In our last post, we provided a series of tips for advertisers looking to create an agile video strategy. In this post, we continue to help you with more ways to solidify a winning video strategy.
Shifts in consumer behavior that hinge on personalized, always-on access to video, across every screen, have made video the largest pool of online content according to Deloitte. Leading video to become the place where every ad tech provider wants and needs to be. However, too much of anything can be bad for you.
As video consumption continues to expand, the advertising market is beginning to shrink. Once known as the wild west of the industry, video is trying to combat the rise in fraud and change its reputation. Last year 44% of publishers told Digiday that they plan to cut back the number of ad tech providers they work with and will only continue using partners who can show substantial value. Advertisers simultaneously are looking for partnerships that can do more for less. The result has been mergers and acquisitions of companies looking to gain scale or inventory advantages.
The Rise of Header Bidding
The advent of header bidding, gave every buyer access to the same placements at the time. According to Digiday, this led to the commoditization of video supply, and created an opportunity for bad actors, an increased tech tax, and a suboptimal user experience. Now publishers are starting to take back control, cutting out unnecessary vendors as the industry makes way for a new wave of preferred partners. While no one partner can do everything, those that can provide a holistic offering will be better suited for preferred partnerships.
Know Your Source
For publishers who are still vetting video partners, The Drum recommends accessing quality demand through existing SSP integrations. As discussed in a Deloitte study, video content creators who reduce their product portfolio and work with direct, “no-reseller” partners can expect to see a better experience for the user and greater cost efficiencies, leading to a happier buyer. TripleLift’s direct relationships with partners ensures publishers are getting more revenue for every buyer dollar, across a suite of video products like outstream, in-stream, and OTT.
The Most Direct Path is often the Most Efficient
For buyers, streamlining vendors is just as important as publisher’s minimizing their partnerships. However, viewer fragmentation makes this a bit more challenging. To keep up with shifts in viewer behaviors, buyers often work with many vendors and publishers, which comes at a cost. Buyers are now looking to these partners to help them navigate a space that is increasingly confusing and convoluted — those who can’t, are being removed. Having a partner that can provide access to a large amount of premium inventory, guarantee transparency, and deliver on multiple video strategies will make for good vetting criteria for the 28% of brand marketers who are looking to cut down on supply partners they work with.
Without streamlining video supply paths, buyers might find themselves with a hefty bill to pay. The video space has normalized expensive pricing models with CPMs upwards of $40. However, unless buyers are going straight to the publisher, 38% of their buy is eaten by the infamous “tech tax”. Finding an SSP partner who can streamline the supply path will allow buyers to significantly lower their CPMs and will provide publishers with higher revenue, making it easier for both parties to select preferred video partners.
Less is More
Assessing the quality versus the quantity of vendors available can help provide clarity in an opaque space. Opting for the most direct path to supply is a benefit for both the buyer and the seller, creating operational efficiencies for both sides. When assessing your video strategy, remember that less is more.
It’s time to solidify a winning video strategy. Download the Programmatic Video Buyers Playbook.
