PubMatic’s Jason Barnes On Activate: “It’s Definitely Not A DSP”

Earlier this year, programmatic firm PubMatic pressed go on Activate — a new end-to-end supply path optimisation (SPO) solution that would let buyers execute non-bidded direct deals on premium video and Connected TV (CTV) inventory.
Lead image: Jason Barnes, chief revenue officer, APAC, PubMatic.
Several long months later, Activate has made its way to APAC. Dentsu’s APAC team is already signed up, as well as a range of TV partners across the region. To get the inside track on the new solution and learn why SPO will be make-or-break everyone operating in programmatic advertising, B&T sat down for an exclusive chat with Pubmatic’s APAC chief revenue officer, Jason Barnes and its newly announced regional director for Australia and New Zealand, James Young.
“It’s bringing a new paradigm to the programmatic supply chain. It’s an end-to-end CTV buying solution bringing transparency and control to buyers and publishers. It’s unique and solving a number of issues,” said Barnes.
The Activate solution has been years in the making, following the company’s acquisition of media measurement and reporting platform Martin. This new product has been the result of integrating Martin’s core functions into PubMatic’s core SSP. Now, with everything on a single platform, Barnes believes that it should give PubMatic a distinct advantage in the market.
“Today, if you are an SSP or a DSP, dealing with third-party measurement or you have different data partners, all of them have different degrees of transparency into their product — some are complete black boxes, others have a bit of transparency,” he explained.
By bringing everything into just a single platform, PubMatic is now able to offer end-to-end transparency to the buyers and the suppliers in the programmatic CTV supply chain.
Of course, the irony here is that transparency can often be an unclear term. As Barnes explained, it can mean being able to see the fees but, it can also mean control.
“As soon as you understand what everything is, you can start saying ‘Hold on, I don’t that to work like that or why is there a fee there?’ Transparency boils down a lot to control and controls,” he said.
This level of control and transparency sounds, from the outside, inherently positive. However, for some media buying agencies, it can pose a problem.
“In the industry, it’s no surprise that agencies are being disintermediated by way of some of the big DSPs going directly to brands and around the agencies. [Activate] is putting that control and decision in the agencies’ hands. Transparency and control are something that publishers have always wanted and agencies have to varying degrees. But, at this current stage, it’s very, very important to them,” Barnes said.
This level of interrogation into the CTV supply chain comes at a crucial juncture for the medium. Netflix’s expansion into ad-supported streaming has been mirrored first by Disney and now by Amazon Prime Video. The total slice of TV viewership is skewing ever more in favour of CTV — making it a great time to join a firm like PubMatic.
“It’s a product that’s really going to differentiate us in the market,” said Young.

James Young, regional director Australia and New Zealand, PubMatic.
“From my experience in the CTV realm over the last six years, I saw a noticeable shift of advertising dollars back towards more of an insertion order (IO) basis rather than private marketplace or open marketplace traded environments. That meant there was a lot more pressure on publishers to be messing around with IOs, sending them back and forth to be signed and all the rest, which we’ve been doing for 20 years.
“To be able to launch a product which solves a lot of those issues for both the publisher and buyer, and to speed up that process, is going to be great for us when we go to market with a product that both sides benefit from”.
In fact, PubMatic has been confident enough to say that both publishers and advertisers will see decent boosts in their revenue should they choose to activate, erm, Activate. However, Barnes wouldn’t be drawn on exactly how much money is being left on the table by both sides at the moment.
“It’s hard. We can look at the total addressable market and try to understand the size of the opportunity. The numbers that we have show that there’s about US$65 billion, or about $100 million Aussie, being transacted in online video that is non-programmatic. There’s about $37 billion on CTV. That’s the sort of prize sitting there.
“That is exciting for our publishers because we can say ‘We’re going to try and find a way to make it easier for agencies to transact’ and, as we’re partners with these publishers, we can help than money flow. Again, remember, it makes it easier for an agency that might be spending a lot on the walled gardens on YouTube, TikTok or other environments. If we find a way to make it more fee efficient and more efficient from a workflow perspective to be spending with these premium publishers then the publishers will love it”.
There is one large elephant in the room, however. PubMatic is an SSP. By offering agencies the chance to get access to the premium CTV inventory — isn’t the firm stepping outside its wheelhouse?
“This is not a DSP and we’re not going to be competing with all the other big DSPs,” Barnes assured us.
“Our intention is not to be competing with them. In fact, we think that Activate can be complementary because all those DSPs are also trying to unlock IO and make it programmatic because that’s a piece of the pie that they don’t get at all.
“Think about it, there’s one other participant in the market going to agencies and asking them, ‘Hey, why don’t you start shifting this IO through programmatic?’ In that way, it’s actually complementary. We aren’t going to agencies and saying you don’t need your massive DSP”.
Here’s hoping that Google, The Trade Desk, Adobe, Xandr et al hear that message loud and clear.
Please login with linkedin to comment
pubmaticLatest News

