As we build up to ATS Singapore on July 07, we are asking some of our speakers to cast their over the local APAC market and how programmatic is changing the buying and selling of digital media.

Today Jeff Green discusses the vagaries of operating of both sides of the programmatic trade? Can you be an honest broker if you work on both sides - can you really trusted if you are also selling your own media as well as managed service and tech? Interesting observations given the dominance of tech-media hybrid giants like Google.

Tickets now on sale for ATS Singapore - but be quick we will sell out. The agenda for the ATS Singapore is now live.

When we launched in Singapore at the end of last summer, we came into the market because of client demand. RTB is growing faster in new markets than it ever did in the US. We’re enjoying the fruits of good relationships that were nurtured early on in the States and are now becoming global partnerships as our clients and partners grow internationally, as well.

While our APAC presence started in Singapore and Australia, earlier this year we expanded further north into Korea and Japan. The most surprising phenomenon we’re encountering is the competitor hybrids: they’re a demand-side platform. They’re a sell-side platform. They’re your agency. They’re your vendor. They are all of those functions within one organization.

All of these are wholly owned or joint ventured for your convenience. Many companies are seemingly declaring themselves the one-stop shop with an invitation along the lines of, “Come to us and we will take care of everything for you.” Many of the sales presentations start with landscape slides that show the pitching company with an offering in every box. While they’ve built businesses on this convenience factor, I’m convinced that good fences make good neighbors.

What does this mean for buyers in Asia? It means that if you want to pay the lowest possible CPM for your media, you want to have someone who is fighting for that price. You need to have an advocate. On the buy-side you have to ensure that the person bidding for your low CPM isn’t the same person bidding up that higher CPM on the other side.

This isn’t to say that the buy side and the sell side are at war. We’re neighbors. But to truly add value in this competitive market, you have to know where you add value and you have to be an advocate for something. Typically, you represent the buy-side, or the sell-side, or the market. If you’re everywhere, you’re nowhere. Looking ahead to ATS Singapore for this year, we hope to hear less about companies who are super DSPs and super SSPs at the same time. Instead, let’s talk about companies and ideas that advocate with passion and, most importantly, with credibility.