Bob Liodice From ANA: Programmatic Buying Continues To Be Complex And Have Transparency Issues

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) conducted a Programmatic study: Seeing Through the Financial Fog, together with the ACA (Association of Canadian Advertisers), Ebiquity, and AD/FIN, which revealed that programmatic media buys continue to be elusive due to complexity and transparency concerns. The study processed 16 billion programmatic transactions in the market.  “Programmatic media buying is becoming the most dominant approach because it offers targeting precision, scalability, cost efficiency, real-time optimization, and unprecedented leverage of big data for advertisers” said ANA’s CEO Bob Liodice. “However, programmatic buying remains complex and often non-transparent. Our study revealed that this lack of transparency makes it difficult for advertisers to manage, measure, and audit programmatic media investments with the same rigor as traditional media investments” he added. The study provides an “Advertiser Playbook” with an 11-step plan for enhanced programmatic accountability. The steps include: Clarify the advertiser/agency/third-party relationships and ensure disclosures of all conflicts of interest; implement the transparent programmatic planning and buying model that’s right for your organization; and enhance MSA/media buying agreements to meet accountability needs and expectations, among others.