If you’re familiar with advertising, you’ve probably heard the term DSP that stands for Demand Side Platform. A DSP is a technological platform that enables agencies and advertisers to activate and optimise their digital advertising campaigns.
While consumer habits have changed substantially in recent years, with a multiplication of channels and points of contact between brands and their customers, brands need to adapt their strategies and tools to remain competitive and innovative. A DSP specialising in one advertising medium (mobile, TV, etc.) is no longer enough, and in this article we explain why an omnichannel marketing DSP is now essential.
A DSP, for whom? What is it for?
The development of DSPs dates back to the mid-2000s, with the rise of the internet and ad buying. At the time, inventory buying was carried out manually, and was time-consuming, fragmented and offered little in the way of targeting. In parallel with the arrival and growth of programmatic advertising, the first DSPs were created, offering new possibilities: automated buying, targeting data and simplified performance measurement.
The revolution brought about by programmatic buying has made DSPs an indispensable part of the digital advertising ecosystem. And as the advertising industry has evolved, these platforms have expanded into new formats: mobile, video, DOOH, digital audio, connected and segmented television, etc.
Today, DSPs are used by advertisers and their media agencies to manage their advertising campaigns efficiently and transparently, with real optimisation of performance and costs.
These platforms incorporate a host of new technologies, such as easier access to third-party data, pre-campaign studies and post-campaign measurement solutions.
Whatever solution you choose, one thing will be key in 2023: using a DSP that is adapted to today’s challenges. And while many DSPs still specialise in a single lever (mobile, audio, DOOH, etc.), we explain the importance of using an omnichannel tool to adapt to new consumer behaviour.
Omnichannel: the current state of play
Today we live in an omnichannel society. Digital communication channels have multiplied, and with them the points of contact with consumers. From simple websites in the early days of the internet, we have moved on to multi-touchpoint consumers, who will be in contact with and consume numerous media before making their decision and making a purchase. In the case of a car purchase, for example, today’s consumers will read digital articles, listen to podcasts on the subject or watch video tests on their TV screen before going to the dealership.
Consumers move from one screen to another and can be exposed to digital advertising throughout their daily lives: on mobile, desktop, DOOH, digital audio, via connected TV and even in video games!
While this opens up a multitude of opportunities for advertisers, offering them new ways of reaching their target audiences in different contexts and with different messages, the challenge is to have coherent communication strategies.
Campaign management can be complex and demanding, and it is important to understand that it is no longer possible to have communication campaigns organised in silos in 2023.
This is where an omnichannel DSP comes in, a powerful tool that enables advertisers to manage all their digital campaigns from the same platform, saving considerable time and increasing efficiency, while providing a unified view of advertising performance.
The 5 benefits of an omnichannel DSP
#1 Campaign centralisation
The first advantage of an omnichannel DSP is the centralisation of advertising purchases: this is known as a one-stop-shop. Media traders can manage all their advertising campaigns, across all levers, from a single platform, thereby reducing time and costs.
#2 Optimising coverage on target and performance
Activating several levers within a single advertising campaign improves the campaign’s coverage of its target audience and boosts its performance tenfold. We have measured this at Hawk: an omnichannel campaign can generate up to six times more ROI than a single-screen campaign!
#3 Creative storytelling between screens
To master this further, it is interesting to create synergies between levers, and script the diffusion of creative assets according to the medium. In particular, an omnichannel DSP makes it possible to implement retargeting mechanisms: with a Drive-to-Store objective, for example, it will be interesting to combine programmatic DOOH with mobile, retargeting people exposed in DOOH through Display, VOL or digital Audio. As our numerous case studies show, the impact of the campaign will be enhanced and the number of visits increased.
#4 Centralised and real-time measurement
A key advantage of an omnichannel buying platform for advertisers is the ability to obtain centralised measurement of the performance of all campaigns, across all channels. This makes it possible to improve efficiency and adjust diffusion strategies, sometimes in real time thanks to programmatic buying.
#5 Analysis of the contribution of each screen
A final key benefit offered by an omnichannel DSP is the ability to understand the effectiveness of each lever within a campaign and how it contributes to the objectives set. How does digital audio contribute to the branding performance of my campaign? How does the combination of pDOOH and mobile reinforce purchase intent? These are the kinds of insights that can be activated to provide the right information for effectively adjusting future campaign strategies.
To adapt to the multiplication of contact points and stand out from the competition, advertisers need to adapt their strategies and tools accordingly. In 2023, an omnichannel DSP is the effective solution for deploying and optimising advertising campaigns that are increasingly relevant and effective.
About Hawk
Founded in 2013, Hawk has enjoyed great success as a mobile DSP and has subsequently adapted rapidly to changing usage patterns. Today, our omnichannel buying platform enables advertising campaigns to be activated across all accessible digital screens! Find out more
