Q1: Steering Group Meeting Notes

Published: 02 Dec 2025

Ad Ops

• Priorities across the group included optimising offerings, such as audio and audience strategies, integrating new CRMs into sales order systems, using AI to enhance internal processes and working on consent.
• The group discussed the IAB Gold Standard outcome, particularly concerns about potential revenue penalties. The commitment to implementing by the end of 2025 was questioned, as the financial implications are unclear. AOP suggested that providing evidence of an internal investigation would show a publisher’s commitment. The group agreed that exploring alternative solutions is necessary, ensuring that new implementations do not harm publishers' revenues.
• The group explored the growing use of AI in their operations. While AI streamlines processes, concerns were raised about the displacement of entry-level jobs due to automation. It was emphasised that new hires should still learn to navigate their roles without solely relying on AI to avoid skill gaps. The discussion emphasised balancing automation with human talent development and ensuring responsible AI adoption – including the consideration of AI carbon emissions raising environmental concerns.
• Members shared their strategies for leveraging first-party data and behavioural targeting to engage audiences. Some are exploring options, such as questionnaires, to enhance their data strategies. The group agreed that first-party data provides a stronger position, though alternative technologies must be explored to further support and enhance it further.
• The group discussed the challenges of tracking conversions in Google Analytics. UTMs were highlighted as problematic, potentially skewing data and making campaigns appear more successful than they are. The group also discussed the deprecation of activity pixels, complicating conversion tracking for clients. The challenges of implementing tracking pixels and dealing with Google Consent Mode Version 2 were noted, as these affect data accuracy and compliance. The group explored alternative attribution models, including custom reporting options, and discussed the need for advertisers to adopt publisher tags to improve attribution.
• AOP noted our upcoming event: Future-Proofing Your Ad Stack: Supply Side Optimisation & Header Bidding Best Practices for 2025 and Beyond on 10^th April and invited group members to register to attend and get in touch if you are interested in participating.

Audience Development

• When discussing the recent AOP Google Meeting, it was suggested that the core issue isn't about freelancers, but rather about leasing parts of domains to boost traffic, which is what Google penalises. The group discussed Google’s stance on freelancers, emphasising that using freelancers for periodic traffic boosts is problematic. Despite this, some companies have succeeded in finding ways to avoid penalties. There’s a sentiment that Google’s approach is unlikely to change, though there’s ongoing pressure via regulatory bodies like the CMA.
• The group debated the challenges of reporting poor search experiences to Google. There was a collective interest in creating a standardised reporting form through AOP, which is something we have explored and actioned in the past. AOP highlighted the importance of continuing to report issues with video search and YouTube’s impact, stressing that first-party data is crucial for revenue generation. It was agreed that evidence should be kept up to maintain pressure on Google.
• AI-driven search features like Google's AI tab were discussed, with many members seeing drops in traffic from traditional search results, particularly from carousels and discover feeds. There was concern over AI-generated content and its impact on user engagement, with evidence suggesting lower satisfaction with AI-produced content compared to trusted sources. The potential for AI's role in news aggregation was raised, which could evolve in the coming years, possibly challenging traditional search models.
• Some members of the group have observed increased traffic from AI bots and scrapers, particularly from third-party vendors. The group agreed that chatbot companies should be required to identify themselves, potentially helping with tracking and TollBit was highlighted as a tool that can monitor, manage, and monetise bot scraping. There was concern that AI scraping for training purposes or business competition could undermine content ownership. There was consensus that legislative action could help address these challenges.
• The group discussed the role of platforms like Reddit and Threads in driving engagement but noted that these do not contribute to revenue directly. There were concerns about syndicating content, with syndicate partners profiting from publishers' content.
• AOP to follow up with a couple of members of the group who have already produced articles to address some of these challenges, one around the syndication piece (SEO's cardinal syndication) and another on Google’s spam policy (Navigating Google’s site reputation abuse policy: What publishers need to know), so AOP can contribute and help elevate these pieces.

