Online media buying is at a turning point.
It used to be a lot simpler. Today, though, it’s often layered with complex players and shifting processes. And while programmatic buying has certainly streamlined some of it, there’s still a sense that not everyone in the digital ad world is really looking out for your best interests.
High-profile events like Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer, Marc Pritchard, calling out fraudulent agency practices and Facebook’s struggles with ad placements next to hate speech and misinformation have brought a sharper focus on these issues. The industry is finally moving away from “black box” tactics, hidden rebates, and vague measurements. The hope now? A media-buying landscape that’s clearer, fairer, and ultimately better for everyone.
What Exactly is Media Buying?
Historically, media buying has focused primarily on offline channels like television, radio, and print media. However, with the rise of the internet, digital media buying has expanded to include various online avenues, such as websites, social media, and streaming services.
This process is vital for ensuring that your ads are seen and engaged with by your target audience at just the right moments, all while maximizing return on investment (ROI). It begins with identifying high-potential advertising spaces, followed by negotiations with platform owners to determine crucial details such as when the ad will run, its presentation style, duration, and associated costs.
Moreover, digital media buying offers advanced performance marketing and measurement tools. These resources allow advertisers to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns, providing insights that enable a clear assessment of success and inform future marketing strategies.
Who Do You Think a Media Buyer Is?
Historically, media buying has focused primarily on offline channels like television, radio, and print media. But with the internet’s rapid expansion, the landscape of media buying has transformed dramatically. In today’s landscape, digital media buying covers an expansive mix of online channels, including websites, social networks, and streaming platforms, providing brands with countless ways to connect with their audience.
This process is crucial for ensuring your ads reach and engage your target audience at precisely the right moments, all while maximizing return on investment (ROI). It begins by pinpointing high-potential advertising spaces, followed by negotiations with platform owners to establish key elements like when the ad will run, its visual presentation, how long it will be displayed, and the associated costs.
Additionally, digital media buying equips advertisers with powerful performance marketing and measurement tools. These resources enable a thorough evaluation of campaign effectiveness, providing insights that not only clarify success but also shape and refine future marketing strategies. Ultimately, this modern approach to media buying empowers brands to connect more meaningfully with their audiences in an ever-evolving digital world.
What Makes Media Buying So Vital
Media buying is a cornerstone of any successful campaign.
While captivating visuals and engaging copy can work wonders to draw in your audience, they’re ineffective if you’re not reaching the right people. This is where media buying comes into play, ensuring your ad is strategically placed in front of the right audience, at the right time, on the right platforms.
Additionally, media buying is crucial for sticking to your budget. Experienced media buyers are adept negotiators, securing optimal ad placements and costs. This ensures your ad delivers maximum impact without exceeding your budget.
So, what are some of the key things to have in mind when you are negotiating media buys?
1. Programmatic Buying:
Programmatic media provides exceptional transparency, allowing you to see exactly how every dollar of your budget is spent throughout your campaign. The reliance on third-party buyers or agencies is a thing of the past; programmatic buying puts you in the driver’s seat, giving you complete control over your budget.
2. OOH vs. Digital OOH:
At the outset of your campaign, a pivotal decision is whether to opt for Out of Home (OOH) advertising or Digital Out of Home (DOOH). OOH represents the traditional approach, encompassing formats like billboards and ads in transportation hubs. On the other hand, Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising provides a flexible and budget-friendly option, allowing buyers to control precisely when, where, and for how long they want their ads to appear.
3. Ad Placement:
Selecting the right ad placement is critical to your campaign’s success. Ensuring effective placements helps you connect with your target audience in the most impactful way possible. Several factors come into play, such as cost, inventory type, and understanding which audience segments are likely to engage with your ad. Continuous monitoring of your placements is essential, and programmatic solutions excel in this area, offering real-time insights that allow you to track performance and make immediate adjustments for optimization.
