Pragmatic Programmatic or Aggregate Ad Network?

How do you decide which is right for your brand?

 

With the evolution and ever growing popularity of digital advertising there has never been a better time for your brand to be online.  However, navigating this digital landscape can also be a challenge because technology and terminology is changing at such a fast-pace it can be hard to keep up.
Digital buying is growing too, not simply because it makes ad transactions more efficient but owing to the fact that it can make them more effective IF the right data is applied.  There are two key digital buying options: ad networks and programmatic ad buying.  Both provide opportunities for brands to purchase digital at different levels from static banners to rich media display covering high impact and video placements on mobile, desktop and tablet devices.

 

Programmatic Overview

In simple terms, programmatic simply means automatic and buying in this landscape refers to any ad space purchased automatically on a web page either by bidding for the space or buying it directly.  Either way, by this method it is guaranteed to be yours.  The decision making process of digital media buying is automated based on your target specific audiences and demographics.  Placement of programmatic ads is undertaken by artificial intelligence and real-time bidding or social media advertising, online display and mobile/video campaigns.

 

How real-time bidding works in the real world

As a webpage loads, if ad space is available on that page for real-time bidding, the information with details of both the site and the user viewing it is shared with an ad exchange.  The ad exchange will then auction off available ad spaced based on the highest bidder whereupon the winning bidder’s ad will appear on the webpage all before the page has completed loading.  This auction all takes place in the few milliseconds that it takes for a page to load.

 

Make an impression

Available ad space is also known as an impression; each time an ad loads this counts as one impression.  The value of an impression is determined by the website the ad appears on together with its relevance and the likelihood that a user will click through the ad.  An impression’s price is therefore determined by the amount buyers are prepared to pay in real-time.

 

Benefits of Programmatic

• Connect with audience 1:1 at scale
• Engage across screens and with rich formats
• Access top-quality inventory
• Measure what matters

Real-time buying means ads reach target consumers wherever and whenever the brand message is relevant.  What this means is less wasted impressions and budget.  Furthermore, real-time optimisation throughout the campaign is incredibly powerful because programmatic partners provide detailed insights that can be used to adjust the campaign so it performs even better.  This insight covers everything from demographics, behaviour modelling, keyword context, search retargeting, competitive analysis and offline retail/shopper loyalty card data.  This is more than driving sales, it is an ideal way to engage consumers with your brand at a time when they are open to doing so but even more compelling is the fact that mid-campaign you can evaluate what’s working best and adapt so you’re only paying for highly effective ads.

 

Whilst some argue that programmatic buying sometimes constitutes an inventory of non-viewable rubbish, controls are available to counter this.  It is undeniable that some purchase ads are more viewable than others but it’s possible to get as granular as procuring the top 10% of ads with the longest viewing time if budget permits!

 

Programmatic direct

Programmatic direct is essentially an automated process of buying guaranteed space without the auction.  This means more pricing control and faster access to ad inventory.

 

Ad Network Overview

An ad network is a company that connects advertisers to websites that wish to display/host advertisements.  The ad network aggregates ad space supply and matches it with advertiser demand.  Unsold inventory is packaged into content and demographic groups meaning advertisers can access advertising that reaches a large number of people with a large range of interests.  This is advertising to the masses because of the amount available on multiple premium and mass sites whilst retaining the ability to filter by profiles, demographics etc.

Ad verification partners are important to ensure ad placements are brand safe and viewable.

Unsurprisingly, the largest ad network is Google Adwords with its global ad network but Amazon are on their heels but there are many other smaller networks too.

 

Currently, this market is valued at $15 billion and it shows no signs of slowing.  This is surely because it allows brands to engage with consumers with ads that are relevant to them specifically which has become even more important in a world that is consumed by media on a daily basis.