Programmatic advertising is the purchasing of advertising in real time, based on set criteria or conditions.
Right now when we say programmatic we automatically assume we are talking about digital banners. But in reality, programmatic merely relates to the technology and process for this method of media buying. It just so happens that display advertising is where programmatic technology has taken off first.
Or has it? In reality the technology and method has been used by PPC for a lot longer. Just in the closed ecosystems of the search engines. You set technology to enter the auction, at a predetermined price, based on certain conditions. For search these conditions would be that a certain keyword has been searched, and the searcher was in a certain geography.
This isn’t too dissimilar to programmatic display technology. You set the technology to enter the auction for an impression, at a certain price, based on conditions such as the website the ad will appear on, the context of the page, the creative format, and maybe some data overlay. The process is the same, only the criteria and the buying model are different.
And programmatic technology is already encroaching on other, more traditional, media channels. Programmatic TV is already available online, and is slowly entering the living room set too. Programmatic radio is available DAB broadcasting. And many of the electronic outdoor providers are beginning to offer it too.
In each case the technology and method is very similar, but the criteria available to make media buying decisions against varies slightly.
Navigating this world of technology and acronyms, some of which are used to intentionally confuse, isn’t easy. But fear not, I can help! Whether that is through programmatic training, or through supporting you on your journey into this space, get in touch and let me help you turn this obstacle into an opportunity.