In this article written exclusively for ExchangeWire, Jonas Jaanimagi (pictured below), technology lead at IAB Australia, explains how the IAB Tech Lab will help the industry rid itself of rogue programmatic traders.
The mechanics of automated digital advertising are regularly compared to financial markets, and in some aspects that analogy can hold true. The main distinctions lie in the levels of regulation that are in place in finance and which are regularly reviewed and upgraded, whilst programmatic digital advertising remains self-regulated. This is repeatedly at the core of criticisms levelled at programmatic trading resulting in histrionic headlines about how the activities are opaque, dodgy, and crawling with mysterious ‘middle-men’ who are on the take – adding zero value in the process and merrily screwing over both the publishers and brands in the process.