Display Exchange Advertising is important and getting even more important.  We’re seeing that networks are becoming like digital agencies and digital agencies become more like networks.  Its true this has been said before and that we’re still in the earlier stages.  History is repeating itself however, where search specialists are taking business away from web design agencies and now I think we’re about to herald an age where display exchange specialists with a search product will take business accounts away from search specialists. I think we’re also seeing major advertisers (I won’t name them!) decide to take search in house which will compound the pain even further for search digital agencies like Steak.

So why is Display Exchange growing in relevance and importance? Well, let’s look at the fact that publishers want the best deal possible for their placement inventory and advertisers also want the best value for their advertising.  Nothing has really changed until the technology providers came on the scene like Right Media Exchange and Double Click.  Since then, with increasing knowledge about the possibilities and the well timed credit crunch, media planning and buying of Display is becoming less about how much buying power you have and relationships and more about smart trading and platform technology.

This has created opportunities that not many agencies are yet taking advantage of.  There must be like 3 in Europe actively planning and buying display advertising in EMEA with many of the big media agencies shying away.  Either becasue they don’t understand it or trying to adapt but it takes a massive amount of time and resources to turn a giant ship around.

Yes its true that much of the exchange inventory tends to be more leftover, but that will soon change as more advertisers will choose to by pass the networks for exchanges to get better value. Auctions always win out ultimately and it always comes down to value.