Why Buying Streaming Advertising Is Not Like Buying a Toaster

However when it comes to purchasing streaming video inventory programmatically assessing buys solely on price is not always the best approach amp8211 especially for commercial ad break inventory in the growing streaming television ecosystem While premium video inventory can often come at a higher cost this is because most of the time it offers a higher chance of reaching the desired target audiences and driving the business outcomes advertisers are seekingThe key for buyers is to consider the entirety of the inventory they are buying what they are looking to achieve and what will help them get there Here are four critical factors beyond price that advertisers should take into account when making decisions on what inventory they should purchase to best position themselves for success1 PriorityOften buyers coming from display or online video backgrounds are drawn to inventory with lower price floors when comparing the same publisher in two different SSPs or curation services We need to think about this differently in streaming television For example if Publisher Aamp8217s inventory is available through SSP X for 20 and SSP Y for 25 itamp8217s natural to gravitate toward the lowercost option But thatamp8217s barely scratching the surfaceItamp8217s quite possible that SSP Yamp8217s 25 price floor is set at a higher priority in the publisheramp8217s ad decisioning technology the ad server vs SSP Xamp8217s 20 Why is priority important and what can a better position help you achieveamp8226 Increase the likelihood for your brand to win a position in the ad break you covetamp8226 Minimize the instances of losing out due to competitive separationamp8226 Maintain your intended campaign spend pacingamp8226 Deliver more impressions against your desired target audienceThe attractiveness of those favorable outcomes should warrant the higher price tag Itamp8217s essential to dig deeper with suppliers and tech partners to understand the full picture2 Content TypeContent type should play a significant role in the price thatamp8217s being paid amp8211 and how to evaluate price when making a comparison Buyers need to understand the content mix Is it all available content from a publisher or is it overindexed in one area like live programming or library videoondemand VODThe content mix can and will affect the price buyers pay For example live event content especially sports and special events or premieres will drive a premium As will content from flagship directtoconsumer services with very low ad loads However in both instances there is the potential benefit of additional reach and higher viewer engagement3 Signals ampamp Bid ObjectsA critical factor in buying video programmatically especially streaming is the quality and volume of signals or identifiers being passed in the bidstream Bid requests can offer enriched data about the audience viewing the video asset what device type is being used focus on the big screen and more detail about the content being consumed Sometimes this benefit of increased exposure to enhanced signals will result in an elevated CPM but paying that premium means youamp8217ll be making a more informed decision when bidding on a given ad opportunityHaving more insight into whoamp8217s watching and what theyamp8217re watching allows advertisers to optimize targeting based on campaign objectives So while the impression may cost a little more the positive impact on campaign performance is a prudent tradeoff If lack of signals causes questionable decisions on what youamp8217re buying is it worth the lower price4 Supply Path TransparencyIn streaming TV the publisher ad server is the most critical piece of technology when determining the advertisers that will run in each commercial ad break This happens through the unified auction decision where eligible advertisers amp8211 across both direct sold and programmatic demand amp8211 are selected for placement based on a predetermined set of rules and criteria As a buyer itamp8217s best to be as close as possible to ad server to help ensure you can effectively compete and get your brand message in front of viewersIf a lower cost opportunity seems attractive but on closer inspection itamp8217s actually a couple hops removed from the unified auction amp8211 is it still as attractive Itamp8217s important that you ask current and future curation partners how theyamp8217re connected to the ad server Winning an auction downstream even at a desirable price doesnamp8217t guarantee the ad impression will actually run in programming and deliver to the viewer The netnet here is advertisers should seek to understand their supply path in order to make sound investment choices And remember amp8211 if there are extra stops along the way someone has to get paidInvest in the Right Supply for the Right OutcomeBargain hunting may look great on a planning spreadsheet but it doesnamp8217t always yield the best results when investing in streaming supply programmatically TV is very much a amp8220you get what you pay foramp8221 medium and not all inventory is created equal amp8211 especially when taking the aforementioned factors into consideration Brands aiming to reach their audience and compel action whether thatamp8217s a website visit instore purchase or to drive awareness need to focus on outcomes Cutting corners on price may end up costing more in the long run if the business goals are not achievedThe smart approach is to work with partners who provide the confidence needed to find and reach valuable audiences Ask those partners the tough questions about what the quoted price representsBuyers should prioritize partners who provide direct access to the unified auction through an optimized supply path ensuring premium video inventory reaches the intended audiences effectively because the right supply delivered in the right context will always be worth the priceThis article was written by Bill Hanley who is the Senior Director of National Agency Sales at FreeWheel where he leads efforts to optimize publisher monetization through Freewheelamp8217s advanced programmatic marketplace products and solutions for streaming television With over a decade of experience in adtech Bill has consistently delivered cuttingedge supplyside innovations to the buyside empowering agencies and brands to effectively engage in the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem His career which began in linear TV distribution has evolved alongside the industry39s shift to digital streaming and addressable capabilitiesPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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Why Buying Streaming Advertising Is Not Like Buying a Toaster

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