In essence, media buying is not just a tactical step in your marketing strategy; it’s a vital component that can significantly influence your campaign’s overall success.
Key Insights on Media Buying
So, what are the nine crucial things you need to know about digital media buying right now?
1. Always Optimize Your Media Buying
Enhancing ad performance begins with optimization. Ideally, programmatic media buying should take care of this automatically. Regularly adjust frequency, block inappropriate domains, and modify bid sizes to ensure your campaigns are performing at their best.
Ideally, this process would run entirely on automation. Programmatic algorithms are continuously improving, making them significantly faster than humans at fine-tuning ad performance—provided they’re set up correctly. It’s essential to ensure that whoever is configuring your campaigns, whether for branding or performance, establishes the right parameters.
2. Prioritize Brand Safety
Brand safety refers to the risk of exposing your brand to inappropriate or damaging content. When media buying goes wrong, it can severely tarnish your brand’s reputation. For example, imagine a family-friendly product ad appearing alongside content that promotes violence or hate.
Typically, the fewer layers involved in media buying, the more secure and reliable the ad inventory. As Mark Anderson, a digital marketing strategist, points out, “The context in which your ad appears can significantly impact consumer perception.” This remains one of the most pressing challenges in media buying today.
In recent years, there has been a concerted effort for publishers to offer white-lists and black-lists to guide media buyers. In the current media buying landscape, prioritizing brand safety is a crucial consideration. If a media buying agency places a brand in a harmful or unsuitable environment, they are failing in their responsibilities.
3. The Importance of Avoiding Ad Fraud
In the realm of programmatic advertising, avoiding ad fraud is a paramount concern. Due to the automation involved, brands often lack visibility into where their ads will actually appear, making them vulnerable to fraudulent activities. Generally, the lower the price you pay for ad inventory, the higher the chances of encountering quality issues and fraud.
Certain types of fraud can be prevented, but this largely depends on the attentiveness of your media buying partner. For example, domain spoofing is a common issue, particularly affecting premium publishers, which are often targeted because they command higher prices for their inventory. Some advertisers, looking to cut costs, may unwittingly purchase low-quality or misrepresented inventory without fully understanding the implications.
Fortunately, there are tools available to help mitigate these risks. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) introduced the authorized digital seller tool, known as ads.txt, in 2017 to assist ad buyers in avoiding unreliable sellers. When combined with analytics tools such as heatmaps, these resources can significantly reduce the risk of ad fraud.
However, it’s crucial to recognize that accountability lies with the seller to ensure a safe advertising environment. While this is a valid point, it’s always better to be cautious. Even a low-cost cost-per-click (CPC) campaign should prioritize ads placed on domains verified by ads.txt. If your media buying partner doesn’t provide the option to run ads exclusively on ads.txt domains, you’re leaving your brand exposed to unnecessary risks.
4. Shedding Light on Media Buying Practices (Black Box)
The advent of the “black box” concept in media buying has posed a considerable challenge for the industry.
Many experts describe automated media buying as a confusing and opaque system fraught with challenges. Thankfully, this hidden approach is on the verge of extinction.
Transparency is dismantling these obscure practices. Advertisers are increasingly rejecting the convoluted intermediaries that have historically exploited confusion and technological complexity. Clients demand clarity; they want to see exactly where their money is going and the rationale behind each purchase. Control over their investments is now a priority.
A noticeable trend is emerging where brands are taking charge of their media buying processes or becoming more engaged in them. Previously, advertisers often delegated these responsibilities entirely to agencies, but the recognition of media’s importance has led to a more hands-on approach. This shift represents a significant transformation in the industry.
Moreover, as the advertising landscape evolves, major brands are increasingly reallocating their budgets from agency trading desks to in-house teams. The era of “black box” media buying is coming to an end.
5. Enhancing the Metrics Game
One of the main challenges in online media buying is how ad performance is measured. There is a strong call for improvements to the digital supply chain, as some advertisers have encountered metrics that seem favorable at first glance but prove to be inaccurate upon closer examination.
