Programmatic Advertising Trends, Stats, & News

Programmatic advertising is soaring to new and exciting heights. This growing method for buying ads has quickly become a crucial component of an ecommerce brand’s successful marketing mix.

Programmatic can help you reach customers along their entire path to purchase and drive more valuable conversions. It’s no wonder that marketers are putting more than 50% of their media budget into programmatic advertising.

Programmatic advertising is an efficient, data-driven way of buying highly relevant audiences at scale. It is the most efficient way to buy digital ads and get your ad live in the current advertising landscape.

In this article, we’ll be sharing the most current programmatic advertising news, stats, and trends. Check back for updates as this ad buying method continues to propel forward.

What heights could you reach with programmatic if you had a guide to show you the way? We create and execute programmatic strategies to help you stake claim to your territory. To explore the difference that comes with having a guide you can trust, book a meeting with our team today.

Programmatic advertising in a nutshell

December 7, 2023

Programmatic advertising is expected to surpass $200 billion for the first time in 2023. By 2026, it will approach $300 billion. As one of the fastest growing ad types, programmatic is a powerful tool in any marketer’s toolbox.

An effective programmatic advertising strategy requires a baseline knowledge of how the channel works. Keep reading for a high-level overview of what programmatic advertising is and how you can use it to grow your business profitably.

Benefits of programmatic

What’s the reason for all the hype around programmatic? Let’s take a look at some of the biggest benefits.

• Reach and scale: Programmatic operates on the open internet and has a much larger available reach than large platforms like Google Ads and Meta that operate inside of walled gardens.
• High return: Programmatic is the most cost-effective way to get your brand’s message in front of potential customers.
• Advanced targeting: Outside of first-party data, programmatic campaigns have access to a wealth of targeting options that are sourced from various data management platforms (DMPs).
• Multi-channel approach and custom units: Programmatic campaigns don’t only have the ability to run across a multitude of channels; they can also leverage custom units like shoppable videos or carousel units to increase users’ interactivity and engagement.

What is programmatic advertising?

Ok, so you know the benefits of this ad type. But what exactly is programmatic advertising?

Put simply, programmatic advertising is the process of buying and selling ad space via digital automation.

Unlike traditional advertising, programmatic advertising doesn’t require businesses to negotiate directly with publishers. Programmatic advertising was originally focused on standard display ads, but it’s expanded to native, video, audio, connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home (dOOH), and even gaming.

How does the process work?

The demand-side platform (DSP) allows advertisers to buy inventory in real-time through the Exchanges. There’s also the supply-side platform (SSP). The SSP allows publishers to sell their inventory in real-time, creating virtual pipes into the Exchanges.

The DSP is used like this:

1. Campaign parameters are set up in the DSP
2. Audience targeting (data) is layered on
3. The campaign is analyzed and optimized
4. Outcomes are driven and KPIs are hit!

The person who uses the DSP to bid on ad inventory is called the trader. Within the DSP, the trader sets up campaign parameters. The trader continuously analyzes campaign performance and optimizes as needed to achieve the highest possible performance.

The trader’s goal is to reach a desired outcome or KPI, such as CTR, VCR, CPA, etc. KPIs can be thought of like this:

Looking for a programmatic partner to help you navigate the path to profitable growth? The experts at ROI Revolution help guide brands to where they’re meant to go. To explore the difference that comes with having a guide you can trust, book a meeting today.

Spotlight on programmatic advertising trends for the holidays

October 12, 2023

What programmatic channels should you focus on this holiday season to make the most of your investment and reach your highest holiday potential?

US programmatic connected TV (CTV) ad spend is on its way to hitting $21.5 billion this year. That’s a 25% increase over last year. As more and more advertisers leverage this channel, it will be crucial this holiday season as a strategy to surpass your competitors.

Mobile still dominates in terms of programmatic digital display ad spend, so make sure your content is optimized for mobile. Having vertical placements for your videos and ads will be key.

US programmatic podcast ad spend is growing even more this year, expected to surge 41.3% to reach $166.3 million. While spend isn’t quite as high as CTV, the growth is much higher. Programmatic audio is an emerging channel that wise brands – especially those with smaller budgets – will look into leveraging this year.

US programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad spend could be another effective component of your holiday strategy. After seeing significant declines during the pandemic, this channel is expected to grow 48.2% this year to hit $660 million. This is another emerging trend where ad spend is still far off from the levels of CTV, but the growth is noteworthy. Brands that are looking to test new channels should consider programmatic DOOH this holiday season.

Are you on the path to fulfilling your brand’s potential? What if you had a guide to show you the way? The experts at ROI Revolution helps brands navigate the path to where they want to go. To explore what it means to have a guide you can trust, book a meeting with our team today.

The power of multi-channel programmatic marketing

September 21, 2023

75% of shoppers use multiple channels before making a purchase.

To engage your audience, you need to diversify your marketing efforts and utilize emerging channels.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, one thing is certain: Relying on a single programmatic marketing channel isn’t a sustainable approach.

To create an effective programmatic marketing strategy, you need to:

• Understand your audience
• Embrace the open funnel model
• Target the right person, in the right place, at the right time

Some of the channels you can leverage to do this include:

• Connected TV (CTV)
• Gaming platforms
• Native advertising
• Digital out of home (DOOH)

Dive into how to diversify your programmatic strategy with these powerful programmatic channels. Read our blog, Unlocking the Power of Multi-Channel Programmatic Marketing.

