Over the last six months, we’ve had the privilege of conducting multiple programmatic media buying workshops each month, working hands-on with teams across seven different companies, including two individuals in private coaching . Our goal has been to help Agencies and Programmatic In-house teams grow and level up their productivity and efficiency. We’ve also got the pleasure of working with several teams on the AdTech and Sell-side, to understand how to better perform and support their advertiser clients.

In this blog, I’ll share the top three most frequently asked questions from these sessions, covering topics like pre-bid filters, PMP deals, and the differences between key brand safety partners. Whether you’re new to programmatic or looking to fine-tune your strategies, these quick insights will give you practical tips for campaign success, or at least get you started.

1. What is the purpose of pre-bid filters and how can they affect campaign reach?

• • Pre-bid filters are used to screen impressions before bidding occurs, ensuring ads are served on relevant inventory. However, overly restrictive pre-bid filters can limit campaign reach by excluding too much inventory.
  • This workshop also included a live walkthrough on how to troubleshoot starting with best practices with the set up before the campaign launch. 
  • Quick note here that the answer to combatting MFAs does not solely depend on which brand safety partner and how much of it!!!!!! (#IsaidwhatIsaid) 

2. What are some best practices for setting up PMP deals to avoid underpacing?

1. • Best practices for PMP deals include: clear communication with both buyers and suppliers about creative size and aspect ratio requirements, aligning targeting criteria with available inventory, and ensuring pacing controls are set appropriately.
   • Ideally, traders would reduce brand safety controls to allow supply partners to make the appropriate targeting criteria and more on their end. 
   • We walked through what that looks like in several DSPs including, The Trade Desk, DV360, Basis, and Amazon DSP.  

3. Describe two potential causes of creative size mismatches in PMP deals.

• • Creative size mismatches can occur if the buyer submits creatives with incorrect dimensions or if the publisher has specific size requirements that are not met.
  • This is easily addressed with an internal onboarding process shared between teams.
  • More on this in our next blog. 

4. (Bonus) Explain how misaligned pre-bid filters can lead to reduced campaign delivery.

1. • Misaligned pre-bid filters, such as overly restrictive viewability thresholds or brand safety criteria, can reduce campaign delivery by excluding a significant portion of eligible inventory.
   • See #2.B insights as it is relevant here as well. 
   • Quick note that this occurs when the brand safety methodologies are different from the Suppliers and DSP.  We will elaborate in a separate blog in the upcoming weeks (or you can DM me) 

The following three were in the lead for one particular adtech company offering support to agencies/brands and will be cover in the next blog:

5. What information should a Supply or Data partner provide to buyers to help them set realistic pre-bid filters?
6. How do you reconcile differences between Quality Alliance/Active View vs third party ad verification services in TTD?
7. What are the key differences between DoubleVerify (DV) and Integral Ad Science (IAS) in terms of their brand safety methodologies?

Our workshops have proven incredibly beneficial because they offer practical, hands-on learning tailored to the real challenges AdTech and Sell-side teams face daily. The interactive format allowed teams to not only gain valuable insights but also practice these concepts in live DSP environments, ensuring they feel confident in applying their newfound knowledge. This hands-on, collaborative approach is what sets our workshops apart, making them a game-changer for those looking to optimize their programmatic efforts and better serve their advertiser clients.

A very special Thank you to Iesha White who’s been paramount in the success of creating and executing these workshops. She’s part of our village of expert consultants and will be joining me very soon on a live training where we are dissecting some of the questions/answers above, and walking you through how to implement and standardize these insights in a playbook for your team.  

Join October’s Free Webinar:

Monday October 28th at 3PM ET/ 12PM PST/ 8PM BST:

Link to register: https://bit.ly/proglivetrainingregform

Of course you can sign up even if you wont join live as we will be sending the recordings the next day (but please note that we will have some special giveaways/bonus for the ones joining live) 

Stay Curious,

Hélène

Cheers to leveling up!

Hélène
Your Programmatic Coach

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

About us:

Our mission is to teach historically excluded people how to get started in programmatic media and find a career. We do so by providing on-demand education, a dope community, and support with job placement.

That is why we founded The Reach and Frequency™ program where we focus on training programmatic traders and planners with the tools they need to succeed. This program also includes hands-on experience in DSPs and weekly group coaching.

