The emergence of unique ad formats and location-targeting features has enabled Centro to create a private ad exchange within its invite-only system.
Previously unavailable ad products such as 300×600 placements and homepage spots have been added to an inventory which is limited to a very specific clientele.
In most cases the private marketplace is used to ensure quality for the company’s highest bidders. However, the feature can also be used to open up new targeting opportunities, as traders can look into the location and category of their publishers.
Private auction
Now forming part of Centro’s Brand Exchange for the buying and selling of online ad space, the private auction is on offer to approved programmatic buyers and trading desks.
Such an approach fits very much in line with Centro’s ethos of promoting quality within the online ad space. Every member of the exchange’s 1,400-strong premium publisher community employs and pays their writers, as requested by Centro.
The company specialises in delivering ads to B2B audiences while making it easier for agencies and sellers to go about their business. With the addition of a private marketplace, chosen buyers can now refine their choice of publishers to target consumers based on their location and interests.
In the quest for quality
While the exchange does not currently offer one-to-one transactions between publishers and ad buyers, Katie Risch, SVP of publisher development at Centro, believes her company is moving in the right direction.
“We built the Centro Brand Exchange to give agencies and news publishers a quality-driven, exclusive ad marketplace they couldn’t get from open exchanges and SSPs (supply-side platforms),” she said.
Risch also considers Centro’s focus on quality to be a key differentiator.
“As we’ve rolled out RTB (real-time bidding) access to our exchange, we’re seeing interest from DSPs (demand-side platforms) and trading desks because they can trust where their ads are running, drive measurable results and differentiate their value proposition.”