From Our CMO’s Desk — Transparency Is Strategy
When the market forces you to open the books, call it innovation. Google’s charm offensive proves that trust has become adtech’s most valuable inventory.
Go Deeper
The new program lets agencies unlock tiered discounts once they hit specific spend thresholds starting at $50 million annually and scaling up from there. It’s a reward model borrowed from SSP competitors who have long courted agencies more openly.
For two decades, AdX’s pricing has been a mystery, even to major holding companies. Some buyers said they could not calculate how much Google actually took on every programmatic dollar. The new deals represent the first sign of structural transparency.
Scott Ensign, CSO of Butler/Till, said that for the first time in 20 years he actually spoke to an AdX rep in person, a testament to how insulated the platform had become.
Agencies say the move feels like a “hearts-and-minds” campaign a gesture to maintain relevance as competitors like Magnite and The Trade Desk make agency relationships their strategic edge.
The pilot program, running since early 2025, has reportedly delivered small but meaningful rebates, typically across three pricing tiers. Google reps also began seeking agency feedback during product development, a first for the historically closed ecosystem.
This outreach coincides with legal and competitive pressure. In September, a U.S. court ruled Google’s ad exchange and publisher ad server operations violated antitrust laws by tying DoubleClick for Publishers with AdX.
Forrester analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf calls the new flexibility “a survival instinct,” suggesting Google is future-proofing its adtech arm should regulators force a breakup.
Despite the discounts, some agencies remain cautious. Many already enjoy deeper incentives from other SSPs and say Google’s offers still fall short of parity.
Still, the gesture signals an attitude shift. AdX is no longer acting like an untouchable monopoly but a business willing to negotiate to preserve its scale.
Bottom Line:
Google’s AdX is trading control for credibility. In an industry built on trust and data, that might be its smartest buy yet.
Published: October 22, 2025
Sources: Digiday, “Google’s AdX unit has begun striking deals with media agencies,” Oct 22, 2025.
