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There is a lot of concern about brand safety on the Internet. The topic was inflamed even more ever since UK advertisers found that their ads were served alongside extremist content on YouTube. However, there are tools and best practices available to advertisers to minimize these types of incidents. Here is how Centro looks at the situation today.
What is ‘brand safety?’
The concept of ‘brand safety’ is relative to the brand in question. Different companies have different standards. For any company that executes campaigns for brands, they should have a deep understanding of a brand's expectation of what is and what is not ‘brand safe’ content.
Is YouTube ‘safe’ for advertisers?
Yes. Centro helps brands and advertisers buy media on many sites and YouTube is a major partner of ours. We are confident that it has put in place as many safeguards as possible to ensure our ads will not appear with any malicious content. Read Google’s official statement on the matter here.
Advertisers can work with YouTube to set up exclusion targeting parameters for campaigns to ensure that content that falls within certain categories will be blocked for campaigns. Here are sample categories to consider:
Nevertheless, as with any marketer interested in brand safety, advertiser should still closely monitor the content channels on which ads are appearing throughout the campaign.
What are brand-safety precautions and tools advertisers can use?
For marketers using ad-buying platforms (Centro’s or otherwise) there are actions they can take and tools they can utilize. These are:
We recommend utilizing a combination of these tools and actions for campaigns.
How much of brand safety is automated in a system and how much is the advertiser’s responsibility?
It is up to the marketer how they want to use the advertising tools at their disposal and they can steer clear of unsafe content if they, or the service partner they work with, follow basic safety measures.
On Centro’s ad platforms, we expect our publisher, network and exchange partners to provide a baseline level of good, fraud-free inventory. We make both proactive and reactive efforts to enforce that. Furthermore, we have curated a library of more than 1000 private marketplaces (PMPs) so that advertisers can choose to run campaigns on only the PMPs they hand-select.
We are committed to ensuring that customers can trust that they are spending campaign dollars on sites that have content that meets their specific standards.
If you have additional questions about brand-safe digital advertising, please reach out to Centro.
As seen in AdExchanger.
March 29, 2017
Centro has updated its platform so media planners can manage direct-sold campaigns and programmatic ones in one place.
The company combined its DSP SiteScout, acquired in 2013, with its workflow automation software for I/O-based buys. It was part of a three-year, $25 million platform update that began after the SiteScout purchase.
“When we reset our vision, we knew that programmatic was going to be the heart and soul of the platform,” said Centro CEO Shawn Riegsecker. Last year, Centro processed $400 million in digital spend through the platform. With growth from the platform update, Centro plans on $500 million this year.
Centro’s updated platform handles RFP and media planners’ communications, so they no longer have to send spreadsheets to each other and their publisher partners.
Centro also integrates with the ad server for campaign management, can handle billing and aims to make it easier for clients to implement private marketplaces. Agencies can choose from 1,000 private marketplaces Centro already set up, as well as connections to data exchanges.
The mid-sized media agency Norbella brought on Centro a few months ago.
“We want to make sure we are minimizing data entry and grunt work, because that will make for happier employees,” said Norbella media director Bob Deininger.
‘The biggest challenge in digital is retaining people.”
Plus, Norbella’s clients judge the agency on how well it can come up with great media ideas, optimize and execute campaigns efficiently. Norbella says it can allocate its two dozen staffers more efficiently with the software in place.
Getting Centro to work requires the network effect. If a publisher that Norbella buys from doesn’t use Centro, then Norbella won’t be able to connect through the platform.
Fortunately, because 4,000 vendors use Centro, most of Norbella’s partners already know how to transact through the platform – which was not the case when it beta tested a competitive platform a few years ago.
The main value of Centro’s platform is efficiency, as Norbella attests, but it also brings together data from disparate places, allowing for business intelligence functions, Riegsecker said.
While Mediaocean has dominated the agency holding company market with its financial management software, Centro does more, Riegsecker said. Its functionality spans not just financial reconciliation, but contract and order management, vendor relationships, analytics and ad server integration.
“We will expand the definition of programmatic to mean automation across digital operational work done as a buyer as an agency,” Riegsecker said.
