When done right, programmatic advertising can deliver huge benefits for digital media buyers – offering a more effective and efficient way to reach their target audiences writes Brittany Lefave – senior ad solutions manager, Australia and New Zealand at PubMatic (pictured above).
However, as the online population and the volume of content both continue to grow, supply paths are becoming increasingly fragmented and the increased complexity and loss of control has led to reduced efficiency and lower levels of trust in programmatic.
As media buyers look for solutions to these challenges, whilst also navigating how to reach their audiences against a backdrop of ongoing concerns around consumer privacy and resulting data protection legislation, it’s clear an adaptable approach to cross-screen media planning is needed.
Auction packages are emerging as a winning solution for media buyers looking to reach relevant audiences and extract increased value from programmatic buying.
What are auction packages?
An auction package is a collection of open marketplace inventory specified by targeting criteria set by a media buyer or a supply-side platform (SSP).
The targeting is applied at the SSP level and passed via a deal ID which typically represents a multitude of domains.
Who can use auction packages?
Auction packages are ideal for buyers who want more control and transparency when buying open market inventory.
The advanced targeting options enable media buyers to increase the efficiency of programmatic campaigns by targeting consumers across inventory via verticals, audience, or other demographics at scale.
Also, the bespoke nature of auction packages means that they are 100 per cent transparent.
Key benefits:
· Efficiency – An immediate option to target pre-built audiences across multiple publishers, transacted on a single deal ID that can be tracked and reported against commercial agreements
· Control – Buyers can select the publishers, audiences, and environments they wish to target without compromising on scale, within a single deal ID for added control
· Transparency – Built across open market inventory with fully transparent set-ups and reporting
· Quality – Curated omnichannel inventory across many of the world’s premium publishers
· Scale – Layering data from platforms onto auction packages enables advertisers to extend campaign reach across all channels
The value of moving targeting to the supply-side
Traditionally targeting has been activated on the demand-side, but things are changing. As publishers activate their own data and invest in more complete data strategies, supply side partners are uniquely positioned to offer media buyers a richer view of their audiences.
As a result, media buyers are increasingly experimenting with multiple supply-side targeting approaches such as ID targeting, contextual targeting and first, second and third-party data activation, for improved efficiency and better visibility into campaign planning.
A key consideration for buyers looking to implement supply-side targeting is understanding how to combine information from multiple sources, including first-party data, authenticated publisher data, universal IDs and segments from other third-party data marketplaces.
With so many options available, it’s vital to identify a primary targeting goal and keep that top of mind.
Best practises
We know that media buyers require custom strategies to address different combinations of channels, identifiers user types, and different ways of handling data.
PubMatic has recently released a new whitepaper ‘Media Buyer’s Guide to Impactful Action Packages’ where you can find a matrix that enables you to evaluate your approach to activation based on the channels you use, your targeting requirements, your approach to creative, and the data available and applicable to your individual campaigns.