We are always looking for a referral or simply happy to chat the latest and greatest so don’t hesitate to book a call.

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Marinate:

There are no secrets that Google’s Privacy Sandbox is flawed. Lots of concerns have been shared in the industry. That said, Make no mistake that it is a buyer and seller issue.

In case you are a buyer, looking to figure that out:

A Simplified Breakdown of Privacy Sandbox Concerns by Vidazoo

After months of testing, Google faces growing pressure to revamp the Privacy Sandbox by Seb Joseph in Digiday

 

Activate:

When was the last time you pulled a data provider report?

In the midst of Google’s latest news about postponing more and more, have you taken the time to do an internal review? How confident are you that the data partners you are working with and have been working with are still (or have ever really) working?

Optimizing is the exercise of making changes to your tactic and strategy based on your top 3 KPI(s) while taking into account industry trends, customers’ needs, and more. It is an important exercise to do at the tactic/adgroup level and to do often.

I’ve created a guide to help you get it done:

It is a step by step from preparation to analysis, and even recorded a live masterclass on it.

Request the video training here and the guide will be emailed to you as well:

Via this fancy shmancy google form

Praise/Shoutout

Cannes was phenomenal and considering everything that was going on, I made it a point to visit and was invited to come by the following. Shoutout to y’all for offering guidance and exquisite networking opportunities for me and my team.

The Women in Programmatic Network for the networking events and the dope women!

Index Exchange for providing a sweet spot to cool off and take meetings

Albert Thompson and team and just for the energy

Brand Innovators for the conversations and goodies

FreeWheel and for the amazing goodies!

Microsoft and the panel on AI – more on this soon

Cognitiv and the Happy Hour connections

The Digital Voice™ and the phenomenal team

and so much more coming!

ICYMI

148. A Buyer’s Introduction to Made For Arbitrage (MFA) Sites

149. A Buyer’s Guide To addressing the impact of MFA sites on their programmatic campaigns

S18. Editores al Frente: Estrategias Innovadoras en la Era de la Privacidad Digital

New Reach and Frequency® starting next week!

We are looking for 9 more ninjas to join and this cohort will focus on optimization and intro to retail + pharma + political industry. It is perfect for anyone looking to get started in programmatic OR level up, especially if you have 0-4 years of experience.

Sign up this week (we have many ways for you to make this investment including via Affirm, AfterPay, or Klarna)

Merci bien,

Hélène.

Cheers to leveling up!

Hélène
Your Programmatic Coach

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

About us:

Our mission is to teach historically excluded people how to get started in programmatic media and find a career. We do so by providing on-demand education, a dope community, and support with job placement.

That is why we founded The Reach and Frequency™ program where we focus on training programmatic traders and planners with the tools they need to succeed. This program also includes hands-on experience in DSPs and weekly group coaching.

We are always looking for a referral or simply happy to chat the latest and greatest so don’t hesitate to book a call.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi there,

Noteworthy News of the Week:

Unlocking Growth and Profitability: The Power of Ongoing Learning for Programmatic and Paid Media Excellence

We are already in August 2023 and the last few weeks, the industry has been inundated with articles and discussions around the following topics:

• SPO, MFAs, Pub’s direct partnership with brands and DSPs
• CTV/OTT (when are we not talking about anything OTT) 
• AdTechGod highlighting candidates of the day
• Attention as a success metric
• Jobsinadtech looking for partners 
• Mediamath and aftermath
• Open marketplace (is that still a thing or am I just holding on to the past?) 
• GroupBlack ongoing magic and being advocate for black-owned pubs
• Beeler. Tech is teaching us how to contextually use keywords for brand safety
• Scope3 urging us to take sustainability seriously 

And brace yourselves as we are now a few weeks away from Q4 and after Q2 and Q3, I can only imagine the excitement during the last quarter of the year. 

The success of any marketing agency, Brand in-house department, and or Adtech hinge on its ability to adapt, innovate, and excel.

But how to do that when teams are overworked and underappreciated and expectations are unreasonable?  

A Learning & Development program to encourage continuous learning.

Allow me to offer some guidance on why one of the most powerful catalysts for achieving this is a robust Learning & Development (L&D) program. 

As an L&D leader, I’d like to share my insights on why developing an ongoing partnership between our learning services and your team is not just beneficial, but imperative, for the growth and profitability of your Programmatic and Paid Media departments, and of course for your clients. 

