Unlocking the promise of programmatic for video & CTV buying

Despite streaming TV eclipsing linear TV in terms of viewer growth, data capabilities and flexibility, the ad-buying mechanisms used to transact this media have not advanced at the same pace. Even in the streaming-centred year of 2023, non-programmatic insertion orders still account for the vast majority of CTV transactions. 
 
That's an unsustainable level of inefficiency for such a fast-growing and dynamic channel. As consumer behaviour shifts towards streaming, it becomes increasingly clear that advertisers need a more efficient way to transact across CTV and video inventory. 

Today's advertisers require the efficiency and transparency of programmatic across all their video campaigns, and that calls for an end-to-end SPO approach that puts buyers in control of their media buying strategy.

As the needs of advertisers have changed, they are looking to their platforms and partnerships to deliver new value: 

• Greater strategy control:Advertisers need to be able to run campaigns the way they want. That means they need complete control of the digital supply chain, right at the supply source. They need solutions that let them curate premium video inventory, create campaigns, execute programmatic media, and optimize in real-time. 
• Greater efficiency:The right platform helps advertisers and publishers alike maximize their working media by reducing associated tech costs. Media buyers want to drive efficiency across video campaigns, with no hops, and some aren't aware of just how many fees might be built into the supply chain: DSP and SSP fees, data add-on fees, managed service fees and others. The right technology enables advertisers to only bring in the components that add real value to ensure the maximum amount of an advertiser's budget that goes toward actual working media. It also reduces costs and time spent compared to direct activations by leveraging programmatic automation, accessing lower platform fees and SPO benefits, without managing deals across multiple platforms. 
• Activation benefits:Self-contained buying platforms don't just provide more efficiency than direct buys. They provide the added benefits of less data-leakage, higher match rates, lower fraud, increased transparency, closer inventory connection and stronger performance than traditional programmatic supply chains. 
• Access to sell-side data:Advertisers also want the ability to leverage the robust insights available within sell-side data, which often aren't available through DSPs. As such, they're looking for platforms that unlock these insights for more-robust video and CTV campaign planning and execution. 
• Sustainability and responsibility:The advertising industry has awoken to the need for a sustainable and responsible media supply chain. Solutions representing one layer of tech create fewer carbon emissions than the standard programmatic supply chains. Emerging supply chain alternatives enable advertisers to reduce their carbon footprint and expand their green spending — in other words, achieving their KPIs while making a positive change. 

Advertisers are embracing automation to get closer to video publishers and drive the efficiency and transparency that have long been the promise of programmatic. By modernising and customising the digital advertising supply chain based on customer needs, emerging industry tools are bringing automation to the pool of CTV and video inventory that is still using outdated transaction methods.  

It's time for advertisers to unlock the efficiency and transparency of programmatic across all their video campaigns with an end-to-end solution that puts buyers in control of their media buying strategy, while simultaneously driving more revenue to publishers. 
 
They no longer need to choose between the automation and real-time optimisation of programmatic or the quality and control of direct IOs. With new tools, buyers can execute direct deals across premium video inventory with fewer hops, enabling a seamless transition of their direct business for better visibility, stronger campaign performance, fewer fees, and greater sustainability. 

(By Sudipto Das, VP, Advertiser Solutions, APAC PubMatic)