Allstate, IPG Mediabrands and Haworth among first to pilot buying reserved digital TV ads programmatically with TubeMogul and FreeWheel
Insurance brand Allstate, IPG Mediabrands, and Haworth Marketing & Media are among the first brands to pilot the trading of digital TV ads on a reserved programmatic basis, following a tie-up between Comcast’s video ad server FreeWheel and demand-side platform TubeMogul.
The partnership will see premium digital video inventory made accessible on a programmatic reserved basis – meaning advertisers can reserve inventory in advance similar to a traditional digital direct sales process, and both parties agree on terms upfront, with the buying mechanism automated.
The move means buyers can now use their own proprietary audience data to buy premium inventory from major broadcasters, and will see a steady flow of broadcast-quality video inventory injected into the programmatic trading market.
Allstate Insurance senior digital media manager, Michelle Butz, said: “We’re incredibly excited to apply programmatic’s advanced targeting capabilities to inventory from major broadcasters.
“We’ve enjoyed a successful relationship with the major TV networks for years and we look forward to continue innovating together in the programmatic realm,” she said.
TubeMogul’s chief strategy officer Jason Lopatecki added that the tie-up between the two firms marks a “major step forward in realising a vision where TV ads are bought and sold programmatically” while protecting the interests of both premium publishers and advertisers.
“By keeping a strict delineation between the buy-side and sell-side, both brands and premium publishers can build trust and feel safer about making their inventory and data available programmatically,” he added.
TubeMogul and FreeWheel will provide the technology which facilitates the setting of the terms between publisher and advertiser as well as matching their audience data. This will enable both parties to directly negotiate reserved deals based on understanding inventory availability against proprietary audience data in advance – without relinquishing control of each party’s data or cannibalising prices.
“Programmatic reserve is a win-win for both sides,” said Michael Schoen, executive vice-president of product at IPG Mediabrands Audience Platform. “Buy-side partners like TubeMogul working with companies like FreeWheel will rapidly speed the industry’s adoption of automated TV buying.”
Meanwhile Kristin Atherton, digital manager at Haworth Marketing & Media, described it signals the “next generation of buying”.
The pilots will run until early 2015, and FreeWheel expects to sign more TV broadcaster and cable network partners in the coming months.
FreeWheel counts AOL, Universal, and Fox among its clients (pictured).
