In a world that's always changing, some things stay constant, and advertising is one of them. Even though advertising has transformed in the past ten or twenty years, it remains a crucial tool for brands. Based on the research of U.S. B2B marketers, conventional advertising spending is expected to increase by 0.55% in the next year, while programmatic spending is projected to increase by a staggering 13.59%. These numbers are just one of many reasons why companies need to learn about programmatic advertising practices to remain competitive. Why? More and more people are going for the Internet.
Today, let's dive into programmatic advertising—specifically, the platforms that handle this type of advertising. These platforms have proven useful for various businesses, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. At the forefront of this list is Axis, a cutting-edge mediator powered by artificial intelligence. Axis stands out for its revolutionary approach, allowing users to save time by fostering collaborations with the most suitable partners.
Keep reading as we guide you through the most powerful players in the current market, helping you find the right partner for your needs.
Bidswitch Overview
Bidswitch is currently one of the most popular ad trading mediators in the digital advertising ecosystem. Operating as a neutral and transparent hub, BidSwitch facilitates seamless connections between a diverse range of supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-side platforms (DSPs). Its primary function is to optimize the flow of programmatic ad transactions by streamlining communication and enhancing interoperability across various platforms.
Operating since 2013, it has established itself as a prominent participant in the digital advertising sector. Its network connects with over 180 Supply platforms, encompassing various media formats, and facilitating global programmatic bidstream processing. The platform conducts filtering for fraud and precise classification of the bitstream.
This process extends further as BidSwitch adds value by incorporating data and additional services, enhancing the bitstream's quality and contextual relevance. BidSwitch's distinctive feature lies in its real-time capability—a nimble operation that ensures prompt and intelligent distribution to more than 220 Demand Side Technology platforms.
In general, BidSwitch's approach serves as an efficient bridge between the intricate world of supply and the diverse landscape of demand in the programmatic advertising space. Yet, it's crucial to recognize the subtle intricacies at play.
While it has proven compatibility with numerous partners, not all companies are prepared to engage with BidSwitch. Particularly, small SSPs and DSPs may find the budgets required for collaboration to be less accommodating to their scale. Additionally, meeting BidSwitch's stringent list of requirements can pose challenges for some companies, especially those operating on a smaller scale.
Moreover, the nuances extend to the platform's functionality itself. BidSwitch's interface, while robust, is not universally perceived as super simple and user-friendly. This complexity may present a barrier for some users, particularly those accustomed to more intuitive interfaces.
Another notable disadvantage of Bidswitch lies in its practice of traffic shaping for DSPs. This becomes particularly problematic for DSPs that heavily depend on people-based targeting and algorithm-based optimization. The traffic shaping implemented by Bidswitch has the potential to undermine the precision and effectiveness of these targeting and optimization strategies, impacting the overall performance of the DSPs relying on them.
Furthermore, a significant drawback highlighted is the quality of customer service on the demand side. According to user experiences, Bidswitch is criticized for having subpar customer service, which can hinder effective communication and support for DSPs navigating the intricacies of programmatic advertising. That being said, let’s talk about alternatives.
List of Bidswitch Alternatives
This curated list of Bidswitch alternatives will provide you with several efficient platforms, each offering unique features and advantages. Whether you're seeking enhanced flexibility, superior customer service, or innovative technologies, this list aims to assist you in navigating the diverse options available in the realm of programmatic advertising.
Axis
Axis operates as a pivotal technical middleware in the programmatic landscape, providing a user-friendly and community-driven platform. It automates the process of connecting users with optimal advertising partners, fine-tuning ad specifics for efficient scaling. Users benefit from an integral ecosystem, allowing them to focus on softer tasks while Axis handles the complexities. Axis' versatility caters to businesses of all sizes, ensuring effective programmatic advertising is accessible to everyone.
Nimbus
Nimbus, crafted by Timehop, is a "Publisher First" programmatic advertising ad exchange platform, dedicated to maximizing revenue per impression without compromising premium inventory. With agnostic auctions, Nimbus ensures impressions are directly routed to the publisher exchange, maximizing CPMs. The Nimbus SDK simplifies revenue optimization by integrating with over 50 demand partners through a single connection. Real-time reporting offers instant insights into mobile advertising revenue, enabling on-the-fly optimization. Nimbus addresses user privacy with IDFA Anonymous Traffic Monitoring and empowers AdOps teams with a robust unwanted ad-blocking tool for precise control over ad content.
Publica
Publica is a dynamic programmatic advertising platform designed to meet the specific needs of various industry segments. It serves as a one-stop solution for CTV and OTT apps, streamlining monetization management and enhancing ad break optimization. Additionally, it offers an end-to-end ad-serving solution for Virtual MVPDs, simplifying operations for TV service providers and manufacturers through a dedicated CTV platform. Web and app publishers benefit from a server-to-server Video Header bidding solution, ensuring seamless integration without the need for a tech switch. Publica's key features, including a Unified Auction system, Ad Stitching, and Campaign Management tools, contribute to efficient and impactful ad campaigns. With Elea ai at its core, Publica stands as an innovative and adaptive choice for those navigating the evolving landscape of programmatic advertising.
