Integrated Campaign Planning in a Programmatic World

Of the many buzzwords and trends that float around the industry, ‘Programmatic Advertising’ may be the most prevalent and one of the most disruptive developments to media buying in the last 10 years. The first question you might be asking about Programmatic Advertising is ‘Why? What’s so great about it and wrong with the people-based insertion order processes?’ In truth, the approach to media planning still works in much the same way things used to be done. People are still (and will always) be key to planning a successful campaign. The value Programmatic Advertising brings to those planning is that it enables buyers to execute and deliver campaigns in ways that were just not possible before, right from the very start. Automation and technology-driven algorithms support the planning set up and unlock efficiencies in execution that save time and enhance performance. The constant collection and updating of user data from campaigns and digital platforms, matched with real time optimization, allows planners to be agile and responsive in developing the plan throughout a campaign’s lifecycle. Last and most crucially, Programmatic Advertising enables planners to continually refocus on the target audiences and campaign objectives, instead of proxies for your audience and KPIs, driving personalization and relevancy. The following sections will outline the programmatic planning process in detail, and uncover what needs to be considered when planning a campaign that includes Programmatic Advertising.