The podcast dives into the rise and implications of curation in programmatic buying. It critiques whether curation is just a rebranded ad network and explores its potential to either save or harm the open web. Discussions reveal challenges for small publishers and the shift to subscriber models. It also highlights millennials' preference for text over visual content, raising questions about engagement. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes the need for transparency and genuine value in curated advertising strategies.
The rise of curation in programmatic buying promises improved inventory quality and transparency but could reinforce existing ad network issues.
While curation aims to optimize costs and utilize first-party data, it has raised concerns about favoring larger publishers over smaller ones.
Deep dives
Understanding Curation in Ad Tech
Curation in ad tech refers to the practice by which demand-side platforms (DSPs) and supply-side platforms (SSPs) create curated packages of programmatic inventory for advertisers. This method promises a more refined selection of ad placements by focusing on quality and brand safety, often employing techniques such as supply path optimization to streamline access between buyers and sellers. Major players in this field include prominent SSPs like Magnite and Index Exchange, as well as DSPs like the Trade Desk, all contributing to the push for curated inventory. Critics argue that while curation markets better returns and quality, it essentially repackages existing capabilities while leveraging current technology to address longstanding issues in ad placement quality and transparency.
Driving Trends Behind Curation: Quality, Fees, and Data
Three main factors drive the growing interest in curation: enhanced quality of inventory, reduced fees, and the increasing relevance of first-party data due to the decline of third-party cookies. Quality improvement stems from better transparency about ad placements, allowing buyers to avoid low-quality sites and misleading resales. Furthermore, by minimizing reselling practices, curated inventory can lead to lower transaction fees while ensuring advertisers receive better value for their ad spend. Finally, as third-party data access diminishes, curation facilitates the use of publishers' first-party data, helping advertisers target audiences more effectively.
Concerns and Future of Curation in the Open Web
Despite its advantages, curation has sparked backlash, with concerns that it may simply act as a new form of ad network rather than genuinely improving the quality of programmatic advertising. Many industry players question whether curation can actually solve the fundamental challenges facing the open web, particularly as it risks favoring larger publishers at the expense of smaller, independent ones. The fear is that the curation trend may reinforce existing issues rather than drive meaningful change, ultimately leading to a bifurcation of supply within the advertising ecosystem. Thus, advertisers and publishers are urged to evaluate the efficacy of curated options against traditional methods to ensure they truly enhance outcomes rather than merely repackage old ideas.
We discuss the rise of curation in programmatic buying and the current backlash. Is curation an ad network with new window dressing? And will it save or undermine the open web?
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