Curation Platform - Next Advertising Era
The variety of targeting technologies is set to increase, and curation platforms might play a key role in helping advertisers navigate through this diversity to find top-notch quality
The idea of Data Curation isn't a novel one—it's been adapted by the world of programmatic advertising from other sectors.
A 'data curation platform' is a sophisticated software solution, crafted to enhance the way organisations manage and organise their data, significantly boosting the quality of their assets. The key goal of 'data curation' is to make sure that within a particular ecosystem, data stays consistently dependable, precise, and immediately accessible for analysis and strategic decision-making. This plays a crucial role in preserving and boosting the inherent value of data over time
What is a Curation Platform on programmatic Advertising
Quality and reliability - how can we make these available in programmatic advertising while also ensuring broad targeting capabilities? The idea originated from Xandr: in 2021, they introduced the Xandr Curate platform. The concept is straightforward: it allows publishers, data platforms, and agencies, and even advertisers themselves, to showcase their targeting offerings within a diverse marketplace. This setup provides the option to connect with various Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs), thereby offering the freedom to choose the best technology suited to individual needs.
What is a curator marketplace?
A curated marketplace can be thought of as a tailor-made market existing within a larger marketplace. It's designed and crafted to tackle specific challenges and deliver unique value.
The food supply chain serves as a useful parallel to understand this concept better. Today, many consumers are concerned about the pollution generated by food during long delivery journeys. They prefer to buy from local suppliers. Increasingly, stores and even large grocery chains are investing in sourcing high-quality products from local providers. You can think of these supermarkets as offering a 'curated marketplace' for local food within their broader range of offerings.
The image below illustrates this concept, applying it to the world of programmatic advertising.
How a Curated Marketplace works?
Within a curated marketplace, a media buyer, or an advertiser, can access inventory solely through a curated deal, as opposed to an open exchange.
A curated deal is where a curator grants the buyer access to a specific segment of their curated marketplace. Take, for example, a group of publishers offering a curated deal involving the inventory from all their homepages.
To the advertiser, this curated deal is just like any typical deal they'd encounter in their DSP. They can handle it as they would any standard deal. The key point here is that the advertiser continues to buy inventory directly from the publisher, with the curator's role being to streamline the transaction process.
In a standard programmatic advertising transaction, there are usually two key players involved, as will be illustrated in the diagram below
While in a transaction facilitated by a curator, there are three participants involved:
Why could be a curation platform crucial for the Next Advertising Era?
The upcoming Advertising Era features a diverse array of targeting technologies:
IAB Seller Defined Audience
Topic API
Protected Audience
Contextual Targeting
Alternative ID
Custom Segment
Managing these technologies single-handedly would be an overwhelming task for advertisers. They would have to interact with different providers, test each unique technology, and ensure it integrates well with their DSP.
Curation platforms, in my opinion, are becoming the Rosetta Stone of targeting. Regardless of the technology used by a vendor, it can be seamlessly tested through a standard deal. This allows advertisers to assess the actual quality of the technology and its efficacy in meeting their business goals. If a vendor's technology doesn't deliver as promised, advertisers can easily switch to another without being hindered by their DSP's slow approval process. Accessing a curator platform is straightforward, even for new startups.
For publishers, a curator platform can be transformative. It empowers them to become true data owners. Although it requires substantial technical skills, they no longer need to rely on lengthy approval processes. Technologies like Prebid real-time data modules are easily accessible, offering publishers more control and flexibility.
What are the most used curation platform?
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