Publishers want more control over programmatic. Some are finally making it happen

Publishers assumed that they were too long to be helpless to repair deep shortcomings of the program. Instead, they leaned on the AD Tech dealer to repair the broken system.

This passive thinking did not hold them – it worsened their struggles. The rise of places made for advertising and the spread of duplication of offers are a sharp reminder of what happens when publishers underestimate their influence and let themselves be other gas.

But now it is starting to change. The renewed sense of the agency is about to be planned and more publishers realize that even small, intentional steps can bring meaningful results.

Take Justin Wohl, a veteran with advertising technology that quietly leads the accusation.

Playbook for the publisher Justin Wohl: Less Waste, Greater Control

Last year, Wohl shares strategies that can help publishers take control of their program ecosystems. His advice focuses on a simple but effective idea: stop the solution of outsourcing and start using the tools and influence already available.

For Wohl, this shift began in 2022 by movement, which was more maintenance than magic: cleaning its ADS.TXT file. This ensemble, which presents all authorized retailers of the publisher inventory, allowed him to audit his program partnership, identify inefficiency and redirect expenses on better quality supply trips.

Wohn by doing so and reducing ties with unreliable sellers, sending a clear signal to the market – and the results followed.

“We were able to withdraw the margin we lost – margins, which we could then use to finance our publication,” Wohl said.

Mathematics is simple: fewer intermediaries mean fewer hands that immerse themselves in dollars AD that should go to the publisher. By cutting these dealers, Wohl not only gained lost income, but also reduced the number of duplicated impressions that are infinitely overwhelmed. Result: Not only did not spare money, but strengthened the value of his inventory in the eyes of buyers.

Here is why it matters: sellers often flood the market by cheap, low quality impressions. This leaves program traders paying higher prices, especially because sellers can get these same traders against each other for the same impression.

This does not mean that all sellers are villains.

Some actually add value by offering access to hard -to -reach supplies or associations of advertising in a way that makes it easier to buy. Therefore, Wohl is still working with several selected sellers-sellers who generate sufficient revenue based on stores to be marked “strategically justified for sale” in their ads.txt file.

But that’s just scratching the surface. ADS.TXT is only one piece of puzzle. Other tools, such as Sellers.jsons and Supplychain Object, also play a key role in cleaning the slight waters of program advertising. And even then challenges, such as curatorial inventory and spoofing identity, are major obstacles to this industry.

Currently, the DPG Media effort is to build (mostly) an advertising company without Google, well documented saga-but the one that is still played. The shift began in 2019, when a media company, which was annoyed by the constantly changing Google rules, decided that it was time to release the adhesion of the technical giant for its income. But breaking the free desired scale. So it continued on a shopping survey, was out of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands to turn on its reach and make their advertising more competitive with Google.

With a secure inventory, DPG Media was quickly moving – migrating its sales of ads outside the Google technical magazine and on its own. Then came the game of fullness: a proprietary data platform, a purchase tool and even a creative agency, all designed to provide advertisers for an easier and more direct way to target, achieve and involve DPG Media.

But that was still not enough. The scale and technology themselves will not solve the biggest problem: publishers simply cannot correspond to performance advertisers from platforms like Google. DPG Media borrowed a Big Tech’s Playbook page and launched advertising products on performance-uphill advertising, carousels and various formats in the application. Catch? They could only be purchased through DPG advertising business, not a third party. The real advantage came from direct integration with its advertising server, which gave advertisers more signals that would optimize against and eventually better performance.

“We still allow platforms on the side of third party demand to buy ours. [other] Advertising and still let third parties measure the performance of these purchases-it is perfectly fine, ”said Stefan Havik, chief digital director of DPG Media. “This means that we prefer it when advertisers use our platform to buy media.” In the end, however, it is up to the advertiser to decide to travel to our network. ”

Why did the publisher have made a hard way to program independence

Publishers like to talk about the regeneration of control over their program advertising store – in fact it is another story. The cost, logistics, total headache prevents most smaller publishers from jumping.

And although yes, commercial shops and industrial policy prevent them from spilling detail. That is why one publishing executioner was reluctant to record his own attempt to take over the check. Instead, they exchanged anonymity for Candor.

Last autumn, this publishing of Exec’s Company reduced links to a long-time program partner for monetization and brought Ad-House technology. Now, its own executing administers direct relationships, with platforms on the side of the offer, viewers and data partners, such as allowed and lotme and measuring provider-more of the complexity, but the one that believes it pays off in the long run.

It wasn’t an easy call. The hit of the income was inevitable, not to mention the added complexity managing new commercial relationships and legal hard lifting needed to pull it out. But according to the publishing house, the shift was not optional – it was delayed. More of its sales of ads happen more through direct stores than program auctions, which shows that first -hand process control would pay off in the long run.

“The volatility of the open market in the last few years has led most publishers to do everything in their power to ensure that more of their income comes directly, so it is under their control,” the executing said. “Although this has been the case for some time, advertisers now seem to be more open to buying these stores.”

This does not mean that the open market where advertising prices are set in real -time auctions has lost all value for this publisher. It still accounts for about 25% of ads from advertising. It is simply not a cash cow that once was.

“We want to do what we can to ensure that our inventory is seen as many buyers in the right amount and in the right quality – that’s all we can do as a publisher,” said execution. “We have to be realistic and do not dictate for buyers and sellers. Nothing will behave like this. ”