Advertising has never been easy, but before digital advertising, it was at least simpler. But now, in the age of web, app, video, over-the-top (OTT) and even the metaverse, advertising requires a lot of technology. 

It requires so much technology, in fact, that publishers find themselves faced with dozens of choices several times over as they build their ad tech stack. As a company that works closely with publishers, Playwire knows you already have enough on your plate. That’s why we created the Ad Tech Stack Build vs. Buy series. 

This series of articles will walk you through every choice you need to make as you build your ad tech stack, complete with pros and cons, alternatives and clear, easy-to-understand definitions from our in-house experts. Here’s the 30,000-foot view of the modern publisher’s ad tech stack.

Building your own ad tech stack is exhausting and expensive, if not impossible, for most publishers. Playwire offers an alternative. When you partner with us, we take care of every aspect of your ad tech stack as we optimize your revenue. All you have to do is keep creating. Contact us.

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Ad Tech Stack Resource Center

Visit the Publisher Ad Tech Stack Resource Center

Data Management Platform

A data management platform (DMP) pulls and manages all the user data you generate from your website or app. Within your chosen DMP, you should be able to build audience segments and track users with the end goal of using that data to attract advertiser dollars.

While it is technically possible to build your own DMP, it isn’t probable that you have the resources to do so. There are plenty of pre-built DMPs out there, though, and they each offer their own benefits and drawbacks. 

Also, Playwire has built its own DMP that pulls in data from the countless other publishers in our network to give publishers like you more power to monetize their data.

Learn more about DMPs here.

Ad Monetization Solutions

Monetizing your content — whether it’s text-based articles, videos, an app or OTT content — is likely to involve ads. And when you go to look at the various solutions for ad monetization, you will find that there are hundreds. As you might expect, they all claim to be the best.

That can’t be true, of course. Some ad monetization solutions are stronger on traditional display and video, while others excel in the app space. Few do it all equally well. Of course, it is possible to build your own ad monetization solution, but it’s expensive, difficult and, frankly, unnecessary because there are so many solutions out there.

Learn more about ad monetization solutions here.

Ad Quality and Malvertising Solutions

In the ad tech world, preserving ad quality is a fight that never ends. But no matter how hard publishers and advertisers work to prevent problems, malvertising and ad fraud persist. That’s why an ad quality and malvertising solution is an essential piece of your ad tech stack.

Unfortunately, malvertising and related issues are sophisticated to the point that automated platforms can only take you so far. If you choose just one automated ad quality solution, some issues will slip through the cracks. There are alternatives that involve active management, but they can get more expensive. 

Which one is right for you? Learn more about ad quality and malvertising solutions here.

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Ad Tech Stack Pillar

Learn everything you need to know about the publisher ad tech stack!

Identity Solutions

The third-party cookie is dying before our eyes. By the end of 2023, Google will have completely ended its use. And other companies are following suit. That means the third-party data you have relied on to deliver targeted opportunities to high-dollar advertisers is going away.

Enter the identity solution. Whole companies are popping up overnight to solve the user identity problem that the death of the third-party cookie will create. Can you trust them? Will they last? The answer remains unclear, but it’s important to understand what’s available as this issue evolves. 

Learn more about identity solutions here.

Ad Servers

If you want to put ads in front of eyeballs and make money off of it, you have to have an ad server. Ad servers are big, complicated behemoths that are virtually impossible for most publishers to build on their own. That’s why most publishers rely on Google for ad serving.

Google is a solid choice, but you still face a lot of technical work and management even if you adopt Google’s ad serving offering. Should you work with a partner to manage ad serving, then?

Learn more about ad servers here.

Brand Safety and Ad Verification

Advertisers don’t just hope their ads will show up alongside appropriate content. They exclusively work with publishers who can guarantee that it will. That’s why it is so important to have a brand safety solution that can help you make that promise.

Even some of the best third-party solutions fall short in some key areas, though. For example, you may end up on a holding company’s block list and get next to no ad revenue, and your third-party brand safety solution may never raise a single alarm. That’s why many publishers opt for a full-service revenue partner for brand safety.

Learn more about brand safety and ad verification solutions here.

Consent Management 

Consent management is a hot topic in ad tech right now because so many consumer privacy laws are popping up around the world. It can be tough to keep up as a publisher, which is why it’s essential to have a consent management platform (CMP) that you trust.

You can devote significant time and money to building your own, integrate a third-party CMP or work with a revenue management company that offers a managed CMP. The third option is a clear winner when it comes to compliance, convenience and costs. But there’s a lot to consider.

Learn more about CMPs here.

Playwire: The All-in-One Ad Tech Stack Solution

We encourage you to read the articles in this series. See for yourself what’s out there and what might work best for you. We’re confident that, when you sit down and consider building or buying each part of the ad tech stack, you’ll eventually land on Playwire.

Why? Because Playwire is an all-in-one solution to the myriad problems the ad tech stack presents to most publishers. We make the calls for you, leveraging our deep industry knowledge to choose or create the best solution for everything from your CMP to your ad server.

Interested in skipping the hard part and watching your revenue climb? Then get in touch with Playwire today. Contact our team online.

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