “EU bubble”. 

The agenda covered key issues such as digital skills, the EU’s digitisation gap, consumer protection policies, and data protection.

Throughout the sessions, speakers highlighted the vital role of digital advertising:

• As an engine for economic growth and a key tool for businesses - large and small - seeking to digitise.
• As a driver of high-end software engineering and digital skills, creating future-ready jobs at the intersection of data, AI, and the creative industries.
• As a crucial funding source for independent media and journalism, ensuring access to quality news for all.
• As a system that empowers users to choose between paying for content or viewing ads, all within the framework of the EU’s strict privacy and data protection laws.

To help you relive the event and explore the key insights from the day, we've provided overviews of our standout sessions below, complete with on-demand videos for you to watch in your own time.

Watch the Recap Video here.

For a deeper dive into the main takeaways from our standout sessions, check out our blog post here.

Opening Keynote - Townsend Feehan, CEO of IAB Europe

The event began with our CEO, Townsend Feehan, taking to the stage to set the tone for the day’s discussions. In her opening remarks, she described the event as an invitation to all to explore the benefits digital advertising brings to Europe’s society and economy, the hard facts that must be acknowledged and overcome, and the opportunities it offers to enhance competitiveness and accelerate the future of the EU. 

“Today’s event is an invitation.  An invitation extended to everyone who wants Europe’s internet to reflect its values – values such as equity, freedom, peace, democracy, and sustainability.   The invitation is to explore with us the benefits that digital advertising brings to Europe’s society and economy, the challenges that accompany those benefits, and the opportunity it provides to advance the strategic autonomy and competitiveness goals that top the new Commission’s agenda.” 

Keynote: How is Innovation and Creativity Shaping the Future of the European Digital Advertising Industry

“It’s time to restart Europe’s innovation engine” - EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen

Following the opening remarks from our CEO, Daniel Knapp took to the stage to discuss the roles of innovation and creativity in driving our industry forward.

Watch the session recording here.

Keynote: How Can Creative Ads Fuel Innovation

Next up, Fabien Le Roux, Head of Creative Department at TikTok talked us through the power of creativity in driving innovation. He discussed how TikTok is reshaping the entertainment category by prioritising creativity. This ranges from simple visuals to ideas that unlock new ways of engaging audiences. 

With creators now replacing traditional influencers as the new currency of entertainment, TikTok provides a good example of how new technologies can drive significant economic growth for small businesses and help fuel both creative industries and advertising by bringing bold ideas back to the forefront. 

Watch the session recording here. 

Panel Discussion: Skills Gap - How to Address the Mismatch Between Today’s Digital Skills and Tomorrow’s Needs

Our first panel looked to tackle the digital skills gap in Europe. Moderated by VIA Netherlands’ Director, Saskia Baneke, the following panellist looked to bridge the gap between the digital skills available today and what is needed to drive the future of our industry tomorrow:

• Romain Lerallut, VP, Head of Criteo AI Lad, Criteo 
• Andrea Calbeaza, Senior Manager, Government Affairs, Microsoft 
• Saskia Van Uffelen, Manager Future, Workforce, Agoria

Watch the session recording here. 

Case Study: Innovation Gap - How Do European Start-Ups Innovate and Grow Through Creative Digital Ads?

After a short coffee break, we were straight back into some great content with a case study from Teresa Solman, Digital Media Team Leader at Allegro, and Martyna Dziubek, Head of Marketing & NPD at Yope. The duo demonstrated how the two companies worked together to make the local Polish brand more marketable, utilising smart optimisation and personalisation through Retail Media to communicate key messages directly and transparently.

Watch the session recording here.  

Panel Discussion: Digitisation Gap - How to Incentivise the Efforts of EU Businesses to Develop Innovative Ways of Creating Value Online

Our next panel took to the stage to discuss how we can encourage businesses in Europe to develop greater value in the online world through innovation and collaboration. Moderated by IAB Ireland’s CEO, Suzanne McElligott, the panel of speakers included:

• Marco Giorello, Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT)
• Rhys Nölke, Chief Data Officer, Bertelsmann 
• Thomas Lue Lytzen, Director, Ad Sales & Tech at Ekstra Bladet 
• Patrick Waelbroeck, Professor of Economics, Telecom Paris / Institut Polytechnique de Paris 

Watch the session recording here. 

Panel Discussion: How to Ensure that Personalised Advertising Benefits Consumers and Businesses Alike

We then moved the conversation to focus more on the benefits of personalisation to consumers and businesses in Europe. Moderated by Jacob Dexe, Public Affairs Manager at IAB Sweden, the following panellists discussed personalised advertising and how regulatory and trust-related challenges can influence its effectiveness.

