Criteo expands access to its performance media stack with the full launch of full self-service capabilities for its GO platform as it looks to reach a broader base of small and mid-sized advertisers, bringing itself into more direct competition with Amazon and Google.
Announced today, the development allows advertisers to onboard and launch cross-channel campaigns “in just five clicks,” according to the company, with the platform automatically allocating spend across display, video, native and social inventory.
Essentially, the proposal is: Criteo Go reduces the barriers that have historically limited access to its performance media tools, with a suite of AI offerings to manage behind-the-scenes complexity, in the guise of an “onboarding agent.”
GO ingests advertiser input such as product feeds and catalog data, then combines it with Criteo’s broader data set — spanning hundreds of millions of buyers and trillions of transaction signals — to guide bidding and placement decisions in real-time.
“With GO’s new self-service capabilities, we are opening our platform to more advertisers,” said Todd Parsons, chief product officer and president of performance media, Criteo, adding that this offering marks GO’s first full self-service product.
“From a full-funnel standpoint, the product is very simple; you have three outcome-based tactics supported,” Parsons told Digiday. “That means getting your brand discovered for the first time… customer acquisition is something we’ve done well here for a long time… the third is conversion-based marketing.”
Rather than requiring merchants to plan and optimize campaigns channel by channel, the system dynamically reallocates budgets based on the predicted outcome – namely conversions – that will be the strongest.
Although the trade-off for advertisers is control over media placement, compared to the autonomy that regular demand-side platforms offer to media buying teams, Parsons admits that GO is
structurally it is more similar to Google’s Maximum Performance or Meta+ Advantage than to traditional demand-side platforms.
“There are good checkpoints for advertisers to control brand, creative, [and] what is tested in terms of results based on the amount of money they are willing to put into the investment pool,” he said, emphasizing that Criteo has worked to offer better brand safety guarantees than offerings from competitors such as Amazon, Google and Meta.”
The self-service launch is initially limited to the US and UK, with further geographic expansion planned for later this year. To encourage adoption, Criteo offers promotional credits — matching advertiser spend of up to $1,500 in the first 30 days. Strategically, the launch also coincides with the key hire of Courtney MacConnell, former head of shopping at Google, joining Criteo to lead the launch of GO.
Sources frame GO Criteo as a growth lever and positioning play. The primary focus is SMB – a segment historically underserved by Criteo’s managed services roots – but long term, the roadmap points to enterprise variants that could intersect more directly with DSP territory.
Even so, there are structural obstacles.
Agencies remain organized around specific teams and channel budgets, which may limit the adoption of a unified purchasing interface. At the same time, competitors are implementing similar automation strategies, raising questions about differentiation beyond the scale of retail data and signals.
The bigger test will be whether Criteo can translate its performance into sustainable share gains beyond its traditional retargeting base.
What we heard
“I think these agencies are very good at forestry, but maybe not so good at seeing trees.”
—Speaking on the CTV Live Smadex panel, hosted by Mike Brooks, Hard Rock Digital’s Paul Cacciato, head of media partnerships, discussed the value proposition media agencies bring when it comes to media plans.
Numbers you need to know
Deloitte’s 19th Annual Digital Media Trends Surveybased on a survey of US consumers looking at changing media consumption habits and platform dynamics.
- 49%: Consumers who subscribe to cable or satellite TV have fallen sharply from 63% three years ago
- 47%: Gen Z respondents said social video/live streams were their favorite form of video content
- 51%: Millennials who canceled streaming services in the last six months
- 70%: Consumers who like content that helps them learn about different cultures
What we have discussed
Future Marketing Briefing: A cynical guide to the most transparent dispute in program history
The past few weeks have produced one of the most theatrical transparency disputes in programmatic advertising history. Three of the six major holding companies have left or are auditing The Trade Desk. Shares of the dominant independent demand-side platform are down by about a third in 2026. And everyone involved claims, with varying degrees of conviction, to act in the interests of clients.
TikTok is changing its advertiser image based on full-channel ambitions
Days after announcing a new ad product on Newfronts, and two months after TikTok dropped its legal battle in the US, the company has unveiled its new global positioning: “Watch, Like, Want.”
What are we reading
MediaVine CEO confirmed the layoffs
Last week, the industry was abuzz with rumors that ad tech would face layoffs again, this time with MediaVine at the center.
Source told Digiday that the number had reached 30% of the headcount, and the company’s CEO, Eric Hochberger, later took to LinkedIn to confirm the development, although he did not reveal how many roles were affected..
“The creator and publisher landscape is evolving rapidly, and we must evolve with it,” he wrote. “This restructuring allows us to focus, adapt, and continue building for the future.”
Google offers buyers to Gemini and YouTube content creators at NewFronts
At last week’s NewFront presentation, Google showed how advertisers using DV 360 will now also get more access to YouTube content creators, and can buy YouTube break ads and creator takeovers by acquiring all inventory on select channels that are in the top 1% of content creators.
MiQ acquires Adsmovil, creating the largest independent programmatic offering in Latin America
Combining Adsmovil’s regional scale and solutions with MiQ’s global footprint forms the largest independent programming offering in the region.
Hidden advertising business in Apple’s secret vault
Ricky Sutton discusses how Apple quietly built a thriving advertising empire by hobbling its competitors while telling the world it was a privacy company.
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