Author name: khazi@cubera.co

There is a reason why Ad Mediation has been around for quite some time now. And its resurgence in recent years has led to practices being developed across multiple organizations, including the likes of big house publishers and brands with big demographics. It is kind of like a one-stop solution for the publishers’ inventory needs, boosting the revenue figures by a significant margin while requiring less manual work. A whopping $645 billion is expected to be spent on global digital ads by 2024. Not only this but the number of professionals entering this realm is bound to increase as well. Experts in the advertising realm are already flexing their skills to get things done. The employment rate of marketing and advertising professionals is projected to increase by 10% in the US from 2020-2030. These figures not only paint a promising picture for advertisers and publishers but also convey the importance of Ad Mediation in a similar manner. So, what is Ad Mediation? To put it simply, Ad Mediation is a solution that empowers the publisher by increasing the number of ads over the given inventory space. Think of it as a solution that allows the publisher to provide the publishing space to different ad networks which eventually produce the highest bidders by using different methodologies. It involves the usage of technology to automate and streamline the bidding process while increasing the monetization of ads. The solution works in such a manner that it eliminates the publisher’s need to look for the best ad networks manually. Crucial aspects such as the CPM (Cost Per Mile), efficiency, and display ad fill rates are taken into account while measuring the functionality of an ad mediation platform. Maximization on the ROI under the right circumstances not only gives the best bidding requests, but also surfaces the ad networks that can take care of specific needs of the publishers. It enables not only the best bidder from the bunch to take the top spot but also the one below the former if the request isn’t fulfilled or denied. This collection of ad networks and their subsequent automation not only introduces the best players in the game but also performs better than relying on a single ad network for the same. There have been some indications over the fact that ad mediation performs 20% better than having a single ad network.   And how does Ad Mediation work? It all starts from a mediation platform where the publisher gains access to multiple ad networks. Once the publisher gains access to the plethora of ad networks, that’s when the bidding process commences on the inventory spaces available. The advertiser from an ad network with the best ROI emerges at the top upon the completion of the bidding process. Bear in mind that this process happens for all ad networks involved. In simpler words the highest bidder from the bunch wins the competition. Publishers then rank other ad networks from the bunch and come up with a list of all probable names that may suit their requirements. Upon the formation of the list, the ad request is relayed which is then analyzed by the best performers of the bidding process. If the highest bidder does not possess the right resources to comply with the request filed in the first place, the request is then transferred to the next best one. The process continues till the best ad network from the list of probable ad networks selected by the publishers is fulfilled. And what benefits do I get from ad mediation?   For the most part, Ad Mediation offers a plethora of perks that include: Increase in the number of ad inventories sold Perhaps the biggest perk of having ad mediation by your side is the ability to increase the number of ad inventories sold to the ad networks. Since there are a plethora of ad networks that comprise the final list, the best bidders shall be available at all times. In case of a bidder not matching the requirements set by the publisher, the next one can step in and do the job. So, the flow of bidders to a request never ceases.   An improved ad management structure The single SDK deployed to take care of all the operations in this system adds the luxury of stepping back from the manual selection of the right bidder and ad networks. Automation is a major player here and its influence enables the publisher to focus on the other tasks at hand.  A boost in CPM rates  The Cost Per Mile rate often goes high when there are more players involved in the game. With the elimination of single entities governing the overall flow, more advertisers get the chance to step into the realm of advertising. Since there’s a high number of bidders from the very beginning of the process, the CPM rates are bound to go high. By the time the best bidder gets selected, the margins have already been covered and taken care of. A word before bidding adieu     The growing number of ad networks is determining the number of players in the industry. Automation, combined with powerful tools is assisting the publishing and advertising parties at every step. Ad Mediation might be around for some time now but its influence has been renewed in recent years. The profit margins for publishers have increased exponentially, something that wasn’t achievable with a single bidder. It is clearly evident that Ad Mediation is the stepping stone that all future publishers are looking for. If you’re a publisher looking for a robust ad network, then Cubera is here to assist you. With the best in-line algorithms and sophisticated solutions to help with your publishing needs, you can rest easy with the right bidders approaching you. It is time for you to boost your ROI and get ahead of the game.