July 5, 2023

Programmatic advertising trends that are driving the future of ecommerce

If your business is spending more on programmatic advertising, you’re not the only one. Global programmatic budgets are expected to increase by over $300 billion in the next four years.

As advancements like artificial intelligence, cookieless marketing, and personalization give rise to new ways of doing marketing, programmatic is rising to the top as a viable (and profitable) avenue to reach and convert new customers.

Do you know how to leverage programmatic advertising with the current top-of-mind digital marketing trends to achieve your goals? What trends are impacting ecommerce and programmatic advertising?

Read this blog to discover how trends like personalized ads, generative AI, privacy restrictions, and the cookieless future are shaping the future of programmatic.

May 18, 2023

Reaching customers everywhere with multichannel programmatic advertising

Gone are the days when your business could focus on just one channel to reach customers effectively. In a world where consumers’ shopping habits are more of a blend of in-store and online than ever, and where “online” includes channels ranging from Google to Amazon to various social media sites, the most successful businesses are getting in front of customers in as many locations as possible.

Programmatic makes this easy to achieve. Let’s explore the benefits of multichannel programmatic advertising – and how you can achieve them.

Using programmatic advertising trends to reach shoppers across channels has a multitude of benefits. Not only does it allow your brand to tell a cohesive brand story across the entire funnel, it also ensures you reach shoppers who are only active on some channels.

• 19% of advertisers are increasing their programmatic spend due to better ROI and performance.
• 52% of marketers say a benefit of multichannel advertising is that it allows their brand to reach consumers on their preferred channel.
• 41% of advertisers say that multichannel advertising is extremely important across the entire funnel.
• 60% of marketers say their multichannel campaigns meet or exceed their KPIs most or all of the time.

The top 5 channels that marketers use for multi-channel campagins are:

1. Digital video
2. Digital display
3. Social media
4. CTV
5. Paid search

30% of marketers say they lack the internal resources or expertise to run multichannel ad campaigns. Partnering with a digital marketing agency can make it easier to reach and convert your ideal customers through programmatic. In fact, 88% of marketers use agencies to manage at least some of their programmatic buys, and 39% of marketers use agencies to manage all of their programmatic buys.

With the experts at ROI Revolution who are well-versed in how various marketing channels work together to complement each other and tell a cohesive brand story, your business can exceed your programmatic KPIs and convert customers across channels with ease. Some of the benefits of partnering with an agency for your programmatic strategy are:

• Support to track & analyze the right programmatic metrics & KPIs based on your goals
• Ability to easily run tests & experiments to give you the most bang for your buck
• Offloading the stress of strategy creation & execution so that you can focus on other initiatives to drive your brand forward

Let us take the stress out of your strategy. Send a message to our team today to explore the holistic opportunities we can uncover for you.

March 22, 2023

Programmatic advertising stats roundup

The digital marketing landscape is always changing, and programmatic advertising is no exception. As we navigate a “post-pandemic” world, the changes seem more rapid than ever. In today’s update, get caught up on all the latest stats around programmatic so that you know whether it’s a good fit for your brand – and if it is, how you should approach it.

• According to ROI Revolution’s 2023 State of Digital Marketing Survey, 30.5% of marketers plan to increase or maintain their investment in programmatic advertising this year.
• Global programmatic ad spend is expected to reach $558 million in 2023 – a 13.1% increase over 2022 and almost double what it was in 2019. (Source)
• Programmatic digital display advertising spend is projected to make up 91.1% of all digital display ad spend in 2023. (Source)
• After growing 39.3% in 2021, programmatic digital display ad spend grew just 11.0% in 2022. In 2023, it’s projected to grow 16.9%. (Source)
• Connecting DSPs with other marketing tools is the #1 challenge that ad technology decision-makers say they face with programmatic advertising. (Source)
• According to another survey, cost efficiencies are the most important driver for economic investment. (Source)
• Connected TV (CTV) is projected to be the biggest growth area for programmatic this year. (Source)

Digital marketing can be frustrating to navigate, but it doesn’t have to be. At ROI Revolution, we have a dedicated team of programmatic experts who develop and execute strategies for large brands every day. Our strategies not only ensure programmatic success but also work with other channels to ensure your business has a full-funnel, holistic approach to reach new customers. To explore the wins we could help you uncover through programmatic advertising, send a message to our team today.

February 15, 2023

Programmatic advertising trends forecast for 2023

Two major focus areas for programmatic advertising in 2023 are the cookieless and creative.

Google has pushed back the cookie deprecation date a few times, and it won’t be until late next year that the cookie disappears. The deprecation delays are a good thing for programmatic advertisers because they mean there’s more time to prepare. There’s been an increased focus on leveraging first-party (1P) data for programmatic. Data connectivity partners such as LiveRamp make this easy to do. Most DSPs have an existing relationship that can be leveraged at a 30-70% match rate.

In addition to an emphasis on 1P data, contextual/browsing audiences, and location data, there’s also been an increased emphasis on impactful creative. Rich media units allow for additional elements, such as embedding video or incorporating social icons, that can drive engagement to help make up for the loss of such targeted data.

When it comes to creative for your programmatic ads, be unique, be impactful, tell a story, and make a connection.

User-generated content (UGC) and testimonials in programmatic ads resonate highly with shoppers. Just be sure that the talent you choose for your content matches the audience you want to reach. You also want to be sure to refresh your content regularly. Ensure new ads are being utilized at least every three months. QR codes can be another great way to make it easy for shoppers to get to your website.

