Swivel, an ad tech firm that launched in the US to automate sell-side ad operations, is now expanding to Europe. The company's platform takes on the manual workload of configuring campaigns, responding to RFPs, and optimising deals mid-flight - tasks that typically consume hours from ad ops teams.
Ayelet Palmore, Senior Director of Marketing at Swivel, discussed the move in an interview filmed at Cannes. She said the company's business thesis centres on removing repetitive process work so that human teams can focus on deeper, strategic tasks. The European expansion targets publishers facing the same operational drag that prompted Swivel's US launch.
US roots in sell-side automation
Swivel designed its tools specifically for sell-side ad operations and ad sales. The platform automates the configuration steps required to set up campaigns, generates responses to incoming RFPs, and continuously optimises those deals while they run. For operations professionals, this means fewer hours spent on data entry and deal maintenance.
This approach reflects a broader shift where AI for Operations is moving from pilot projects into production workflows. By automating the routine, publishers can assign their ad ops staff to revenue strategy, client relationships, and inventory planning.
Why Europe now
Palmore said European publishers are ready for the same automation. The complexities of programmatic selling - multiple SSPs, varied deal types, and manual optimisation - are not unique to the US. Swivel sees a clear opportunity to offer relief to teams that often run lean and rely on spreadsheets to manage campaigns.
Agentic trading optimism
Palmore also expressed optimism about agentic trading, an approach where AI systems take on more autonomous decision-making in ad transactions. The concept moves beyond simple task automation toward AI agents that can negotiate and optimise deals with minimal human oversight. For Swivel, the trajectory leads to a future where AI Agents & Automation handle the mechanics of trading, while people set the strategy and guardrails.
Why this matters for operations professionals
Ad operations teams spend a significant portion of their day on manual campaign configuration and RFP response management. Swivel's expansion signals that vendors are building tools capable of taking over those repetitive workflows. Operations leaders should assess whether such automation can reduce time-to-launch and free their teams for higher-value work like deal structuring and yield analysis. The push toward agentic systems also suggests that the next generation of tools won't just follow rules - they'll make trading decisions within parameters you set.
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