By Seb Joseph and Michael Bürgi • June 12, 2026 •
Ivy Liu
Publicis and The Trade Desk have made up, which is either a triumph of negotiation or a sign the whole thing was never quite as dramatic as it seemed.
The resolution, announced earlier today (June 12) in a joint statement, came after months of public rebukes, audits and no shortage of background briefing from both sides. It started in March when Publicis pulled The Trade Desk from its recommended DSP list after an audit found what it claimed were irregularities in how the platform applied its fees — specifically that The Trade Desk was stacking its ad tech fee on top of other charges in a way the holdco said wasn’t supported by its contract. Publicis told clients to stop spending with the platform. The Trade Desk’s stock dropped around 13%. Turns out, it was a round trip.
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