As AI steadily moves from experimentation to execution, its role in reshaping media buying is becoming harder to ignore.
At ad:tech 2026, a panel on ‘Agentic Media Buying – From Brief to Bid in Seconds’ tapped into this shift, highlighting how automation is no longer just a support layer but is beginning to influence the very foundation of how agencies operate, plan, and deliver outcomes.
Speaking during the session, Rajiv Rajagopal, Head, Advanced TV, WPP Media, pointed to the irony of representing an agency while discussing a future that could automate significant parts of the ecosystem. He noted that while AI will undoubtedly have an impact, it will largely affect those who choose not to evolve. Instead, he positioned it as an opportunity-one that enables agencies to move away from traditional workflows towards faster, more efficient systems, with better optimisation and reduced run-time for advertisers.
He further emphasised that while efficiency will continue to be a key draw for advertisers, the larger shift lies in steering the conversation towards
effectiveness and business outcomes. With digital capabilities unlocking multiple levers-from reach and targeting to creative optimisation-the real value, he suggested, lies in deriving actionable, real-time insights. The ability to make faster decisions, adapt strategies mid-course, and evaluate whether campaigns are truly driving impact ultimately defines effectiveness, going beyond just cost efficiencies to deliver meaningful results.
Rajagopal said, “I think there’s a bit of irony here – I represent the agency, and we’re talking about something that could potentially automate a large part of the agency ecosystem. I’m not sure whether I’m being brave or just very honest in saying this, but AI will definitely have an impact. However, that impact will largely be on agencies or parts of the ecosystem that refuse to evolve.”
“In many ways, this is actually an opportunity to transition from traditional ways of working. It will change how we operate-making us more efficient, enabling better optimisation, and reducing run-time for advertisers,” he said.
Furthermore, he went on to say that ultimately, it comes down to how we choose to leverage AI, rather than simply viewing it as a source of disruption. Disruption will happen, but how people arrive at and respond to that disruption is what truly matters.
“I was going through Razorpay Co-founder, Shashank Kumar’s LinkedIn post, where he mentioned that they have launched an agentic payment platform. What earlier used to take them about 4 to 8 weeks to onboard a platform or a partner, they will be able to do in under 4 minutes now. I think that clearly highlights the impact of time and efficiency when we bring more AI, especially agentic AI, to the table,” Rajagopal mentioned.
He also highlighted that from an agency perspective, he definitely sees a significant shift in how the traditional way of media planning to execution will evolve.
“We’ll be able to leverage more bid optimisation and activate multiple teams simultaneously to create a stronger impact. Most importantly, the role of an agency planner will shift from being purely planning-focused or execution-oriented to becoming more of a strategic specialist,” he added.
Sudipto Das, VP, Advertiser Solutions, APAC, PubMatic, who was also a part of the discussion, asked Rajagopal that in a market like India, this is a very powerful tool. However, it also brings him to another aspect-technology. He acknowledged that while this drives efficiency, even extreme efficiency, it is also a double-edged sword. Efficiency, in that sense, becomes a double-edged sword for an agency.
He then raised a key question: “How do you position efficiency in front of clients? More importantly, how do we move the narrative from efficiency to effectiveness and, ultimately, to business outcomes?”
Rajagopal said, “I think it’s more than just a double-edged sword-rather, it’s two sides of the same point.”
“Efficiency is definitely something advertisers will naturally lean towards. However, what we aim to do is shift the conversation as much as possible. From a practitioner’s side, digital capabilities bring in the aspect of creating multiple effectiveness levers. This could be across reach, targeting, creative optimisation, or even reaching the right audience segments,” he added.
Furthermore, he went on to say that effectiveness becomes an integral part of the conversation. But more importantly, within this, effectiveness is also about how we derive meaningful insights.
“If I’ve set up such a large campaign, am I able to get real-time insights from it? Can I effectively make decisions based on those insights? Can I change my narrative from what was planned at the beginning of the year? Am I seeing a significant shift, or is it performing as per the original plan?” he asked.
In conclusion, Rajagopal said, “These are the factors that actually help us drive and predict effectiveness, beyond just a targeting perspective. Efficiency, of course, addresses the other side-pricing, cost structures, and related metrics. But effectiveness is really about how quickly and effectively we can make decisions based on real-time insights coming from these platforms.”
