What are the two primary sides of the advertising industry?

The advertising industry is fundamentally divided into two primary sides: the sell side (supply side) and the buy side (demand side).

What is the role of the sell side in advertising?

The sell side consists of entities like publishers and media owners that own or control ad space (inventory) and seek to monetize it by selling it to advertisers.

Who are the main players on the sell side?

Main players on the sell side include publishers (Google, Meta, The New York Times), Supply-Side Platforms or SSPs (Magnite, PubMatic), and ad networks (Yahoo, Outbrain).

What is the role of the buy side in advertising?

The buy side includes advertisers, brands, and agencies who purchase ad inventory to display ads to their target audiences, focusing on efficiency, targeting, and ROI.

Who are the main players on the buy side?

Key players on the buy side are advertisers (Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola), agencies (WPP, Omnicom), Demand-Side Platforms or DSPs (The Trade Desk, Google's DV360), and data providers (Nielsen).

What is 'sell-side curation' and why is it gaining traction?

Sell-side curation is where publishers bundle their premium inventory with specific audience data to create attractive packages for buyers. It's gaining traction as a way to counter buy-side dominance and increase inventory value in a privacy-first world.

What are 'walled gardens' in advertising and who are the main examples?

Walled gardens are closed advertising ecosystems where the platform owner controls all data and technology, limiting transparency for outside buyers. Major examples include Google, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), and Amazon.

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The Buy & Sell Sides of Advertising

An in-depth analysis of the advertising industry's buy and sell sides, exploring key players, programmatic processes, market size (TAM), and the technologies driving the ecosystem.