Programmatic is utilized mainly for upper- and mid-funnel objectives. With the impending recession, many businesses are making cuts in these areas. However, continuing to have a sustained presence in order to retain customers and outpace your competitors is crucial – especially because consumers are researching more before making a purchase. Since your competition is likely cutting back on upper-funnel efforts, now is a great time to ensure you maintain your brand presence to catch the eye of your target audience.

In our 2023 Digital Strategy Forecast webinar, we covered cookieless and creative for programmatic in more detail, in addition to strategies for having a holistic omnichannel presence, mitigating risk in the face of a recession, and more. Watch the replay to gain all of the insights.

December 1, 2022

Journeying along the programmatic path to purchase

Programmatic advertising is the ultimate omnichannel powerhouse. With the ability to reach interested customers with highly targeted ads across a wide range of channels, programmatic empowers your brand to get in front of the right shoppers at the most ideal place and time – whether it’s through Hulu, Spotify, or banner ads on a webpage.

For marketers, the ability to stop worrying about reaching ideal shoppers at the best place and time sounds like a dream. The programmatic path to purchase can fulfill that dream by empowering you to have the right amount of touchpoints across different channels with perfectly suited messaging and keenly targeted audience groups.

Of course, it takes a dedicated strategy, but programmatic advertising has the power to fuel your brand’s full-funnel, omnichannel marketing strategy, all the way from awareness to conversion. On top of that, programmatic ads are highly targeted based on data like location, browsing history, demographics, and more to drive interested customers directly to your brand.

For a glance into how it works, follow the programmatic path to purchase in this infographic. You’ll go with Paul along his buying journey with multiple touchpoints across various channels as he transforms from unaware to curious to customer.

ROI Revolution’s team of programmatic pros are equipped with 20+ years of online marketing experience to grow awareness and sales through video, audio, display ads, digital out-of-home ads, and more! Send our team a message today to explore how we can discover untapped growth opportunities for your brand through programmatic advertising.

October 5, 2022

New Programmatic Advertising Trends, Data, & Stats You Need to Know

Are you and your team up-to-date with the latest data and stats about what’s going on in the world of programmatic advertising? To make sure your programmatic knowledge aligns with what’s going on in the industry today, take a look at the below stats:

• US programmatic ad spend is expected to reach $271 billion in 2025 – an increase of over $100 billion compared to 2021! (Source)
• By 2026, 86% of overall digital advertising revenue will come from programmatic ads (Source)
• In 2023, programmatic digital display will make up 91% of all US digital display ad spend (Source)
• In 2023, programmatic video advertising spend will be more than double what it was in 2020 (Source)
• US connected TV programmatic display ad spend will grow 28% in 2022 to reach a record $8.88 billion (Source)
• US programmatic digital radio ad spend will surpass $1 billion for the first time ever in 2022 (Source)
• US programmatic digital out-of-home ad spend will reach $530 million in 2022 – nearly 3x what it was in 2020! (Source)

ROI Revolution’s team of programmatic experts are equipped with 20+ years of online marketing experience to help brands like yours discover untapped growth opportunities through programmatic advertising. Get in touch with us today to see how we can work with your team to develop profitable programmatic campaigns.

August 18, 2022

The latest in programmatic advertising

At ROI Revolution, we’re always keeping track of current trends and data in the services we offer to help you drive the most growth for your brand. We recently updated two of our programmatic advertising resources to give you the most accurate picture of the state of programmatic right now. Explore the latest programmatic news below:

Infographic: 15 Programmatic Advertising Stats Your Brand Needs to Know

In 2023, US programmatic digital display advertising spend will be nearly double what it was in 2019! Is your brand effectively leveraging one of the most lucrative advertising channels available?

If you’re still unsure whether programmatic is the right fit for your brand, we’ve compiled a plethora of statistics to help paint a clear picture of how effective programmatic advertising can be. In this infographic, you’ll uncover data and trends including current overall programmatic ad spend, future projections, channel-specific metrics, and more. Get the infographic.

White Paper: The Definitive Guide to Programmatic Advertising

By the end of 2022, programmatic advertising spend is projected to reach nearly $100 billion dollars. As the most efficient and scalable way to buy digital ads, programmatic should be a channel every marketer considers.

In this executive report, we’ll help you unravel the mysteries behind programmatic advertising including what it is, how it’s used, which ad formats can be purchased, and why it is valuable to your brand. Claim your copy to help boost your brand’s digital success.

February 10, 2022

A preview of exclusive insights on programmatic advertising

We recently conducted a survey of nearly 200 digital marketing professionals and decision-makers. You’ll get the exciting results from that soon in our 2022 State of Digital Marketing Report, but for now, what key programmatic-related insights can you get from the data?

11.5% of our respondents indicated programmatic as one of their brand’s biggest initiatives for 2022. That number was even higher for decision-makers, with 13.5% naming programmatic as a key initiative compared to 4.7% of managers and an impressive 18.5% of doers.

We also gathered industry insights and found that 17.7% of home goods brands are likely to use programmatic advertising in their strategy this year. That’s compared to just 6.9% of apparel brands and 7.1% of food and beverage brands.

Video will be a key component of brands’ programmatic strategies this year. According to eMarketer, 2022 will mark the first time ever that video makes up over half of all programmatic ad spend. Connected TV (CTV) will make up over one-fifth of that.

In our survey, 23.6% of respondents indicated that video was one of their biggest initiatives in the coming year. The same amount of decision-makers named video as a big initiative for 2022, with 30.2% of managers and 18.5% of doers saying the same.

