Meet Our OTT/CTV Advertising Platform
Welcome to our Blog Series! We’re excited to share regular updates with you about a particular facet of our holistic omnichannel OTT advertising platform. This week, we’re targeting RTB Targeting Parameters for OTT/CTV using line items.
What are OTT/CTV Line Items?
Line items are targeting parameters to control what creative and type of demand is served to users/viewers in a given ad space. OTT/CTV Line Items are simply targeting parameters for OTT/CTV inventory. With line items, publishers control how to fill their inventory, and with which demand sources, by specifying costs, start/end times, setting advertiser gatings or ad category restrictions, and more.
What are the advantages of Smaato Line Items for Publishers?
Just like line items for mobile web, in-app, and desktop adspaces in SPX, using OTT/CTV line items gives publishers greater fill and higher revenue, plus direct deal support. Setting real-time bidding targeting parameters gives publishers a ton of control over their inventory and OTT/CTV monetization strategy. Through SPX, our publishers also get more detailed insights and access to auction and demand-source reporting. The increased transparency helps drive smarter, data-based decisions.
Setting Specific Targeting Parameters
At Smaato, we want our publishers to get maximum control. So, we set up line items in our platform to allow all kinds of parameters. Publishers can set:
- Traffic Allocation: Publishers should be able to configure their share of voice. Choose to what percent of traffic these rules apply.
- Date Targeting: Select a date or date range (for example, December 1-31).
- Day Targeting: Opt into specific days or day ranges (such as every Tuesday and Thursday, or Weekdays only, or Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, and so on).
- Time Targeting: Pick a time slot or a range (like, daily at noon, or 7:00 – 9:00 AM).
- Floor Price (for targeted eCPM): Set a minimum floor price you want demand sources to bid above. Or, set an average eCPM you want bid prices to average out to for an increased amount of valid bids.
- Inventory Targeting: Choose parameters like by pod or slot position.
- Geo Targeting: Segment your viewers by country (state, city, DMA, county, and ZIP coming soon).
- Advertiser Restrictions: Protect your brand with advertiser gating.
- Ad Category Restrictions: Maximize ad quality with creative category gating.
Plus, publishers can set these targeting parameters for programmatic direct deals (like preferred deals or private exchange/PMP deals) through the Smaato platform. Publishers can target up to 25 unique demand sources through private exchange deals. Or, they can target a single demand source for a preferred deal with pre-negotiated fixed price eCPMs.
Types of Line Items
Publishers can create six different types of line items, including Smaato Exchange (open auction), Private Exchange, Preferred Deal Line Items, Direct/House, Network, and Unified Bidding (unique Smaato header bidding solution) line items.
Publishers can set different priority levels for each type, which helps boost fill rates if higher priority line items aren’t filled. Smaato’s exchange aggregates all demand sources, boosting competition, eCPMs, and fill rates. Plus, publishers can choose to rotate in house ads for any unfilled slots.
Getting Started with Smaato Line Items
To learn more about setting up your line items in SPX, check out this PDF overview.
