Programmatic advertising uses automated technology to buy and sell digital ad space in real-time, replacing manual negotiations and insertion orders.
How Programmatic Works
- Advertisers set targeting criteria and bids
- Publishers make inventory available
- Real-time auctions happen in milliseconds
- Winning ad displays to the user
- All happens as page loads
Types of Programmatic Buying
View Buying Types
Real-Time Bidding (RTB): Open auction on ad exchanges
Private Marketplace (PMP): Invitation-only auctions with premium publishers
Programmatic Direct: Automated guaranteed deals, fixed price
Preferred Deals: First-look at inventory before auction
Programmatic Platforms
- Google DV360 (Display and Video 360)
- Amazon DSP
- The Trade Desk
- MediaMath
When to Use Programmatic
Best for brand awareness at scale, reaching specific audiences across the web, and retargeting. Typically requires larger budgets (£10,000+/month) to be effective.