Stay tuned for our 2022 State of Digital Marketing Report later this quarter, where you’ll be able to explore all of the data segmented in exciting ways to reveal new insights that will help your brand grow in 2022.

December 13, 2021

Programmatic on Amazon, Walmart, & Target

Amazon DSP allows brands to programmatically purchase display, video, and audio ads both on and off Amazon, empowered by Amazon shopper data to display a brand’s ads to highly relevant audiences who are likely to convert. It also gives advertisers access to unique Amazon offerings like IMDb, Fire TV, Twitch, and more.

Amazon DSP provides both managed-service and self-service options. To get access to DSP inventory plus consultative services, the managed-service option is the way to go. Brands that want to retain full control over their programmatic campaigns can safely go self-service.

Amazon DSP provides several metrics for measuring programmatic campaign outcomes, including retail insights to compare activity throughout DSP campaigns, Amazon campaign reporting to measure success throughout each phase of the funnel, and third-party reporting solutions that provide omnichannel insights like brand lift and offline sales for a more enhanced understanding.

For the first time ever, Walmart launched its own DSP this year. Walmart’s DSP will be the first full-stack DSP built on The Trade Desk, a leading global DSP solution that provides both first-party data and third-party data.

Similar to how Amazon DSP uses Amazon customer data, Walmart’s DSP will give brands access to in-store and online Walmart shopping data to deliver personalized shopping experiences.

Walmart’s DSP won’t yet be able to offer the same advanced reporting capabilities as Amazon’s, but through The Trade Desk’s third-party data, it will be able to provide increased granular audience targeting and ad inventory options.

Target’s programmatic offerings live under Roundel, which centers itself on its verifiable first-party data from its loyalty app and in-store and online purchases, brand-safe ad inventory to make sure your brand isn’t seen next to anything considered inappropriate, and informative results measurement to show the ROAS of your campaign. Target doesn’t yet have its own DSP, but brands and retailers can connect their own DSP to Target’s customer data and advertise to segmented audiences.

December 6, 2021

Programmatic stats to keep in mind in 2022

• Programmatic ad spend will reach $80 billion in 2021, up from just $63 billion in 2020
• In 2021, programmatic is projected to account for 72% of all display ad spend
• By the end of 2022, programmatic ad spend will reach nearly $100 billion
• Programmatic video ad spend will reach $35 billion in 2021, up 31.3% over 2020
• Programmatic ad spend for connected TV surged 53% in 2021
• Connected TV programmatic ad spend is projected to reach $8.88 billion in 2022, a nearly $2 billion increase over 2021
• Programmatic digital radio ad spend will surge 46% to $897 billion by the end of 2021
• 16.5% of digital radio ads will be purchased programmatically in 2021
• US programmatic digital out-of-home (OOH) ad spend will reach $350 million this year and is projected to reach $534 million in 2022
• 69% of programmatic buyers say that Amazon DSP is the best demand-side platform to navigate the shift away from third-party cookies, followed by Google Display & Video 360 at 63% and Verizon Media DSP at 55%
• Mobile is the top category for US programmatic video ad spend at 75%, followed by connected TV at 16% and desktop at 9%
• Marketers are now putting more than 50% of their media budget into programmatic advertising
• Programmatic digital OOH ad spend is expected to account for nearly 11% of all digital OOH ad spend in 2021, almost 5x what it was in 2019
• 70% of programmatic publishers say they’re ready for third-party cookie deprecation, compared to 86% of ad tech vendors and 40% of brands

November 29, 2021

Pushing programmatic while protecting user privacy

As 2022 quickly approaches, brands can no longer afford to put data privacy initiatives on the shelf. The reality is that more protective privacy policies are only going to continue increasing around the globe, and your brand won’t have a choice but to adapt.

While these initiatives are great for protecting consumers’ personal information, they introduce hefty obstacles for crucial initiatives like attribution and tracking. What does this mean for your brand if you choose to implement a programmatic advertising strategy into your marketing mix?

By late 2023, Google will phase out third-party cookies running on Chrome. With Chrome having over 70% of the market share for browsers, this shift will have a huge impact on how brands track, target, and engage with customers. Safari (with 8.89% of the market share) and Firefox (with 7.69%) have already phased out third-party cookies.

With the shift toward cookieless, brands will need to explore new ways to predict what consumers are most likely to buy without collecting personally identifiable information. Conversion tracking, audience targeting, and frequency capping will all be impacted by the update. Using anonymized third-party data to match consumer’s behavior is one way to circumvent any negative consequences to your programmatic strategy after the world goes cookieless.

Although third-party cookies are going away, there are several other targeting methods that will allow brands like yours to successfully reach your desired audience. This requires a shift in strategy that may include a heavier focus on the use of first-party data, contextual targeting, OTT advertising, and/or selecting partners who have a personally identifiable information (PII) solution in place.

November 22, 2021

The connected TV opportunity with programmatic advertising

Connected TV (CTV) refers to advertising through streaming devices like a Roku, smart TV, or gaming console – and it’s the next big thing for programmatic advertising. Since 2019, more consumers have been paying for connected TV services than cable TV.

Proactive advertisers are poised to capitalize on this growing channel, with overall CTV ad spend expected to surge 48.5% this year to reach $13.41 billion. By next year, total CTV ad spend will reach $17.44 billion, and by 2025, that number will hit $27.5 billion.

This year, programmatic ad spend for CTV will surge 53% to $6.93 billion. That number will increase by nearly $2 billion next year to reach $8.88 billion. That’s almost double what programmatic CTV ad spend was in just 2019.

