Last week, our very own Andrew Williams, Senior Director of UK & EMEA, was invited to present a Programmatic 101 session at a Vixen Digital SEMantics networking event in Brighton, UK. The room was packed, the questions were thoughtful, and the conversation made one thing clear: marketers are eager to master programmatic advertising.

Here’s a rundown of the session, and why programmatic matters now more than ever.

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What Is Programmatic Advertising?

Programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory using technology, data, and algorithms. Instead of manual negotiations, programmatic uses real-time decisioning to determine the right ad, at the right price, for the right person.

In today’s landscape, that precision is essential.

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Why It Matters: The Media Landscape Is More Fragmented Than Ever

Consumers now spend 6+ hours a day bouncing between publishers, apps, and devices¹. A single person might:

• Check the weather
• Listen to a morning podcast
• Catch sports recaps
• Play a mobile game
• Check scores on the commute home
• Look up dinner recipes
• Settle into a new Netflix series

This cross-device behavior makes traditional ad buying (like print, cable, radio, or direct mail) far too limited. Even digital advertising (social, SEO, email) doesn’t fully capture the complexity of where people spend time.

That’s where programmatic comes in, delivering ads across: podcasts, digital billboards (DOOH), connected TV (CTV), online video, display, native, mobile, and more.

Programmatic is built to meet today’s consumer where they actually are.

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How Programmatic Works (The Simple Version)

• Let’s introduce Monica.
• Monica visits The Guardian. The publisher sends information about her visit to a Supply-Side Platform (SSP).
• The SSP passes that info to multiple Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) (i.e., The Trade Desk).
• Brands use DSPs to decide whether Monica is the right person to reach - and how much that opportunity is worth.
• Multiple brands may bid, the winning bid wins the impression, and Monica sees an ad that’s relevant to her.

Programmatic makes reaching Monica (and millions like her) possible, efficient, and scalable.

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The Four Fundamentals: Reaching the Right Person, at the Right Price, in the Right Moment, with the Right Message

• Right Person: Monica is a loyal category shopper and in-market to try new products. Audience targeting helps you reach consumers like her based on demographics, behaviors, retail data, location, in-app signals, and more.
• Right Price: Programmatic helps you pay the appropriate value for each impression. Traditional methods treat every user the same. Programmatic recognises that every user is different, and prices impressions accordingly.
• Right Moment: Premium inventory across devices lets you show up exactly when and where it matters most.
• Right Message: Customise the ad experience to keep Monica engaged without overwhelming her. Frequency control helps avoid overexposure and wasted spend.

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Who’s Involved? The Players Behind the Digital Auction

Buy-side:

• Brands
• Agencies
• Ad servers
• DSPs

Sell-side:

• SSPs
• Ad exchanges
• Publisher ad servers
• Publishers

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Together, they make real-time auctions possible and efficient.

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Key Benefits for Marketers

• Audience Targeting: Tap into massive data marketplaces - retail, demographic, location, in-app, linear TV data, and more.
• Precise Signals: Pay the right price for the impressions that matter most.
• Premium Inventory: Reach consumers across every meaningful touchpoint.
• Frequency Control: Avoid over - or under-saturation with holistic buying and unified frequency caps.

At its core, programmatic is about choice - powered by data and decisioning.

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The Strategic Advantage: Value for All

For Advertisers & Agencies:

• Better performance and efficiency
• Automated workflows
• Scalable access to premium media
• Real-time optimisation

For Publishers:

• Higher yield
• More demand sources
• Better control over inventory

For Consumers:

• More relevant ads
• Better ad experiences

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How Mogl Helps Teams Master Programmatic

At Mogl, we’re built to help ambitious teams scale beyond. As The Trade Desk’s Certified Service Partner, we give you:

• Tools
• Training
• Expertise
• A clear trail map for programmatic success

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Want to learn more about leveling up your programmatic strategy? Contact our team - we’re here to guide the way!

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Sources:

1. Backlinko

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