B2B

• Various AI tools are being explored across the group, including Microsoft Copilot (helpful for Excel and internal tools), Hubspot’s built-in AI, and Google’s Vertex. Tools like Otter (for transcription) and Fireflies (integrates with Salesforce) are used for specific tasks. There is also exploration of sales coaching and enhancing internal tools like Co-pilot Studio to create custom agents for employee use.
• There continues to be concerns about LLMs learning from input and putting data in the public domain. While Google’s Gemini raises privacy issues, Vertex doesn’t have the same concerns. Members of the group are focused on creating internal chatbots for secure, role-specific use, using LangChain instead of ChatGPT for more control over sensitive information.
• Journalists are cautious about AI's ability to write stories, however it does allow for more time for journalists to source the stories and focus on building relationships. While AI can assist in content creation and sales, there is a concern that AI will eventually be able to write just as well as journalists. Salesforce’s Agentforce tool and Salesloft are being trialled for sales use, but results have been mixed.
• The rapid evolution of AI makes training difficult, and it was noted that opting for specific, use-case-based training is more useful than broad AI courses. Focus groups and task forces have been set up to support adoption across different functions. AOP flagged that Immediate Media are ahead of the curve and used immersion days for training, which encouraged departments to generate tools and ideas for AI applications.
• There’s concern about content cannibalisation, especially for high-value, expert content. Publishers are exploring deals to manage AI usage, but these models typically pay low per token rates, making them less attractive for high-value content.
• While some B2B publishers have not been significantly affected by traffic declines, there’s a growing focus on understanding the future of content protection and bot management. Members of the group are considering ways to protect content from bots and explore alternatives to traditional content strategies, especially in vertical vs. horizontal markets. Traffic has stabilised after a drop last year, but the outlook remains uncertain with changing government regulations on AI.

Commercial: Programmatic

• When discussing the impact of ICO regulations on consent rates, the group noted a significant drop in consent rates (from 75-80% to 45-50%). This change negatively impacted programmatic opportunities but did not affect direct revenue. Some publishers are exploring consent optimisation strategies and are seeing varying levels of success, with one publisher achieving an 89% consent adoption rate, increasing consented pages by 8%.
• Group members shared insights on how UX adjustments and consent messaging have impacted consent rates and page views. The group noted that new users behave differently from returning users, with new users having lower bounce rates. UX improvements and clearer messaging strategies are expected to increase consented page views, particularly for loyal users.
• The group discussed the potential long-term role of contextual data as a solution in lieu of consent and pay strategies. While some expressed concerns about opt-out solutions due to low commercial appetite, others considered contextual targeting a more viable option, particularly for direct campaigns. There was also a conversation around AI's role in enriching data for third-party collaborations.
• The group explored the growing concerns around curation platforms, particularly regarding data sharing and replication risks. Some members shared concerns about platforms like Resolve, which could control audience data and replicate it. AOP is working with Ipsos to help publishers develop their own curated solutions to protect first-party data and avoid losing control over their audience data.
• The group reviewed Q1 performance, with some publishers reporting positive results in print, while digital and video were more challenging. They also discussed the need to refresh SSP contracts to align with the latest industry practices, particularly around curation, transparency, and setting boundaries on margin percentages.
• AOP noted our upcoming event: Future-Proofing Your Ad Stack: Supply Side Optimisation & Header Bidding Best Practices for 2025 and Beyond on 10^th April and invited group members to register to attend and get in touch if you are interested in participating.

HR

• The group compared key employee benefits offered by their respective organisations, focusing on areas like redundancy calculations, maternity/paternity benefits, and additional perks. Several companies had policies such as flexible working, enhanced leave, and caregiving leave, which were viewed positively. There was an emphasis on creative and flexible benefits to attract and retain diverse talent. The group agreed to review and populate a AOP Benefits Table with their respective company benefits for future reference – AOP will be in touch once the table is live.
• There has been positive response to private healthcare plans and volunteer days. The group discussed offering financial incentives like extra pay for every year of service and explored using personality assessments to help employees understand their strengths and career paths. There was also consideration of potentially using the AOP Benefits Table as a recruitment tool after further analysis.
• The potential of AI to improve efficiency in tasks such as note-taking and transcription was discussed. Concerns were raised regarding the legal implications of using AI for notetaking, especially with employee data. Otter AI was flagged for automatically joining meetings without permission. The group agreed that legal advice would be necessary to address potential risks, such as data storage and privacy concerns, as well as ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR – AOP suggested partner Lewis Silkin could join a future meeting to advise, if helpful.
• When discussing the new sexual harassment at work legislation the group highlighted the importance of conducting risk assessments for workplace events, especially when hosting office parties or large gatherings. They also discussed policies and training around sexual harassment, including the benefits of having a survivors’ network.

