The independent end-to-end media platform with agentic AI that turns a brief into an activated programmatic campaign in minutes
Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer) is a global independent ad tech company powering media buyers and publishers through its flagship platform, Maestro by Equativ. In December 2025, Equativ launched the Media Planning Agent — the first AI co-planner embedded directly into a curation platform — which transforms media briefs into actionable deal strategies, cutting planning time by up to 40%. Trusted by all six Big Six Advertising Agencies and used to create 30,000+ deals across 500K+ publishers and apps, Equativ is one of the few independent DSP/SSP platforms operating at global scale.
Key Features
AI Media Planning Agent (Launched December 2025)
- Share a campaign brief (brand, product, budget, objectives, audience, format) and the AI agent instantly creates a personalized activation plan
- Automatically finds top audiences, activates Advanced Meta Deals, and bundles multiple tactics under one ID
- Analyzes 400K+ sites and apps to prioritize premium supply, first-party data, and relevant audience segments
- Cuts planning time by up to 40%, freeing media teams for strategy rather than spreadsheets
- Every recommendation includes a clear explanation — teams stay in full control to review, refine, and approve
- Rated by IPG Mediabrands, Omnicom Media Group, and Kinesso as a genuine step-change in planning workflow
Maestro Curation Platform
- Direct integration with 70+ DSPs and 30+ data providers (LiveRamp, Lotame, IAS, Audigent)
- Meta Deals: unique capability to bundle multiple deals into one easy-to-activate PMP for greater insights and optimization
- GreenPMPs™: toggle to reduce campaign emissions by removing climate-risk sites (measured by Scope3)
- 30,000+ curated deals created by agencies and media buyers globally
- 5/5 rating in Curation category of Forrester SSP Wave (Q4 2024)
Campaign Planning & Activation
- Media Planning Module: Discover supply from Equativ’s publisher network and forecast ad opportunity availability; integrates with third-party DSPs via deal ID
- Activation Module: Launch campaigns directly within Maestro without needing a separate DSP integration
- Troubleshooting: Visual display of exactly where ad opportunities exit the auction process, with bid status statistics
- Instant Insights: Real-time reporting on campaign performance
Supply & Data Access
- 500K+ premium publishers, apps, and media channels in global marketplace
- Omnichannel coverage: display, video, CTV, audio, and native formats
- Cookieless solutions and alternative ID support for privacy-first targeting
- First-party data activation with agnostic data provider support
- Retail media solutions for both retailers and agencies
Business Impact
- Speed: AI Media Planning Agent reduces campaign setup time by up to 40%
- Performance: Clients report better CTR, increased views, and broader reach (Omnicom Media Group)
- Scale: Access to 500K+ publishers and 70+ DSP integrations through a single platform
- Independence: Operates as a non-walled-garden platform with full transparency on where budgets go
- Sustainability: GreenPMPs™ enables carbon-reduced programmatic buying at campaign level
Pricing
Equativ uses custom enterprise pricing — rates are not published. The platform primarily serves mid-to-large agencies and enterprise advertisers. Contact Equativ at equativ.com for a demo and custom quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Equativ Maestro? Maestro by Equativ is an all-in-one curation and campaign management platform for media buyers. It connects buyers to premium programmatic inventory across 500K+ publishers, enables first-party data activation, manages deals, and — since December 2025 — includes an AI Media Planning Agent that converts campaign briefs directly into activated deals.
How does Equativ’s AI Media Planning Agent work? You share a campaign brief with brand, product, budget, objectives, audience, and format details. The AI agent interprets your KPIs, finds top audiences, packages Advanced Meta Deals, and presents a ready-to-activate plan — all within the Maestro interface. You review and approve before any spend is committed. The agent cuts planning time by up to 40%.
Is Equativ independent from the major walled gardens? Yes. Equativ operates as a fully independent media platform — it is not affiliated with Google, Meta, Amazon, or any walled-garden ecosystem. This gives buyers transparent access to premium open-web and CTV inventory without proprietary data conflicts.
What is GreenPMPs™? GreenPMPs™ is Equativ’s sustainability feature within Maestro that removes climate-risk sites with unnecessarily high emissions (as measured by Scope3) from campaign targeting with a single toggle. Equativ has delivered 50B+ GreenPMP impressions to date.
