A new era for programmatic

By automating the buying and selling of ads, programmatic advertising has revolutionised the way in which advertisers reach their target audience. The ecosystem is constantly evolving, with new players entering the market all the time. But with this evolution comes fragmentation, making it harder to deliver meaningful campaign outcomes - often within tight budgets. 

So how can we streamline programmatic efforts? One such tool is the Global Publisher Identifier, or GPID, which is designed to bring transparency back to the programmatic supply chain.

What is GPID?

As per the online shopping analogy from Robert Lawrence, Head of Product Marketing at Index Exchange, “If every store uses a different code or name for the same item, it would be difficult to know the product you're reviewing online is exactly the one you're looking for without a consistent identifier.” 

In the same way, GPID is an identifier assigned to a potential ad placement, which is defined at source by the media owner and remains consistent across all SSPs. It is included in the bid request sent on to DSPs, who use it to identify particular ad placements on a page or in an app - thus enabling media buyers to pinpoint specific opportunities at a deeply granular level, and compare placements across multiple sources of inventory.

The benefits of using GPID

1. For the media buyer: Buyers have often been plagued by a lack of transparency when bidding on placements. Incorporating a GPID eliminates this, allowing them to optimise their bids according to their own KPIs, such as “above the fold” placements. So rather than bidding to secure any of a number of spots, somewhere on a webpage, they can buy the exact spot they feel will deliver the impressions they seek, at the price they think it is worth. This also avoids the potential for duplicate bidding - i.e. bidding on the same placement that might be available across any number of different SSPs. 

Placement-level data, including performance metrics such as viewability, CTR, or video completion rates, help buyers optimise their media strategies for high-performing inventory.

2. For the media owner: Embedding GPIDs involves minimal financial outlay and product development, and offers a whole host of tangible benefits, boosting competition for their supply and ultimately improving their overall yield. 

The introduction of GPIDs can bring competitive advantage by attracting those buyers for whom this level of transparency is important - and some DSPs will even exclude media sources that don’t embrace GPID. 

The numbers are compelling. Recent data from Index Exchange shows that publishers who have enabled GPID cite a 26% higher CPM than those who don’t. 

3. For the planet: The use of a standardised, global identifier to streamline the bidding process delivers efficiency beyond just the bottom line. With all eyes on programmatic sustainability, it is a simple methodology which reduces waste in the bid stream and, in turn, cuts energy consumption and carbon emissions. 

GPID - leading the charge in supply path optimisation 

 As demand rises for a greener advertising industry, innovators such as Scope3 are leading the way on deals which deliver against both publisher/advertiser and ESG objectives. GPID fits seamlessly with this trajectory, helping to enhance targeting, measurement, and attribution models, and thereby increasing the accountability of the advertising ecosystem.

In summary, GPID is fast becoming an essential component of programmatic, facilitating efficient ad delivery and enhancing transparency for all parties, while supporting bold efforts to decarbonise the broader advertising industry. And it’s already driving better results for publishers. 

To find out more about how we and our partners at Index Exchange and Scope 3 are looking at the role of GPID in the shift towards greener, more transparent practices in programmatic, get in touch with the team today.