1. Don’t keep all eggs in one (DSP) basket – Make sure your media agency has a full suite of DSP partners. Like all tech, it’s important to have alternative plans ready to go at a moment’s notice. We work with many DSPs each day. This also helps us remain nimble, testing which DSP provides the most value for each client.

2. Make sure your agency builds positive DSP partnerships – MediaMath was reported as one of the first platforms to go around agencies and work with advertisers directly. All DSPs we work with have strong partner management with agencies, staying at the forefront of what advertisers need. These DSPs keep us involved with partner-level support. They notify us of changes to their platforms before they happen and allow for proactive campaign management.

3. Work with the best in the industry for all the capabilities you need – This market changes rapidly and programmatic media is changing extremely fast, especially with AI-driven websites on the rise. While MediaMath paved the way for DSPs, they fell behind due to a lack of omnichannel strength, particularly with Connected TV. Your media agency must assess every DSP for industry, channel, and data fit with your campaigns. What one DSP does well, might not work for another. We carefully study and choose the right DSPs for our clients’ specific campaign needs.

DSPs remain an essential part of any media mix. The MediaMath news is a good wake-up-call to confirm you’re getting strong programmatic media support, in line with best practices. If you’re not, we’re here to help. To read more about programmatic advertising, check out our blogs, which include important brand safety information.

MediaMath, one of the first-ever DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms), filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and shut off advertising on Friday, June 30th. In the world of ad tech, MediaMath is a long-standing name, raising $600 million since 2007. However, since 2022, with the exit of founder and original CEO Joe Zawaski, the company’s finances have been in question. 

As a full-service paid media agency, it’s our job to stay on the pulse of what’s happening in advertising and ad tech, both in front of and behind the scenes. 

As stories continue this week about other agencies spending their holiday weekend shifting campaigns from one DSP to another, we wanted to share 3 lessons for advertisers that have been part of Marketing Doctor’s rule book for working with DSPs:

1. Don’t keep all eggs in one (DSP) basket – Make sure your media agency has a full suite of DSP partners. Like all tech, it’s important to have alternative plans ready to go at a moment’s notice. We work with many DSPs each day. This also helps us remain nimble, testing which DSP provides the most value for each client.
   
2. Make sure your agency builds positive DSP partnerships – MediaMath was reported as one of the first platforms to go around agencies and work with advertisers directly. All DSPs we work with have strong partner management with agencies, staying at the forefront of what advertisers need. These DSPs keep us involved with partner-level support. They notify us of changes to their platforms before they happen and allow for proactive campaign management.
   
3. Work with the best in the industry for all the capabilities you need – This market changes rapidly and programmatic media is changing extremely fast, especially with AI-driven websites on the rise. While MediaMath paved the way for DSPs, they fell behind due to a lack of omnichannel strength, particularly with Connected TV. Your media agency must assess every DSP for industry, channel, and data fit with your campaigns. What one DSP does well, might not work for another. We carefully study and choose the right DSPs for our clients’ specific campaign needs.
   

DSPs remain an essential part of any media mix. The MediaMath news is a good wake-up-call to confirm you’re getting strong programmatic media support, in line with best practices. If you’re not, we’re here to help. To read more about programmatic advertising, check out our blogs, which include important brand safety information.