Digital Buy Types

May 2022

©ASSEMBLY PROPRIETARY & CONFIDENTIAL

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Direct vs. Programmatic Buying

Direct Buying
+ Definition
+ In general, managed service buy between an agency or
advertiser and a publication
+ Pros
+ Able to negotiate and build custom content, or run
exclusive ad units
+ Absolute first-priority look at inventory
+ Endemic targeting, or partner data (Website)
+ Ability for competitive blocking (not deliver on same
page as direct competitors)
+ Cons
+ Potential for overlap in users reach across publishers
+ Less transparency on cost and audience performance
+ Fewer optimizations available
+ Cancellation terms may apply
+ Rate Type
+ Fixed CPM, CPC, CPI, etc.
Programmatic Buying
+ Definition
+ In general, self-service buy by an agency within a DSP,
accessing multiple inventory sources
+ Pros
+ Fluidity between budgets and audiences allows for more
optimization, as well as last-minute changes
+ Ability to buy single publishers through accessing their
inventory through a PMP or Programmatic Guaranteed
deal
+ DSPs may provide identity graph for managing
frequency across users and households
+ Could run out of avails (ie, audio inventory in
December)
+ Cons
+ Potential black box between exchanges, SSP, and
publishers
+ Need to apply more stringent brand safety settings and
quality control
+ DSPs will require a platform fee (Varies by buy type)
+ Rate Type
+ Dynamic CPM, CPC, CPI, etc.

Types of Programmatic Buys
Open Exchange (OE)
Aggregates inventory from
multiple sellers, which allows
buyers to place a bid on multiple,
equal opportunity inventory
supplies at once. Whichever
inventory matches the bidder's
requirements the closest wins the
bid and gets the impression.
Price Negotiability: None. Can
optimize in real time to lower CPMs.
Some sites & audience combos may cost
more
Ideal for: broad reach, scale, audience
targeting, flexible budget
We always apply site-lists, negative
keyword lists, brand safety, fraud, and
viewability settings in the case of
activating on open exchange.
Inventory transparency, customization, negotiability
Private Marketplace (PMP)
A customized 1:1 deal between
the media buyer and the supplier
in which the advertiser bids for
impressions from one supply
source. The inventory is more
expensive and premium than
inventory sold in the open
exchange.
Price Negotiability: Pay for supplier(s)
rates, but direct relationships mean we
have the potential for cheaper CPMs
through negotiation. Will have a floor
price.
Ideal for: Contextual/endemic targeting,
high indexing publisher site, High
Impact/Audio/CTV activations,
viewability requirements, flexible
budget.
Some publishers consider PMPs high in
the waterfall for premium inventory to
brands they know & trust, while others
will consider PMPs for remnant
inventory (low in waterfall).
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Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
A deal in which the buyer
negotiate a price and terms of
inventory that's reserved
(guaranteed) for the buyer. The
buyer will have a preferred
opportunity to bid at the
negotiated price for 'top shelf'
premium inventory (example:
setting up a custom unit deal
directly with NYT).
Price Negotiability: Most negotiable,
with set CPM. Most "hands-off, locked
in after you start".
Ideal for: niche targeting, high
viewability requirements, high inventory
requirements, set budget
These can come with a higher CPM due
to being high impact or fixed units, OR
we can negotiate cost. PGs are bought
direct through publisher, so we incur a
much smaller platform fee.