If you peruse any AdTech trade publication, you’re bound to come across curation as one of the latest buzzwords in programmatic advertising. While curation itself isn’t new, it’s still widely misunderstood.
At its core, curation is about more than simply selecting inventory and data at the start of a campaign. It’s about continuously refining and optimizing throughout the campaign’s lifecycle to drive better performance and outcomes. Without optimization, curation misses its true potential.
Debunking Common Curation Myths
Some may dismiss curation as a return to the old days of ad networks. The truth is, curators do select inventory and data, but unlike traditional ad networks, they don’t sit in the media payment chain and have no financial incentives to favor certain media over others. By partnering with SSPs, curators can leverage supply-side targeting for optimization and integrate directly into the supply chain.
Another common misconception is that curation vendor fees are excessive. Effective campaign optimization requires skilled professionals with deep programmatic knowledge, and these experts need to be compensated for their expertise – whether the work is done in-house, by an agency, or through a curation vendor.
Curation’s Evolution
Choosing and optimizing data and inventory has happened since the dawn of programmatic advertising. However, what’s changed is how curators now operate. Historically, campaign setup and optimization were within the DSP interface, making it harder for advertisers to engage with curators without turning over the entire management of their campaigns.
Today, curators can make inventory and data available outside the DSP; curators provide advertisers with a deal ID that can be targeted within their DSP of choice. By applying the data on the sell-side, this new model provides greater flexibility for advertisers to test and adjust on a campaign-by-campaign basis without major disruptions to their buying process.
How PubMatic Is Elevating Curation’s New Era
At PubMatic, we take a unique approach to curation that goes beyond simple packaging of data and inventory. Our integrated platform seamlessly connects advertisers, publishers, and commerce and data partners, optimizing deals throughout the campaign lifecycle for better performance.
We’ve been leaders in curation, launching Connect in 2022 as a fully integrated audience platform designed to simplify curated campaign creation and management. Connect brings data targeting to the sell-side, allowing advertisers to benefit from highly refined targeting from the start. In fact, campaigns with data applied via Connect have seen CPMs improve by 37% when compared to campaigns where the same data is applied on the buy-side.
With over 190 premium data partners, including commerce media leaders like Instacart, Intuit and Western Union, and access to 800 billion+ daily omnichannel impressions across CTV, mobile app, and web display, Connect is powering continuous campaign optimization with AI and managed services.
By integrating Connect with Activate, our streamlined media activation platform, PubMatic offers buyers more control and transparency while reducing hops in the traditional programmatic supply chain. This drives both efficiency and performance, minimizing unnecessary fees.
Buyers can access ready-to-use curated packages through our Auction Packages, CTV Marketplace, and bespoke marketplaces, helping them achieve their advertising goals more effectively. Alternatively, we enable custom curation through our Customer Success teams.
Crafting the Optimal Curation Future Together
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to curation. Advertisers should evaluate their needs and choose the strategy that will enable them to optimize data and inventory for better results. Ultimately, curation is about optimization at its core. Without it, it’s just targeting.
Curation is key to unlocking the future of the digital supply chain.
Get in touch to learn more about how we can craft innovative curation strategies together.
