What is Omnichannel Advertising & why it's so Important for B2B?

Programmatic omnichannel advertising is transforming B2B marketing. In this blog I'll discuss what the term 'omnichannel advertising' actually means and why, in a world dominated by AI & LLMs, having the right omnichannel strategy in place has become essential for today's B2B marketers.

What this blog covers:

• What Omnichannel Advertising actually is
• Why it’s become so important to B2B marketers in the last 18 months
• Which ‘new’ channels B2B marketers should be keeping their eyes on
• The complexities of B2B buyer journeys and groups
• How an Omnichannel strategy can expand your reach beyond traditional methods

What is Omnichannel Advertising?

Programmatic omnichannel advertising is the coordinated use of automated media buying across multiple digital advertising channels to deliver consistent messaging to the same audience wherever they consume media.

Instead of running separate campaigns in individual channels, omnichannel programmatic connects them through a single programmatic ecosystem. This allows marketers to reach target audiences across a range of environments – including display, native, video, audio, digital out-of-home (DOOH) and connected TV (CTV) – while using shared data to optimise performance and maintain consistent messaging.

In practical terms, this means a B2B marketer can identify a specific target audience, such as IT decision-makers at enterprise companies, then deliver relevant ads across multiple touchpoints throughout their day.

A comprehensive omnichannel strategy aims to reach buyers across multiple touchpoints throughout their day – whether that’s during their commute, while they are working at their desks or in their homes after the working day is over.

A prospect might encounter a brand through a CTV ad while watching streaming content, see native advertising on an industry publication, hear an audio ad during a podcast and later encounter display or video ads while researching solutions online.

The right programmatic technologies use data signals and automation to manage bidding, targeting and optimisation, allowing marketers to coordinate campaigns across all of these channels at scale. This makes it possible to maintain consistent visibility throughout long and complex B2B buying journeys.

For B2B marketers, this approach is particularly valuable. Buying decisions often involve multiple stakeholders, long research cycles and numerous touchpoints before a purchase is made. Omnichannel programmatic advertising helps ensure that brands remain visible throughout this journey, no matter where potential buyers are consuming content.

Why B2B Marketers need Omnichannel Advertising now more than Ever

For many years, B2B marketing strategies relied heavily on a small number of digital channels – primarily search and social media. SEO drove inbound demand, while social platforms provided powerful targeting capabilities for paid campaigns.

However, the digital landscape is changing rapidly. New technologies, evolving media consumption habits and increased competition are reshaping how buyers discover and evaluate vendors.

As a result, omnichannel programmatic advertising is becoming a critical strategy for B2B marketers. By combining channels such as display, native, video, audio, digital out-of-home (DOOH) and connected TV (CTV), marketers can reach decision-makers across a wide range of digital environments with coordinated messaging.

THE TRADITIONAL B2B CHANNEL MIX IS UNDER PRESSURE
B2B marketers have historically depended on two core digital acquisition channels: search and social media. But both are becoming more difficult to scale.

SEO IS BECOMING LESS PREDICTABLE IN THE AGE OF AI
The rise of AI-powered search experiences is fundamentally changing how users interact with search engines. Instead of clicking through to websites, users are increasingly receiving direct answers generated by AI systems.

Research shows that search clicks have fallen significantly as AI-generated summaries appear more frequently in search results, even as impressions increased.

In many cases, users no longer need to visit external websites to get the information they need.

Some studies estimate that AI-driven search environments can produce zero-click rates as high as 93%, meaning only a small percentage of searches result in website visits. (SEMrush)

For B2B marketers who rely on organic traffic to generate demand, this shift presents a growing challenge.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING IS BECOMING OVERCROWDED
Social media platforms remain an important part of B2B marketing strategies, but competition for attention has intensified dramatically. More brands are advertising on the same platforms, increasing competition and driving up costs.

At the same time, privacy changes and platform restrictions have reduced targeting precision. For many marketers, this means higher costs per acquisition and diminishing performance from traditional social advertising campaigns.

The result is clear: relying too heavily on a small set of channels introduces significant risk.

Why Omnichannel Advertising is Growing

To adapt to these changes, B2B marketers are increasingly turning to programmatic advertising across multiple channels.

Programmatic technology allows marketers to buy and manage advertising inventory automatically across a wide network of digital environments. This includes:

• Display advertising
• Native advertising
• Online video
• Digital audio
• Connected TV (CTV)
• Digital out-of-home (DOOH)

As capabilities have expanded, marketers have increasingly recognised the value of coordinating campaigns across multiple channels rather than running isolated campaigns in individual platforms.

