The Trade Desk rolls out AI tool to tackle underperforming digital ad deals

Advertising technology firm The Trade Desk has announced the launch of 'Deal Desk,' a new component of its Kokai platform designed to improve the performance and transparency of direct deals between advertisers and publishers.

According to The Trade Desk, a significant portion of programmatic advertising spend flows through direct agreements and private marketplaces, yet many of these deals underdeliver due to limited visibility into factors such as impression quality and pacing. Deal Desk is intended to address these inefficiencies by introducing tools powered by artificial intelligence, providing both buyers and sellers with detailed insights into deal performance and alternative inventory options.

“The Trade Desk is committed to improving the supply chain for digital advertising on the open internet, and improving deal performance is a vital element of this work,” said Will Doherty, SVP, Inventory Development at The Trade Desk. “Deals have not kept pace with advances in AI and transparency that savvy media buyers and sellers have come to expect. Deal Desk represents a long overdue innovation for our industry and will help advance the strategic relationships between advertisers and their premium publisher partners.”

Key features 

Deal Quality Scores: Advertisers can assess the value of their deals through performance metrics and make informed decisions about continuing or exploring better value in the open marketplace.

Publisher Tools: Publishers will have access to APIs or user interfaces to define deal terms, submit metadata, and view Deal Quality Scores to assess the competitiveness of their inventory.

Automated Prioritisation: The platform includes automated systems for deal activation and pacing, aiming to reduce manual troubleshooting.

Flexible Terms: Built-in expansion and cancellation features allow for adaptability when deals fail to meet delivery targets.

Disney is among the first media companies to adopt the platform for its private marketplace transactions.

“As more buyers shift toward biddable activation, we’re focused on ensuring they have the tools, access, and flexibility they need to drive results,” said Jamie Power, SVP of Addressable Sales at Disney. “We continue to put our advertisers first, and our relationship with The Trade Desk reflects our commitment to meeting advertisers where they are and evolving how we transact to deliver greater efficiency and performance.”

The company has stated that Deal Desk will be rolled out for beta testing in the third quarter of 2025.