• Stacey Featherston, Public Policy Manager, Meta 
• Stevan Randjelovic, Head of Public Policy & Industry Affairs, WPP 
• Marco Pierani, Director of Public Affairs & Media Relations at Euroconsumers 
• Maria-Myrto Kanellopoulou, Head of Unit, Consumer Law, DG JUST

Watch the session recording here. 

Keynote: How do Creative Ads Address Societal Challenges?

It was then time to shift gears back to creativity. Welcoming to the stage Shahnaz Ahmed, Director of Creative and Innovation from The Social Element agency, the audience saw how creative campaigns can influence people to do more.

During the session, she shared several creative advertising examples that didn’t need big moments to make an impact. From the Assume I Can So Maybe I Will campaign that highlighted and supported those with Down Syndrome, to fictional characters that encouraged meat eaters to take on a more vegetarian lifestyle, we saw how putting the ‘What If’ and creativity at the centre of campaigns can move very human problems into measurable impact for brands. 

Watch the session recording here. 

Case Study: The Future of Fraud Fighting

From creative examples to battling bots. Jack Smith, Chief Innovation Officer at DoubleVerify then took us through the current status of ad fraud and ways in which this challenge can be addressed. He emphasised that industry collaboration was important in this area and that we all need to spot the anomalies as they appear to protect advertisers. 

Watch the session recording here. 

Panel Discussion: How to Enable Privacy and Innovation in Digital Advertising

The final panel of the day, saw Matthew Newman, Global Chief Correspondent at MLex lead a discussion on how the industry can work with policymakers to ensure privacy and innovation are achieved. The following speakers shared their thoughts on how to tackle the intersection of data privacy, technological advancement, and regulatory frameworks. 

• Oliver Pischke, Global Digital Director, Kantar 
• Kamal Janardhan, Sr. Director of Product Management, Google 
• Pierre Devoize, Deputy MD in charge of Public Affairs, Alliance Digitale 
• Karolina Mojzesowicz, Deputy Head of Unit, DG JUST C3 

Watch the session recording here. 

Keynote Presentation: Closing the Gap

To conclude a day filled with deep insight and innovation,  Achim Schlosser, VP of Global Data Standards, Bertelsmann walked us through how we can all seize the opportunity of advertising as an economic growth engine by fostering data and innovation in a digital Europe.

He showcased how the Industry has responded to regulatory requirements, creating building blocks for a European digital “infrastructure”, including the great work of IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) and how a new collaborative approach is needed to promote consumer choice and unlock Europe’s digital business potential, enabled by trusted interlocutors like IAB Europe. 

Watch the session recording here. 

Lightning Talks

Beyond the main stage discussions, our Lightning Talks provided rapid and impactful deep dives into some of the most critical questions shaping the digital landscape today. Delivered by senior industry experts from our member companies, these sessions offered clarity on topics ranging from privacy and consumer trust to the evolving role of innovation and technology.

Key sessions included:

• “Why Are There Ads Everywhere I Go on the Internet?“
  Christer Ljones, Director of Ad Data Capabilities, Schibsted Marketing Services explored how ad targeting works, the mechanics behind digital advertising, and why users see certain ads across platforms.
• “How Do SMBs Unlock Growth Through Advertising?“
  Benjamin Cohen, CEO & Founder, Y-Brush examined how small and medium-sized businesses can leverage digital advertising to scale their operations effectively.
• “Why Do We Need Cookies?“
  Stuart Wilkinson, Senior Business Development Director, Kantar provided a breakdown of the role cookies play in online advertising, their impact on measurement, and potential alternatives.
• “What Will An Internet Without Personalised Ads Look Like?“
  Alexander Whalen, Public Policy Manager, EU Affairs, Meta considered the implications of a cookieless future, the economic impact, and potential shifts in advertising strategies.
• “Is Contextual Advertising Economically Viable?“
  Lionel Basdevant, Senior Product Director, Criteo discussed the resurgence of contextual targeting and whether it can deliver comparable value to personalised advertising.
• “Will Technology Innovations be a Game Changer For Data Protection?“
  Ari Levenfeld, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google assessed how emerging technologies can help balance data privacy with advertising effectiveness.
• “How Do You Design Consent Banners to Better Inform Consumers, Increase Their Trust and, Ideally, Their Consent Rate?“
  Prof. Max von Grafenstein, Professor of Law, Universität der Künste Berlin analysed best practices for consent banner design, exploring ways to enhance user understanding and improve engagement.

If you would also like to learn more about IAB Europe’s policy work, membership opportunities, and how you can get involved, please contact the team at communication@iabeurope.eu.