How does Equativ compare to The Trade Desk? The Trade Desk is a pure-play DSP operating on the buy side only. Equativ bridges both supply and demand — its SSP infrastructure gives it direct publisher relationships that a pure DSP cannot replicate. Equativ’s Meta Deals and curation-first approach give buyers a different kind of inventory access than Trade Desk’s open marketplace.
What agencies use Equativ? All six Big Six Advertising Agencies use Equativ, along with IPG Mediabrands, Omnicom Media Group (including OMD, Kinesso), and hundreds of independent agencies across 19 countries.
Does Equativ support retail media? Yes. Equativ offers retail media solutions for both retailers looking to monetize their audiences and agencies looking to access premium retail inventory and first-party purchase data at scale.
User Reviews & Social Proof
“Maestro helps us reach more users and utilize various ad formats, both domestically and internationally. The platform’s testing options let us better allocate clients’ budgets, and by comparing performance through our DSP, we choose platforms with the best ROI.” — Piotr Wiktor, Head of Programmatic Trading & Partnerships, IPG Mediabrands
“We are grateful to Equativ for their support in curating inventory for our campaigns, leading to better CTR, increased views and broader reach.” — Sebastián Orduvini, Product Specialist, Omnicom Media Group
“Maestro’s Meta Deals unlock an entirely new way of structuring programmatic buys. Instead of relying on siloed auctions, the AI agent automatically gathers different campaign deals for easy measurement. It empowers us to test more, learn faster, and refine strategies with far greater control.” — Kristina Craig, Deputy Director of Investment & Accountability, Omnicom Group
“I’ve had a chance to put the beta of Maestro’s new AI Agent through its paces — it’s exactly where Mar/AdTech is heading: smarter planning, faster ops, more automation today and, ultimately, sharper performance prediction.” — Małgorzata Waśniewska, Head of Platform Solutions, Kinesso
- Forrester SSP Wave (Q4 2024): 5/5 in Curation category
- Digiday Media Awards: Best Use of Video (Dynamic Video Captions)
Equativ vs Alternatives
Equativ vs The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is a pure-play DSP with Kokai AI for open marketplace buying. Equativ provides both supply and demand infrastructure, with its SSP giving curated direct access to publisher inventory. Equativ’s Meta Deals and AI planning agent are differentiated for agencies that want structured PMP buying, while Trade Desk suits brands that prioritize open programmatic scale.
Equativ vs Google DV360
Google DV360 offers unmatched access to Google and YouTube inventory. Equativ cannot match that walled-garden access but provides greater independence and transparency for the open web, CTV, and premium publisher buying. For brands that want to avoid Google dependency, Equativ is a strong alternative.
Equativ vs Amazon DSP
Amazon DSP is purpose-built around Amazon’s shopper data. Equativ competes for premium open-web and CTV inventory without requiring Amazon’s retail context.
Equativ vs Basis
Basis is an integrated workflow platform for agencies covering DSP, search, social, and planning in one interface. Equativ focuses more specifically on programmatic curation, supply quality, and deal management — a more specialized tool for programmatic teams.
Recent Updates (2025–2026)
- December 2025: Global launch of AI Media Planning Agent — the first agentic AI co-planner embedded in a curation platform; cuts planning time by 40%
- January 2025: Maestro by Equativ launched (upgrade of Equativ Buyer Connect) with Advanced Data Capabilities, Meta Deals, Campaign Activation, GreenPMPs™, and Creative Enhancements
- Q1 2026: Expanding AI Agent suite to include optimization, troubleshooting, and reporting agents
- Q1 2026: Opening Maestro to customer and partner AI agents via Ad Context Protocol (AdCP) and Agentic RTB Framework (ARTF)
- 2025: Reached 50B+ GreenPMPs™ impressions delivered via Scope3 integration
- 2024: Rated 5/5 in Curation category of Forrester SSP Wave (Q4 2024)
Explore More Media Planning Tools
- The Trade Desk — Independent enterprise DSP with Kokai AI for open programmatic buying
- Google DV360 — Google’s enterprise DSP with unmatched YouTube and Google inventory
- Amazon DSP — Amazon’s DSP powered by unique retail and streaming audience data
- Basis — Integrated agency media platform covering DSP, search, social, and planning
- Quantcast — AI-powered programmatic platform with proprietary audience graph
- Criteo — Commerce media platform with strong retail data for performance campaigns
- Halliard — Media planning and strategy tool built for modern planning workflows