Demand Side Platforms have been a major part of programmatic advertising. But as they grew in popularity, they grew in numbers, making it harder to choose the best one.
Our article is here to help. It starts off by covering what a DSP is and what it does and continues with a useful list of some of the most sought-after platforms.
What is a demand-side platform (DSP)?
As the name suggests, DSPs cater to the demand side in digital advertising, i.e. advertisers, ad agencies, and app developers. It enables them to create ad campaigns and buy ad inventory from publishers. The ad impressions are sold via real-time bidding (RTB). To improve the process, DSPs use data from Data Management platforms (DMPs).
What are its benefits?
The advantages of using a DSP include:
- Advertisers can connect to various Ad exchanges and Supply-side platforms (SSPs), and gain better access to ad space
- All connections are managed via a single interface
- Allows for multi-channel campaigns and cross-channel retargeting
- Better targeting capabilities for audience segments based on demographics, online user behavior, etc.
Top DSP List
Whether they offer a multichannel approach or mobile-only, a self-service or managed solution, each platform has its strengths and key selling points. Here is a selection of some popular DSPs worth exploring.
Adcolony (part of Digital Turbine) has been around since 2011 and is dedicated entirely to mobile advertising. It has a vast total reach of more than 1.5 billion users, including a direct supply of 135 million iOS users and 310 million Android users. They offer standard banner ads, as well as innovative Aurora HD Interactive Video and Playables. The platform advertises a one-click installation for ad units.
Illumin was introduced in 2020, but it’s been gaining momentum. Designed as a self-serve platform, it focuses on new ways for brands to visualize the customer journey through a streamlined canvas and manage it. Other intuitive features include their Consumer-valuing tool and the simple drag & drop interface for audiences and creatives.
2022 marks 20 years since Adform was born. Among its variety of solutions, the company offers an omnichannel DSP with access to the display, audio, video, CTV, DooH, mobile, and in-app. It’s powered by their own Adform FLOW technology which aims to provide a superior user experience for marketing teams. The platform features an actionable home screen overview, supply curation, built-in anti-fraud protection, and more.
Adelphic states it’s ‘the only omnichannel DSP built with programmatic traders in mind’. It was founded in 2010. It operates as a self-serve or managed platform. It offers various partnership types including a subscription plan. The Adelphic Advanced Reporting includes tools such as conversion lift, foot-traffic-, and multi-touch attribution.
Admedo aims to provide brands and agencies with true transparency, customization, and control through a flexible approach. Their platform features an elegant user interface, a rich targeting toolkit, and transparent reporting. They also employ their own Data Management Solution. Admedo was founded in the UK in 2013.
Adroll’s display advertising platform by Adroll offers cross-channel and multi-device advertising. This includes web, social, native, and email. It offers a unified reporting dashboard, full-funnel capabilities, and more. The company reports over 37,000 satisfied D2C customers. AdRoll was established in 2007, later evolving into NextRoll, a company focusing on e-commerce marketing solutions.
Adobe offers a wide range of top-notch digital solutions and their DSP is no different. It incorporates TV, video, display, native, audio, and search. Users have access to real-time in-dash reporting, reporting APIs, quick campaign optimization, and even forecasting and spending recommendations. Adobe’s Media Quality Suite works to ensure brand safety, viewability, and fraud protection. The DSP can be combined with other Adobe Analytics, Adobe Audience Manager, and Adobe Experience Platform features (e.g. their ad creative management platform, brand surveys, etc.).
The Amazon DSP is another well-known platform in the digital ad industry. It allows its users to buy advertising inventory both on and off Amazon. That includes a display, video, and audio ads. And best of all, users gain access to Amazon’s first-party data. The platform offers a self-service and managed-service option. Different creative options (such as e-commerce creative templates) make it easier to create ads. Amazon even offers an online course called ‘Introduction to Amazon DSP’ to get users acquainted with its benefits.
The SmartyAds DSP is a cloud-based self-serve platform. It works across channels, formats, geos, and business verticals. Ad units include desktop, mobile, in-app, and CTV. SmartyAds aims to offer practical capabilities along all three key stages: Campaign Builder, Campaign Management, and Campaign Analysis. The campaign launch is made as simple as possible, while the single-view dashboard allows users to track real-time performance, optimize campaigns, and manage budgets. SmartyAds was founded in 2013 and also offers an SSP and Ad Exchange.
Calling its DSP a ‘future-proofed platform’, MediaMath strives to offer the latest advanced capabilities. The platform is powered by the company’s proprietary Brain algorithm which predicts performance and optimal price for an advertiser’s bids. It offers support for any ID system, full customization of all components, user-friendly UI, among others. It’s an omnichannel platform with access to the display, mobile, video, audio, DooH, native, and even CTV. MediaMath has been around since 2007 and its DSP is among the first ones on the market.
Wrap Up
DSPs enable brands and advertising agencies to build a better relationship with their customers, all while achieving better ROI and campaign performance. We hope the suggestions above will help you find the best platform for your advertising needs.