Programmatic Self-Assessment: Should You Own It or Outsource It?

Wondering if you’re ready to be a self-service DSP user, or if you need a vendor to help guide the way? We’ve designed this questionnaire to help you figure it all out. Yes, we’ve set it up to resemble those surveys in women’s magazines we all ‘hate’. Because, let’s be honest, we say we hate them, but we still take them. Just last week I took a quiz that told me what Disney princess I was. (I’m Jasmine, for the record.)

You know the drill: Answer the questions, tally up what letter you get most frequently and find your results at the bottom. Obviously, this is only 5 questions, and there are plenty of things to consider when getting started with a DSP – but these are the basics.

So, without further ado, here are 5 questions to begin with:

Are you digital ready?

A. Digital is core to our business. We understand the importance of having a mobile app and mobile-optimized website, and we’re running display, mobile, and video advertising.
B. We’re new to the world of digital. Right now, we’re only running paid search, and we’d like to learn how to implement best practices.
C. We’re stuck in the dark ages.

How much programmatic training and education will your team need?

A. We have a staff of programmatic advertising experts with knowledge of the digital industry and time to manage campaigns.
B. We have a thin staff with less time on their hands, and even less expertise in using a DSP. We would really benefit from interface trainings and educational content.
C. We don’t even know what DSPs are. Let’s start there?

What is your budget and how much are you willing to invest in programmatic?

A. We already invest in digital talent, so we don’t see the need to spend more for an SLA. We also want control over and transparency about where our digital dollars are going.
B. We know we need the help, so we’re willing to invest the money to get it.
C. We can barely afford rent.

How much control do you want over your campaigns?

A. We’d like to set up our own campaigns, control what sites they’ll run on and what platforms, and once it’s live, we’d like to make minor adjustments and implement optimizations.
B. We’d prefer to take advantage of in-house experts to provide us with best practices, and to set up, manage and optimize our campaigns.
C. Jesus take the wheel.

What are the business goals and how will you measure success?
A. No matter the campaign objective, we have clearly-defined goals and measurable KPIs, and are always looking to optimize.
B. We do not have clear objectives, and need assistance translating goals into KPIs.
C. We’d just like to stay in business.

Mostly As: You’re self-service
Mostly Bs: You’re managed
Mostly Cs: Can I suggest our educational webinar series? Or maybe the Disney princess quiz?

Learn more about Programmatic Advertising with Centro.