Every impression has a value.

Most of us are calculating it wrong.

We've built an industry obsessed with who we're reaching. Audience segments. Data layers. Targeting precision down to the device.

But the uncomfortable truth is: it doesn't matter who you're targeting if you're serving ads in the wrong place.

A perfectly targeted ad in a terrible environment is still a terrible ad.

We were meant to buy media. Somewhere along the way, we started buying data instead. Audiences we can't verify. Segments we hope are accurate. Proxies stacked on proxies.

Meanwhile, the biggest lever of effectiveness sits neglected.

Creative.

The thing that actually makes someone stop, feel something, and remember. We've squeezed it into whatever space was left after the targeting strategy was locked. We optimise around it rather than for it.

You shouldn’t ask “does this user ID fit into my audience segment and how cheap can we buy this”, you should really be asking "what is this impression actually worth?"

Because a £2 CPM that nobody remembers is more expensive than a £10 CPM that drives the brand forward.

The industry has spent years perfecting the art of reaching people efficiently.

But efficiency without memorability is just sophisticated waste.