33Across Blog | Programmatic News & Trends

Last week Google announced that in 2018 Chrome will have its own ad blocker. By the end of 2017, EMarketer expects for the use of ad blockers to increase by double-digits therefore this move should come at no surprise. As publishers, Google's decision to block ads certain will likely affect you. To prepare your sites and inventory for this unprecedented yet expected move, here’s what you should know:

Last week in sunny Scottsdale, myself as a few other members of our sales team attended our first Digiday event- Digiday Programmatic Summit. While experiencing the humidity-free heat of Arizona I enjoyed connecting with brands and agencies throughout the three-day event. Discussions surrounding transparency, metrics, and artificial intelligence dominated numerous conversations. Unfortunately I could not bring back the amazing “lazy river” ride I went on however here are a few of my takeaways.

Transparency Is the New Black
Apart of nearly every conversation, transparency was the top buzzword during Digiday Programmatic Summit. Ever since the YouTube debacle, transparency is now demanded across the board. Brands are learning that successful partner relationships stem from consistent communication and the ability to have the curtain pulled back. With this, publishers should understand that media spend will indeed follow transparency.

Simplicity Works Best
There was quite a bit of a debate regarding the use of multiple SSPs, DSPs, and vendors; versus using only one.  Similarly there were several discussion surrounding brands that may have multiple KPIs. When looking at
30 different KPIs it is nearly impossible to determine campaign results. The consensus during Digiday was to nurture the KPI conversation by choosing to blend optimization metrics or to simply focus on 1-3 metrics. This enables a clear optimization path for vendors and simple determination for ROI.

Robots Will Not Take Over
We are hearing more and more about artificial intelligence within the digital landscape.  While it's certainly a part of our future it will not completely replace the human component of media planning. The digital advertising community should understand that AI will be used to make media buying smarter.  A robot is able to ingest and compute more data than a human however campaign initiatives will always need human consideration.

Getting It Right With Mobile
Mobile advertising has had its share of challenges including the fact that cookies do not work with mobile. Fortunately for all of us, mobile devices are not going away therefore we as an industry need to get smarter. Accurate device IDs, location targeting, and monitoring mobile ad performance more strategically will all help to improve mobile advertising.

What was the buzz around the office last week? No more calling programmatic 'dead,' Google will soon offer an ad blocker, and optimizing yield for the long run.

1. Yes, programmatic lives on.  

We’ve all seen our fair share of “programmatic is dead” headlines, but are they accurate? After all programmatic digital display ads now account for 80% of U.S. display spending. Moreover programmatic allows for both precision targeting and contextual ad targeting which makes brands happy. Forbes breathes life into programmatic and explains how the technology is not only alive but flourishing. 

What was the buzz around the office last week? Original content is coming to Facebook, agencies may be taking hit due to programmatic, and publishers may want to switch up their video strategies.

1. Are you ready to start watching Facebook?  

Watch out streaming services, original content is coming to Facebook! Enlisting the production help of Conde Nast, Mashable and Refinery29, Facebook will pay these companies to produce live and on-demand video for their news feed. According to The Drum, there will be two-tiers: original unscripted shows and scripted shows. Borrowing a move from YouTube, the social media giant will take a 45% cut from the content owners after recouping costs.

Welcome to Friday Fives! Today we're chatting with our VP of Sales, Juliana Lupinacci. She's spilling the deets on deal IDs, the next big thing coming to programmatic, and which celeb should pour the perfect glass of cabernet for. 

What was the buzz around the office last week? Improving user experience could improve CPMs, the IAB issues standards for programmatic, and top programmatic trends to look at for in 2017.

1. Video engagement increases when user experiences improve   

Instead of going towards the most cost-effective CPM, publishers are now increasing engagement by improving the quality of their user’s experiences. Some publishers are even getting rid of autoplay and outstream video and choosing to offer their viewers click-to-play options. AdExchanger explains how some publishers are actually improving CPMs, engagements and viewability rates by allowing users to control their own video experiences.

Gone are the days of  aimlessly surfing the internet, everyone is online—all of the time. Now it’s all about capturing a user’s moments on granular levels in real-time. Referred to as a “micro-moment,” these moments occur when users reflexively turn to a device—typically a smartphone—to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something. When publishers design micro-moment friendly user experiences, they increase their monetization opportunities. Here are a few ways to take advantage of your mobile site to capture micro-moments.

What was the buzz around the office last week? Sharethrough and BrightRoll's new integration, SSPs and their need to get things in order, and how the rise of Audience ID usage is among us.

1. Native advertising just got a little bigger  

Native ad platform Sharethrough has integrated with Brightroll DSP, giving their advertisers access to over 4.5 billion impressions each month. This move has made native advertising accessible to programmatic buyers as well as to Brightroll’s advertisers. Some retailers are even experiencing a 21% increase in visits to their brand’s retail location,  The Drum explains how native advertising is key for brands.

Welcome to the first installment of The Friday Fives! Twice a month we will feature members of Team 33Across to discuss hot topics, industry trends, and a few interesting life facts. First up we have our Chief Operations Officer, David Jacobs. Below are his thoughts on the Duopololy, fake news, and more.

What was the buzz around the office last week? Snapchat's new ad buying platform, how age could have an effect on measurement, and a major change coming from the CPG world.

1. Is Snapchat taking notes from Facebook?  

Looks like SnapChat is making moves to monetize their platform. Joining the ranks of Facebook, Snapchat recently launched a self-service ad buying platform for brands. Entitled Snapchat Ad Manager, this product will allow brands to target their demographic through buying “camera ready” ads in a variety of formats. Along with it’s “goal-based bidding” for installs and Engagement Audience initiatives MediaPost details how Snapchat continues to maintain its position as one of the top 10 apps.