This month, the AdMonsters community marched down Bourbon Street for the Publisher Forum in New Orleans. Members of the DVPS team were in attendance throughout the four days of publisher-focused programming. They were pleased to take in inspiring keynotes and lively dialogues that centered on some of the key challenges that publishers face in the industry today. From addressability to the programmatic data gap between buyers and sellers, the diverse and thoughtful community input ensured that there was plenty of gumbo to go around at this AdMonsters event.

Here are some high-level insights that our team gained from their time in The Big Easy.

Pubs and advertisers out of sync on data

There is lingering frustration from publishers around what buyers are saying they want from premium inventory and what they are willing to pay for it. This issue echoes a larger trend in the programmatic space, where premium publishers are seeing a power shift in their favor.

Quality comes at a price, and that’s no less true in digital advertising. Publishers regularly aim to  demonstrate a strong ROI and deliver effectively on advertiser KPIs. That level of certainty is often rewarded with a higher price point because advertisers are more likely to get the results they want to see.

Shining a light on made-for-advertising sites

Forum attendees also discussed one of the fresher thorns in the industry’s side. Made-for-advertising sites (MFAs) represent a growing threat to advertiser budgets, and ultimately, publisher revenue. Though not inherently fraud or IVT, MFAs lure buyers with the promise of cheaper opportunities that meet their metric goals. But the resulting impression is practically wasted on a low-visibility site that is jam-packed with ads. Meanwhile, premium publishers lose out on valuable ad spend.

Suitability misalignment amid challenging news cycles 

As brands continue to prioritize their online reputations, news publishers are feeling the burn more than most. News sites are often tasked with keeping ad revenue trending in a positive direction even though advertisers flinch at the uncertainty of a 24-hour news cycle and the potential impact that misaligned ad placements might have on their reputation. In the US at least, that uncertainty has nowhere to go but up as another tumultuous election season looms in 2024.

DV’s Senior Director of Publisher Sales, Sean Arnold took questions directly from the AdMonsters community on brand suitability and how publishers can play a more active role in the conversation. Arnold also discussed the importance of time, tools, and training when it comes to brands and agencies mastering the tools that are available to them.

In times like these, it’s clear that brands need to employ more nuance in their suitability strategies. To help make that future a reality, DV released a brand suitability guide focused on improving collaboration between publishers and advertisers, and making brand suitability a less demanding and transparent process for everyone. DV-associated publishers can also benefit from turnkey access to advertiser brand suitability settings with DV Publisher Suite’s Authentic Direct, released earlier this year.

Thank you to AdMonsters for another successful Publisher Forum! Interested in learning more about DV Publisher Suite? Reach out today to schedule a demo with us!