What is a demand-side platform (DSP)?

A demand-side platform (DSP) is a software or software system that allows buyers of advertising inventory to use automation to facilitate the ad-buying process. A DSP is a powerful marketing tool, as it gives advertisers and media buyers the ability to buy and manage inventory from multiple ad sources via one interface. A DSP can allow advertisers and media buying agencies to bid automatically on video, display, mobile and search ad inventory made available from a far-ranging variety of publishers.

How does a demand-side platform (DSP) work?

A demand-side platform (DSP) has several moving parts. To begin, an advertiser uploads their creative, determines the target audience and creates a budget for their campaign. On the flip side, publishers make their ad inventory and impressions available on the DSP.

Once the advertiser has uploaded their campaign, the DSP looks through its network of publishers for available impressions relevant to the advertiser’s targeting criteria. Once a suitable ad space is found, the DSP makes a bid for placement — and if the advertiser wins, the DSP places the ad.

This all happens within milliseconds, thanks to real-time programmatic bidding technology, AI and algorithmic learning.

Which demand-side platforms (DSP) are most popular?

There are many demand-side platforms (DSPs) for advertisers to choose from, but the 10 most popular include:

1. Facebook Ads Manager
2. Rocket Fuel
3. MediaMath
4. Amazon (AAP)
5. DoubleClick
6. LiveRamp
7. Choozle
8. TubeMogul
9. BrightRoll
10. AppNexus

What are the advantages of using a demand-side platform (DSP)?

Demand-side platforms (DSPs) are both cost and time-efficient. Rather than manually finding and contacting hundreds of publishers with offers, DSPs allow advertisers to manage their campaigns across multiple sites from one place. As a DSP handles more data, the more intelligently it will buy, therefore securing the best price for each bid request.

Demand-side platforms (DSP) also allow for better targeting. Historically, ad networks have had limited audience targeting capabilities, limiting an advertiser’s reach. Demand-side platforms (DSPs) have changed this. Now advertisers can create their own targeting criteria, allowing for more accurate and specific audience targeting.

Advertisers can easily pull aggregated data from their DSP. Because advertisers have access to a wide range of data, it’s possible to monitor and optimize campaigns in real time.

While demand-side platforms certainly have their benefits, there’s still room for improvement. Demand-side platforms are built for the world of digital advertising, rather than connected (CTV) or streaming TV advertising. Simulmedia solves this problem with TV+®, our innovative and patented technology that allows advertisers to reach target audiences with unparalleled certainty, efficiency and speed no matter where they are watching or streaming.

As part of our TV+ planning, buying, activation and measurement platform, Simulmedia’s proprietary software and methodology allows advertisers to select media placements from a wide range of inventory and achieve a more cost-efficient audience reach, delivering a return-on-investment and clear attribution from new prospect to converted customer.

First, the TV+ platform gathers information on a brand’s TV audience targeting. It then “disaggregates” the audience, so that each individual person in that target audience is targeted in a unique fashion. From there, using historical data gleaned from billions of data points ingested daily about TV viewership behavior, the platform gives a probability rating for viewing likelihood to each individual, and for how long they will watch, allowing the advertiser to allocate their ad dollars very specifically across a reach-based campaign.