The Trade Desk’s first Open Forum in Dubai brought together leading advertisers, agencies, media owners and technology partners to examine a growing challenge for modern marketers: if consumer behaviour has changed dramatically, why do media investment decisions so often remain the same?
Setting the scene, Terry Kane, Managing Director – Africa, Middle East & Turkey at The Trade Desk, spoke about the continued investment in content and technology in the region and the real opportunity for brands to get exposed to growing audiences in a very premium environment. “This region gives us enormous reason to be ambitious, but it takes collaboration to make that opportunity work commercially. We have to connect creative and quality media with the technology and the measurement to help businesses grow. Bringing the perspectives of advertisers, agencies, media owners, tech partners into the same room is key to drive the industry forward.”
Across conversations on CTV, Audio, DOOH and AI, there was a central question: are media strategies really adapting to changing consumer behaviour, or are advertisers continuing to invest in what feels familiar? Education emerged as the common thread with a need for greater understanding of what premium channels offer, how to measure their contribution, and how to use them effectively.
Consumer behaviour has moved away from planning behaviour
Consumers now spend 61% of their media time on the great open internet, but only 30% of the media investment goes there. “Consumers have moved on, but the budgets haven’t”, said Lukas Fassbender, Senior Vice President EMEA at The Trade Desk.
Despite having more data, better measurement and advanced AI tools than ever before, marketers often continue to make the same media investment decisions. Research from The Trade Desk looked into this and found there’s a clear behavioural bias:
- 72% of respondents believed that the channels that are easier to buy and easier to measure receive more credit just because it’s simpler to measure
- 75% feel more confident investing in social because they’re more familiar with it
- 68% of marketers that responded believe it is riskier to disinvest in social, despite the alternatives available
The reasons? An efficiency loop in which familiarity bias, risk aversion and easily quantified results reinforce existing media choices. “We overinvest in short term success versus long term impact when making media planning decisions. This weakens our long-term strategy, and is actually hurting durable brand growth. We don’t create as much future demand because we focus on servicing what’s existing. Less brand activity weakens brand recall and the trust in the brand. Acquisition costs rise and sales flatten. I say advertising has never grown brands less.”
Premium media delivers 58% percent more attentive seconds per dollar spent and creates 12% higher market share. According to Lukas it’s not about deciding to invest in one channel or the other but for every channel to earn its place, depending on its contribution to growth.
Why Premium Wins in CTV
The CTV panel brought together leaders from Netflix, OSN+, MBC Shahid and Disney+ for the first time on the same stage, connecting global storytelling perspectives with regional audience expertise.
A central insight was that audiences define what’s premium through the content they choose to engage with, and that premium storytelling belongs in a premium environment.
The panel explored why premium wins in CTV and how we can continue to grow its role in the region. This includes a better understanding of the effectiveness and measurement as CTV continues to advance. For brands, this means evaluating more than the volume of impressions delivered and recognising that premium content cannot compensate for weak advertising. Creative must suit the environment and deserve the viewer’s attention.
Cultural relevance adds another dimension. Local storytelling requires an understanding of language, culture and dialects, identities and relatable characters, with local stories having the power to travel and resonate internationally, an opportunity to create long term brand value.
Education is critical because not all impressions carry the same value. Premium CTV connects brands with audiences who actively choose and engage with content, creating value beyond reach alone. However, premium environments still require premium creative. Advertisers must earn attention, not simply buy it. While reach and impressions are easy to measure, attention is harder to capture, making it even more important for marketers to understand why premium CTV commands a premium.
Audio: building confidence through testing
In the Audio discussion, with perspectives from Anghami, Next Audio and Capital.com, the panel was challenged on some of the misconceptions around audio: that it’s small, niche, difficult to measure and expensive.
According to 2026 YouGov research, 81% of UAE respondents consume audio or video podcasts on a daily basis compared with 54% in the US, and the UAE is the global number one podcast consumer market. What makes audio particularly interesting is that it gives brands access to attention when people aren’t looking at a screen.
Yet, advertising investment in audio hasn’t necessarily moved at the same speed as audience behaviour, demonstrating the behaviour gap Lukas identified in audio as well.
The audience has moved. The technology has moved. The measurement has moved. Media plans need to move too.
Experiences shared during the session illustrated how audio can support commercial outcomes when creative and attribution reflect the way audiences listen and respond. Its role across the customer journey deserves consideration beyond a simple comparison with channels built around clicks.
Today, investment remains constrained by the demand for existing proof points. Advertisers want evidence before testing, while developing relevant evidence requires someone to commit.
The practical outcome is a case for disciplined experimentation: clear objectives, suitable measurement and a willingness to learn. Education, once again, was highlighted as a tool to create the confidence to begin that process.
“Nobody wants to be the proof. Everyone is looking for proof points. We need to stop waiting for the proofpoint and start leaning into the channel and be the proof.”
DOOH: closing the capability gap
The DOOH stage was moderated by Ashnee Thacker from the Trade Desk, with panellists from Hypermedia, WPP Media, and JCDecaux Middle East, and they didn’t hold back.
The discussion highlighted a clear gap between available technology and market understanding. The discussion echoed a recurring theme from the day: the challenge isn’t a lack of technology, but a gap between what is possible and what advertisers feel confident enough to do. The scale of locations, capability on measurement and verification is already in the market, but awareness of what’s possible hasn’t caught up yet. Also here, more education is needed across clients and agency partners alongside the technology and supply vendors to make this happen.
Programmatic capabilities offer opportunities for audience-informed planning, dynamic creative and measurement. Yet traditional buying habits and limited awareness can restrict their use.
Integrating DOOH at the start of campaign planning gives teams greater scope to connect it with other channels and develop creative around the objective. Realising its potential requires stronger briefs and creative ambition alongside technical knowledge.
Education is key to show what DOOH can do and the value it can create. What’s needed is for brands to be brave and to step outside their comfort zone. We need brands to test, to try and to learn, to close that skill gap.
From insight to action
Dr. Noah Raford’s closing keynote on AI widened the discussion to the relationship between technology, creativity and culture. Alongside Lukas’ warning about flawed objectives, it reinforced the importance of human judgement as automation advances.
Across every discussion, from CTV and Audio to DOOH and AI, the challenge was not a lack of technology, data or opportunity. The challenge was making different decisions. Closing the growth gap will require marketers to move beyond familiarity and align investment with how consumers actually spend their time and attention. Education is the starting point, but action is what ultimately drives growth.
Read more: UAE shoppers want AI to find the deal, not close it: just 19% comfortable letting it buy for them