With programmatic advertising, brands can pinpoint highly targeted audiences through television for the first time ever in real-time using machine learning. Programmatic advertising provides an avenue to target your highest-intent consumers with compelling video content – with the ability to measure and adjust KPIs in real-time as the numbers come in.

November 15, 2021

A deep dive into programmatic video advertising

Programmatic video ad spend is projected to surge more than 31% to approach $36 billion in 2021. Next year, programmatic video ad spend will reach nearly $43 billion.

During a time when getting actual results from ad spend is more of a critical focus than ever, programmatic can help brands ensure the money they spend on video advertising goes to good use by putting ads in front of highly targeted audiences.

The four main types of video ad units for programmatic are pre-roll, super pre-roll, native, and over-the-top (OTT).

The COVID-19 pandemic drove more consumers than ever to pay for over-the-top video services like YouTube TV and Hulu + With TV, with OTT subscription revenue soaring 41.2% in 2020.

Pre-roll, super pre-roll and native video ads align with what consumers expect from ads, allowing brands to reach customers in a way they’re already comfortable with. They’re all typically 15-30 seconds long, but pre-roll and super pre-roll ads appear before the video a user selects to watch and native ads appear within the video content.

OTT advertising refers to ads shown through streaming platforms like Hulu, Disney+, or Sling. These types of ads can play before, during, or after selected content. They provide brands with the opportunity to leverage newer technology like smart TVs and other consoles as a new place to advertise to key audiences.

November 8, 2021

Programmatic digital display advertising continuing to grow

US programmatic digital display ad spend is projected to surpass $79.6 billion this year after reaching just $63.3 billion last year.

By 2022, digital display ad spend for programmatic will reach nearly $95 billion, almost double what it was in 2018 when advertisers were spending just $49.2 billion on programmatic digital display.

Next year, programmatic digital display ad spend will grow 19.3% to reach $94.97 billion.

It’s projected that programmatic digital display ad spend will grow 25.8% this year to reach $79.61 billion. With this growth, programmatic now makes up 72% of all digital display advertising spend. In 2018, it made up just 61.2%.

Globally, total programmatic advertising spend is projected to reach $155 billion this year, a 20.1% increase over 2020. North America accounts for around three quarters of total global programmatic ad spending.

November 1, 2021

Optimizing your programmatic campaigns to convert more leads

Programmatic advertising is an efficient, data-driven way of buying highly relevant audiences at scale. It is the quickest way to purchase ad inventory online and get your ad live. It can be used to introduce your brand or products to a large, captive audience in your target market and turn them into leads.

If you’re going to seriously invest in programmatic, make sure you have the team and bandwidth to support it. There could be a considerable amount of overhead required to get things off the ground, including someone to coordinate with media partners, generate copy and creative for ads (including video), optimize your campaign strategy, and more.

Testing is another crucial component to an effective media buying strategy. Every single buy, down to the individual ad components, should be running some form of test. Just make sure you come up with a hypothesis and a reason for the test. Nothing is worse than a test without a purpose!

Last, but most certainly not least, you must be adaptable. The speed of change in digital marketing can feel overwhelming at times, but it’s important to leave yourself room to pivot in the moment. You need to constantly evaluate and reevaluate your performance. This is why it’s so important to have a flexible budget that allows you to pivot.

The most successful advertisers are those who are proactive, not reactive.

October 27, 2021

Kroger introduces CPG-focused programmatic marketplace

As programmatic advertising continues to grow across marketplaces, Kroger is expanding its DSP offerings to a new private offering centered on consumer-packaged goods (CPG).

Kroger Private Marketplace (KPM) will empower CPG brands with highly focused targeting (called “pre-optimized audiences”) in addition to more granular attribution insights using Kroger’s first-party data. At a time when Google is preparing to deprecate third-party cookies on Chrome and consumers are increasingly concerned about their personal data privacy, the ability to use high-quality first-party data will only become more crucial.

Kroger’s customer loyalty program will be the source of the new marketplace. Kroger is able to retain and use 96% of the data gathered from transactions tied to its loyalty program.

US digital ad spend for CPG is expected to increase 16.4% to $22.6 billion this year after increasing 5.2% to $19.4 billion in 2020.

The CPG category has been booming since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, CPG now is the third largest category of overall digital ad spend behind retail and financial services.

October 19, 2021

Programmatic vs. Google vs. YouTube vs. Other Paid Ad Options

The Google Display Network (GDN) is a great fit for brands that are already comfortable in their paid search strategy and are “starting out” with audience targeting.

Programmatic advertising, on the other hand, provides access to additional datasets, premium inventory, and additional placements. For goals like maximizing reach, introducing new inventory or products, focusing on full-funnel, or scaling across a wider audience, programmatic is probably the right fit.

But keep in mind that YouTube ads can only be purchased through the Google Display Network. Programmatic still allows video to be served across thousands of sites and publishers through a variety of DSPs with additional reach and scale.

Programmatic pairs well with paid search efforts and allows for full-funnel solutions using different types of targeting, including keyword, behavioral, geotargeting, contextual, and more. You can use your keyword data and strategy from paid search efforts to help inform and inspire your programmatic strategy.

October 11, 2021

How programmatic advertising works across marketplaces

There are three components to programmatic advertising:

1. Supply-side platform (SSP)

2. Exchanges

3. Demand-side platform (DSP)

The supply-side platform facilitates the sale of publisher inventory, pushing to the exchanges that provide access to inventory across an array of premium sites and apps. The SSP and DSP both push to the exchanges.

