Display & Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic display bought with attention to where the impression actually appeared: inventory quality, fraud and viewability controlled first, then measured by what it added.
Overview
Programmatic display can buy an enormous number of impressions very cheaply, and a significant share of the cheapest ones are worthless: below the fold, next to content you would not want to be seen beside, or served to something that is not a person at all.
The work that matters is subtractive. Inclusion lists rather than exclusion lists, viewability floors set before launch, and supply paths kept short so more of the budget reaches the publisher. Done properly display is a real channel; done carelessly it produces impressive reports and no effect.
Who this is for
- Advertisers with large impression counts and no measurable business result
- Brands worried about where their advertising is appearing
- Companies needing upper-funnel reach that can still be evaluated honestly
How we approach display & programmatic advertising
The specific pieces of work a typical engagement covers. Scope is agreed up front — nothing here is a surprise line item later.
Inventory quality control
Curated inclusion lists rather than open exchange with exclusions. Starting from a list of publishers you would name out loud is slower to scale and far cleaner.
Fraud and viewability standards
Third party verification with viewability floors agreed before launch, and post-campaign reconciliation so the standard is enforced rather than aspirational.
Supply path optimisation
Fewer intermediaries between your budget and the publisher. Each hop takes a margin, and the difference in working media is substantial.
Audience and contextual targeting
Contextual and first-party approaches that keep working as third-party cookies disappear, rather than segments that will quietly stop existing.
Creative for display
Formats built for a two second glance at low attention, with the message legible before anything animates.
Incrementality measurement
Holdout and geo tests, because last-click attribution will always undervalue display and view-through attribution will always overvalue it.
From first call to measured result
The same sequence every time, so you always know what happens next.
Set standards
Agree viewability floors, brand safety rules and the publisher list before a single impression is bought.
Launch clean
Start on curated inventory with verification running from day one, accepting lower reach for a trustworthy baseline.
Prune and expand
Remove poor placements weekly, add publishers that perform, and keep the supply path under review.
Prove
Run a holdout to establish what the spend is genuinely adding, then decide the ongoing budget on that basis.
Outcomes, not deliverables
A pile of artefacts isn't progress. These are the changes the work is meant to produce — and what we report against.
More budget reaching publishers
Shortening the supply chain routinely recovers a double digit share of spend that was being taken in fees.
Advertising you would show the board
Curated inventory means no awkward screenshots and no emergency pause on a Friday afternoon.
An honest read on value
Holdout testing gives a number that survives scrutiny, rather than a view-through figure nobody believes.
Durable targeting
Contextual and first-party approaches keep working as cookie-based segments are withdrawn.
Common questions about Display & Programmatic Advertising
The things people ask before they get in touch. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Is display advertising still worth buying?
For upper-funnel reach at scale, yes, provided you control quality and measure incrementally. Bought carelessly on open exchange it is close to a donation. The difference between the two is almost entirely in the inventory decisions, not the creative.
How much ad fraud should we expect?
On curated inventory with verification, low single digits. On unfiltered open exchange it can be far higher. We report verified rates monthly rather than assuring you it is handled.
What viewability rate should we accept?
We set a floor of around seventy percent measured viewable for standard display and reconcile against it after the campaign. Anything sold as cheap inventory is usually cheap because it is not seen.
How do we know display is doing anything?
A geo holdout: run the campaign in some regions and not others, then compare. It is the only method that answers the question rather than reallocating credit between channels.
Thinking about Display & Programmatic Advertising?
Tell us what you are trying to change. If we are not the right fit we will say so, and point you somewhere better.
Looking at the wider picture?
Display & Programmatic Advertising usually sits alongside other work in Performance Marketing & Paid Media. Browse the full area to see what it connects to.