Air New Zealand & Bastion Shine Save Christmas With Their Latest Campaign
When it comes to New Zealanders, are they really just glorified Tasmanians who are much better at sport?

Google To Pay $111m To News Publishers In Canada
Google lumped with latest $100 million-plus fine. Which, when it's all said & done, is like 50 cents to the rest of us.

Thursday TV Ratings: The Chase Takes The Crown For Entertainment
Much like navigating the single-malt whiskey menu at Rockpool, Thursday night TV proves a tricky one for network bosses.

Before Adland: Luke Spano’s High-Stakes Switch
The Avid Collective MD reveals his life pre-adland. As exciting as it is, it's not international playboy spy & Lothario.

New Study Busts Aussie Advertisers Over False “Clean, Green & Sustainable” Claims
Aussie adland in strife over some of its 'green' claims. By that we mean environmental claims, NOT fibrous vegetables.

Network 10’s Rod Prosser On TV Ratings: “One Measurement System Is Better For The Industry”
The only thing B&T would love more than a chat with Rod Prosser would be a game of squash. Yes, he's a 'yellow dot' man.

It’s Friday Quiz Time Again!
Take B&T's trivia quiz for your chance to win a $100 booze voucher and possible cirrhosis of a major internal organ.

Innocent Bystander Wines Challenge The Boring With New Campaign
As the Latins famously say "in vino veritas" or "in wine, there is truth". And, truthfully speaking, B&T hated this ad.

Apple Enlists Taika Waititi For Gorgeous (& Not Christmas) New Work!
Think the month leading into Christmas is all Curtis Stone's Christmas prawns? It's Apple to the rescue today, readers.

Clean Up Australia Unveils Brand Refresh Via uberbrand
Do you have "litterbug" on either your resume or LinkedIn profile? Change your trashy ways immediately on this news.

Musk: Advertisers “Go Fuck Yourselves”
B&T warns this article contains language readers may find offensive. And by that we don't mean Elon Musk.

Triple M Puts The Gold Back In The Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is Australia's "glitter strip". That is if you think bogans, bikies & personal trainers are "glitter".

SenateSHJ Launches New Trans-Tasman Practices
SenateSHJ has launched a new digital, data and insights capability designed to help clients tackle the growing complexity of communication challenges. SenateSHJ Digital, Data and Insights (DDI) will combine the firm’s existing Digital and Insights functions to create a Trans-Tasman capability focused on digital communication, and the generation and use of data to improve communication. […]

Nova Shakes Off Swift Mania With Dedicated Station
Want to make yourself the most despised person in the office? Read on with the launch of Taylor Swift radio.

QMS CEO John O’Neill On His Plans To Get OOH Spend Up To 20% (Watchout TV!)
B&T's chatting with outdoor supremo, QMS' John O’Neill. Eerily the outdoors never got mentioned in any small talk.

AANA’s New Code Means Stricter Rules Apply To Advertising To Children
There are now stricter ad rules applying to kids. Yet, nothing a bottle of Fanta & a box of Froot Loops can't fix.

New BrandStory Format From Bonzai Allows 3x More Ad Space on Mobile
Creative technology platform Bonzai has announced the launch of BrandStory – a new premium mobile ad format. BrandStory offers triple the ad space and 2.8 times greater time in view than single scroll ad formats, addressing the surging demand from brands worldwide for more real estate to drive real results by seamlessly intertwining awareness, exploration […]

“Cut The Crap!” Piers Morgan Sensationally Outs “Royal Racists” On His TV Show
The corgis, anyone in the Palace with a funny hat & even Camilla off the hook, as Piers delivers royal racist dirt.