The demand-side platform is where brands go to bid on ad inventory and set up campaign parameters based on the programmatic campaign’s KPIs or other goals. From there, sophisticated audience targeting capabilities like time of day, demographics, and geolocation, as well as contextual targeting, interest targeting, and retargeting get layered in. Once the campaign is running, the only thing left to do is keep a close eye on campaign performance and progress in hitting KPIs.

October 4, 2021

Programmatic ad spend stats (2021)

• Programmatic ad spend is projected to approach $80 billion in 2021, up from just $63 billion in 2020 (Statista)
• By the end of 2022, programmatic advertising spend is projected to reach nearly $100 billion dollars (eMarketer)
• Programmatic is projected to account for 72% of digital display ad spend in 2021 (Statista)
• Programmatic video ad spend is projected to surpass $35 billion in 2021 – a 31.3% YoY increase (Statista)
• Digital OOH ad spend for programmatic is expected to account for 10.8% of digital out-of-home ad spend in 2021 (eMarketer)
• Digital OOH ad spend has more than tripled since 2019 and is expected to approach $534 million by 2022 (eMarketer)

September 27, 2021

Programmatic advertising on Amazon, Walmart, & more

Programmatic advertising automates the buying and selling of ad inventory, giving brands the ability to purchase digital ads within milliseconds. The real-time, advanced targeting capabilities offered by programmatic make it the most efficient way to buy digital ads across different marketplaces in the current advertising landscape.

How does programmatic advertising across different open marketplaces work?

• Amazon: The Amazon DSP empowers brands to programmatically purchase display, video, and audio ads both on and off Amazon using Amazon shopper data. It also gives advertisers access to unique Amazon offerings like IMDb, Fire TV, Twitch, and more. Amazon DSP provides both self-service and managed-service options.
• Walmart: Walmart will get its own DSP this year, built on leading global DSP solution The Trade Desk. Walmart’s DSP will give brands access to Walmart in-store and online shopping data to deliver personalized experiences to shoppers. Third-party data from The Trade Desk’s own DSP will also be available for even more granular ad targeting and ad inventory options.
• Kroger: Kroger first introduced its DSP solution in 2018, boasting advanced targeting capabilities using customer data from its loyalty program, mobile app, in-store and online purchases.
• CVS: The CVS Media Exchange (CMX) launched just last year. The platform can be used to serve ads across channels like video, search, social, and banner ads in addition to in-store and other out-of-home displays. CVS uses data from its loyalty program in addition to other purchase history and interest-based data to power CMX.
• Target: Target’s programmatic offerings live under Roundel, which centers itself on its verifiable first-party data from its loyalty app and in-store and online purchases, brand-safe inventory, and informative results measurement.

September 20, 2021

Third-party cookie deprecation + programmatic advertising

Web tracking as we know it is going away. By early 2022, Google will phase out third-party cookies running on Chrome and transform how brands track, target, and engage with customers.

49% of digital media professionals say third-party cookie deprecation is the top challenge their brand is facing in 2021.

Third-party cookies provide data about a shopper’s interests, past purchases, frequently visited websites, and more. Any brand that uses data for online advertising and targeting will be impacted by Google’s decision to phase out third-party cookies on Chrome.

Brands large and small will need to reimagine how data is collected and leveraged throughout all stages of the funnel, from new customer acquisition to remarketing. Attribution, unique
visitor counting, ad personalization, and retargeting will all change when cookies go away. Creating cross-device and multi-touch attribution models will also be more difficult without third-party cookies, especially if the user isn’t logged into an app.

September 13, 2021

Programmatic vs. Google Display Network

Before programmatic, there was Google AdWords, which runs ads through the Google Display Network (GDN). Unlike programmatic, Google ads rely more on keyword targeting and depend on impressions for cost.

Programmatic and Google both have the potential to boost your brand’s profitable growth. However, there are some key similarities and differences to take into consideration when examining these options for your digital marketing strategy.

Ad Types: Through GDN, video ads can only be run through YouTube. Programmatic allows for additional advertising opportunities such as CTV and cross-device video across the web. While programmatic offers more ad options than GDN, they both give brands the ability to use standard display banners ads to reach a targeted audience.

Inventory: Google’s ad network is only accessible via GDN, meaning advertisers have limited inventory space. Programmatic allows advertisers to tap additional data and inventory sources for increased scale. Inventory is limitless because advertisers have access to nearly every premium site on the web, meaning brands are not limited in terms of scale.

Targeting: Both programmatic and Google provide the ability to deliver ads based on a variety of targeting tactics including demographics, interests, and keywords. Programmatic allows brands to reach shoppers out of their homes with highly visual creative on digital billboards and other outdoor displays. Google also has some strong offline to online capabilities, allowing brands to track when an online ad leads a customer down the funnel to an in-store purchase.

Control: Strong brand safety measures available on DSPs allow for deeper integration with first-, second-, and third-party data. Programmatic and the GDN both provide the ability to cap campaign-level frequency on a daily or monthly basis, meaning advertisers can ensure an ad is seen the optimal number of times across the entire campaign to avoid oversaturation.

September 7, 2021

14 Programmatic Stats Your Brand Needs to Know

In 2020 and despite the pandemic, US programmatic digital display advertising spend increased more than 10%, and is projected to grow an additional 24.1% in 2021. Is your brand effectively leveraging one of the most lucrative advertising channels available?

