Publisher pathways - looking ahead in 2025

Curation is often used as a buzzword within our industry, with many seeing it as a shiny new tool. However, the reality is that curation has been part of our ecosystem for years in various forms. As we look ahead in 2025, the real challenge now lies in steering clear of outdated models that add unnecessary complexity to both the buy-side and sell-side processes.

The industry is currently at a crossroads. Publishers need to adapt and move away from old models that have added unnecessary layers between the content they produce and the advertisers looking for that content. The goal is clear: publishers need to own and organise their inventory in a way that makes it attractive and valuable to advertisers, while ensuring they get the highest yield from that inventory.

Publishers are the primary creators of this content, and their success is tied to their ability to present that content in a way that attracts the right buyers. Curation, when done right, should simplify how this inventory is collected and displayed, organising it by style, type, and level of targeting. This is what we offer at Mantis. We add contextual and hyper-contextual layers that allow publishers to present their inventory in the most effective way possible. These enhancements, driven by performance metrics, CTR, and first-party data, allow publishers to optimise their content, making it more attractive to advertisers and ultimately boosting their revenue potential.

However, not all curation layers are valuable. If a third-party simply takes your inventory and that of other publishers, displaying it in its raw form without adding any context or enhancement, it’s not true curation. It’s just an unnecessary layer that complicates the process. These layers can hinder the value flow between the buy-side and sell-side, diluting the effectiveness of the inventory. Some of these layers are even presented as upsides to publishers and agencies, but in reality, they offer little to no advantage.

This calls for an education piece across the industry. If you’re uncertain about curation or how your inventory is being handled, don’t hesitate to ask questions to industry peers. Ensure that you’re fully aware of how your content is being packaged and presented. Publishers should always lead the way in how their inventory is displayed, it’s their content, their "gold," and they should have full control over how it’s shown to potential buyers.

At Mantis, we're committed to helping publishers navigate this landscape. By adding contextual layers that work seamlessly with first-party data, we enable publishers to target users more effectively. For example, a football fan who is subscribed to a newsletter and has previously engaged with related content can be served targeted ads based on both past behaviour and real-time context. This approach ensures that content is presented in a way that meets both the publisher's and advertiser's needs, creating a more efficient, valuable marketplace.

Ready to elevate your curation strategy? Reach out to Mantis today and let us help you optimise your content and maximise your revenue potential.

Mantis is a sponsor of Leadership 2025 - find out more about the event here.