Why is there a middleman in a relationship you already own?
A retailer has the venue.
They paid for the screens. They have the audience. They know the suppliers, tenants and brands that want to reach that audience.
So why, exactly, should they need an exchange to sell it?
Somewhere along the way, ad-tech managed to turn a fairly simple transaction into a supply chain.
The venue has something valuable. A brand wants to buy it. Between the two we insert platforms, exchanges, DSPs, SSPs and fees, then congratulate ourselves on making the transaction programmatic.
That makes sense when those systems are finding demand the venue could not otherwise reach.
It makes considerably less sense when the buyer and seller already know each other.
If Nike wants to advertise in your stores, you do not need an exchange to introduce you to Nike.
If a tenant wants to advertise twenty metres from its own shop, it should not need to enter an auction to do it.
If a supplier wants to book a campaign across your estate, that relationship should remain yours.
This is the premise behind Foro.
The venue lists its inventory, sets the price and decides the terms. Tenants, suppliers and brand partners can book the actual place they want, for the dates they want, at a price they can see.
Direct and negotiated business gets first claim.
Then the Foro market can bring additional buyers.
Then, if the venue wants it, residual inventory can be opened to external demand.
Programmatic still has a role. A useful one.
But it should be last look, not landlord.
The technology should help a venue sell more of its inventory. It should not become a technical prerequisite for selling inventory to customers the venue already has.
The audience came through your doors.
The screens are on your walls.
The advertiser relationship is yours.
The venue stays the seller.