In the past, all digital ad-buying was done using ad networks. However, as the number of ads being served on digital properties increased, so did the complexity of managing campaigns across multiple networks. Demand Side Platforms (DSPs) were developed as a way for advertisers to manage their own campaigns without having to rely on multiple ad networks for every campaign.

Today, many DSP companies are serving different businesses based on their specific goals. Let’s take a look at the top Demand-Side Platform (DSP) companies out there.

What exactly is a Demand-Side Platform (DSP)?

A demand-side platform (DSP) is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool that allows advertisers to buy digital advertising inventory in real-time. DSPs allow advertisers to track and optimize their campaigns, measure performance, and increase conversions.

Demand-side platforms (DSPs) are the backbone of most digital advertising campaigns. DSPs allow advertisers to buy ad space from multiple sources, including publishers, exchanges, and data suppliers, all through one interface. This eliminates the need for advertisers to build relationships with individual publishers and enables them to purchase inventory in real-time across many different channels at once.

A DSP combines a number of different technologies into one service for advertisers. These include:

• Ad exchanges: Buy and sell online advertising inventory through auctions or private transactions.
• Sell-side platforms (SSPs): Provide a marketplace where publishers can list inventory for sale. They also help publishers manage their ad campaigns by providing tools such as impression optimization and audience management tools.
• Ad networks: Act as a middleman between advertisers and publishers by aggregating multiple sources of inventory and selling it to advertisers at a wholesale cost.
• Real-time bidding (RTB): Allows advertisers to bid on specific target audiences on an impression-by-impression basis at the time of ad delivery.
• Optimization for ROI: The DSP optimizes spending by maximizing the value of each impression or click and minimizing waste.
• Audience Buying: The DSP buys specific audiences based on targeting criteria such as demographics, geography, interests, and more.
• Remarketing: The DSP uses cookies for retargeting website visitors across multiple properties, including social media platforms and email newsletters. This type of remarketing is highly effective because it enables companies to reengage with customers who have previously visited their website but haven’t converted it into leads or sales yet.

Now, let’s dive into the top DSP companies:

The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk is a demand-side platform (DSP) company based in San Francisco, California. This privately held company was founded in 2009. The company’s technology allows marketers to automate and optimize their digital advertising campaigns across all channels and devices.

The Trade Desk’s self-serve platform uses machine learning to help advertisers reach their key audiences across mobile apps and the web by leveraging 1 billion data points on more than 200 million websites.

DataXu

DataXu is a demand-side platform (DSP) company that offers a suite of marketing tools for advertisers. Its tools include a DSP, retargeting, native, video, and a Data Management Platform (DMP).

DataXu’s DSP is integrated into multiple platforms, including Facebook and Google Ads.

Amazon DSP

Let’s face it. There is no denying that Amazon is a big player in the ad tech space. Previously called the Amazon Advertising Platform (AAP), Amazon DSP lets you reach buyers irrespective of where they are in your marketing funnel.

The platform allows advertisers to buy media inventory on Amazon properties and select third-party sites, including other marketplaces. Amazon DSP uses behavioral data from its more than 300 million customers, along with information from third-party data providers, to help advertisers determine which users are most likely to perform the desired action (click through, purchase, etc.). 

Amazon DSP enables an advertiser to segment target audiences using six targeting options. These are – Behavioral, Lifestyle, Re-marketing, Advertiser audiences, Contextual, and Audience lookalike.

MediaMath

MediaMath is a Demand-Side Platform (DSP) firm that helps advertisers buy media through automated, programmatic buying. MediaMath works with brands and agencies to achieve the highest Return on Investment (ROI) from their digital media spending.

MediaMath’s solutions have been designed to meet the needs of marketers at all stages of the customer lifecycle. Its algorithms are powered by a data-driven approach to targeting and measurement, allowing advertisers to accurately predict where their customers are most likely to engage with their brand online. 

Google Display & Video 360 

Previously known as the Google DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM), Google Display & Video 360 (DV360) helps advertisers purchase digital ads and reach their target audience. DV360 offers many features like audience targeting and retargeting, reporting, and optimization to help you get more relevant users on your website or mobile app.

It focuses on allowing advertisers to serve the best possible creative for every impression on their media plan. This maximizes click-through rate (CTR) and cost per thousand impressions (CPM).

AppNexus

AppNexus is the top DSP Company for programmatic buying and real-time bidding. Founded in 2007, making it one of the oldest DSPs out there.

AppNexus offers an open technology stack that includes a variety of tools and services, such as their data management platform (DMP), user interface (UI), optimization module, and more.

The AppNexus platform allows advertisers to manage their programmatic campaigns across multiple ad exchanges or private marketplaces (PMPs) simultaneously from one interface. It also has a sophisticated demand algorithm that helps advertisers optimize bids based on factors like ROI, revenue per impression, cost per acquisition, and more so they can reach their goals faster than ever before!

Choozle

Choozle is a demand-side platform (DSP) company that helps advertisers automate their media buying and maximize ROI. The company’s self-serve platform allows advertisers to run display, video, social and mobile campaigns across inventory sources, including exchanges, networks, direct publisher integrations, and private marketplace deals.

Turn Inc.

Turn Inc. is a global demand-side platform (DSP) company, which means it helps advertisers buy ad impressions across multiple channels, including TV and video. The company was incorporated in 2004.

Turn is best known for its technology that allows advertisers to optimize campaigns across many different types of digital media at scale. In addition to its DSP services, Turn offers data management platforms (DMPs) that allow companies to collect data about their customers’ behavior online so they can then use this information from within their advertising campaigns in order to better target consumers with relevant ads based on what they’ve previously liked or bought online.

SteelHouse, Inc.

SteelHouse, Inc. is a leading provider of cloud-based, cross-channel marketing solutions that power the most effective digital marketing strategies. Their proprietary technology platform helps clients manage, optimize and scale their marketing across all channels, including display, social, mobile, and video advertising. 

SteelHouse’s mission is to help companies grow their brands through better use of data and better execution of media buying — leveraging their insights into consumer behavior to provide a 360-degree customer view to deliver deeply personalized customer experiences across all touchpoints.

DSP companies make advertisers’ lives easier

Demand-side platforms (DSPs) are the engines that power powerful ad campaigns. DSPs empower advertisers to purchase digital ads using a variety of targeting methods. We at TeCuriosity, hope you are now more informed about Demand-Side Platforms and their ways of making our lives easier. 

The Bottom Line

DSPs are an integral component of the digital advertising ecosystem. And DSP companies serve as middlemen between advertisers and publishers, helping advertisers optimize campaigns by matching them with the most relevant audiences and publishers by maximizing their yield from their ad inventory.

The DSP market is growing at a rapid pace. Needless to say, this is the right time to hop on the DSP bandwagon and capitalize on the opportunity.

If you’re interested in learning more about DSPs or are Curious about more such amazing technologies, make sure to keep reading TeCuriosity!

Leave a comment and tell us what you think about DSPs. We’re all ears to what you have to say!