As we manoeuvre through an advertising landscape troubled by low-quality ‘made for advertising’ websites and the diminishing role of cookies, ad networks are the new comeback kids, characterized by a range of quality and innovative strategies. This article unpacks this resurgence, offering a roadmap and strategies for advertisers keen on steering through these transformative times.

Quality Assurance Amidst Subpar Advertising Environments

A recent study by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in the US found that one in five online ad impressions run on made-for-advertising sites. It’s a well known fact that the open web is filled with poor-quality ad-cluttered websites whose sole purpose is to garner maximum ad revenue. The ease of content generation using Generative AI only exacerbates this issue. The study also reminds advertisers of the old adage – you get what you give. Low CPM rates are likely to attract low quality impressions. One way to manage this is to seek out ad networks that implement stringent quality control measures to curate quality publishers. By establishing alliances with respectable publishers, they are shaping spaces where users can interact with ads without the intrusion of low-quality content, fostering a trust-oriented advertising environment.

Harnessing Contextual Relevance

The phasing out of cookies has accelerated a significant shift in advertising strategies. Contextual relevance has re-emerged as a powerful tool in the modern advertiser’s arsenal. It goes beyond mere keyword targeting, delving into the nuanced analysis of web page content to align ads with the thematic essence of the surrounding content. This harmony elevates user experience, encourages engagements and drives brand affinity.

High-Impact Formats: A Canvas for Creativity

Selected ad networks offer advertising inventory beyond the standard IAB formats. Through direct integration into publisher inventory, these ad networks offer high-impact formats such as skinners, full-page takeovers and immersive mobile scrollers that stand out from run-of-the-mill banner spots. Such executions offer advertisers rich opportunities to weave in more compelling brand narratives, ultimately leading to higher quality interactions between the brand and the audience.

Measuring Success Through Attention Metrics

Success in leveraging high-impact formats is intrinsically linked to understanding and analyzing user engagement. Employing metrics such as viewability, interaction rates, and time spent on ads can offer invaluable insights, helping advertisers refine their strategies to foster better engagement and drive successful campaigns.

Retail Media Networks: The New Frontier

The burgeoning collaborations between ad networks and e-commerce behemoths unlock prime advertising spaces where brands can connect with consumers at crucial moments in their shopping journeys. By pinpointing these pivotal touchpoints, advertisers can develop strategies that sync with consumers’ purchase intents and allow close loop measurements.

Navigating the Potential Pitfalls

Even as ad networks stride towards quality, challenges remain. Advertisers sometimes find themselves grappling with limited transparency over ad placements. The inherent risk here is the potential misalignment between the ad content and the publisher’s space. It’s therefore imperative for advertisers to seek networks that allow 3rd party tracking, offering transparency where ads are displayed.

In addition, many SSPs offer curated solutions for adtech companies to work with publishers by setting up private deals without having to deal with the complications of integration. This scalability enables adtech companies within the ecosystem to effectively set up their own ad network without the complexity of integrating different publishers’ supplies. However, one of the drawbacks is that it allows players to simply curate inventory from the open exchange, add markups and superficially package themselves as a premium network.Thus, it is important for advertisers to discern how curated inventory has been sourced and how value has been added by adtech.

Conclusion

We stand at a juncture where the ad network landscape is being reshaped, characterized by a vigorous pursuit of quality and innovation. Armed with the insights and strategies delineated here, advertisers can navigate this transformative period with foresight and agility. By being conscious of potential pitfalls and leveraging the burgeoning opportunities with a strategic mindset, advertisers can sculpt campaigns that are not only successful but resonate with authenticity and ethical grounding in the rejuvenated ad network landscape.

Article contributed by Travis Teo, executive director and co-founder of Adzymic, a dynamic creative management platform.

Adzymic is an award-winning creative management platform that offers the latest innovations in rich media creatives for programmatic advertising.

Their dynamic creative optimization (DCO) solutions transform display banners into high-performing formats. Adzymic seeks to simplify the creative management process for brands and agencies to execute campaigns at speed and scale.

????Adzymic joined us at The MarTech Summit Hong Kong in July 2023. Find out what we discussed in the Post-Summit Report.

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