Research from The Trade Desk, PA Consulting, and Brainsights highlights the effectiveness of this approach. Their study, The Untapped Opportunity of Omnichannel, found that connected omnichannel campaigns are:

• 1.4× more attention-grabbing
• 1.9× more likely to build emotional connection
• 1.2× more memorable
• 1.5× more immersive
• 1.2× less cognitively fatiguing for audiences

These findings suggest that when done properly, omnichannel advertising creates stronger engagement and recall among audiences. Programmatic omnichannel campaigns enables marketers to deliver a more cohesive advertising experience that mirrors how modern audiences actually consume media.

Programmatic buying has also expanded well beyond traditional banner ads. Increasingly, it enables marketers to activate campaigns across a wide range of formats and screens, from mobile devices to streaming platforms and digital billboards.

The Rise of New Programmatic Channels

Several emerging programmatic channels are becoming particularly important for B2B marketers.

CONNECTED TV (CTV)
Connected TV advertising has experienced rapid growth as audiences shift from traditional broadcast television to streaming platforms.

CTV ad spending grew 19% in 2024 and is expected to continue growing strongly in the coming years, reflecting the ongoing migration of viewers to streaming environments. (MOI Global)

For B2B marketers, CTV provides an opportunity to deliver high-impact video campaigns in premium content environments, often reaching senior decision-makers who consume streaming content outside of traditional work hours.

PROGRAMMATIC DIGITAL OUT-OF-HOME (DOOH)
DOOH advertising – digital screens in public spaces such as airports, city centres and transport hubs – is another channel experiencing rapid expansion.

Industry forecasts suggest that DOOH is expected to represent 75% of all out-of-home advertising spend by 2027, driven largely by the adoption of programmatic buying technology. (IAB)

Because many DOOH placements appear in high-traffic business locations, they can be particularly effective for reaching professional audiences and reinforcing brand awareness.

AUDIO ADVERTISING 
Digital audio, particularly podcasts and music streaming platforms, has become an increasingly valuable channel for reaching professionals during commuting, exercise and other offline moments.

Programmatic audio allows advertisers to target audiences across podcast networks and streaming platforms, expanding reach beyond traditional screen-based environments.

DISPLAY, NATIVE & VIDEO
Traditional programmatic formats such as display, native and online video remain foundational components of B2B advertising strategies. These formats provide scalable reach across publisher networks and industry publications where professional audiences consume content.

When combined with newer channels like CTV and DOOH, they create a truly omnichannel programmatic ecosystem.

Why Omnichannel Advertising Matters for B2B Buying Journeys

B2B buying journeys are rarely linear. Major purchasing decisions typically involve:

• Multiple stakeholders
• Long research cycles
• Numerous content touchpoints

Decision-makers interact with media across multiple devices and contexts throughout the day… from reading industry articles and watching streaming content to listening to podcasts during their commute.

An omnichannel programmatic strategy enables marketers to maintain consistent visibility across all of these environments.

For example, a campaign might:

• Introduce a brand through CTV or video advertising
• Reinforce messaging via native and display placements on industry publications
• Reach professionals through audio ads during podcasts or streaming sessions
• Extend reach into the physical world through DOOH placements in business districts or airports

Each channel supports a different stage of the buying journey while reinforcing the same message.

Expanding Reach Beyond Walled Gardens

One of the biggest advantages of programmatic advertising is the ability to reach audiences beyond the major walled garden platforms.

While social media and search platforms remain important, they represent only a fraction of the available digital inventory. Programmatic advertising unlocks access to thousands of premium publishers, streaming platforms, podcast networks and digital screens.

This allows B2B marketers to reach decision-makers in trusted editorial environments and high-quality content ecosystems rather than relying solely on social feeds.

The Future of B2B Advertising Is Omnichannel

As the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, diversification is becoming essential.

SEO traffic is becoming less predictable in the era of AI-driven search. Social media advertising is becoming increasingly competitive and costly. At the same time, new programmatic channels are expanding the ways marketers can reach their audiences.

By adopting an omnichannel programmatic strategy, B2B marketers can:

• Reduce reliance on any single channel
• Reach decision-makers across multiple environments
• Deliver coordinated messaging throughout long buying journeys
• Scale campaigns using data-driven targeting

Display, native, video, audio, DOOH and CTV together form a powerful ecosystem that reflects how modern audiences consume media.

For B2B marketers looking to maintain visibility in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, omnichannel programmatic advertising is no longer optional – it’s becoming a strategic necessity.

If you’re ready to get ready to start putting your omnichannel advertising strategy into action and want to learn more why not talk to a member of our team today?

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