1. Navigating the Complexities of Programmatic and Paid Media: 

The world of programmatic advertising and paid media is complicated and ever-changing. (I mean look back to the discussion topics I’ve covered above)

From sustainable supply paths to real-time optimization, the landscape requires constant upskilling. An ongoing L&D partnership ensures that your teams have the knowledge and skills to navigate these complexities effectively. 

Our tailored training modules, workshops, and courses will equip your media buying team with the latest tools and strategies, enabling them to execute campaigns with precision and agility. Check out examples of workshops we’ve done in the past here

2. Staying Ahead of the Curve:

The digital marketing arena is marked by innovation, with emerging technologies and trends shaping consumer behavior and campaign strategies. Ah!! says everyone trying to sell right?! 

But here’s the thing: an L&D agenda keeps your teams ahead of the curve, providing insights into the latest industry developments. Our partnership guarantees that your Programmatic and Paid Media departments remain at the forefront of industry trends, enabling them to devise strategies that resonate with today’s tech-savvy consumers. We will be covering industry trends and how it affect your day-to-day and why it is important, but also optimization bootcamps including how to pull/write data insights, etc.

3. Enhancing Efficiency and Effectiveness: 

Efficiency is non-negotiable. Through continuous learning, your teams can enhance their efficiency by streamlining processes and optimizing resource utilization. We go over internal workflows not only focusing on both soft and technical skills but what processes can be automated and standardized such as client onboarding and communication across teams.

This leads to quicker turnaround times, improved campaign performance, and ultimately, satisfied clients. yay!!!

Our workshops focus not only on technical proficiency but also on effective collaboration and communication, fostering a cohesive work environment.

4. Creativity that Converts: 

That whole part!!!! 🎉👏🏽 

But really, Creativity is the heartbeat of marketing success. periodt.

An L&D partnership doesn’t just cultivate technical skills; it fosters creative thinking and problem-solving. By encouraging your teams to think outside the box, we empower them to design campaigns that resonate deeply with your target audience. Both technical prowess and creative thinking translate to campaigns that don’t just look good on paper, but drive tangible results.

5. Employee Satisfaction and Retention: 

Investing in L&D isn’t just about acquiring new skills; it’s an investment in your employees’ growth and job satisfaction. 

It’s commonly reported that a significant portion of employees leave their jobs due to a lack of training and development opportunities; between 30-50% according to reputable sources like Gallup, Deloitte, or SHRM.  

An empowered team is a motivated team. 

By showing your commitment to their development, you demonstrate that you value their contributions and aspirations. This, in turn, leads to higher employee retention rates, saving you the costs associated with frequent turnover.

Schedule a discovery call with us today

6. A Partnership That Evolves: 

It ain’t just about offering pre-packaged training modules; it’s about building a dynamic partnership that evolves with your team’s needs. We propose developing a customized curriculum that addresses the specific challenges and opportunities faced by your Programmatic and Paid Media departments. It ain’t a set-up-and-forget-it type of partnership! 

It also helps that I have been in several roles within a programmatic activation team and understand the demands of the job.

7. Measurable Growth: 

We believe in quantifiable results.

Our partnership will involve milestone evaluations and assessments to track the progress of your teams. This data-driven approach ensures that the growth achieved through our L&D initiatives is measurable and contributes directly to your agency’s profitability.

By investing in the continual development of your teams, you’re investing in the future. As an L&D manager, I’m excited about the prospect of embarking on this journey together, fueling your teams’ potential, and propelling your agency to new heights of success.

Schedule a discovery call with us today

Agency Partners We Are Proud of Working with:

Above The Fold is your Programmatic experts with the dopest Tiktok account!!!! 

At Above The Fold, we are performance-minded programmatic experts, specializing in partnering with businesses to navigate the exciting world of programmatic advertising across web, apps, audio and TV. Our team works as a strategic partner to help guide strategy and ensure that you make the most of this powerful advertising channel.

Reach out to them below and tell them Hélène referred me! 

 julianne@getabovethefold.com or book a meeting! |  Getabovethefold.com

This Week’s on the Programmatic Digest podcast

The incomparable Brian O’Kelley from Scope3 shared some wisdom on programmatic sustainability.

