TV has long been one of the most powerful forces in the media mix - delivering scale, building brands and driving measurable results. But while the way people consume video has transformed, many of the processes behind TV buying have not evolved at the same pace.
Today, audiences move fluidly across linear TV, BVOD, CTV, cinema and online video, often without conscious distinction. For brands, growth no longer comes from optimising a single channel, but from designing connected experiences across the full AV ecosystem.
The question is no longer just how we work more efficiently; it’s how we design for a more integrated, people-centred future.
Dentsu x LightboxTV collaboration
As part of our move towards a more connected AV ecosystem, we’ve partnered with LightboxTV (Dentsu.Connect x Activation) to explore how automation can modernise linear TV buying.
At its core, the collaboration focuses on connecting traditionally separate parts of the process - campaign planning, broadcaster airtime delivery and verification - into a more unified workflow. Reducing manual intervention and improving consistency helps create a clearer, more transparent foundation for TV activity.
More importantly, it reflects a broader ambition: to support a more integrated approach to AV planning that matches how audiences engage with media today. Rather than treating channels in isolation, it enables a more connected view, linking insight, activation and performance more effectively.
As the platform continues to evolve, it signals a wider opportunity for the industry to rethink how technology, data and expertise come together to shape better media outcomes.
Lauren Hawkins, Managing Director of Total AV at dentsu, said, "My brief to LightboxTV was very straightforward: take the craft this team has built over decades of trading and build it into the platform, so every campaign gets the benefit of that experience." For me, that captures what successful automation should look like.
Engineering a more connected AV ecosystem
One of the most important shifts in modern media is the move away from channel-led thinking.
Clients don’t define success by channel, but by outcomes. Growth, acquisition, brand building and market share sit at the centre of every brief. Our role is to design media that brings the right environments together to serve those goals more effectively.
However, many of the systems underpinning planning and buying were designed for a world in which channels operated independently. While audiences have evolved into seamless, cross-platform behaviours, workflows have often remained fragmented.
To move forward, we need more connected ways of working – approaches that integrate planning, delivery and measurement into a unified, end-to-end experience. When these elements are aligned, we not only reduce inefficiency but also create clearer, more consistent outcomes for clients.
Ultimately, this is what enables a true Total Video approach, one that reflects how people actually experience media today.
Scaling expertise through technology
Automation is often framed as a way to drive efficiency. But its real value lies in how it enables expertise to scale.
The craft of AV planning and trading has been built over decades, rooted in experience, judgement and a deep understanding of what works. The opportunity now is to embed that expertise into systems and workflows, so it can be applied consistently across every campaign.
This is not about replacing people. It is about strengthening people's role in the process.
When best practices, buying rules and quality checks are built into technology, they become repeatable and reliable. That consistency builds confidence for both clients and teams while freeing up time to focus on higher-value decisions.
In a more complex AV landscape, the ability to scale expertise is critical. It ensures that as media continues to evolve, the quality of thinking behind it keeps pace.
Creating space for better decisions
The most meaningful impact of automation isn’t just operational, it’s human.
For years, media professionals have spent significant time managing workflows, updating documents and validating data across multiple systems. These tasks are necessary, but they are not where the greatest value is created.
By reducing repetitive manual work, we create space for something more important: better decision-making.
That shift enables teams to focus on optimisation, uncover new growth opportunities, strengthen client relationships and respond faster to changing audience behaviours. It allows specialists to spend more time understanding people, what they value, how they engage and where brands can add meaningful relevance.
As the AV landscape continues to expand, this becomes even more valuable. New platforms, formats and creative opportunities are constantly emerging. The ability to explore and act on them is what separates good from great.
Dominic Sadler from iProspect, our sister agency, recently said: "This isn't about getting rid of spreadsheets. It's about what happens when we're finally free from them." For me, that's the most important takeaway.
Automation doesn’t diminish the role of humans in media – it elevates it. Systems handle the process, while people focus on insight, judgment and impact.
Looking ahead
While automation may begin with improving specific processes, its real significance lies in what it enables for the future of media.
It creates the conditions for a more connected AV ecosystem, where planning, buying, delivery, verification and optimisation work together seamlessly. More importantly, it supports a shift towards media that is designed around people, not platforms.
The opportunity for brands is clear:
- Use technology to connect workflows, not just automate individual tasks
- Scale expertise by embedding best practice into every decision
- Reinvest time into insight, innovation and better outcomes
As AV continues to evolve, the organisations that lead will be those that successfully combine technology, data and human understanding. Because ultimately, better media isn’t just more efficient, it’s more meaningful.
