Programmatic or automated media buying is prompting discussion across the advertising industry. Andy Mitchell, European managing director of BrightRoll, the video advertising platform, sets a few things straight.

Andy Mitchell: European managing director of BrightRoll

1. It’s about the power of programmatic, not what it “means”

The conversation needs to move beyond thrashing out a definition of what programmatic means or panicking about the Pandora’s box many seem to think it has opened.

We need to be thinking about the programmatic landscape in the same way we think about stock exchanges. We’ve already been through the transition to automated trading with the financial sector and the ad industry can learn a lot from this.

2. It’s not as complex as it may seem

There are too many analogies floating around the industry and too much created vocabulary – DSPs, SSPs, Private Market Places…

This is not only confusing to those on the outside, but those on the inside also get caught up in vocabulary, which constrains them to think where they believe they are in the value chain. Much of this the industry uses as a comfort cushion, and we need to rationalise the discussion to decrease the confusion floating within the marketplace.

3. Programmatic helps us act faster and smarter

Speed is essential in programmatic transactions. If a brand misses a bid, it misses the opportunity and the potential profit – that’s a fact on any trading exchange. By relying on algorithms to make these decisions and deals for us we are able to act with speed, intelligence and with split-second timing.

4. The agency model is not dead

There’s been a lot of debate over the impact programmatic has on the agency model.

As the industry evolves, agencies will need to adapt and extend across the value chain. Agency trading desks now should think of themselves as agency trading exchanges. Publishers and brands have, and agencies can do the same.

5. There shouldn’t be a trust issue

Trust is only an issue if you choose to do business with someone you’re not sure you can trust.

Trading platforms rely on the ability to operate with integrity, meaning their reputation relies on their ability to comply with standards and to partner with the credible companies.