A+E Expands Its Programmatic Opportunities

The company has come up with a solution that offers both programmatic and traditional inventory buys using curated channels and measurement through a range of strategic partnershipsProgrammatic capability on AE is not a new feature In fact the company has been offering forms of programmatic buying for at least a decade quotAE was one of the first publishers to put longform mobile app inventory within the programmatic spacequot DeNicola explained quotWe started working with a partner that was then acquired by Facebook Programmatic was predominant in the display and preroll spaces AE wanted to understand how this can be leveragedquotFrom there a great expansion took place that encompassed a range of technological advancements AE currently works with quotsix SSPs supply side platforms as well as supply side integrations directly with the largest CTV platformsquot he addedFrom the start in mobile the company also moved into desktop where measurement was more seasoned thanks to the use of cookies At the same time mobile quotexpanded overnight and came with the ability to have persistent identifiers outside of the cookiequot DeNicola noted quotMobile identifiers offered the capability for audience targeting on a programmatic level moving into the mobile app space CTV connected TV followed suit We continue to see this massive push into the connected TV environment that is also tied to these persistent identifiers like IP address device ID etcquotFrom the viewership end CTV has seen rapid organic growth as a result of consumers shift in viewing behavior as well as an increase in DTC and FAST free ad supported television contentquot he continued quotSeveral years ago if you looked at our viewership breakout by platform CTV sat at around 40 Now in 2022 CTV is 70 of our overall consumptionquotAs a result of all the groundwork AE became one of the first publishers to offer its entire ecosystem programmatically to direct agency and demandside platform DSP clients quotBuyers were starting to look on a KPI key performance indicator basis where they only wanted to target specific users that align with their brandsquot DeNicola said quotWe utilized programmatic to provide flexibility but also help them to see a more tangible return on their investment Now buyers are looking beyond targetability as a use case for programmatic transactions Measurement ie reach and frequency consolidated reporting across onetomany publishers and a more streamlined and efficient workflow have made long form OTT programmatic buying more enticingquotThe main goals for AE Networks are ease of use flexibility transparency and simplicity quotWe push everything across our networks and the three transaction pathsquot DeNicola explained quotWe have our traditional nonguaranteed private marketplace deals we have our programmatic guaranteed deals and we are currently working on availing biddable guaranteed deals We have very niche brands that perform incredibly well contextually so we can break things out on a channel level as well We create customized packages for tentpole events and specials and we can bundle packages based on series depending on the criteria of our partnersquotAs far as measurement is concerned in addition to standard impressions data quotwe work with partners like Live Ramp so we can layer in firstparty data as well as other thirdparty audience segmentsquot he saidAs the technology continues to advance and the demand for programmatic grows AE is seeing future opportunities quotWe are working with one of our largest virtual MVPDs as well as traditional STB settop box VOD partners to incorporate their inventory into our programmatic offeringquot DeNicola noted quotAE is pushing for greater flexibility to target granular audiences on the back end where needed or to hit necessary efficiencies while still maintaining a very premium living room experience mirroring traditional linear TVquotDeNicola39s advice for advertisers is straightforward quotThe entire ecosystem is available and we offer a very transparent and level playing field for all of our buyersquot he said quotFor example this is what you can get if you bid at these levels We also strive to be agnostic working with a wide range of SSP partners to ensure we have an integration path that best suits our buyers39 preferences In a world of walled gardens we feel options create the most efficient and streamlined opportunities for the buysidequotDoing what is best for the advertiser is paramount quotWe want flexibility but with guardrails knowing that programmatic does have its nuancesquot DeNicola said quotFor us that means setting expectations up front Yes we want to offer programmatic as a means for flexibility but it will depend on the use case or the scale that39s neededquotIt39s all about fine tuning to our partners39 strategy asking a lot of questions educating understanding and doing a lot of listeningquot he concludedClick the social buttons to share this story with 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A+E Expands Its Programmatic Opportunities

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Charlene Weisler

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A+E Expands Its Programmatic Opportunities

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