There was a time when media publishing was all about targeting. But today, the mission has evolved. It’s no longer only about targeting. It’s about delivering “experiences that connect”. Modern advertisers expect collaborative partnerships where media publishers understand their goals and offer total transparency across the campaign lifecycle.
But despite rapid innovation and massive investments by media publishers regarding this, a burgeoning gap still persists between what advertisers expect and what the media owners actually deliver.
The Illusion of Customer-Centricity
Some media companies believe they are customer-centric as they invest heavily in analytics platforms and audience measurement tools, and strongly believe it is sufficient to build customer-centric experiences.
But true customer-centricity isn’t about how much data you collect. It’s about how deeply every process aligns with what advertisers and their audiences actually need.
In reality, many organisations fall into the trap of what we call a “performative focus”. Such media publishers optimise internal operations and assume these improvements automatically enhance the external experience. This illusion of progress often widens the very gap it aims to close.
Here are some common mistakes media publishers make, resulting in the widening of this gap:
- Focusing on efficiency over empathy: Systems are upgraded to streamline internal workflows, not necessarily to improve the advertiser or audience journey.
- Measuring impressions, not impact: Metrics capture reach and frequency but overlook emotional resonance and engagement quality.
- Personalising messages, not experiences: Dynamic creatives change visuals or copy but don’t always adapt meaningfully to context or environment.
- Technology-led, not experience-led decisions: Investments are driven by market trends or vendor pitches rather than genuine customer insight.
What Advertisers Actually Want Today?
Today’s advertisers don’t just want access to better targeting; they want experiences that are contextual and meaningful. Here are some of their expectations from the media publishers:
Connected Experiences
Advertisers today expect an omnichannel experience. They want a single, unified view of how their audiences engage across touchpoints. The same expectation extends to their end consumers.
According to them, their consumers should encounter only relevant, cohesive brand messaging wherever they are. Media publishers that deliver such connected experiences are the ones that command both advertiser trust and audience attention.
Personalisation That Adds Context
Unlike other digital channels, advertising doesn’t speak to individuals. It speaks to moments. Customers want personalisation that adapts to context, not personal data. Dynamic content that changes based on weather, traffic, time of the day, or even real-time events can turn a static ad into an engaging experience.
According to one study, contextually relevant content, triggered by the above factors, boosts ad effectiveness by an average of 17%. Advertisers know this and are increasingly drawn to media partners who can deliver this kind of adaptive storytelling.
Transparency and Measurability
Advertisers expect the same level of transparency from you that they get from any tech platform they use for their day-to-day operations. They want clear metrics around ROI, not vague estimates or delayed reports.
Transparency builds trust, and measurable results validate investment. Media publishers who provide real-time analytics and verifiable delivery gain an edge by proving that every screen and every second counts.
Value Beyond Visibility
Visibility alone no longer defines success in the media industry. Advertisers seek value beyond reach. They want relevance and brand lift. They are looking for media partners who understand their campaign objectives and use technology strategically to amplify results.
For audiences, value comes from creativity that informs or delights in the moment. The real winners are networks that combine scale with storytelling. Fun fact: 55% of Gen Z respondents are drawn to media displaying dynamic content that delights them.
Reliability
Behind every great campaign lies reliable infrastructure. Advertisers expect media publishers to maintain consistent uptime and flawless content delivery. A single technical glitch or ad scheduling delay can compromise brand perception. Consistency, both in performance and execution, reinforces confidence and ensures that innovation doesn’t come at the cost of dependability.
How Salesforce Can Help Close this Gap?
Bridging the experience gap in the media industry isn’t just about adopting more technology; it’s about integrating the right technology to streamline operations and deliver meaningful insights that drive better experiences for both advertisers and their audiences. That’s exactly where Salesforce makes the difference. Here are the different ways in which Salesforce helps close the experience gap:
Unified Customer View Across Channels
Salesforce brings all campaign and audience data into a single, connected ecosystem. Instead of fragmented systems for sales and campaign management, you gain a 360-degree view of every customer. It leads to more relevant interactions across the lifecycle.
Data-Driven Decision Making
With Salesforce’s analytics and AI capabilities, you can move beyond surface metrics like impressions and clicks to understand real campaign impact. AI-powered insights reveal performance patterns and predict advertiser needs. It also helps your sales teams proactively recommend solutions that truly add value.
Streamlined Workflows and Automation
Manual campaign coordination and disconnected approvals often create inefficiencies that hurt both internal teams and clients. Salesforce automates these workflows, ensuring that campaign bookings and approvals move seamlessly through different teams. It saves time while improving accuracy and accountability.
Personalised, Contextual Experiences
Salesforce enables you to deliver personalisation that goes beyond creative variation. By integrating CRM data with ad delivery systems, you can design campaigns that adapt to real-time context. It could be the location or even the audience segment. The key is to maintain consistency across channels, which, in turn, will lead to contextual relevance without operational chaos.
Transparent Reporting and Trust
Salesforce helps you with real-time visibility into campaign performance and service delivery through customisable dashboards and client portals. This transparency builds trust and demonstrates accountability at every stage of the relationship.
A Foundation for Continuous Improvement
Finally, Salesforce provides the infrastructure for continuous optimisation. Its scalable platform allows you to integrate new technologies like programmatic or AI-based targeting, without disrupting existing systems. This flexibility ensures that innovation always serves advertiser experience, not the other way around.
How Brysa can Help?
We are a leading Salesforce consultant known for our end-to-end implementation services. We can integrate Salesforce solutions into your ecosystem to create a unified view of advertisers and automate campaign workflows. By aligning technology with advertiser expectations, we ensure every campaign is transparent and contextually relevant, enabling you to move from transactional relationships to collaborative, experience-led partnerships. Contact us to know more about how we can help.