Trying out channels beyond search and social has ceased to be an experiment and has become routine. According to ‘The State of Performance Marketing in Spain’, a Taboola study, 79% of marketing professionals in Spain are considering incorporating new channels into their media mix on a frequent (54%) or very frequent (25%) basis, and only one in five do so occasionally.
This figure reflects a sector in constant motion, where the question Spanish professionals ask themselves is no longer whether diversification is worthwhile, but where to diversify and with what guarantees.
The Fear of Traffic That Is Vanishing
When asked about the emerging factors that most threaten traditional performance channels, Spanish professionals place first the traffic reduction caused by AI, noted by 59% of respondents. Close behind is the fragmentation of consumer attention, mentioned by half of the sample (50%).
Behind them appear the growth of CPC and CPM costs (36%), algorithmic unpredictability (34%), privacy restrictions (32%), and the reduction of organic reach (27%). In this way, that AI and attention dispersion sit ahead of the rising cost of clicks points to a shift in the nature of the problem: the concern is no longer only how much it costs to reach the user, but whether the user will reach you. The Diversification thus appears less as a quest for efficiency and more as a hedge against a structural risk.
The criteria most valued when exploring new channels
That said, opening the mix does not mean accepting any environment. 93% of Spanish advertisers consider that operating in contexts of trust and brand safety — premium publishers and reputable media owners— is a fundamental requirement when selecting channels for their performance campaigns. Only 7% view it as a secondary factor.
That same criterion of exigence transfers to partner selection, where the study reveals an unusual hierarchy. When evaluating a partner or a performance marketing agency, Spanish professionals prioritize technological innovation (66%) ahead of competitive pricing (54%), transparency in reporting results and costs (49%), advanced measurement (44%), and strategic consulting (42%). In short, what experts are seeking are tools capable of delivering results in new channels, not merely cheaper ways to execute the same.
