Private Marketplaces (PMP) have gained significant popularity in recent years, overtaking programmatic advertising expenditure in 2020. Offering more control, transparency, and quality for both publishers and advertisers, PMPs have become the preferred choice for many in the advertising industry. In this blog post, we will dive into what PMPs are, how they work, their benefits, drawbacks, and the future of private marketplaces in the advertising landscape.
Understanding Private Marketplaces (PMP)
A Private Marketplace (PMP) is an auction that involves a limited group of advertisers, handpicked by the publisher. PMPs provide more control in ad placement and typically offer prime placement, with a focus on premium inventory and high-quality ad spots. The PMP model falls under the umbrella of real-time bidding (RTB) and allows advertisers to selectively choose the inventory they want to bid on.
Deal IDs and Their Role in PMPs
Deal IDs are unique numbers generated by publisher ad servers for each bid request. These IDs are shared between the buyer and the seller to identify who can participate in the auction or bid on specific ad inventory. Deal IDs offer more information than tags and can help increase the size of a PMP while maintaining its exclusivity.
The PMP Auction Process
PMPs exist between programmatic and open auctions, removing intermediaries from the advertising process and limiting the participants. Unlike open auctions, there are no ad exchanges or supply-side platforms (SSPs) making placements in PMPs. Large premium sites, such as The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, often offer PMPs to provide clarity on ad spaces and available inventory.
Benefits of Private Marketplaces
PMPs address two major concerns in the RTB world: fraud and lack of control over placement. They reduce the opportunity for fraud by offering increased transparency and set values. Additionally, PMPs provide more control to advertisers and publishers, ensuring sensitive or awkward pairings are avoided. PMPs are also more efficient for advertisers when setting buys on top-tier websites and can potentially replace expensive in-house direct-sales teams.
Drawbacks of Private Marketplaces
Despite their advantages, PMPs come with their drawbacks. They tend to be pricier than open exchanges and do not guarantee a captive audience, making them less appealing for advertisers testing campaigns or ramping up their strategy. PMPs also require more time and manual interaction than open exchanges.
PMPs vs. Open Auctions (RTB) and Programmatic Guaranteed
PMP deals come with a set floor price at a premium cost, providing high-quality inventory and increased clarity on placement. Unlike open auctions, PMPs have fewer unknowns and involve select advertisers. Programmatic guaranteed deals, on the other hand, provide even more exclusivity than PMPs, with fixed-price slots and a fixed number of guaranteed impressions.
The Future of Private Marketplaces
Experts predict that PMPs will continue to gain market share due to their improved control and reduced risk of malware incidents in the open programmatic marketplace. However, to remain competitive and capture the mid-level publisher and advertiser market, PMPs will need to find solutions for scaling and addressing concerns around cost and time.
Last Words
The rise of Private Marketplaces (PMPs) has reshaped the advertising industry, offering improved control, quality, and transparency. While they have their drawbacks, PMPs have proven to be a popular solution for top-tier publishers and advertisers. As PMPs continue to evolve and potentially address scalability issues, they may become an even more prominent force in the advertising landscape, capturing the attention of mid-level publishers and advertisers who prioritize cost and time. Understanding the nuances of PMPs, their benefits, and their drawbacks will be crucial for advertisers and publishers alike as they navigate the ever-changing world of digital advertising.
Key Takeaways
- Private Marketplaces (PMPs) are a subset of Real-Time Bidding (RTB) that limit the advertisers allowed in the auction.
- PMPs provide greater clarity on which platforms offer ad space, giving advertisers more assurance of quality placement.
- PMPs help mitigate much of the malicious advertising rampant in the open exchange.
- PMPs can be slowed down by the deal-making process and often cost more because of the top-tier offerings.
- Currently, PMPs haven’t been able to scale to meet the demands of mid-level publishers and advertisers who prioritize cost and time.
- PMPs have grown in popularity, overtaking programmatic spending in recent years, and are expected to continue growing as they address the needs of the advertising industry.
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