Today the IAB shared the results of the recent Programmatic Insights Survey. The online session was available for members and non-members and can be watched back on demand below or on our YouTube channel.

Designed by 20 experts in programmatic from 15 IAB member companies, the survey was conducted in February and March 2022 and aims to increase understanding of how those in the programmatic industry see the market in terms of investment trends, opportunities/barriers to growth, and to get a view of the relative importance of different factors on operational decisions.

Some insights include:

• Programmatically bought media accounts for over 60%-70% of Display advertising (non Search/Social);
• Open exchange is the overwhelming buy-type, particularly in performance campaigns.  Even in Branding campaigns it accounts for as much as 50% of investment;
• Video, including CTV,  is expected to be the key driver of growth in programmatic buying;
• 70% of respondents have tested, are using, or intend to increase the use of shoppable formats;
• 52% of Agency respondents cited in-house trading desks are the primary operating model, particularly for larger campaigns, with outsourcing mainly for smaller campaigns;
• Outside of Performance and inventory quality, Knowledge and expertise are seen as key drivers of potential growth in programmatic spends;
• Risks such as Fraud and Brand safety are seen as potential barriers to growth alongside lack of talent and lack of wider market knowledge;
• There is not much consensus on how data usage may be transformed in the future, but Commerce, On-site and Contextual data are expected to be part of the solution;
• The respondents highlighted the need for better attribution to drive growth.

Ian Manning, IAB GCC CEO, commented: “Demystifying the market, the solutions and opportunities of programmatic advertising will likely see increased spending, and more importantly, improved performance. As programmatic delivery becomes more common outside the typical digital channels, knowledge and talent will need to be less siloed. It’s imperative there is a wider understanding of targeting options, data availability, and brand safety solutions. Alongside better understanding of cross channel attribution solutions, this will help to drive overall industry growth.”

The survey results can be downloaded for free below.