How Agencies Can Pitch Programmatic Advertising to Their Clients

Your client wants faster, more measurable results with fewer manual handoffs and greater agility. Yet, they resist the idea of advertising outside search or social media.

Meanwhile, programmatic systems are pulling in 96.8% of new display ad spend in 2025, and holding steady at 96% in 2026, according to EMARKETER forecasts. That means nearly every incremental dollar in display advertising is automated.

As an agency leader, you know that treating programmatic as optional is a risk. Clients expect nimble, transparent media buying that can shift on a dime and explain itself. Programmatic answers that demand, not by adding extra layers, but by providing baked-in automation, data, and control.

Programmatic has become the backbone of digital media, driving how budgets are spent, audiences are reached, and performance is measured. It offers the flexibility to pivot budgets in real time, the reach to intercept audiences across screens, and the data to show what’s actually working.

So, how do you pitch programmatic advertising to your clients? Following these seven steps.

1. Understand the Client’s Advertising Goals

Make this a conversation, not a pitch. Start by asking the big questions: Is the client trying to build awareness, drive leads, or close sales? Each objective shifts how you frame programmatic, not as a checklist of ad formats, but as a strategic map tailored to their goal.

They might say, “I need more brand energy,” or “We’re focused on leads this quarter.” Whatever it is, anchor your conversation there, then layer in how programmatic flexes across the funnel.

For example, show that programmatic doesn’t force you to pick bottom-of-funnel conversions or top-of-funnel visibility. It lets you have both:

• Awareness and storytelling: Programmatic-powered connected TV (CTV) brings cinematic storytelling to streaming-ready audiences, and can even boost purchase intent. Reports show a lift in purchase intent through CTV ads.
• Consideration and nurturing: Native and display ads sync with content environments and pull prospects deeper into the decision process.
• Conversion and retargeting: Once someone engages with an ad, programmatic’s strength in real-time bidding and audience segmentation reactivates them across channels with tailored messaging.

Lead with a Strategy, Not a Product List

What you’re offering isn’t “display here, native there, CTV over there.” You’re crafting a path:

• Start with the client’s goal. Are they looking for top-of-funnel or bottom-of-funnel opportunities?
• Match the format to the mindset. Use CTV or programmatic video to tell stories, native or display to educate and engage, then retarget where intent exists.
• Unify the journey, don’t fragment it. Show how each channel builds on the previous to move the audience forward.

2. Address Common Misconceptions

Senior marketers aren’t short on skepticism, especially when it comes to programmatic, which often sounds like another marketing buzzword. Push past that resistance by naming the friction and challenging the assumptions with clarity.

Misconception 1: “Programmatic is too complex.”

Complex? Perhaps in the past. Today’s platforms are built for clarity, not chaos. They simplify setup, streamline targeting, and surface campaign performance in dashboards that demystify, rather than obscure, the path to results.

You can say to your skeptical client: “Think of programmatic tools as assistants that handle technical work (real-time bidding, cross-screen delivery) while your team stays in the driver’s seat, crafting strategy, and providing audience insights.”

Misconception 2: “It’s only viable for big budgets.”

That used to be true, but not anymore. Current programmatic platforms welcome modest budgets and thrive on testing and optimization. Anyone can launch a focused pilot, learn fast, and scale what works.

Today’s platforms support smaller advertisers with lower minimum spends and smarter tools. That levels the playing field between big brands and smaller teams. 

Misconception 3: “Will I lose control?”

It’s fair to wonder if automation hands over the wheel. The truth is that automation executes. The client and the agency strategize. Every optimization tweak, audience shift, and ad update stays rooted in their decisions.

Transparency is built in. Platforms offer real-time metrics and dashboards that put oversight back in your hands. The client can still control pacing, targeting, creative refreshes, and budget allocation throughout the campaign.

Concern	The Truth You Lead With
“Programmatic feels complex.”	Platforms simplify setup and surface insights fast.
“It’s only for big-budget advertisers.”	Lean budgets work—test, learn, optimize, repeat.
“I’ll lose control.”	You stay hands-on. Automation just makes it possible.

