Transact with Trust inMilliseconds

:Ensuring transparency in programmatic media buying

What is Programmatic?

Programmatic media buying is the automated process of buying and selling digital advertising via software or technology.

But like with all technologies, there are positives and negatives…

Programmatic: The Good• It allows advertisers to instantly target audiences

at scale by demographics, shopping behavior and more, regardless of location.

• It helps publishers sell unsold inventory.

“Programmatic is necessary, and it is here to stay. For publishers, it allows for efficient yield optimization, and it allows advertisers to pay what we want for very specific target segments.”

Jeff HoleckoSenior Brand Manager

Kimberly-Clark North America

Programmatic: The Bad• Due to the automated nature of

programmatic, it is susceptible to fraudulent activity.

• The OpenRTB ecosystem is complex, costly and lacks transparency.

“We see operations and numbers that don’t make sense, and we have to hunt down what the issues might be and talk to other vendors. It can be quite time-consuming. There’s a certain irony that the more automated we get, the more we have to go back and validate when we discover something has gone awry.”

Ted BoydCEO

Brandworks International

So, what exactly happens inReal-Time Bidding (RTB)?

The RTB Ecosystem

Let’s take a closer look at the bid request and response.

Open RTB: The Bid Request

First, a consumer visits a page, which triggers a real-time auction for that ad space. A bid request travels from the sell-side platform (SSP) through the exchange to the demand-side platform (DSP). The figure below illustrates a fully transparent bid request.

SSP

DSP

Details about impression for sale

Channel (website or app)

Location (page level, domain level, silent)

User information (segment, audience)

Device (desktop, smartphone, tablet)

Open RTB: The Bid Response

The DSP then looks at all campaigns it is managing to determine whether it will bid on the impression on behalf of the buyer. If it does bid, the DSP communicates information back to the SSP. The figure below illustrates a fully transparent bid response.

SSP

DSP

Details about creative served

How much buyer is willing to pay

Advertiser domain

Creative taxonomy (e.g., auto vs. insurance)

Creative rating (e.g., all audiences or mature audiences)

Open RTB: The Win Notice

The bid request is sent to one or more DSPs and in return, the SSP manages the bid responses until a winning bid is determined.

The winning ad is then served to the user on that page or app.

SSP

DSP

DSP

DSP

What can I do to increase the level of transparency in real-time bidding?

Know your options and discuss the level of transparency your organization wants.

• Talk with your team to understand what level of transparency your organization requires.

• If you are a buyer, what do you want to know about where your ad is running and the intended audience?

• If you are a seller, what do you want to know about the type of ads the advertisers want to run on your site?

• For both the buyer and the seller, what controls do you have in place to ensure that the level of transparency that you’re looking for is reflected in the bid request or the bid response?

Steps to Improve Programmatic Transparency

Decide how much transparency you want to provide.

• For sellers, what information about your site and users are you willing to share?

• For buyers, what information are you willing to provide sellers about the ad that will be served?

Steps to Improve Programmatic Transparency

Work with certified vendors and ask questions.

• Ask your vendors if they are certified. To what standards?

• Do they have a compliance officer?

• What controls do they use to ensure their systems and processes are functioning and compliant with industry standards and best practices?

• And most importantly, ask for their Description of Methodology, which will provide even more information around their processes and procedures.

Steps to Improve Programmatic Transparency

Sign up to read the series at:info.auditedmedia.com/transparency/