Auction packages: The key to programmatic supply path optimisation

This post is sponsored by PubMatic.

Much has been said about the importance of supply path optimisation, also known as SPO, but for those who are unfamiliar with it, it is the process of reducing the number of supply partners you work with, reducing or removing intermediaries, and selecting partners who you know and trust.

These partners add value in terms of inventory and/or technical functionality and are available to invest in your success by working lockstep with you to deliver solutions that ensure your long-term success. This includes understanding the challenges your business is facing, getting your input into their product road map, to building products that are right for your business.

Supply path optimisation solves some of the largest challenges agencies and advertisers experience such as fees, quality, and auction transparency. Adopting an SPO strategy is important, if not crucial, to buying programmatically and driving advertiser ROI.

A key topic that does require further exploration is what strategies and best practices to employ once you have determined your preferred supply partners.

Effective implementation strategies                       

Buyers are employing a combination of supply path decisions, making distinct SPO considerations. Some are starting the SPO process by selecting a few large omni-format sell-side platforms (SSPs) and then augmenting them with format-specific SSPs as necessary. While others are evaluating at a format level (that is, display, video, CTV, mobile app, etc). Both approaches typically see buyers put commitments in place to drive specific spend through these supply partners.

A key execution tactic, and one that allows buyers to exert more control over the digital supply chain, is to move open exchange dollars into private marketplaces (PMPs), or auction packages, across the few select supply partners that an agency or advertiser has decided to work with.

By moving open exchange dollars into auction packages, buyers have greater control over supply transparency, quality, brand safety, and commercial commitments.

What are auction packages?

Auction packages pull together programmatic open marketplace inventory, bound by specific parameters, into one Deal ID for easy activation. Inventory can be curated by how it performs or by the audience accessing that inventory. 

Six key benefits of PubMatic’s auction packages

1. Control – Buyers can select the publishers, audiences, and environments to achieve specific campaign goals.
2. Transparency – Built using predetermined inventory, so buyers know exactly what they’re bidding on.
3. Efficiency – Pre-built audiences across multiple publishers allows for open marketplace inventory to be transacted via a single Deal ID which allows for easy activation and saves time.
4. Quality – Utilises premium, omni-channel inventory across premium brand-safe publishers.
5. Efficacy – Transacted against a single Deal ID, which can be tracked and counted against commercial agreements.
6. Scale – PubMatic’s Connect, our audience and data product, allows data from a variety of high quality sources to be layered onto auction packages to helps buyers scale their targeted campaigns across omni-channel media suppliers.

Evolving for the future

Our auction package product is constantly evolving. From an audience and data perspective, we can support the use of client first party data, or we can ingest all types of data from cookies, device IDs, cookie-less first party and third party IDs, and contextual URLs.

Vertical packaging and attention-based metrics are also targeting strategies you can employ with PubMatic’s targeted, turbo-charged, and brand-safe auction packages.

PubMatic offers an array of seasonal and evergreen auction packages to help buyers target consumers across multiple publishers. Check out our auction packages store here. We have an auction package for every campaign KPI you need to meet.

Whomever you’re targeting, PubMatic can help you reach audiences via these pre-packaged auction packages or we can help you customise your own. Just reach out to your local PubMatic representative for further details.

The author is Brittany Lefave, associate director ad solutions, ANZ.