Opti Day London: From Traffic Decline to Value Optimization - How Publishers Are Reframing Monetisation in 2026

Publishers at Opti Day London explored how operational efficiency, user experience, and value optimisation are reshaping monetisation strategies.

Opti Digital, the leading AdTech company specialising in publisher revenue optimisation, hosted the London edition of Opti Day last week, bringing together senior publisher revenue leaders to exchange on the operational realities shaping monetisation strategies today.

Following previous editions in Paris and New York, the London session reinforced the role of Opti Day as a platform for practical, experience-led discussions - moving beyond high-level trends to focus on how publishers are adapting their models in increasingly complex and constrained environments.

A changing paradigm: from volume to value

Opening the session, Magali Quentel-Reme, CEO at Opti Digital and Olly Aulakh, CRO, outlined the structural shifts currently impacting publisher monetisation.

Traffic volatility, declining acquisition from key channels, and sustained pressure on open market CPMs are redefining how growth is approached. Scale alone is no longer a viable lever.

At the same time, user experience and technical performance have become directly linked to revenue outcomes. Page speed, latency, and overall site efficiency now play a central role in audience acquisition, engagement, and monetisation.

"Publishers can no longer rely on volume alone - maximising value per user has become the new growth driver," said Magali Quentel-Reme.

In this context, publishers are facing a fundamental challenge: how to maximise the value of each user interaction while operating within increasingly complex and fragmented environments.

Drawing on its experience working with a broad portfolio of publishers globally, Opti Digital emphasised a model combining lightweight, performance-driven technology with a consultative approach - positioning itself as a strategic partner focused on balancing revenue growth, user experience, and operational efficiency.

Publisher panel: navigating complexity in practice

The publisher panel, featuring Hasan Ramadan (Head of Digital Advertising, Euronews) and Alistair Patterson (Head of DataLab, 1XL), provided a grounded perspective on how these challenges are translating into day-to-day operations.

A key theme was the growing complexity of publisher stacks. Fragmented setups, multiple demand partners, and evolving ecosystem dynamics are not always generating incremental value - and in many cases, are introducing inefficiencies and revenue leakage.

Audience behaviour is also shifting, particularly among younger users, pushing publishers to rethink both distribution strategies and monetisation approaches.

Rather than relying solely on traditional setups, publishers are actively experimenting with new formats, new integrations, and alternative ways of capturing demand more effectively.

Both speakers also highlighted the importance of close collaboration with partners such as Opti Digital - not only from a technology perspective, but in enabling faster execution, improving performance, and aligning monetisation strategies with operational realities.

Client spotlight: execution as a competitive advantage

The session with Thomas Porteus (Director of Product and Partnerships, Navigate Health) illustrated how these challenges translate into execution.

Facing legacy technology constraints, performance issues, and declining monetisation efficiency, the publisher partnered with Opti Digital to rebuild its infrastructure and improve site performance.

By focusing on speed, mobile optimisation, and simplified monetisation frameworks, Navigate Health achieved a significant uplift in revenue performance (up to +46%), while also reducing operational complexity for a lean internal team.

Beyond performance gains, the collaboration enabled the team to shift focus from technical troubleshooting to growth - highlighting the importance of execution speed in a fast-moving ecosystem.

From insight to business impact

Across all sessions, one element stood out: the level of operational depth in the discussions.

Rather than focusing on abstract trends, conversations centred on execution - what is working, what is not, and where publishers are actively testing new approaches.

Opti Day London confirmed that publishers are operating in a market defined by structural constraints, but also by increasing opportunities for those able to adapt.

Performance will increasingly depend on:

  • maximising value per user rather than scale

  • aligning monetisation with user experience

  • simplifying infrastructure

  • executing faster and more efficiently

More broadly, the event reinforced the role of collaborative, peer-driven formats in helping publishers navigate these challenges.

As the ecosystem continues to evolve, the next step is clear: translating insight into execution - and execution into measurable business outcomes.

About Opti Digital

Opti Digital is a leading AdTech company helping digital publishers maximise revenue and connecting brands with premium audiences. Through its monetisation suite, proprietary demand, and advanced analytics, Opti Digital enables publishers to optimise advertising performance while delivering high-impact campaigns for brands.

More than 10,000 websites and apps worldwide, including publishers such as Euronews, Gizmodo, LADbible, Valnet and Ziff Davis rely on Opti Digital to drive measurable results and long-term growth.

Media Contact

Sara Bigovic
Communications & Events Manager, Opti Digital
sara@optidigital.com
www.optidigital.com

SOURCE: Opti Digital

Source: Opti Digital

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