But only real alternative to adtech is spam: cheap (because of very low effectiveness), flashy rows of banner ads, 1990s style.
I am old enough to remember how obnoxious internet experience was ~20 years ago before targeted ads became a thing. It sucked.
People always act as though companies are somehow entitled to highly effective advertising. I'd prefer a return to those obnoxious ads, they were low-tech and everyone learned to ignore them.
That’s a false dichotomy. The only thing that ad tech gets you is specific targeting on a per user basis. You can still advertise related products and services based on the context in which the ads are presented without needing to know the marital status age range and skin color of the person doing the viewing.
