Horizon Media Opens Its Ad Tech Playbook—And Invites Clients Inside

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In a bid to cut through ad tech opacity, Horizon Media is making its RFP process public — inviting clients to help shape smarter, cleaner partnerships.

Horizon Media, one of the largest independent media agencies in the U.S., is flipping the script on how ad tech partnerships are forged. In a move it calls “radical transparency,” the agency has opened its request-for-proposal (RFP) process to clients, allowing them to directly participate in selecting ad tech partners.

The initiative — spearheaded by Horizon’s Chief Digital Officer John Koenigsberg and Chief Strategy Officer Bob Lord — aims to eliminate the black-box reputation plaguing much of programmatic advertising. “Marketers are demanding more accountability, and the time for opaque tech stacks and hidden fees is over,” Lord told Ad Age. “This is about aligning incentives across the ecosystem.”

The decision comes amid growing scrutiny of ad tech supply chains, where issues like redundant data fees, misaligned incentives, and “tech taxes” often dilute media efficiency. By publicly sharing the criteria and methodology behind vendor selection, Horizon hopes to create a cleaner, interoperable ad tech ecosystem that puts performance — and trust — at the center.

The agency’s new RFP structure will prioritize vendors that offer flexibility, transparency in measurement, and seamless integration with AI-powered systems. Clients will be invited to sit in on evaluations, provide feedback, and co-sign final decisions.

For an industry built on impressions but riddled with opacity, Horizon’s approach may feel overdue. Still, by inviting scrutiny — and collaboration — Horizon is signaling that transparency is no longer a competitive differentiator. It’s a prerequisite.