The Many Iterations of Curation (and Why the Industry Is Confused)

If 2025 has taught us anything, it’s this: curation has officially joined the long list of adtech terms that mean everything and nothing all at the same time.

It’s everywhere. Websites. Decks. Panels. Articles. Sales pitches.

And much like the social media wellness boom - where suddenly everyone was a “holistic expert” sage’ing their homes and meditating to the noise of trees - the curation era has followed the same path; Everyone’s doing it. Everyone’s defining it (differently). And everyone claims theirs is the answer.

The irony? They’re not wrong.

Curation does have many facets. For the geeks out there, the term ‘curation’ is a mass noun. A broad concept, a flexible idea. And this is precisely why the industry has moulded it into so many shapes that it’s now borderline unusable as a point of clarity.

And that’s a problem because curation was supposed to do the complete opposite. It was supposed to simplify.

Instead, it multiplied.

At its best, curation promises to:

• simplify buying

• improve quality

• reduce waste

• create transparency

• and bring buyers and publishers closer together

At its worst, it’s become another layer. Another fee. Another thing buyers are expected to trust without being able to fully see inside.

Across the ecosystem, we’re seeing versions of curation appear everywhere. In fact:

• Publishers are already curating inventory - often without calling it that

• SSPs have built their own curated layers

• Agencies package curated marketplaces

• Sustainability players curate low-carbon supply paths

• Contextual vendors curate mood, mindset, and meaning

• And buyers? They’re left trying to navigate all of it while still being judged on CPA and CTR.

Same pressures. More pipes.

The core thing to understand is this: Not all curation is created equal

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that the industry doesn’t say out loud enough: different curation models are optimised for different winners.

Some prioritise scale.

Some prioritise margins.

Some prioritise safety.

Some prioritise optics.

Very few prioritise the person actually paying for it.

This is why we built the Industry's First Curation Index

We mapped them all. Every major flavour of curation currently circulating in the industry.

No judgement. No hierarchy. Just a clear-eyed view of what each model does, where value is created, where it leaks, and who really benefits.

Our latest guide, The Many Iterations of Curation, is the beginning of what we see as an industry-wide Curation Index.

It covers:

• Brand safety & contextual curation

• Sustainability-led curation

• Agency-led curated marketplaces

• SSP-led curation (a.k.a. the messy middle)

• Full-scope, supply-side curation

This blog serves as the conversation starter. The guide is where the real clarity lives.

Download The Many Iterations of Curation to explore every model in detail, understand the trade-offs, and finally see how today’s curation landscape actually fits together.

Download