The Future Of Advertising Will Still Be Built On Partnerships: Lisa Herdman, RPA

In the latest episode of AI and Outcomes in partnership with OpenAP, we sat down with Lisa Herdman, Chief Enterprise Integration Officer at RPA, to discuss why AI alone won't define advertising's future. While artificial intelligence is transforming everything from media planning to campaign optimization, Herdman argues that the industry's real competitive advantage will come from the relationships that enable agencies, partners and platforms to work together to deliver meaningful business outcomes.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

TVREV: From your perspective, what foundational capabilities need to be in place before AI can truly deliver on its promise?

Lisa Herdman: It starts with clean data. That really hasn't changed. AI is only as good as what goes into it. If the data is inconsistent, fragmented or incomplete, the output won't be any better. Organizations need to invest in making sure their data is structured, trustworthy and connected before they expect AI to solve bigger business problems.

Technology is moving incredibly fast, but the fundamentals remain the same. Good inputs lead to good outputs.

TVREV: As AI makes access to information and optimization increasingly ubiquitous, what becomes more valuable?

Lisa Herdman: Partnerships. As technology takes over more of the operational work, we finally have an opportunity to spend more time collaborating strategically with clients, publishers and technology partners.

Today, so much of our energy goes toward connecting systems, reconciling data and managing complexity. If AI can reduce that friction, we can shift our focus back to the conversations that actually move businesses forward.

Ironically, the more automated advertising becomes, the more important human relationships become.

TVREV: Business outcomes have become the industry's north star. How is RPA thinking about that evolution?

Lisa Herdman: Outcomes have always been what our clients care about. The difference is that we're getting closer to measuring real business impact instead of relying on proxies. AI has the potential to help us connect more signals across the ecosystem and provide a much clearer understanding of what's actually driving performance.

We're not there yet, but we're moving toward a future where measurement becomes far more precise and actionable than it is today.

TVREV: What's preventing the industry from delivering better outcomes today?

Lisa Herdman: There isn't just one obstacle. Standards, technology, organizational change—they're all part of the equation.

The encouraging part is that the industry is actively working through those challenges. Progress isn't happening in one breakthrough moment—it's happening through thousands of incremental improvements across agencies, technology companies and publishers. That's what gives me optimism.

TVREV: Finish this sentence: The future of advertising belongs to those who...

Lisa Herdman: "...lean in and aren't afraid."

Every major technological shift creates uncertainty. The organizations that succeed won't be the ones waiting for everything to become perfect.

They'll be the ones willing to learn, experiment and evolve alongside the technology while staying focused on what ultimately matters: helping clients grow their businesses.