The expansion of channels such as CTV, DOOH, and audio is unlocking a new world of creative ad experiences and levelling the playing field for many independent agencies, according to Martin Roberts, sales director at Adform. With more than two decades of experience working across all sides of the ad ecosystem, from Sky to Mail Online and Dentsu, Roberts reveals how fragmentation across these channels is exposing serious cracks in measurement and workflow capabilities — and what indies must get right to turn omnichannel ambition into measurable performance.
For independent agencies, the media landscape has never been more exciting or complex. Barriers that once kept advanced omnichannel advertising out of reach are falling fast. Channels like Connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home (DOOH), and connected audio have evolved rapidly, and programmatic formats and omnichannel campaigns that once were available only to large holding companies are now within reach of smaller agencies.
But fast growth has introduced fragmentation at a pace many indie workflows were not designed to handle, let alone optimise for.
Recent research underscores the challenge. Almost two-thirds of marketers cite cross-channel reconciliation or measurement as the biggest obstacles in CTV. And fragmentation isn’t limited to TV: mobile, audio, gaming, and other digital environments face the same issues.
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For reporting to clients, if you can’t measure it, you can’t prove return-on-investment. At a time when budgets need to connect to real outcomes, agencies need to master the omnichannel puzzle.
This is both a challenge and an opportunity. Get it right, putting innovation and flexibility at the heart of workflows and technology integration, and indies can lean into their agility and outmanoeuvre the larger players.
The promise and pressure of an expanded channel mix
One of the biggest changes in the industry is the transformation of traditionally top-of-funnel channels thanks to programmatic. DOOH is no longer just a creative showstopper, but one that can deliver sophisticated metrics like ad recall and purchase intent, and also respond in real time to local context. Whether that be a sudden downpour, nearby live gig or the outcome of a football game.
Likewise, CTV can now combine broad impact with granular targeting, reporting, and connected audio allows for highly personalised campaigns across streaming services and podcasts. When all these channels are working in unison, the result is consistent messaging that scales from the living room to public spaces.
Take a festive campaign for a Manchester retailer. DOOH screens in the city centre can highlight time-limited holiday deals during a busy shopping weekend. CTV ads can target households across Greater Manchester, timed around a City game at the Etihad, while streaming audio spots can run during commute hours with reminders about seasonal offers.
Programmatic connects all of these channels, managing delivery frequency with creative tailored to moments of high intent. This omnichannel approach enables agencies to deliver consistent, highly relevant messages that ensure a seamless ad experience and drive game-changing outcomes. What’s more, it’s measurable, so clients can see how their budgets are working in real time.
But the promise of omnichannel only works if data is reconciled and measurement is aligned. Otherwise, each channel operates in isolation, optimisation becomes guesswork, and proving return on investment becomes difficult.
Solving the puzzle: identity, measurement, and operational discipline
The biggest barrier to effective omnichannel campaigns isn’t the channels themselves; it’s the gaps between them. Fragmented systems, inconsistent data, and legacy workflows are preventing agencies from realising the full value from environments that are now measurable. The breakthrough, however, is how identity solutions can now bridge channels that used to sit in silos.
For example, historically, DOOH was plagued by opaque reporting and fragmented planning tools; activation demanded specialist ops teams and heavy technical lift. Today, unified media buying workflows and third-party measurement integrations let a single media buyer manage end-to-end activation. This includes advanced tools for geo-planning.
That said, identity and tech are only part of the story. Agencies need operational discipline. When workflows are built around a single source of truth, every data point, from a DOOH exposure in Leeds to a CTV completion in Stockport, feeds into one measurement framework. That’s what enables real optimisation, credible forecasting, and defensible client reporting.
Closing the gaps
The democratisation of programmatic tech gives indies flexibility and speed. But turning that into a business advantage takes a mindset shift: embrace sophisticated identity solutions, lean on independent measurement partners, and embed operational standards so all campaigns are auditable. Start small, test fast, and prove impact. Do that, and omnichannel stops being a puzzle and becomes a performance lever: better reach, clearer attribution, and campaigns that genuinely move the needle for clients.
Technology has levelled the playing field. Agencies that pair it with discipline will not just survive, they’ll lead. Independents have the agility to make that happen; now they need the commitment to see it through.