3. Position Programmatic as Low-Risk, High-Reward

Liberating, fast, and controllable: that’s the upfront promise you lead with when positioning programmatic to decision-makers.

• Clients don’t want to lock themselves in without visibility. Programmatic supports nimble, low-commitment pilots that can be stood up quickly, tested in real time, and adjusted as insights emerge.
• When audience behaviours shift mid-campaign, clients shouldn’t need weeks to catch up. Programmatic platforms support real-time bidding, dynamic budget allocation, and creative swaps, even while the campaign is active.
• Meta and search channels deliver intent-rich moments, but their reach is finite. Programmatic reaches beyond those silos, across CTV, native, display, audio, and intersects with Meta and search to reinforce message exposure. 

Here’s a quick overview of what clients often worry about and how to respond to what programmatic actually offers:

What the Client Worries About	What Programmatic Actually Offers
Long-term contracts/big investments	Launch small, test fast, expand only if performance justifies it.
Campaign rigidity once launched	Real-time control over budgets, targeting, creatives, everywhere in-flight.
Venturing outside Meta/Search	Extended reach across screens and formats; reinforcement, not redundancy.

Putting programmatic forward as a testable, flexible lever with real-time visibility, turns “show me the risk” into “where do we start scaling?”

4. Highlight the Value of Multi-Channel Reach

Clients often want reach and depth, but each device, mindset, and context acts like a separate ecosystem. Programmatic bridges those gaps with precision, unity, and impact.

Map Out the Journey: Display → Video → Audio → CTV → DOOH → In-Game

Here’s how a campaign could flow:

1. Introduce the brand via native placements within content that’s respectful, relevant, and respectful of the audience.
2. Nurture interest with display ads that warm up audiences who’ve seen the native ad.
3. Deepen engagement using a crisp CTV spot—turning interest into emotional recall.
4. Reinforce with audio while the audience commutes or multitasks.
5. Anchor visibility in heavy-footfall environments via digital out-of-home (DOOH).
6. Close the loop with in-game ads to meet active audiences while they’re gaming.

That kind of orchestration boosts not just reach, but relevance.

Fragmented campaigns create fractured data. One platform managing all channels smooths inaccuracies and offers coherent, comparable performance insights.

Benefit	Why It Matters
Wider reach, smarter impact	Meet clients where they are, not where the campaign happened.
Message consistency	Builds stronger recall across formats and contexts.
Cumulative influence	Reinforce the message across touchpoints for better conversion.
Centralized measurement	One dashboard, unified metrics—less noise, more clarity.

5. Focus on Targeting and Measurement (Without Going Granular)

Steer the conversation toward “smarter insights,” not spreadsheets. Make it clear that programmatic is about surfacing actionable intelligence that aligns with business goals.

With StackAdapt, for example, they can use 1st-party data to gain access to accurate, consent-driven signals about who their customers are and how they behave. That means better segmentation, tighter targeting, and ads that actually resonate. First-party data also lets them build lookalike audiences or re-engage known users, while avoiding over-relying on cookies.

Also, programmatic platforms offer real-time dashboards that show what’s working as it happens. 

When pitching, avoid jargon like “impressions,” “CTR,” or “CPM” unless needed. Instead, frame the story around:

• Audience understanding: You know who clicked, why, and how they engage.
• Strategic shifts: Campaign adjustments flow from insight, not guesswork.
• Efficiency gains: Every dollar is focused on the right person, in the right moment.

This approach turns targeting and measurement into a partnership, rather than a checkbox.

Core Capability	Strategic Value
First-party data	More accurate segmentation, compliant, resilient targeting.
Contextual & lookalikes	Reach new audiences that mirror your best customers.
Real-time reporting	Shift budgets and tactics instantly, tied to performance.
Insights, not raw data	Pose findings as “ways to market smarter,” not “here are the numbers.”

