There are problems. For example, good clean brands can wind up on porn sites -- really nasty porn sites -- and often do. The porn challenge has been reported in trades around the world since 2011.

The programmatic system buys ads from a top level data collection of the target viewer’s browsing patterns. I often get the same ads (not on porn sites) from retailers recently visited, but I have no need for their products.  Today, programmatic is a primitive system. Programmatic is a way to justify money that must be spent—fast. The money must be spent or commissions aren’t paid and budgets aren’t renewed.

There, I said it.

The goal of advertising is to generate revenue, not to spend money fast. Blogs and speeches by marketers and ad agencies never actually express how programmatic buying makes sales go up. The client CEO wants sales to go up. Period.

Obviously revenue generation relies on the marriage of the right creative with the right stage. While there is endless focus on the joys of programmatic buying, i.e. spending money fast, nothing is written about the demand for new creative that maximizes this new media buying tactic. Programmatic creative fails to take own tap the benefits of the programmatic stage.

Here are five creative ingredients that will maximize programmatic media selling product:

1. Urgency and immediacy is the greatest advantage of programmatic. Current ads rarely embrace urgency. Usually the ad presents simple, surprisingly static copy and the design looks like a newspaper classified. Use the language of urgency: Now! Today! Tonight! Last one left! Also, flatter the reader: "This is for you Mr./Ms consumer." Say it!

2. The artwork should be 100% current. Tie the ad's images to news event of today.  

3. Tell the customers what you’ve done. Explain to customers that based on their viewing patterns you have selected a product that should be of use specifically to them.  If they disagree, ask to be told off.

4. If the ad is just an ad, it’s worthless and annoying.  Offer a significant reward for a click, but with an expiration date on the offer. If there is a major discount for a click thru that is only available on that ad, you have offered a service. Revenue grows when offerings are based on giving service.

5. If the ad was great on TV it will not be effective in a programmatic online buy.  As discovered by HitViews.com every medium creates its own stars. TV ads are made for a giant screen. Internet ads need to be created from scratch for a 2 inch square. TV ads fail online. Creative should be designed exclusively to capture the timing opportunities of programmatic buying and to offer a unique service to the customer.