In an age where social media snippets and AI-generated summaries dominate, it’s easy to believe that long-form content is fading. But that’s a myth. People are still reading, and not just scrolling.
With generative AI reshaping how people search for and discover information, the quality and credibility of the content they’re landing on—and the ecosystems that support it – have never mattered more.
Publishers are the backbone of digital media. Without them, there’s no audience to reach, no environment to advertise in and no meaningful context to connect with. And even as attention spans evolve, it turns out that nuance and depth still drive engagement. AI-powered search and discovery are steering users and advertisers toward trusted, niche environments. The result? High-value, intentional audiences. The current challenges brought about by AI are daunting, but the path forward lies plainly before us.
Audience intent is everything. People who click into a 1,500-word article from an AI-assisted search aren’t doing it by accident—they’re seeking substance. That behavior signals mindset.
From Clicks to Commitment
As the shift toward more “purposeful browsing” gains momentum, brands are realizing that engagement, not just clickthroughs, is the real indicator of value.
This is especially relevant as media buyers confront the decline of traditional display effectiveness and the ongoing pushback against made-for-advertising (MFA) content. Performance metrics like scroll depth, time on page and bounce rates are increasingly being used as proof points to justify media spend and ensure it’s being spent on audiences who are paying attention.
AI doesn’t replace publishers, brands or agencies, but it can connect them more intelligently. Collaboration is key. Agencies bring strategy. Publishers offer premium environments. Brands drive creative. And AI acts as the bridge between them, surfacing insights, informing personalization and powering smarter placements across channels, from mobile to CTV.
CTV, in particular, is evolving. As platforms work to contextualize video content more precisely—identifying what’s happening not just on the screen, but around it—advertisers are increasingly able to drive performance with content rather than audiences. Whether it’s a cooking show, a documentary or a rom-com, the right contextual overlay helps ensure that ads align with mood, moment and message.
In many ways, this mirrors the sophistication we’ve already achieved in other digital formats,particularly through emerging approaches like attention metrics and neuro-contextual advertising, which harness cognitive data and content signals to serve ads in more emotionally resonant environments.
Building a Smarter Creative Ecosystem
The real opportunity isn’t in choosing between AI and human creativity, it’s in using them together. With generative AI now enabling brands to spin out creative variants on demand, and contextual technology providing the intelligence to guide where those assets should live, we’re seeing the first signs of a more cohesive, collaborative ecosystem.
But we’ll only get there if every player—publisher, brand, agency and tech partner—sees themselves as part of a shared mission: to elevate content, respect audiences and create smarter connections between them.
People are still reading. They’re just doing it differently. And the winners in this next phase of digital media will be the ones who respect the intelligence of those readers—and build smarter systems to meet them where they are.