The industry is striving for consistent metrics, such as viewability, click-through rates, and impressions. While the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has long established guidelines for these metrics, many organizations still use their unique standards, leading to confusion and increasing the risk of ad fraud and brand safety issues.
However, there is optimism on the horizon. A growing movement is shifting away from the chaotic measurement landscape toward third-party metrics that are accredited similarly to traditional media. Advanced technologies previously used for print and online ad engagement are likely to be integrated into live display ad metrics.
Expect media buying to become more transparent, with exchange systems adopting stable, cross-currency metrics. A reliable media buying partner will be among the first to embrace these changes.
6. Empowering Your Team with In-House Media Management
Industry experts agree that a significant transformation is occurring in media buying: the shift toward in-house operations. This approach mirrors trends seen in other areas of display advertising. Bringing media buying in-house enhances budgetary control, allows for closer alignment with business goals, and removes an additional layer of ambiguity from the process.
Having both media buying and creative production teams in-house leads to a superior end product. Those within the company are more attuned to its goals, fostering better collaboration and communication. This creates more impactful campaigns and helps save both time and resources.
However, this transition also presents challenges, as businesses must invest in upskilling their teams. It’s crucial to equip marketers with the best tools and ensure that in-house talent is well-versed in the media landscape.
7. The Essential Ingredient: Building Genuine Partnership
Trust is fundamental when it comes to media buying. Navigating the supply chain necessitates confidence in your partners—especially given the significant financial stakes involved. It’s essential to steer clear of ad tech firms that create barriers and agencies that lack transparency. One effective strategy is to take media buying in-house.
If you choose to work with an agency, there are ways to foster trust. Industry consultants suggest asking critical questions to evaluate potential partners, such as:
- Does my agency genuinely profit from the fees we pay?
- If not, how does it generate revenue?
- Are the media plans presented truly neutral and unbiased?
- Are all media plans and buys supported by credible, independent metrics?
While these may seem like simple inquiries, if your agency struggles to provide clear answers, it might be time to reconsider your partnership. Trust in your ad tech and your partners is a cornerstone for achieving campaign success.
8. Design with Context in Mind
Another often-overlooked aspect of media buying is its integration with ad creation. Too frequently, considerations about inventory are made only after a display campaign has been developed. However, understanding where a campaign will be served can provide vital context that enhances creative assets.
Knowing the environment in which an ad will appear can inform banner design choices. For instance, certain products may require specific visual treatments; a brand may prefer tall ads for showcasing a particularly slender item or opt for a video banner format for a luxury car in high-end publications.
Planning your media placements in advance can lead to more effective banners tailored for specific audiences.
9. A Promising Horizon for Media Buying
The outlook for media buying is optimistic. After stagnating for the past 10 to 15 years, the industry is on the brink of significant change.
Regulatory measures like GDPR are helping to foster greater transparency across the industry. As digital buying is subjected to the same scrutiny that other media channels have long faced, we can expect improvements.
Combined with the trend of bringing media buying in-house and innovative solutions like creative management platforms, digital advertisers now wield more control than ever before.
TAKE NOTE
Mixing different campaign strategies when buying media is like trying to juggle too many balls at once—it’s just not a good idea. Sticking to a single strategy is the way to go; it helps you focus your efforts and maximize your results. A confused campaign only leads to wasted time and money.
Also, it’s important to be realistic about your media budget. Creativity often comes with a price tag. If you do come across a deal that seems too hard to believe, approche with great caution, and If you want your brand to shine in prime advertising spots, be prepared to invest accordingly.
Finally, the choice of partners you work with is increasingly vital. Ad technology solutions like Adobe Creative Cloud empower users and are especially beneficial for in-house teams. Whether you’re working independently or with a partner, always prioritize open and transparent media buying practices. This clarity will help you build stronger relationships and achieve better outcomes.