Check out episode 135 on iTunes and on Spotify

Special Thank you to our Podcast Sponsor: Jobsinadtech.com

A QUICK GUIDE WITH 10 CONCISE STEPS ON HOW TO OPTIMIZE DATA SEGMENTS, INCLUDING BEST PRACTICES 

https://www.reachandfrequency.online/freecheatsheet 

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About Us:

Our mission is to teach historically excluded people how to get started in programmatic media and find a career. We do so by providing on-demand education, a dope community, and support with job placement. 

We are actively accepting new clients and can assist with providing support in

Education via our L&D program or single training/workshops

Activation via staff augmentation

 

We are always looking for a referral or simply happy to chat the latest and greatest so don’t hesitate to book a call

Cheers to leveling up!

Hélène
Your Programmatic Coach

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

About us:

Our mission is to teach historically excluded people how to get started in programmatic media and find a career. We do so by providing on-demand education, a dope community, and support with job placement.

That is why we founded The Reach and Frequency™ program where we focus on training programmatic traders and planners with the tools they need to succeed. This program also includes hands-on experience in DSPs and weekly group coaching.

We are always looking for a referral or simply happy to chat the latest and greatest so don’t hesitate to book a call.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi there,

Announcement Of The Week:

We are accepting new clients in need of in-house media buying/growth and looking to pay you 10%🎉 monthly per referrals. It’s as easy as an email intro and collecting the coins once they sign.

Benefit of partnering with us to offer your clients paid media support:Adding a new revenue stream while we take care of everything else including:

• Selling programmatic services (Display, Mobile, Native, CTV/OTT, Audio, DOOH, paid search, paid social)
• Media plan strategy (customized to each unique clients)
• Industry-leading ad tech integrations and partners negotiation
• Omnichannel campaign management plus some
• Custom white-labeled reporting dashboards
• Ongoing Programmatic media education/workshops

Email me “Newsletter Partners” directly for any questions at helene@heleneparker.com

This is perfect for brands and agencies looking to:

• Increase their advertising effort or growing their internal team.
• Have some in-house marketing looking to grow and specialize in paid media.
• Have an ad spend around $20,000+ monthly on average depending on channels (happy to answer the “how much should we spend if we wanted to do x”).
• In addition to our training workshops, we specialize in supporting in-house teams looking to grow efficiently by providing expertise in media buying and education.

 

Noteworthy News of the Week:

How do we determine an MFA (made-for-advertising sites) visually or manually? Is there a secret sauce to excluding MFAs at the media trader level?

I came across Digiday’s article by Seb Joseph, titled Ad tech industry gears up to combat MFAs.

I posted 3 takeaways on LinkedIN here and you should take 5 mins to review the amazing comments and information shared by my linkedIN networks of experts.

Secondly, I was tagged on Jonathan Dick’s post where he wrote QUESTIONS TO ASK ON A PROGRAMMATIC JOB INTERVIEW and it is a gem!!! Check it out if you are in-market for a new career opportunity and or a promotion at work. These questions can determine if it is the right choice for you.

 

This Week on the Programmatic Digest podcast:

We are sharing a special series recording at Cannes!

Check out all 4 episodes on iTunes and on Spotify!

#CannesLions2023

 

Agency Partners We Are Proud of Working with:

Above The Fold is your Programmatic experts with the dopest Tiktok account!!!!

At Above The Fold, we are performance-minded programmatic experts, specializing in partnering with businesses to navigate the exciting world of programmatic advertising across web, apps, audio and TV. Our team works as a strategic partner to help guide strategy and ensure that you make the most of this powerful advertising channel.

Reach out to them below and tell them Hélène referred me!

Book a meeting or check out Getabovethefold.com

 

Want to know if a career in programmatic/paid media is right for you?

Take the Quiz

 

Cheers to leveling up!

Hélène
Your Programmatic Coach

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

About us:

Our mission is to teach historically excluded people how to get started in programmatic media and find a career. We do so by providing on-demand education, a dope community, and support with job placement.

That is why we founded The Reach and Frequency™ program where we focus on training programmatic traders and planners with the tools they need to succeed. This program also includes hands-on experience in DSPs and weekly group coaching.

We are always looking for a referral or simply happy to chat the latest and greatest so don’t hesitate to book a call.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi there,

Announcement Of The Week:

“I’m fairly certain being enrolled in the program is what made me a viable candidate, so thank you for taking the time and effort to create this course!”

