PAD 2026: Between AI Agents, In-House Development, Testing, and Transparency
«Are you ready?»—A rhetorical question for IAB President Martin Radelfinger. Around 300 industry leaders gathered at the Volkshaus in Zurich for Swiss Programmatic Advertising Day. Instead of just philosophizing about data, the industry discussed Agentic AI, Connected TV, and the eternal mantra: Test, test, test!
As we from m&k stepped into the packed hall at the Volkshaus on Helvetiaplatz, it was clear: Martin Radelfinger and his team were ready to go. Céline Zemp and Lisa Tucci expertly moderated the day’s events—it’s evident that having industry professionals themselves lead the program really pays off in terms of the depth of content. The iPhone was also on hand to capture the open spirit of the roughly 300 guests (m&k estimate) in a series of short interviews.
Heavy Subject Matter and the Collective Search
While just two years ago it was thought that first- and third-party data would dominate the discourse in 2026, a completely new dynamic is now taking hold in programmatic advertising. The subject matter was, at times, dense and complex. Despite a palpable appetite for innovation, the conference highlighted a certain temporary lack of clarity in the programmatic world. The industry is clearly seeking clarity, which is why the standard approach hasn’t really changed compared to last year: experimentation and a bold «test, test, test» mentality remain the order of the day.
The Heavyweights: In-House Production, Brand Safety, and Control
The panel provided deep insights into Swiss practices, featuring two absolute heavyweights of the advertising market: Patrick Trösch (Swisscom) and Dominik Steiner (Migros Supermarkt AG). A central topic of discussion was in-house management: Migros manages its digital media entirely in-house to benefit from shorter communication channels and direct proximity to the business. Swisscom also values this proximity, but draws the line where external expertise remains absolutely necessary for complex technical setups. Both major clients took an uncompromising stance on quality and brand safety: For Swisscom, control is paramount, which is why the company prefers to rely on strict whitelists rather than blindly trusting technology. Dominik Steiner (Migros) also cautioned that low CPMs alone are misleading; the goal must be genuine advertising impact, which is why large campaigns continue to be supported by traditional market research.
A Look Across the Pond: Shailley Singh on Agentic AI
The remarks by special guest Shailley Singh from the IAB Tech Lab USA carried particular weight at PAD 26. The U.S., in particular, is naturally often a step ahead of Switzerland in the adtech sector. Singh succinctly broke down the current transformation into three pillars: «The integration of agentic AI into advertising for decision-making,» addressing signal loss through server-side execution, and the massive advances in Connected Television (CTV). Although the Swiss community is catching up rapidly («it’s catching up»), it must urgently prepare its systems for the new realities of AI.
Responsibility and Fragmentation
Whether it’s CTV or display advertising, fragmentation—with an average of four to five devices per person—remains a massive challenge for cross-channel campaigns. At the same time, the PAD event saw loud calls for buyers to take responsibility: Those who buy ad space based solely on clicks and reach are supporting publishers who do not prioritize quality. The market is calling for programmatic curation as a way out of the opaque «black box.» The fast-paced main program on the Main Stage was complemented by in-depth workshops held in separate rooms. Even though we at m&k weren’t there in person, this format rounded out the conference’s goal of providing concrete tools for everyday programmatic work.
