Programmatic has a B2B problem - here’s how to fix it

Programmatic advertising has matured impressively in B2C, with rich audience targeting, omnichannel orchestration and advanced optimisation. But when applied to B2B, those same methods often fall short. Not because the technology isn’t good, but because B2B operates on fundamentally different principles.

As brands chase innovation, there’s a growing need to rethink how programmatic fits into the unique buying dynamics of B2B. It's not a question of "if" B2B should embrace programmatic - it already is. The question is why:

The consumer DNA of programmatic tools

Most DSPs were built around consumer logic: fast transactions, individual identities and massive scale. But B2B sales involve longer cycles, collective decision-making, and limited market universes. That foundational difference means traditional targeting logic often does not work.

For example, a segment labelled “IT Managers” might be accurate in theory, but if you're only selling to 500 companies, and those titles are misclassified or outdated 50% of the time, the waste becomes unsustainable.

The fallacy of reach in B2B

More impressions don’t equal more opportunities. In B2B, relevance trumps reach - because true value lies not in how many people see your ad, but which companies see it, and whether they’re in-market or influential in the buying group.

Here, company-level signals, firmographics and buying intent become critical. These signals can’t be reverse-engineered from consumer data - they require dedicated infrastructure and logic.

Why B2B marketers need purpose-aligned metrics

The standard programmatic KPIs (CTR, CPM, conversions) only tell part of the story. In B2B, awareness, engagement and influence within key accounts are more telling of progress than immediate clicks or form fills.

Programmatic measurement must evolve to reflect marketing-qualified accounts, pipeline progression and buying group awareness - not just short-term action.

A call to action for the ecosystem

The ad tech community has done immense work pushing innovation in privacy, AI, sustainability and omnichannel activation. Now it’s time to bring B2B into the conversation more fully.

That means recognising that:

• B2B isn’t just a niche - it’s a different mode of buying
• Programmatic doesn’t need to be reinvented - but it does need to be realigned
• Success in B2B requires precision, patience and purpose-built tools

The future of programmatic isn’t one-size-fits-all. As AI reshapes targeting and measurement, and privacy reshapes data strategies, the real opportunity lies in building tools and practices that reflect the full diversity of how businesses buy.

B2B isn’t behind. It’s just playing a different game. And now is the time to start building rules that actually fit.