In this infographic, you’ll uncover data and trends including overall programmatic ad spend and future projections, as well as channel-specific metrics for connected TV, video, streaming audio, podcasts, radio, out-of-home (OOH) advertising, and more.

If you’re still a bit unsure of whether programmatic is the right fit for your brand, claim your copy to get a clear picture of how effective programmatic advertising can be for your brand.

August 30, 2021

New report: Programmatic advertising in a cookieless world

Since the dawn of digital, marketing strategies have relied on cookies as a proxy for identity. But the world of marketing is changing. The departure of browser-based tracking is upon us.

By late 2023, Google will phase out third-party cookies running on Chrome and transform how brands track, target, and engage with customers. In other words, web tracking as we know it is going away.

Adhering to consumer data privacy regulations and being transparent about what your brand does with consumer data is no longer a choice. But right now, programmatic buyers rate their organizations’ readiness for cookie deprecation at only 3.5 on a scale of 1-5. Is your brand prepared? In this white paper, you’ll uncover insights like:

• The who, what, and when behind the impact of third-party cookie deprecation
• Unexpected opportunities to drive targeted campaigns once cookies go away with programmatic advertising
• How brand executives and marketers like you plan to profitably navigate a post-cookie world

Lift the cloud of confusion around the cookieless future and make sure your programmatic strategy is equipped to handle the changes. Get the report today.

August 23, 2021

Determining your programmatic advertising KPIs

Whether your programmatic campaigns are focused on upper- and mid-funnel prospecting or lower-funnel channels like paid search or social media remarketing, key performance indicators (KPIs) can help you understand how your programmatic campaigns are performing across the entire marketing funnel.

Knowing what you want your brand’s programmatic campaign to accomplish is the first step of establishing a KPI. Then, you’ll put the right metrics in place to measure the campaign’s success in reaching your goal.

The goal of top-of-funnel programmatic advertising campaigns is typically to increase brand awareness. KPIs like impressions and reach will help indicate whether your upper-funnel programmatic campaign is achieving its brand awareness goal.

The decision of where to spend your brand’s marketing budget becomes even more important the further shoppers move down the funnel. KPIs like number of unique website visitors, number of qualified prospects, clicks, and cost per click can all reveal the success of your mid-funnel programmatic campaign.

The bottom of the funnel is where a browser becomes a buyer. The end goal of this stage is to make a sale, but there are many relevant metrics that can be tracked around that goal. KPIs like conversion rate and cost per acquisition will help your brand understand the bottom line of your programmatic campaign’s success.

August 18, 2021

Special programmatic ad types: OOH & streaming audio

Programmatic opens the door to myriad unique advertising options. In addition to cross-device display units and video ads, programmatic also offers digital out-of-home advertising and streaming audio options.

While out-of-home advertising can be perceived as more traditional, that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Data such as time of day, weather conditions, and location are enough to drive a relevant experience for consumers who see your ad.

Digital OOH ad spend for Programmatic is expected to reach $350 million in 2021 after being at just $90 million in 2019.

Programmatic also gives brands highly customizable advertising opportunities through major digital audio streaming platforms like Pandora, Spotify, and more. A business can purchase 15-30 second audio spots, run banner ads, and capitalize on other advertising options to serve personalized ads to listeners.

Due to the personalization and breadth of users on streaming audio services, brands can serve ads with exactly the right messaging for the moment based on the time of day and other anonymized consumer data.

August 9, 2021

Top 4 benefits of programmatic advertising

Programmatic advertising is a powerful conversion strategy for both prospecting throughout the mid- to upper-funnel as well as supporting lower-funnel channels like paid search or social media remarketing. But what exactly are the benefits of programmatic advertising over non-automated ad buying solutions?

1. Timesaver: With programmatic advertising, brands only have to go to one programmatic partner and send one IO to be seen across a variety of sites that align with the target audience. Manual options require advertisers to go directly to individual publishers, send an IO to each one, and manage each separately, which is both time-consuming and costly.

2. Provides limitless inventory: Programmatic provides limitless inventory because advertisers have access to nearly every premium website and can purchase inventory across the web in real-time to serve highly targeted ads within milliseconds. Manual options restrict advertisers to a limited amount of inventory per month because each publisher can only serve ads within their own site.

3. Prevents wasted ad spend: With its heavily data-driven approach, programmatic helps ensure your brand’s ad dollars are only spent on relevant audiences who are highly likely to be interested in your brand. Brands relying on manual ad buying options are more likely to waste ad dollars on impressions that won’t convert because it’s impossible for everyone visiting the site an ad appears on to fall into a brand’s target audience.

4. Optimizes campaign frequency: Programmatic allows brands to limit the amount of times an ad is seen by a user, ensuring your campaign is seen the optimal number of times across the entire campaign without overwhelming the shopper. The inability to cap campaign frequency with manual advertising means your ad could be seen too many times, leading to oversaturation that causes the user to become disinterested in or even annoyed with your brand.

August 2, 2021

New video: Programmatic for data-driven targeting & advertising at scale

Programmatic advertising is soaring to new and exciting heights, with ad spend expected to accelerate to nearly $100 billion in 2022. This growing method for buying ads has quickly become a crucial component of an ecommerce brand’s successful marketing mix.

