PubMatic Launches Activate - Bringing Programmatic Automation to Direct Deals for CTV & Video
by on 9th May 2023 in News
PubMatic, an independent technology company delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, announced the launch of Activate. This groundbreaking new end-to-end supply path optimisation (SPO) solution allows buyers to execute non-bidded direct deals on PubMatic’s programmatic platform, accessing premium video and CTV inventory at scale. Initial launch partners include dentsu, Fubo, GroupM, Havas Media Group, LG, Mars, and Omnicom Media Group Germany, among others.
Activate represents a new industry paradigm as it is a single layer of technology that directly connects buyers and sellers of digital media. Activate gives buyers more control over their omnichannel video investments by executing deals across PubMatic’s premium CTV and online video inventory in one platform, enabling a seamless transition of their direct business to programmatic private marketplace (PMP) or programmatic guaranteed (PG). Activate is expected to facilitate the transition of insertion order budgets into the programmatic ecosystem due to the reduction in complexity, time, and cost achieved by the single technology layer approach. As a result, buyers may expect increased ROI and publishers may see increased revenue.
“Buyers and sellers of digital media are seeking a more efficient, transparent, and sustainable supply chain that delivers on programmatic’s full potential,” said PubMatic co-founder and CEO, Rajeev Goel. “Activate extends the successful supply path optimisation strategy we pioneered more than four years ago. By seamlessly connecting buyers and content owners via a single layer of technology, we are significantly reducing the hops, discrepancies, data proliferation, opacity, and complexity in the programmatic marketplace. This will result in higher ROI for buyers and increased revenue for publishers, consistent with our mission to fuel the endless potential of internet content creators who rely on advertising as a primary source of revenue.”
Built leveraging technology from PubMatic’s 2022 acquisition of Martin, Activate is fully integrated into PubMatic’s growing software suite, including the PubMatic sell-side platform and connect.
As consumer behaviour shifts towards streaming, publishers, and buyers need more efficient ways to transact across CTV and video inventory. By modernising and customising the digital advertising supply chain based on customer needs, Activate brings automation to the pool of CTV and video inventory that is still using outdated transaction methods. Non-programmatic insertion orders are expected to account for almost 60% of CTV and 18% of online video transactions in 2023, according to industry estimates. Activate represents a nearly USD $65bn (£51.6bn) expansion of PubMatic’s total addressable market.
dentsu - “Dentsu is committed to partnerships that drive innovation, effectiveness, and efficiency in the digital advertising supply chain,” said Brad Stockton, SVP, video innovation at dentsu. “Utilising PubMatic’s Activate allows our advertisers greater control over video and CTV investments and brings more working media into the ecosystem.”
Havas Media Group - “PubMatic has been a longtime, valuable partner in helping Havas Media deliver transparent and sustainable solutions for advertisers,” said Tom Grant, SVP group director, investment operations, Havas Media Group North America. “We’re excited to see their continued innovation and effectiveness in streamlining the programmatic supply chain across video and TV buying.”
Fubo - "There is an opportunity to enhance the current programmatic supply chain for CTV by optimising the workflow and revenue models," said Lynette Kaylor, SVP, advertising sales at Fubo. "Activate will help advertisers make the most of their budgets while providing media owners more transparency."
LG - "LG Ad Solutions is excited to be a launch partner for PubMatic’s Activate solution, underscoring our core commitment to drive collaboration with the brands and agencies we serve. By working together, we can ensure that clients have access to high-quality brand-safe CTV inventory and help create a more sustainable, thriving industry for everyone," said Kelly McMahon, SVP & head of global operations at LG Ad Solutions. "We are already seeing advertiser adoption of the Activate platform, proving the value of greater transparency, efficiency and performance in the programmatic ecosystem."
To learn more about Activate visit pubmatic.com/activate.
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