Viant
Viant's Adelphic stands out as the exclusive omnichannel DSP crafted specifically with programmatic traders in focus. Its intuitive software empowers clients to navigate campaigns independently or collaboratively with Adelphic staff for seamless setup, optimization, and troubleshooting. Viant prides itself on being a true partner, providing fast and personalized support whenever needed. With a client satisfaction consistently exceeding 95%, Adelphic ensures a reliable and supportive experience for programmatic traders, solidifying its position as a trusted and preferred choice in the industry.
The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is a DSP renowned for its sophisticated technology and user-friendly interface. Offering a comprehensive solution for digital ad buyers, The Trade Desk empowers advertisers to seamlessly manage and execute advertising campaigns across various channels and formats. At the heart of its functionality is a real-time bidding (RTB) model, allowing advertisers to bid on ad impressions in the moment, optimizing campaign effectiveness.
One of The Trade Desk's distinguishing features is its commitment to cross-device targeting, enabling advertisers to engage with audiences across multiple devices cohesively. The platform's advanced targeting options further solidify its appeal, providing advertisers with the tools to define and reach specific audience segments based on demographics, behavior, and contextual relevance.
The Trade Desk's unified campaign management approach allows advertisers to oversee and coordinate their campaigns seamlessly, encompassing various channels and formats within a single, streamlined interface. As a data-driven platform, The Trade Desk equips advertisers with robust analytics and reporting tools, offering valuable insights into campaign performance, audience behavior, and attribution.
OpenPath
OpenPath revolutionizes programmatic advertising by directly connecting The Trade Desk advertisers with publishers through a Prebid adapter, simplifying transactions while enabling The Trade Desk to manage publisher payments. This innovative approach allows The Trade Desk to bypass traditional SSPs, placing bids directly on publisher inventory when utilizing Prebid. The integration of Prebid offers publishers the ability to compete programmatically alongside direct demand, enhancing their flexibility. Notable publishers such as Reuters, The Washington Post, Gannett, Condé Nast, and USA Today Network have embraced OpenPath, emphasizing its growing significance in reshaping the landscape of programmatic advertising transactions.
Magnite
Magnite stands out as the world's largest independent sell-side advertising company, a result of the merger between Rubicon Project and Telaria. Operating in the programmatic advertising space, Magnite offers publishers an unbiased and efficient platform for automating the buying and selling of advertising inventory in real-time auctions. Its independence ensures a broad approach to selling ad inventory without being tied to a specific demand-side platform (DSP) or trading desk. Magnite's extensive scale and reach in the digital advertising ecosystem provide publishers with access to a diverse range of advertisers. The company focuses on providing advanced technology solutions, including header bidding and yield optimization, to help publishers effectively manage and monetize their digital content.
Why Axis is a Perfect Alternative to Bidswitch
Among the multitude of programmatic advertising platforms available to publishers and advertisers, Axis is certainly an option worth considering.
Axis stands out from similar platforms through a commitment to empowering partnerships. Unlike other systems, we facilitate a collaborative selection process for both supply and demand owners, ensuring that connections are established with a shared vision. Our emphasis on seamless integration further sets us apart. Providing a user-friendly gateway accessible to everyone, Axis tailors solutions to meet each partner's unique needs, fostering effective and uncomplicated connections.
At Axis, swift and effortless onboarding is a cornerstone of our approach. Thanks to our intuitive interface, configuring interactions takes just a few minutes, allowing you to get up and running without unnecessary delays. What truly distinguishes us is our constant evolution and commitment to introducing new features. By choosing Axis, you embrace the future with confidence, knowing that you'll always have access to the latest tools for enhanced performance.
Experience gamified excellence with Axis. Our innovative bonus and gamification systems are designed to make your interaction with our platform straightforward, efficient, and rewarding. We prioritize not only functionality but also your overall engagement and satisfaction.
Transparent and competitive pricing is a non-negotiable principle at Axis. We believe in providing you with the information you need to make informed decisions. Say goodbye to hidden surprises. With Axis, you can trust a pricing model that empowers you.
Diversity is at the core of Axis. We support a wide array of advertising formats, giving you the flexibility to choose the best fit for your campaigns. Whether it's display ads, native ads, or video content, Axis ensures that you have the tools to captivate your audience.
The success of our users speaks volumes. Those who choose Axis experience trading volumes that are approximately 20% higher than those achieved through direct trading. Our ongoing efforts are dedicated to pushing this figure even higher, showcasing our unwavering commitment to maximizing your success in the dynamic world of advertising.
Wrapping Up
The United States represents the largest market for programmatic advertising, with a staggering estimated spending of $40.6 billion in 2018. Remarkably, this figure constitutes a significant 58% of the entire planned advertising investment in the country. China secures the second position with a substantial expenditure of $7.9 billion, closely followed by Great Britain with a budget of $5.6 billion.
The assumption that programmatic may not be suitable for startups and companies operating on modest advertising budgets is unfounded. In reality, brands of all sizes, including those at the startup level, stand to benefit from leveraging a programmatic platform. They just need to make a critical decision, selecting one platform that is tailored to their unique requirements.
It is with this understanding that we unveil the realm of programmatic advertising, aiming to guide you toward a strategic partnership that aligns seamlessly with your business needs. Our goal is to empower your brand to navigate the programmatic landscape and discover a suitable partner capable of elevating your advertising endeavors.
At Axis, we value each and every one of our clients, their time, resources, and security. To refrain from further burdening you, we recommend watching a short video that clarifies our process, illustrating the simplicity and speed with which you can enter the world of programmatic advertising using our platform. Or ditch the unnecessary steps and start working with us now!