Implementing your winning programmatic strategy will be an intentional process. How can you feel confident that your brand takes the right steps to flourish with programmatic? In this on-demand video, join experts from ROI’s newly expanded programmatic team to reveal the exciting advertising opportunities offered by programmatic and uncover insights like:

• The hidden mechanisms behind the programmatic ad buying process
• 4 key programmatic advertising strategies to reach your target audience on an efficient ad budget
• The critical nuances that differentiate display advertising through programmatic vs. the Google Display Network
• Unparalleled opportunities for you to reach your target audience despite growing consumer data and privacy concerns

Make sure you step into the world of programmatic with steady footing. Watch the webinar replay today and see your brand’s programmatic profitability soar to new heights.

July 26, 2021

New infographic: Thriving with programmatic in the era of cookieless

Since the dawn of digital, marketing strategies have relied on cookies as a proxy for identity. But the world of marketing is changing. The departure of browser-based tracking is upon us.

By late 2023, Google will phase out third-party cookies running on Chrome and transform how brands track, target, and engage with customers.

Adhering to consumer data privacy regulations and being transparent about what your brand does with consumer data is no longer a choice. In this infographic, you’ll uncover data and stats about post-cookie attribution and targeting, strategies brands are using to navigate the loss of cookies, and how cookie deprecation will impact ecommerce.

Claim your copy to help ensure your brand is prepared for the cookie to crumble.

July 19, 2021

Programmatic + digital radio stats (2021)

• Spotify, Pandora, and Amazon Music are expected to have a combined 190.7 million active listeners in 2021, surpassing 203 million by 2023 (Statista)
• US podcast ad spending will surpass $1 billion for the first time in 2021
• (Statista)
• Programmatic digital radio ad spend is projected to surge 46% to $897 billion this year (Statista)
• 16.5% of digital radio ads will be purchased programmatically in 2021 (eMarketer)
• Time spent with digital audio increased 8.3% in 2020 and is expected to grow another 4.8% in 2021 (eMarketer)

July 12, 2021

Developing your brand’s programmatic strategy

$100 billion. That’s what programmatic ad spend is expected to approach in 2022 after jumping over 24% this year. This growing method for buying ads has quickly become a crucial component of a successful marketing mix.

But mastering programmatic advertising isn’t as simple as flicking a switch. Implementing your brand’s programmatic strategy is an intentional process that takes patience and commitment. How can you feel certain you’re taking the right steps? In this webinar on July 13 at 11 am ET, join experts from ROI’s newly expanded programmatic team to uncover insights like:

• The hidden mechanisms behind the programmatic ad buying process
• 4 key programmatic advertising strategies to reach your target audience on an efficient ad budget
• The critical nuances that differentiate display advertising through programmatic vs. the Google Display Network
• Unparalleled opportunities for you to reach your target audience despite growing consumer data and privacy concerns

Don’t let the benefits of programmatic pass your brand by. Register today and watch your brand’s programmatic profitability soar to new heights.

July 6, 2021

What ads can be purchased with programmatic?

Programmatic offers an array of effective ad types to reach your target audience, including cross-device display units and video. The three main cross-device ad types for programmatic are standard banner ads, native banner ads, and rich media banners.

• Standard banner ad: Appears on the top or sides of web pages. Available in many different sizes.
• Native banner ad: “Recommended” or “sponsored” content. Match the look and feel of the rest of the media on a page.
• Rich media banner: Interactive, highly visual animation like a pushdown, expandable, or carousel unit. Invite the user to engage with your ad.

The four main types of video ads for programmatic are pre-roll, super pre-roll, native, and over-the-top (OTT).

• Pre-roll: Plays before the video user selects to watch; the most basic video ad type that consumers feel highly familiar and comfortable with.
• Super pre-roll: Includes interactive components like rollover widgets, social icons, quizzes, polling, etc.
• Native: Takes on the look and feel of the environment in which it’s served.
• Over-the-top: Runs through a smart TV, gaming console, or other device like Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, or Apple TV.

June 29, 2021

Programmatic + connected TV stats (2021)

• Connected TV programmatic display ad spend grew 36.5% to $4.53 billion in 2020, up from $3.32 in 2019 (Deloitte)
• Since 2019, more consumers have been paying for connected TV services than cable TV (Statista)
• Connected TV programmatic display ad spend is projected to hit $8.88 billion in 2022, up from a projected $6.93 billion in 2021 (Statista)
• The COVID-19 pandemic drove more consumers than ever to pay for over-the-top video services like YouTube TV and Hulu + With TV, with Over-the-Top (OTT) subscription revenue soaring 41.2% in 2020. (eMarketer)
• Connected TV programmatic display ad spend is projected to grow X% to $6.93 billion in 2021, up from $4.53 billion in 2020 (Statista)
• Programmatic ad spend for CTV is projected to surge 53% in 2021 over 2020 (Statista)

June 22, 2021

What is programmatic advertising?

Programmatic advertising is an efficient, data-driven way of buying highly relevant audiences at scale. It is the quickest way to purchase ad inventory online and get your ad live.

Traditionally, advertisers have had to spend time going directly to publishers, with a limited amount of inventory available per month. Poor targeting capabilities and a lack of campaign-level frequency have often created a trap for wasted ad spend.

Programmatic advertising allows brands to strike the perfect balance of shoppers seeing and being compelled by an ad without feeling overwhelmed.

With its data-driven approach, programmatic takes less time to implement, scales faster, and drives better targeting than many manual advertising methods. It helps ensure that your ad dollars are only spent on relevant audiences who are highly likely to be interested in your brand.

Book a Meeting to Ensure Your Programmatic Advertising Success

What heights could you reach with programmatic if you had a guide to show you the way? We create and execute programmatic strategies to help you stake claim to your territory. To explore the difference that comes with having a guide you can trust, book a meeting with our team today.