Programmatic advertising is an attractive proposition for brands. Purchasing ads automatically with the use of data is not only efficient but when used accurately can empower advertisers to build sophisticated campaigns seen by more of the people they want to reach. So why does programmatic advertising still get such a bad rap?Entering the world of programmatic unprepared can mean buying in an advertising Wild West without knowledge of the tools you need to safeguard your brand. Managed badly your campaign risks falling victim to ad fraud and being served alongside inappropriate content or on sites with poor viewability.
But what if programmatic is employed with care?
“Everyone sees programmatic as a risky channel. We see it the other way round.” – Integral Ad Science Director of Marketing Victoria Chappell
The Student Room’s programmatic experience confirms this. With campaigns served this way performing strongly, The Student Room’s fully managed and transparent programmatic solution, Ada, is among the safest, smartest and most strategic ways for higher education organisations to ensure their message is seen.
WHY ADA?
Everything The Student Room does is informed by our analytical approach. We want to empower educators, students and brand partners to make better decisions by providing them with unparalleled insights and by guaranteeing the highest possible standards across our online service. This is only possible by tirelessly renewing and improving what we do.
This is why we have named our targeted programmatic solution after the celebrated 19th-century British scientist and mathematician known around the world as Ada Lovelace. Inspired by her quest to find a more efficient and effective way of doing things, we hope our unique programmatic service shares at least some of her pioneering spirit.
Ada devoted much of her life to innovating mathematical and scientific processes. By identifying original ways of coding her mentor Charles Babbage’s proto-computer – the analytical Babbage machine – Ada was able to create the first machine algorithm and, as a result, the first computer program.
Ada’s determined and inquisitive approach to understanding the possibilities of computer science didn’t catch on straight away. It took some time for her contemporaries to realise the importance of her discovery. But, eventually, it paved the way for the work done by scientists, mathematicians, programmers and many, many others today.
Like Ada, we also believe things can be done better. Online advertising should be seen without ruining internet users’ experience. It should be free of brand risk and safeguarded against ad fraud. And most importantly, accurate and authoritative data should be used to reach the people you need it to – as well as those you didn’t know would be responsive to your message.
By taking inspiration from Ada, we’ve finessed our new programmatic solution so that it guarantees all of this.
IMPROVING INDUSTRY STANDARDS
By carefully managing brand safety, viewability and ad fraud with IAS’s pre-bid targeting technology we serve your ads only on websites that meet the rigorous high standards The Student Room itself adheres to. This is why we are the first DTSG certified organisation for brand safety onsite and offsite in our sector, amoung the first companies to be certified for IAB UK’s Gold Standard Initiative and why your ads are guaranteed high performance in our hands.
We target the people we know will be interested in your message by applying our powerful first-party data to your campaigns. With a holistic approach that combines high standards with unparalleled insight, Ada is becoming the standard-bearer for programmatic buying.
The Student Room firmly believes in the potential of programmatic. By putting trust and transparency at the heart of what we do, we’re helping raise industry standards. This is why we want to talk to you. By sharing our experience, and by asking questions our competitors avoid, we can improve things together. So let’s start that conversation now.