Centro Platform is a SaaS Offering that Powers Business Performance by Automating All Types of Digital Media Buying for Every Channel and Improving Collaboration Across Teams and Partners
Chicago – March 29, 2017 – Centro (centro.net), a provider of enterprise-class software for digital advertising, today announced the transformation of programmatic advertising software through Centro Platform, a full stack SaaS solution designed to fuel business performance for digital media organizations. It delivers an integrated demand-side platform (DSP) with automated tools for collaboration, workflow, analytics and more. The software platform improves team productivity and campaign effectiveness while generating holistic intelligence that guides business decisions. Centro Platform is the only advertising software product that seamlessly unifies programmatic advertising, media operations and business intelligence. To request a demo, visit: www2.centro.net/CentroPlatform.
Programmatic advertising helped advance digital media innovation, but also increased complexity by creating the need for multiple platforms, additional education and more headcount. Furthermore, problems continue to exist among agencies and marketing teams who are continually experiencing disjointed workflow, team separation, data silos and lack of unified vendor management. Digital advertising professionals need advanced tools to drive better campaign results, work fluidly across teams, manage partners, and wisely funnel media investment.
“The programmatic industry is approaching a turning point and business models, as well as platforms, need to evolve to solve the larger necessities of collaboration, data unification and streamlined reconciliation. It’s time for the next generation of digital advertising technology – a powerful system that unifies programmatic, strategic partnerships, data and operations to create the most value for customers,” said Shawn Riegsecker, CEO of Centro. “Centro Platform has the unique capability of generating and combining user-level and business-level data, and then forming it into the basis for how a digital media organization can take action and grow.”
“The creation of programmatic advertising was a watershed event for the media industry, giving us a data-driven approach to reaching audiences with precision,” said Samantha Johnson, media director of TDA_Boulder, a Centro Platform customer. “However, programmatic also increased complexity and confusion in digital media and ignited unique problems such as ad fraud and lack of transparency. As advertising software innovation moves forward, it continues to overlook problems related to operational efficiency and streamlined collaboration. The industry needs to unify programmatic evolution with inventive approaches to workflow efficiency, communication, messaging, and finance.”
Unified Media Buying and Data Management
Centro Platform unifies people and processes in one system for all digital media transaction methods. Through thoughtful workflow solutions and well-organized processes, it provides immediate enhancements for collaboration and performance while preparing digital media teams for the future landscape where all media is executed jointly. On Centro Platform, ad-buying on publisher-direct, private marketplaces and open ad exchanges inform each other to determine the best use of media investments. A connected workflow eliminates operational silos and reduces the time media professionals spend working on multiple, disconnected systems. Synchronizing media execution with team communication results in improved campaign and business performance.
Additional Centro Platform benefits are:
Publisher Value
Centro Platform creates direct, streamlined collaboration between ad buyers and publisher sales teams. It empowers publishers to unify the sales and monetization management processes. Publishers can respond to RFPs and negotiate with buyers so that intricate and detailed discussions no longer require emails and spreadsheets. Property lists, plans, pricing, ad size information, and auto-calculations are managed in the system. Past campaigns, responses and interactions are accessible in one platform for appropriate members of the seller’s team.
Centro Platform is the only SaaS offering that provides campaign teams and business leaders with greater visibility to guide organizational changes. To help businesses manage for growth, Centro Platform offers business intelligence and predictability in operations through deep granular information. With a DSP integrated alongside digital media workflow automation, Centro Platform powers a more connected organization. Business leaders can stay informed with a wide variety of business indicators, which gives them control of their path forward.
About Centro
Centro (centro.net) is a provider of enterprise-class software for digital advertising organizations. Its technology platform centralizes, organizes and automates all digital media campaigns across all channels, accessing both guaranteed and biddable inventory, to achieve any objective. Our holistic approach gives marketers a single system of record to fulfill their research, planning, buying, optimization, reporting and reconciliation needs. Headquartered in Chicago with 32 offices in North America, Centro has received numerous accolades for its commitment to employees and workplace culture.
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Contact:
Anthony Loredo
646-462-4888
Char-Griller is a small, family-owned maker of grills and smokers based in Sea Island, Georgia. The company's products are sold at big-box retailers. As a small manufacturer in a competitive market, Char-Griller built its brand making high-quality, affordable products and relying on traditional, low-cost marketing efforts like local print and mailers. To compete with big-name brands, the company needed a more powerful advertising medium. That's why it turned to Centro for digital expertise.
