forbes.com
Curation Reshapes Programmatic Advertising
The rise of curation in programmatic advertising is fundamentally shifting the power dynamics in the ad tech stack, moving intelligence and value from DSPs to supply-side marketplaces, which provides economic and workflow improvements for advertisers while offering high-quality ad placements for publishers.
- How is the rise of curation in programmatic advertising impacting the economic dynamics and power balance between DSPs, SSPs, and publishers?
- Programmatic advertising is undergoing a significant shift with the rise of curation, which moves audience targeting and ad placement intelligence from DSPs to supply marketplaces. This change addresses inefficiencies in the traditional ad tech stack, where layers of fees reduce the value reaching publishers. Curation allows advertisers to reclaim control over performance and cost by accessing targeted audiences without paying the high data targeting fees charged by DSPs.
- What are the key differences between quantity and quality curation in programmatic advertising, and how do these approaches affect advertiser performance and cost?
- The two main types of curation are quantity and quality. Quantity curation, similar to a big-box retailer, offers high volume but varying quality. Quality curation, resembling a boutique shop, prioritizes higher-quality, premium ad placements designed for high-performance goals. This shift reflects advertisers' growing focus on attention metrics, which show that ads on higher-quality sites achieve significantly higher brand lift.
- What are the long-term implications of the shift toward quality curation and attention metrics for the future of programmatic advertising and the relationship between advertisers and publishers?
- The move toward quality curation is driven by consumers' increasing efforts to protect their online privacy, leading to lower engagement with standard programmatic placements. This trend benefits publishers offering premium, curated content and aligns with advertisers' increasing adoption of attention metrics, which prioritize engagement over mere viewability. The future of programmatic advertising will likely involve a hybrid model combining mass-market and boutique curation approaches.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article frames curation positively, highlighting its benefits for advertisers and publishers who embrace it. While it acknowledges potential concerns, the overall narrative suggests that curation is a beneficial and necessary evolution. The use of analogies like "artisanal craft" and "boutique shop" favorably positions curation.
Language Bias
The article uses generally neutral language but some terms, like "soulless nature of programmatic media buying" and "watered down" (referring to ad budgets) carry negative connotations. These could be replaced with more neutral phrasing such as "inefficient" or "diluted." The repeated use of "quality" and "premium" to describe curated advertising could be seen as loaded language, although it's arguably descriptive of the offered services.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses primarily on the perspectives of advertisers and SSPs, potentially overlooking the viewpoints of smaller publishers or those who may not benefit from curation. The impact of curation on consumer privacy, beyond the mentioned concerns about tracking, is not extensively explored.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat false dichotomy between "quantity curation" and "quality curation," implying that only these two approaches exist. A more nuanced approach might acknowledge other methods of curation or audience targeting. The characterization of the industry reaction as strictly "apocalyptic concern" or "dismissive indifference" also simplifies the range of responses.
Sustainable Development Goals
By shifting the power dynamic in digital advertising from demand-side platforms (DSPs) to supply-side platforms (SSPs) and publishers, curation helps to reduce the economic imbalance in the industry. This fairer distribution of revenue can empower smaller publishers and create a more equitable ecosystem. The article highlights how DSPs often take large cuts of advertising budgets, leaving less for publishers. Curation offers a more efficient and transparent system, potentially leading to a more equitable distribution of resources.