🌟 From a Reach and Frequency™️ ninja who is starting a new job in paid media/programmatic  🌟

We cover the technical skills needed for the most in-demand job, the programmatic media trader, in our Reach and Frequency™️ training, giving you an edge in your digital marketing and paid media job search.

It will also introduce you to a network of active hiring managers/recruiters in the programmatic field and alike partners.

DM or Grab some time on my calendar to discuss your option and decide if this program is a fit in your career growth:

https://www.heleneparker.com/contact/

Programmatic Ninja We Celebrate:

Kelly Beckford is a former kindergarten teacher looking for a new career in the digital advertising and programmatic media industry. She’s completed the Reach and Frequency™️ program this past quarter and is interested in any coordinator or specialist opportunity in programmatic or paid media.

Kelly’s energy is always positive, patient, and charismatic! She is a great fit for any team!

Check out her LinkedIN

Here’s what Kelly shared about her experience in the program:

“I joined this program in hopes of gaining new knowledge to help me pivot into a new career field. I was looking for a fresh, interesting & innovative industry and that’s exactly what I found! I love how the programmatic field is so fluid and encourages continuous learning and growth!”  Kelly Beckford

Reach out to Kelly for more info and let’s get her a job!!!

Want to know if this career is right for you?

Take the Quiz 

This Week’s on the Programmatic Digest podcast

🚨 Ep 127 is now live on YouTube and all major podcast platforms! 🚨

In this episode, Myles Younger from U of Digital talks about data privacy, data clean rooms, and identity from definition to hot takes. Listen on Spotify and Apple iTunes Now!

Noteworthy News of the Week:

We are approaching the end of Q2 2023 and that means a few things including end of campaign or end of month/quarter reporting.

Here’s an article we wrote about how to execute a report efficiently including telling a story using campaign performance data:

 Reporting Hack: How To Tell A Story With Data

You can also check out additional resource to help with pulling your analysis during your optimization:

Optimization Masterclass on Programmatic Targeting Levers Preview

Programmatic Activation – How To Optimize Data Segment

3 Tips to Optimize Data Segments

News from Croisette:

Our amazing co-host Manuela Cortes is at Cannes Festival 2023.

Make sure you schedule to meet with her here or say Hi to her!

#CannesLions2023

Cheers to leveling up!

Hélène
Your Programmatic Coach

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

About us:

Our mission is to teach historically excluded people how to get started in programmatic media and find a career. We do so by providing on-demand education, a dope community, and support with job placement.

That is why we founded  The Reach and Frequency™ program where we focus on training programmatic traders and planners with the tools they need to succeed. This program also includes hands-on experience in DSPs and weekly group coaching.

We are always looking for a referral or simply happy to chat the latest and greatest so don’t hesitate to book a call!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi there,

Announcement Of The Week:

I want to teach 10-15 people to go from under-appreciated and underpaid to flourishing in a programmatic career by providing education, coaching, and a dope community

Check out more details here to join the Reach and Frequency™️ July program. 

https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/

Programmatic Ninja we celebrate:

Kerry Oliveira has completed the Reach and Frequency™️ program earlier this year and is looking for a career opportunity in junior roles with 1 year or less requirement in programmatic activation, adops, and or account management. 

Check out her LinkedIN

“I joined the program because I was looking to change career paths. I wanted something new, fun and interesting, and I feel like the industry brings all that as it’s ever-changing, and something that you continue learning and growing with throughout your entire career in this field.” – Kerry Oliveira

Want to know if this career is right for you?

Take the Quiz 

This Week’s on the Programmatic Digest podcast

126. How A Nurse Started in Programmatic Media

Noteworthy News of the Week:

Our amazing co-host Manuela Cortes will be at Cannes Festival 2023.
Make sure you schedule to meet with her here. 

Cheers to leveling up!

Hélène
Your Programmatic Coach

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Our mission is to teach historically excluded people how to get started in programmatic media and find a career. We do so by providing on-demand education, a dope community, and support with job placement. 

That is why we founded  The Reach and Frequency™ program where we focus on training programmatic traders and planners with the tools they need to succeed. This program also includes hands-on experience in DSPs and weekly group coaching. 

 

We are always looking for a referral or simply happy to chat the latest and greatest so don’t hesitate to book a call

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________