How digital decay is costing advertisers millions of pounds in wasted ad spend

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We’re in the middle of a digital decay emergency and it’s costing advertisers millions in wasted ad spend. Digital decay doesn’t just frustrate users, it’s a deep, systemic issue draining ad budgets, weakening return on ad spend and undermining brand trust across the ecosystem. Fixing this isn’t just about improving user experience; it’s about unlocking better campaign performance, protecting brand reputation and driving stronger returns on ad spend.

Download the Navigating Digital Decay Guide to see how leading advertisers are tackling the hidden costs of low-quality inventory.

What is Digital Decay?

Digital decay is what happens when online experiences are sacrificed for ad clicks, impressions and short-term profit. It's a by-product of an internet that's increasingly becoming full of autoplay videos, cluttered domains filled with ads and clickbait, in place of genuine value.

In short, digital decay is the result of a system that’s optimised for quantity, not quality. It’s also a key part of what many now call enshittification - a term coined in 2022 by writer Cory Doctorow, to describe the gradual decline of platforms as they prioritise monetisation over user experience. The result? 72% of UK users now feel frustrated with online advertising as webpages are increasingly becoming less relevant and more invasive, driving many consumers to disengage or seek alternatives to cope with advertising ‘noise’.

This is no longer an isolated problem, it’s our industry’s new reality and unless we do something, the decay will only accelerate.

How Enshittification is draining ad budgets

Users are exhausted by low-quality advertising that interrupts, annoys and feels irrelevant. Over 900 million internet users now actively use ad blockers to try to escape intrusive ads - showing a clear sign of dissatisfaction. With nearly a billion people blocking ads, brands are losing out on reach and pouring millions into campaigns that never reach the very audiences they’re trying to influence. The result? Fewer people seeing your ads, a smaller, less relevant targeting pool, and ultimately, a weaker return on ad spend (ROAS). 

But that’s not where the damage ends. Poor inventory quality also increases brand exposure to unsafe environments, with 60% of advertisers and agencies becoming increasingly concerned about brand safety in programmatic. Their concerns are valid, with 71% of users agreeing that it makes them less likely to purchase from the brand. 

Even when ads are technically viewable, they’re increasingly served on low-quality Made-for-Advertising sites (MFAs). These pages often feature recycled headlines, excessive ad density, auto-refreshing content, and aggressive clickbait. They exploit programmatic loopholes, presenting themselves as premium placements while delivering no real engagement, no conversions and ultimately, no ROI.

Why Inventory Intelligence Is the Fix

So how do we stop digital decay? It starts with getting back to basics: think about where your ads appear, how they’re delivered and what impact they have on the user experience. This means assessing inventory quality using Inventory Intelligence is non-negotiable.

The Navigating Digital Decay Guide lays out steps for advertisers clearly. Inventory Intelligence considers two indexes: Ad Experience (how the ad shows up) and the Publisher Profile (where it’s being shown). When both are aligned to a high standard, you get smarter, safer and more effective digital advertising. Our study with Clearpay and GoodStuff showed that high-quality inventory drove 4.8x higher brand consideration lift than the open web average. This goes to show that in a cluttered digital world, high-quality inventory isn’t a bonus, it’s a competitive edge.

This is where the PIQ Inventory Intelligence Platform steps in; a tool built by Picnic to tackle digital decay head-on. For the first time in programmatic history, Inventory Intelligence gives advertisers a way to cut through the chaos and fight digital decay with data. Unlike traditional blocklists or domain filters, Inventory Intelligence goes deeper, analysing over 100 inventory quality signals from both an Ad Experience and a Publisher Profile perspective. Signals include ad density, page refresh rates, viewability, and domain authority.

All of this rolls into a single PIQ score that helps advertisers make smarter decisions, faster. Your ads appear in environments that actually support your message because in 2025, throwing budget at the open web and hoping for the best… just doesn’t cut it.

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Fighting Digital Decay in Practice

So what does fighting digital decay look like in action? 

With the PIQ Platform, advertisers can take action against digital decay - fast. Here’s how our Inventory Intelligence process works to deliver quality in just a few steps:

1. PIQ Discovery - Identify which domains in your current spend are helping  or hurting campaign performance. Use filters and goals 
2. Custom Curation - Using quality signals, relevant and effective inventory is identified for your campaign, based on your campaign requirements and goals. 
3. Delivery - Activate your custom curated inventory directly in your DSP, either as a curated PMP or Managed Service. Optional suite of engaging Picnic creative ad formats are also available.
4. Insight - Receive ongoing reporting that keeps campaigns sharp and continuously optimised for campaign effectiveness. Additional reporting for brand lift, sales lift, footfall and carbon emissions are also available. 

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The Future Belongs to Quality Inventory

Digital decay isn’t slowing down but it’s not unstoppable. Advertisers who act now and leverage Inventory Intelligence tools, like PIQ, can avoid the enshittification trap. They’ll connect with real audiences in environments that enhance their message, cut ad waste and drive measurable and meaningful results - not vanity metrics. 

Not seeing the campaign results you’re truly looking for?

The Navigating Digital Decay guide gives you the insights, frameworks and tools to make smarter inventory decisions and drive real advertising performance.