Despite all the noise and negativity around programmatic, the narrative is slowly changing. Advertisers understand that programmatic is a marketing technique not a technology.
In this week’s #MediaSnack Tom and David discuss three thoughts on the NEXT step for Programmatic:
1. It is not going away. Start getting excited about the opportunity of programmatic and believe that it will become simpler, easier and more empowering and inspiring, stop fearing the noise and the complexity, lean-in and be prepared to take some control.
2. Start refining a simple strategy now which will prepare you for success in a simpler programmatic future. We do this in a 4 part framework (Data, Knowledge, KPIs & Culture). This is still a nascent industry, everyone is still in a test and learn loop of continuous improvement and nobody should consider themselves “behind the curve”.
3. Consider the barriers and silos internally that are going to hinder your success in programmatic.These could be fundamental, such as aligning marketing and sales. In a Programmatic future, both sales and marketing need to influence and guide Programmatic together. The closer these disciplines are aligned now the easier it will be to succeed in future. Continued silo thinking will lead to disadvantage, this needs to be addressed.
In many ways, the programmatic sub-industry today is like the early Personal Computer market, complex and technical, obsessed with features rather than benefits, layered, commoditized selling, vendor driven and price focused. Tom and David argue that marketers should prepare themselves for the "Apple Mac of programmatic", a future market which is simple, intuitive, plug-and-play, trusted, focussed on the 'what not the how' and is empowering for marketers, to inspire and facilitate better marketing.
When Programmatic is as easy as plug-and-play, advertisers will be ready to self-serve, self-buy, self-manage. That doesn't mean everyone will in-house it all, but it will be far easier for advertisers to take increasing control of media buying themselves. This, in turn, will change the shape of the industry and the role that agencies, vendors, ad-tech and others will play.