Char-Griller had three main objectives: to drive sales conversions at retail stores, engage and build audiences, and drive a baseline for advertising spend and results.
In addition, the company wanted to target an audience of men ages 25 to 54 with a household income between $50,000 and $75,000, as well as run a test with the Hispanic audience as a secondary focus. With these goals as fuel, Char-Griller and its agency partner, Daisy Media Company, decided to light a digital flame -- a fire they hoped would ignite increased sales and customer acquisition. Centro was the perfect match.
Download our case study to read more.
Recently, the demise of browser support for Flash has made a number of eye-catching headlines. Google announced that its Chrome browser will automatically pause any Flash content starting in September, Mozilla recently removed Flash support from Firefox until Adobe patched a security flaw, and Facebook’s head of security, Alex Stamos, used Twitter to publicly call on Adobe to announce an end-of-life date for Flash altogether. Any way you slice it, the end of Flash as the default motion and video plug-in is nigh, and while that might not mean a lot for the average e-commerce or brand site, the impact on the advertising and publishing landscape is significant. So what does the end of Flash really mean and how will it impact the advertising industry? Let’s find out.
First, it’s important to understand the differences between Flash and HTML5 when it comes to advertising. Flash rose to prominence as a great way to create complex, vector and bitmap-based animations that could be optimally compressed and neatly packaged into a single file at a time when browsers could do little more than display basic text and static images. However, there were two glaring downsides: CPU usage and security.
It takes a decent amount of computer horsepower to display and move the elements of Flash into the smooth animations we see when it plays. On a desktop, this isn’t a big deal, but on a mobile device it’s much different. The more CPU output required the more energy that device consumes, ultimately affecting both battery life and performance. As our behavior has seismically shifted from consuming web content in the desktop environment onto smartphones and tablets, battery life and speed have become paramount.
Additionally, as a plug-in, Flash offers malicious individuals a tasty backdoor into your personal system often too good to pass up. This was most recently made obvious through the Hacking Team’s internal files and correspondence leak. Unfortunately, this is only the latest such case, and the frequency of these exposures has continued to increase.
By contrast, HTML5 is simply the latest iteration of HTML, the internet language that browsers translate to display web pages. Included with this fifth version are a new series of tags that allow web designers and developers to create the types of animation and video that traditionally required plug-ins like Flash directly in the code of the page itself. By eliminating the need for a plug-in, the security issues plug-ins present are excised and the CPU usage required to display plug-in type content also decreases dramatically. What’s more, a single ad developed using HTML5 can be displayed on desktops, smartphones and tablets, eliminating the need to build multiple versions of the same execution. While this may seem like a silver bullet solution for the ‘new’ multi-screen internet as a whole, there are a number of advertising-specific challenges the transition to HTML5 presents.
When Flash SWFs rose to prominence as the default display advertising animation format, one of the benefits was that a SWF was a single file, just like the GIF and JPG display ads that preceded it. That allowed SWFs to fit nicely into the existing systems that powered advertising: ad servers, web sites and technology providers. On the other hand, ads developed using HTML5 are essentially miniature web sites, with all of the associated code and image files a web site requires to appear correctly. As such, HTML5 ads are a collection of files, not a single file. While there are newer advertising technology providers whose systems were built for HTML5 from the ground up, most of the legacy companies in our industry need to revamp or expand their platforms to accommodate the new format. This takes time, and, of course, money. Additionally, many of the standard tracking and reporting features used with Flash ads aren’t apples to apples with HTML5 ads, and those need updating and tweaking as well.
For designers and developers who are used to working in Flash, creating HTML5 advertising is a relatively newer task – one that requires a specialized set of skills and toolbox. Even if you’re familiar with web development overall, HTML5 still presents unique challenges for creating familiar motion and elements. HTML is, and always has been, an open source development language, not a software tool with a finite feature set like Flash. With each version, it continues to evolve and will always offer multiple ways to accomplish the same goal. Designers continue to explore the best execution methods to meet the needs and requirements of display advertising, and are learning more each day. For now, HTML often takes more effort and, in many cases, more time than Flash to achieve a similar output.