Start this conversation by asking: “What do you most want to learn mid-campaign? Can we show you how quickly we’ll pivot if that data is telling us to change direction?”

6. Show the Path to Attribution and ROI

ROI questions are expected, so explain how programmatic doesn’t leave them guessing; it maps ad exposure to real business outcomes.

• Post-click attribution catches the obvious wins: users who clicked and converted. It’s precise and easy to explain. 
• Post-view attribution catches the less obvious wins: the conversions from people who saw an ad but didn’t click, yet converted later. 
• Together, they paint a fuller picture: “It wasn’t just the click. It was the exposure, too.”

Explain attribution models as tools, not jargon. Last-click gives credit to the final interaction; multi-touch spreads credit across the journey. Simple models work to start, while data-driven or custom models add nuance as you scale.

Clarity grows when you go beyond attribution and measure lift. Incrementality testing, like holdout groups or geo-based control tests, helps show how many conversions you wouldn’t have had if your ads hadn’t run.

Concern	Simple Explanation
“Does my ad actually drive business?”	We’ll show you who saw it, clicked it, or walked into your store afterward.
“Which touchpoint matters?”	Let’s look at both clicks and views. One isn’t enough to tell the full story.
“Who gets the credit?”	We pick a model (like last click or multi-touch) that matches your objectives.
“What else do we measure?”	We’ll run lift tests and connect what happens offline, like store visits or CRM data.

Position this section as reassurance: “We’ll track performance in real-time, attribute results meaningfully, and quantify lift. That gives us proof before scaling.”

7. Craft the First Pitch: How Agencies Should Structure It

A pitch should open with the client’s challenge and close with action. Keep it agile, outcome-focused, and built to prove value fast.

1. Open With the Client’s Marketing Challenge

Let them talk. Kick off with real pain points: “You need to boost brand awareness before the next sales cycle,” or “Lead gen is lagging, but you can’t risk costly misfires.” This reframes your pitch as a solution, not a sales presentation.

2. Introduce Programmatic as the Agile, Data-Powered Solution

Say something like: “Programmatic gives you control without friction: data insights, dynamic creative, and channel flexibility all under one roof. It lets us test fast and pivot in real time.” That positions programmatic as an opportunity, not a technical complexity.

3. Reassure With Testability, Optimization, and Measurable Results

Right upfront, share that the approach is test-and-learn, not “sign here and hope.” Explain:

• “We’ll start with a lean pilot, test multiple variables, then optimize based on performance.”
• “Every campaign element (audience, creative, budget) will evolve in-flight.”
• “We’ll measure results with clarity: clicks, view-throughs, actions, even foot traffic or CRM matches.”

Ground that in transparency. Let agencies know clients stay in control; adjustments follow insight, not protocol.

4. Suggest a Pilot Campaign to Validate Effectiveness and Earn Trust

Lay out a simple structure:

• Objective: Define one clear goal (e.g., drive form submissions or boost brand lift).
• Pilot details: Choose one or two formats (like native + CTV), target a single audience segment, and set a realistic budget.
• Timeline & KPIs: Two-week ramp, immediate optimization, 4–6-week measurement period.
• Next move: “If we hit our target, we’ll bring insights into a scaled program. If we don’t, we iterate or scrap.”

This approach turns uncertainty into collaboration and risk into a calculated learning path.

Elevate Your Value as a Strategic Partner

You’re not just pitching ads, but redefining the agency’s role. When you champion programmatic, you mark yourself as more than a media buyer and become a trusted strategist delivering insight, not impressions.

StackAdapt transforms programmatic into a strategic engine that’s accessible, measurable, and audience-ready. 

Agencies can tap into formats like CTV, native, display, audio, and more, all with transparency and data-driven control. And you won’t be steering that engine alone: every client gets a dedicated support team to collaborate on strategy, optimization, and results. 

Thinking of a partner with the infrastructure, insights, and service built for modern media? StackAdapt stands ready to help your agency step up. Book a demo today.