Wednesday TV Ratings: 365,000 Sign Up To Watch The Last EVER Hot Seat on Nine
Mrs McGuire reportedly unhappy about Eddie loafing about the house after Nine cans Hot Seat.

B&T’s Search For Australia’s Greatest Ad Heads To Channel 7
B&T went through the looking glass this morning, with editor-in-chief David Hovenden (above) appearing on Channel 7’s The Morning Show to get the general public involved in our search for Australia’s Greatest Ad. Hovenden chatted with Kylie Gillies and stand-in host Matt Doran about what makes a great ad and showcasing some of our favourites […]

It’s The Best Of The Best – Directors Of First Impressions, Presented By Finecast, Part Of GroupM Nexus
They're the ones with the best hair and the whitest teeth! Yes, it's adland's top 10 directors of first impressions.

Opinion: The Tall Planner’s Kate Smither On The DBA Dilemma
The science is not in question – smarter people than I, with far more data, have codified it. The logic is not up for grabs…it makes sense that creating mental shortcuts to your brand keeps you at the top of your mind. Lead image: Kate Smither – Owner, The Tall Planner I wouldn’t even take […]

Ortto & Tall Bob Partner To Deliver Better SMS & MMS For Australian & NZ Businesses
Two Australian-born technology providers have joined forces to bring more power and choice to marketers in Australia and New Zealand with mobile messaging that is more local, cost-effective, and integrated. It’s a partnership that sees two Australian software companies come together to deliver a world-class mobile-first solution for marketers building data-driven, personalised, omnichannel campaigns. While […]

PubMatic Nabs Luke Smith From Seven West Media
Seven's Luke Smith quits for PubMatic. However, he's still in line for one of James Warburton's annual Christmas hams.

Slew Of New Hires At Snap Inc.
Snap Inc. has announced a number of new recruits. B&T unaware if it positively impacted SEEK's share price.

Michael McLacren Confirmed As Deb Knight Replacement For 2GB Afternoons
Think AM radio has a bit of an angry boys' club feel? It's not improving things with this news.

Reddit Gets Playful Brand Refresh
This will be of interest to any Reddit fans, graphic designers or lovers of an orange so bright it burns the retinas.

World Square Counts Down To Christmas With Sydney’s Biggest Advent Calendar
Hopefully this news will get you in the Christmas spirit. Either that or go and stand in Westfields for nine hours.

Zitcha & Broadsign Partner To Drive Global In-Store Retail Media Market
Zitcha and Broadsign have teamed up to integrate the Broadsign out-of-home (OOH) advertising platform with Zitcha’s retail media platform. The collaboration empowers retailers to maximise and monetise in-store digital display networks and enables advertising partners to easily view and book available in-store inventory and review campaign performance alongside the retailer’s other media channels. With the […]

B&T’s Search For Australia’s Greatest Ad Part 5!
B&T's vote for Australia's greatest-ever ad is much like the recent referendum sans the mudslinging and Kamahl.

Ignite the Thrill: National Drag Racing Championship Unleashes Media Campaign Via Murmur Group
If there's one sport in the world that's thumbing its nose at global emissions, it's probably drag racing.

Rethink Ink: Is It About Time You Reconsidered Print?
Print's not merely an excellent vehicle for brands, it's also perfect for getting the barbecue alight for the sausages.

Double Rainbouu & 7-Eleven Launch Exclusive Summer Fashion Label
Today, 7-Eleven has announced a one-of-a-kind collaboration with the popular Sydney-based anti-resort wear label Double Rainbouu. Dropping tomorrow, December 1, just in time for summer, this limited-edition capsule will infuse the fashion brand’s rebellious spirit with a distinctly iconic 7-Eleven flavour. The unisex collection features five must-have styles comprising two signature Hawaiian shirts, a peaked cap, a bucket hat […]

Cannes In Cairns Media Accreditation Open Now!
Work in media? Want to cover next year's Cannes In Cairns? There'll be no free piña coladas without this form.

In-House Agency Council Research Report: 78% Of Marketers Now Work With An In-House Agency
In-housing is definitely an industry hot button topic. Admittedly still a long way behind office affairs.

OMA Announces Winners Of The Q3 Creative Collection Competition
Who doesn't love the out of home medium? Apart from the very real chance of being shat on by a bird.