Far and above, the largest hurdle facing the industry right now is the lack of any standardization for HTML5 advertising. None of the existing specs specific to Flash or static GIFs and JPGs are applicable to HTML5 ads, since they are a collection of smaller files, not a single file. Although the individual image files within an HTML5 ad may be insignificant, as a whole the entire package tends to be much larger than single-file ads. File size specs for display ads were developed to preserve the user experience on a publisher’s site, so that site visitors weren’t waiting for an ad to load instead of the content they came for. With HTML5 ads, the individual elements load just like the rest of the web site, one at a time after the other and then subsequently when called for. In that scenario, overall size becomes less important than the size of the each unique element. The IAB is currently developing size and functionality specs for HTML5 ads and accepting input from the industry on just what those should be. Until that’s complete, publishers, agencies and technology providers are all doing their best to determine what they feel works best. As expected, this confusion is adding complexity and time to the entire advertising life cycle.
At Centro, we believe the transition to HTML5 as the default format for display advertising is ultimately a very good thing. We share the same security and performance concerns as our technology peers, and believe that HTML offers the best experience for our advertising audience. We’ve been updating our internal processes, educating team members and evolving our platform for the better part of a year in anticipation of this transition. We run more HTML5 campaigns every day, and expand our capabilities in doing so. We will continue to educate our customers and contribute to helping the industry evolve. As always, let us know if you have further questions about this advancement or anything else related to digital. We’re happy to help!
As digital video becomes increasingly popular, Centro talks to more and more clients that want to transition traditional TV assets to digital. Recently, a tier-two automotive dealership approached us with such a request.
The dealership had historically relied on broadcast television campaigns, but wanted a video-focused digital strategy for consistent messaging and resonance with its target audience of in-market auto consumers. This meant the solution needed to source video inventory and layer in targeting at scale. In order to measure the campaign's performance against traffic and awareness, the client selected CPC and CTR as the primary campaign KPIs.
Download our case study to read more.
It should be no secret to those of us in the digital media industry that the space is constantly evolving, bringing new trends, complex jargon, and sophisticated tech to the table on what feels like a weekly basis. It should also be no secret that in order to be successful, companies need to be able to adapt to the frequent and fluid needs of their customers. Easier said than done, right? Well, we think we can speak to this a little bit, because we've been in the digital media business for more than 15 years.
The key? It's not just about the hottest tech, or being the smartest team in the conference room. It's about customer service -- and combining that behind-the-scenes service with keen insights and innovative tools.
A bit of background: We started as a services company in Chicago back in 2001, and we managed and ran campaigns. Media execution was our bread and butter. We've since evolved, both in scope (with new products, offerings, and full-scale digital partnerships) and city space (we're 32 offices strong now). Part of that evolution is because we know that in this day and age marketers need digital partners to execute more than just individual tactics. And that's what true customer-centric service is: being adaptable and proactive in the marketplace.
We call it Raving Fan Service, and we tout it a lot. As we should. It's one of our differentiators. But what does Raving Fan Service really mean?
It's not just lip service. One of the easiest ways to digest this Raving Fan Service concept is to think of the standard service operating model. With the rise of digital – and programmatic especially – we're all operating in an extremely hi-tech, but not so hi-touch, world. There are an overwhelming amount of vendors that exist in the digital media marketplace, and they're all promising different things: sophisticated in-house tech, but no human touch behind the scenes to offer help, or data and reporting without insights that match up to unique business strategy or campaign goals, or perhaps performance and digital tactics that are lackluster when compared to budget and investment.
You're right to feel skeptical of customer service promises. At Centro? It's like a bundled cable package: everything is in one spot.
We know we're quick with RFPs because of the software and platforms we built. We know we're an operations machine because of the brains behind our technology and optimizations. But we also know that in order to keep customers happy, we have to build service into the cost of doing business. That level of service runs the gamut: from webinars, educational training, hands-on campaign management, and lunch and learns, for starters.
Even that is oversimplifying the process. Because there's so much that's bundled in there – and it doesn't mean anything until you see the results, and you see how every team works together to service our customers and provide a close look at your campaigns every step of the way. We make it look easy, but there's more than meets the eye.
We understand a smart media strategy is at the core of every successful digital media campaign, so we offer a whole suite of services to help you hit every KPI and achieve every business objective. No matter the platform, the campaign, the KPI, we serve as an extension of your team throughout the entire relationship – from onboarding and education, to campaign management, strategy, execution, and reporting. We connect our customers to solutions, technologies, and human communications that put their media dollars to work.
