How do you ensure transparency and quality in ad exchange inventory?

1 Use industry standards

One way to verify the quality and transparency of ad exchange inventory is to use industry standards and tools that provide information and control over the ad supply chain. For example, you can use the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Tech Lab's ads.txt and app-ads.txt files to check if the publishers and app developers you are buying from are authorized to sell their inventory. You can also use the IAB's sellers.json and SupplyChain object to identify the intermediaries and resellers involved in the transaction. These standards can help you avoid domain spoofing, inventory arbitrage, and other fraudulent practices.

2 Set clear KPIs and metrics

Another way to ensure transparency and quality in ad exchange inventory is to set clear key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that align with your campaign goals and objectives. For example, you can use metrics such as viewability, click-through rate, conversion rate, cost per action, and return on ad spend to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of your programmatic media buying. You can also use metrics such as brand safety, ad fraud, and contextual relevance to measure the quality and suitability of your ad placements. By setting and tracking these metrics, you can optimize your bidding strategy, budget allocation, and creative optimization.

3 Choose the right partners

A third way to ensure transparency and quality in ad exchange inventory is to choose the right partners for your programmatic media buying. This means selecting reputable and reliable ad exchanges, DSPs, SSPs, and data providers that offer high-quality inventory, data, and services. You can use criteria such as inventory sources, data quality, pricing models, reporting capabilities, customer support, and compliance with industry standards and regulations to evaluate and compare different partners. You can also use third-party verification and measurement tools to audit and validate the performance and quality of your partners.

4 Implement best practices

A fourth way to ensure transparency and quality in ad exchange inventory is to implement best practices for your programmatic media buying. This means following the guidelines and recommendations from industry associations, experts, and peers to improve your knowledge and skills. For example, you can use the IAB's Programmatic Playbook, the World Federation of Advertisers' Global Media Charter, and the ANA's Trust Consortium to learn more about the principles and practices of programmatic media buying. You can also join industry events, forums, and communities to network and exchange insights with other programmatic media buyers.

5 Test and learn

A fifth way to ensure transparency and quality in ad exchange inventory is to test and learn from your programmatic media buying. This means experimenting with different variables, such as inventory sources, targeting options, bidding strategies, creative formats, and optimization techniques, to find out what works best for your campaign. You can use tools such as A/B testing, multivariate testing, and incrementality testing to compare and analyze the results of your experiments. You can also use tools such as attribution modeling, lift analysis, and customer lifetime value analysis to measure the impact of your programmatic media buying on your business outcomes.

6 Adapt and evolve

A sixth way to ensure transparency and quality in ad exchange inventory is to adapt and evolve with the changing landscape of programmatic media buying. This means staying updated and informed about the latest trends, developments, and challenges in the industry, such as privacy regulations, cookie deprecation, identity solutions, and new ad formats. You can use tools such as newsletters, podcasts, blogs, and webinars to keep up with the news and opinions from industry leaders, experts, and influencers. You can also use tools such as surveys, feedback, and reviews to understand the needs and preferences of your customers and prospects.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?