JAB

• Current UK copyright law is clear that AI models can be trained with research data, but it is less clear around commercial purposes. The government is considering changes to the law and is seeking public feedback, with a focus on blocking large AI companies' access to copyrighted material. However, robots.txt attempts to control web crawlers are seen as ineffective, as new crawlers keep emerging.
• Companies like DeepSeek are training AI models on content from other organisations, even if they opt out, raising concerns about protecting archived work. There's difficulty in blocking scraping and enforcing rights due to the complex and shifting nature of web traffic and the ease with which IP addresses can be altered. TollBit was highlighted as a tool that can monitor, manage, and monetise bot scraping.
• AOP highlighted the Creative Rights in AI Coalition, where the voice of digital publishers is being represented by AOP. There's strong lobbying from large data centres and industries like music and entertainment and the consensus is that an opt-out system doesn’t work, and an opt-in approach is needed.
• Editorial teams are focusing on creating high-quality, original reporting, and AI is seen as assisting with breaking news and factual content rather than replacing journalists. AI tools are being used to improve efficiency, with journalists encouraged to shift toward long-form and impactful content. AI’s role in editorial is evolving to focus more on enriching journalism rather than replacing it.
• A new digital ecosystem is emerging, and advertising and affiliate models are becoming less viable in an AI-driven world. It was noted that music industry’s previous experience with licensing and rights protection is valuable for the publishing industry to take learnings from.
• YouTube is seeing significant growth, especially in podcasts, with AI being used to translate content for outside the UK. While YouTube’s audience growth is impressive, there's little crossover between YouTube viewers and traditional website traffic. Page views are being emphasised as a new success metric, with an ongoing focus on quality content rather than quantity.

Product Development

• Discussions centred on the proposed DOJ remedies regarding the breakup of Google and search practices. There was scepticism that the government would accept these remedies, advocating for simple guarantees that enforce existing laws. The group raised concerns about the robustness of current technology to handle these changes.
• Off the back of the recent AOP Google Meeting, there was confusion over the interpretation of "freelance" content. AOP highlighted Google's policy to penalise content created by freelancers on subdomains, even if the content came from reputable publishers. This policy is seen as a grey area, with some publishers arguing it hinders their ability to diversify.
• When discussing the impact of AI & Google Search changes it was suggested that publishers who aren't considering a future without search are in a precarious position. The rules around content discoverability have changed, with Google’s policies making it more difficult for publishers to be discovered.
• The group discussed the challenges around cookie consent, with AOP commenting on the complications of providing meaningful consent to users. Some publishers have found high acceptance rates for "accept all" cookie options, which creates a conflict with user privacy goals. ICO guidelines on cookie consent was also discussed, with a particular focus on the top 1,000 websites potentially being targeted for enforcement.
• There was also an ongoing discussion about metering content access, with some publishers exploring alternatives like Zephyr to improve user engagement metrics.

Research

• The group discussed challenges in revenue diversification, particularly in video and audio formats. They highlighted the importance of context in brand safety and debated how to effectively integrate new formats, like audio, into their offerings. Emphasis was placed on understanding multi-channel audiences and developing a common currency for advertisers.
• The group explored issues around video metrics, the confusion in the industry regarding success measurement, and the evolving landscape of metrics. The shift towards video formats, longer consumption channels, and the ongoing efforts to standardise reporting were discussed, including there having been a conversation with YouTube to get channel-level reporting. Concerns were raised about the industry's lack of clarity on metrics and the need for a unified approach.
• A discussion took place around the rise of retail media, with specific focus on whether it presents an opportunity or threat for publishers. Participants also touched on brand safety, especially in curated environments, and the need for publishers to demonstrate that ads placed in hard news content perform well without negatively impacting brand prestige.
• The importance of adapting to audience changes and focusing on secure audiences via platforms like newsletters and WhatsApp was emphasised. Concerns were raised regarding the unpredictability of search engines and AI, with publishers noting the necessity to prioritise building secure, long-term audiences. Additionally, issues around the impact of syndicated content on SEO were discussed, particularly when platforms like Microsoft and Yahoo distribute content.
• The group outlined potential topics for future sessions, including brand safety, context, retail media, and new metrics. They stressed the importance of industry-led solutions for defining new metrics that highlight the value of journalism-based publishing.