Let us introduce you to some of these solutions over the coming weeks. Who is involved and what does it take? We've got Client Development, Media Strategy, Ad Operations, Data & Insights, and Digital Innovations to cover. Stay tuned to our blog.
In the meantime, visit centro.net for more info or reach out to [email protected].
Remember that distinct feeling of accomplishment when you were taking tests in school, and you not only passed the test but aced it? This week, Centro Academy brought that feeling back to the students at our Centro Certified DSP training event. Luckily, all of them aced it!
The programmatic advertising era has challenged all of us in the industry to strengthen our sense of curiosity, ask more questions, and learn new skills. This is exactly why Centro launched Centro Academy. It's an educational program where programmatic advertising buyers come to our Chicago headquarters and become #CentroCertified in two different tracks:
During this month's immersive 2-day program, buyers were trained on a variety of DSP tools and techniques such as:
And they learned all of this in an intimate, classroom setting. Because, at Centro Academy, we know that two brains are better than one, and you learn just as much from each other as you do from the sessions. We encourage interactive group work, questions, and getting to know your fellow students. And then, after each day, students are required to take a test to apply what they learned to become #CentroCertified.
So, what were some of our most-talked-about topics and conversations for the March 2017 graduating class? Here's a sneak peek, but you'll have to come to our next training event to learn even more!
Missed the training event? We have another one coming up next month. Reach out to your Centro representative for more details!
At Centro, we know that keeping up with the trade pubs and latest trends can be tough and time consuming. To make that easier, we've compiled all the articles, reports, and other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy our latest list below!
Programmatic Native Ads Are Growing, But Banner Habits Are Hard to Break
In the programmatic ad buying world, native ads are becoming a much larger part of the volume being traded on ad exchanges. But, so far, programmatic native ads remain a tiny slice of the overall advertising market, while widely derided banner ads continue to reign supreme. If native ads promise a better consumer experience, why have publishers and marketers been so slow to adapt?
Facebook Gives Advertisers Guarantees for Ads with Sound and More
In response to advertiser demand, Facebook has started offering new verification metrics for video ads, including the ability to only count views when the volume is on, measurement of MRC viewability standards, and the option to buy completed views (not just their previous 10 second version of a “completed" view).
Facebook is Giving All Advertisers Cross-Platform Stats in Its Latest Push for Transparency
Just when we thought the sun had set on Atlas, it appears again. This time, it's being added directly into Facebook's dash. TBD on whether this access to “advanced measurement" will give brands a clearer picture on how Facebook fits into the holistic attribution mix.
Facebook Debuts Video App for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV
In February, Facebook announced they'd be rolling out their TV app for Apple, Chrome, Fire, and Samsung devices. It seems as though the roll out has already begun. Apple TV owners can now download the Facebook Video app. With Connected TV device ownership on the rise, it's no surprise Facebook is looking to capitalize on this trend by building new video apps for streaming. Social and TV continue to head straight for each other on a collision course.
Broadband Pay-TV (BPTV) is For Real
Though Google received lots of press about their recent YouTube TV announcement, it's certainly not the first skinny bundle service offering designed to appeal to the growing cord-cutter generation, and it definitely won't be the last.
The One Chart That Should Scare Snapchat Investors
The dancing ghost officially went public. There was much fanfare and an opening price of $24. However, there is one pesky problem. Since the launch of the clone product in Instagram, user growth on Snapchat has dropped pretty significantly. Signs point to 2017 being a bumpy year for Snap.
The Future of AI in Fashion
Read how fashion brands and retailers are leaving their old methods behind and embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning to track customer behavior and high and low-performing products to predict what new categories and pieces will sell.
Amazon Alexa Has 10,000 Skills, But That Growth Creates Challenges
Just 18 months after launch, Alexa has seen tremendous growth in its voice-controlled Skills topping the 10,000 mark. Yes, you heard that right. Many brands have been part of this rush, but Amazon is still quiet on where there may be paid media opportunities.
Netflix's Interactive Storylines Will Destroy Actors – and Relationships
The streaming service has announced that it will give viewers control of how stories unfold – the principle of the 80s choose-your-own-adventure books applied to the small screen. Netflix will launch the interactive storylines trial later this year, starting with a children's show.
March's DIAL is also available as a PDF. Download here!