‘Washing powder Nirma’ is a familiar chime you cannot resist singing along with. The ad was first released on Akash Vani radio in 1975 and later on TV screens in 1982, reaching almost every consumer in the Indian market.  But we have progressed far from the ‘Nirma’ days, when radio and TV spaces were the slots to catch. Digital advertising now accounts for 51% of ad revenue, surpassing TV at 26%. Digital is a new battlefield to dominate, and in this war my friend, a good Demand Side Platform (DSP) might as well be your most handy and versatile sword. Finding the proper sword (DSP) can be tricky, but I am here to give you a checklist of features so you can choose your weapon of choice! Audience Targeting Digital advertising thrives on precision targeting. Audience targeting isn’t just a nice-to-have; it is a critical feature that makes your campaigns more effective. Your brothers down south need the ads for a new brand of coconut oil more than their northern counterparts. The DSP you choose should have the sharpest tools to cut through the unnecessary noise and aim ads based on geographic locations, behaviour, and audience interests. Say your ad campaign is promoting a new chain of cafes in Bengaluru; you would not want those impressions wasted in Chennai. Are you selling high-end skincare? Make sure that your ads reach those in the right income bracket and are likely to make a purchase. Omnichannel Support Over half of smartphone users’ time is spent on social media platforms. But that is not the only place that they are engaging. They watch YouTube videos, stream other websites, and play games on their mobile phones. By 2030, India is expected to see around a billion active screens, of which only 240 million will be large screens like TVs and Laptops. The balance will be phones, tablets, etc. To capture your audience’s attention, you need to meet them where they are. From the billboards outside their office buildings, the games they play in their Ubers back home, to the Spotify ads in their showers. Choose a DSP that can ensure your brand stays relevant. Real-Time Optimisation Real-Time Optimisation is an ideal battle strategy- swift, precise, and effective. A top-notch DSP is equipped with machine learning algorithms that leverage AI tools to stay up-to-date and automatically adjust bids and targets based on real-time performance data. Your DSP should also be able to effectively reallocate your ad spend to campaign channels that show higher performance. Transparency A central feature of your DSP should be transparency. This ensures that you safeguard your brand image by keeping a subpar DSP from handling the reputation of your campaign.  Imagine this: You just ordered a pizza using a delivery app. You tracked the delivery, watched the little scooter icon move closer and closer to your door, and now –ding-dong– it arrives! But when you open the box, it isn’t your pizza. Instead, it is someone else’s order with extra mushrooms (and you definitely did not ask for those). The delivery app does not tell you anything about this mishap, so you are stuck staring at a pizza you did not order and have no idea where your real one is. This is how a lack of transparency in advertising feels. You have spent your budget, but where did it actually go? Which part of your campaign worked? Which aspect is bringing in the customers? Without good reporting, you remain in the dark, similar to the mismatched pizza delivery. Integration With Data Providers For a DSP to effectively reach the right audience, it must have access to a broad range of data sources. This includes first-party data (your own customer data), second-party data (data shared by trusted partners), and third-party data (external data gathered from other sources). Access to these three data types allows the DSP to target and personalise campaigns accurately. Without this data, your ad campaigns will be like shooting a shot with your eyes closed. The recent decline of third-party cookies drives media companies to focus on first-party data collection and utilisation. Companies are investing in data partnerships to enhance audience targeting capabilities with contextual data models. Lucky for you, Cubera Tech provides you with an entire AdTech ecosystem to ensure that your ad campaigns are fail-proof. Rest assured that your DSP has access to the exact data you need! Fraud Detection In digital advertising, fraud is one of the most significant challenges marketers face. Without effective fraud detection mechanisms, your budget could be wasted on fake impressions, bot traffic, or low-quality placements without actual results. As programmatic advertising grows, so does the potential for fraud in automated ad purchases. Ad fraud involves malicious activity where bots, fake clicks, or fraudulent websites exploit your ad budget. This can be via fake impressions by displaying your ad on websites with no real traffic, using bots to mimic human traffic to provide skewed metrics of the campaign’s success and even stacking your ad under another but still charging you the full amount. Using first-party data can drastically minimise the number of frauds that take place. Fraud detection goes beyond just a feature. You are now ready to put your armour on, pick up your best featured DSP and charge into the digital battlefield!