The AdTech ecosystem is rich, complex, and difficult to navigate. Demand-side platforms (DSPs), unless they are hidden behind another layer like Agency Trading Desks, act as intermediaries between advertisers and ad exchanges. They function similarly to the relationship between a stock exchange, consumers, and securities.
DSPs depend heavily on third-party cookies. Through the process of cookie syncing, cookies and all privacy information are ultimately collected by DSPs. They use this data to segment consumers and sell these segments to advertisers, in addition to providing other services such as data management, analytic services, and insights.
Here are two stories about DSPs:
10 Best Demand Side Platforms (DSPs) For Programmatic Advertising in 2024
Anete Jodzevica, 30.05.2024
This article analyzes the top 10 DSPs from an advertiser’s perspective. To start:
Criteria for Evaluating DSPs
Inventory and reach
A DSP should support various creative assets, such as display, video, CTV, and native ads, and optimize them with responsive and adaptive creatives across different screens.
It’s also essential for the DSP to reach the right target audience and support your first-party data. Look for advanced targeting options such as demographic, geographic, behavioral, contextual, and predictive targeting to ensure that ads reach the right person at the right time.
Targeting capabilities
Since picking the right target audience is one of the core functions of a DSP, DSPs should offer robust audience segmentation and targeting features.
A good DSP should enable filtering based on contextual attributes and insights, such as previous user interactions and behavioral points. The more audience filter options available, the better the DSP can select the most suitable audience for each campaign.
Data integration
Seamless integration with existing ad server data, DMPs, customer data platforms, and other relevant partners and platforms is necessary. This allows for effectively utilizing various data sources, enhancing campaign optimization and retargeting efforts.
User interface and ease of use
Given the complexity of adtech platforms, a DSP should offer a simple and intuitive user interface. This will help teams with limited programmatic advertising knowledge implement successful ad campaigns more easily.
Reporting and analytics
Effective DSPs provide comprehensive data analytics and insights, allowing users to track KPIs like ROAS, conversion rates, and CTRs. Look for real-time reporting and dashboards, which are important for clearly displaying campaign performance.
Customer support and service
Strong customer support is vital for maximizing a DSP’s benefits. Look for DSPs with robust training resources, detailed documentation, and reliable customer service.
Note: some DSPs only provide dedicated account management support during onboarding to ensure a smooth transition and effective platform use.
And the author provides a comprehensive comparison table of the major DSP solution providers.
source: setupad blog
For the big players:
Google Display & Video 360
Display & Video 360 is a comprehensive programmatic advertising solution within the Google Marketing Platform, suitable for businesses of all sizes. It includes five key modules: creatives, campaigns, audiences, inventory, and insights.
The platform supports cross-channel media planning, various ad formats, audience management, and robust fraud prevention. With numerous integrations, including Analytics 360 and YouTube, and ongoing feature updates, Display & Video 360 offers powerful tools for reaching global audiences and optimizing ad campaigns, providing a seamless experience for advertisers.
The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is a self-serve digital advertising platform founded in 2009, renowned for its transparency and robust data capabilities. It supports diverse ad formats, including CTV, display, mobile, social media, and programmatic audio, with advanced targeting options through RTB, PMP, direct, and guaranteed deals. The platform offers insights, automation, and optimization for cross-channel advertisers, enabling real-time audience reach at scale with guaranteed viewability and execution.
Integrating first-party data, The Trade Desk boasts a network of over 225 partners, including Hulu, Disney, and Spotify. Key features include full-funnel attribution, real-time customized reporting, expert dedicated support, and top-quality traffic monitoring, making it suitable for experienced advertisers and newcomers.
Amazon DSP
Amazon DSP is a robust platform that enables purchasing display, video, and audio ads across a vast network of publishers, including Amazon-owned sites like Zappos and Audible. It features customizable ad templates, effective analytics with Amazon-specific metrics, audience insights for market comparison, and A/B testing capabilities.
By leveraging Amazon’s extensive consumer data, it offers robust targeting options, cross-device tracking, and seamless integration with Amazon’s ad ecosystem, making it ideal for e-commerce brands. Available to both Amazon sellers and non-sellers, Amazon DSP provides both managed (typically requiring a $50k minimum spend) and self-service options.
See the full list on the original blog post—it’s highly recommended. The author outlines the strengths and specialties of all advertising platforms. It’s worth noting that DSPs are large, client-facing platforms that connect advertisers to ad exchanges. Additionally, there are Ad Networks that serve as more direct two-sided ad transaction platforms, along with niche DSPs that offer more integrated and intricately designed ads, like Mobile DSPs, Native advertising DSPs, and Video DSPs.
Ad execs sound off on Amazon’s DSP dilemma
By Ronan Shields and Seb Joseph • March 25, 2024
Amazon is striving to attract more advertisers to its platform. However, with major competitors like Google and The Trade Desk offering superior services, advertisers remain hesitant.
Just 5% of the 44 respondents in a survey by Digiday chose Amazon as their preferred DSP if they could only select one. In contrast, nearly four in 10 (39%) opted for Google’s DV360. The same goes for The Trade Desk.
source: statista
It’s important to note that Amazon’s DSP provides exclusive access to its consumers on the Amazon platform. However, advertisers also utilize Amazon for targeting audiences outside the Amazon network.
But what do advertisers truly desire?
When asked to rank those needs, respondents to Digiday’s survey prioritized audience targeting capabilities first, followed by return on investment and return on ad spend, post-ad campaign insights and recommendations, technology vision and roadmap, and finally, data protection.
And here’s survey data reflecting part of their market influence:
A third of them (33%) said they’ve used the Amazon DSP in the past 12 months. Only The Trade Desk (at 56%) and Google DV360 (64%) received higher shares of responses.
reference
- Setupad. (n.d.). Best demand-side platforms. Setupad. Retrieved July 30, 2024, from https://setupad.com/blog/best-demand-side-platforms/
- Statista. (2024). Usage of demand-side platforms (DSP) worldwide from 2019 to 2023. Statista. Retrieved July 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1475413/dsp-use/
- Digiday. (2024). Digiday research: Ad execs sound off on Amazon’s DSP dilemma. Digiday. Retrieved July 30, 2024, from https://digiday.com/media-buying/digiday-research-ad-execs-sound-off-on-amazons-dsp-dilemma/