Key takeaways
- Recent shifts in the DSP landscape have agencies taking a closer look at their primary platform choices
- Running campaigns across too many DSPs inflates adtech tax and makes measuring impact harder
- The right platform depends on audience access, omnichannel inventory, integrations, usability, vertical-specific policies, and active development
The reality TV world was shaken recently when Amanda Batula and West Wilson confirmed what fans had been speculating about for a while. But looking back at the timeline, the receipts, the proof of it all? It clocks. (#teamCiara, we ride at dawn.)
You’re probably wondering what this has to do with programmatic media. Well, I was watching Summer House and responding to emails when it hit me: the industry has had its own share of unexpected plot twists lately.
The good news is that in programmatic media, a little disruption can be a great forcing function. I've heard more murmurs about agencies re-examining their DSP of choice in the last six months than I have in years.
The programmatic ecosystem has a transparency problem that extends beyond one provider and predates any recent headlines. Since the ANA began tracking it in 2023, programmatic ad waste has grown 34%, reaching $26.8 billion in their benchmark report.
That’s why it’s never been more important to take a close look at your DSP choice and make sure you’re with the platform that makes the most sense for your unique client base.
How should agencies evaluate a demand side platform (DSP)?
Most agencies land on a DSP through one of a few familiar paths: a new client has a specific need, someone on the team knows a particular platform, or a vendor relationship makes one option feel easier than the others. Low fees and added value create golden handcuffs for agencies and marketers alike, and it's easy to stay comfortable in a platform you already know.
Another common approach agencies take is to have multiple DSPs, often because clients have their own preferences or because certain verticals or campaigns thrive better with particular platforms. The problem is that spreading spend across multiple platforms without structure makes it genuinely difficult to measure impact and control costs.
The agencies getting the most from programmatic are the ones who treat platform selection as an ongoing practice, not a one-time decision. Here’s the criteria to consider when you’re evaluating DSPs:
Audience access
What audiences are available, and which ones cost extra? Some platforms offer extensive audiences at no incremental fee; others charge for nearly everything. Understanding that cost structure upfront matters more than the headline platform fee.
Omnichannel inventory
If you're running campaigns across display, video, audio, digital out of home (DOOH), and connected TV (CTV), you need a platform with the inventory depth to support all of it.
Integrations and connectivity
Programmatic shouldn't live in a silo. Whether you're connecting to an ad server, a reporting suite, or activating first-party audience data, the integrations need to work cleanly, and compliance considerations matter here too.
Usability
At the scale the major DSPs operate, a wrong setting or an accidentally checked box can cost real money. The UI should be something your team learns properly, not just navigates at a surface level.
Active development and responsiveness
How much is the platform investing in new capabilities, and is the product team actually listening to feedback? A platform that evolves and addresses real customer problems is a safer long-term bet than one building features in a vacuum.
Transparency
Do you know what you're buying? The supply chain in programmatic is complex, and platforms vary significantly in how much visibility they give you into where your spend is actually going.
Vertical-specific policies
Certain industries — like pharmaceuticals, political advertising, lottery — run into platform restrictions and certification requirements that can meaningfully affect where they are able to run. It's worth knowing what capabilities and regulations exist before you've made a commitment.
How should agencies think about demand-side platform (DSP) fees?
Platform fees are an obvious input, but they're not the whole picture. A platform that appears more expensive at first glance may actually deliver better economics once you account for what comes included: audience costs, inventory depth, and what you'd otherwise need to pay for elsewhere all factor in. Agencies that choose purely on platform fee percentage sometimes end up paying more in aggregate. Remember, if we’re talking about ad tech tax, “tax” is added on top, not baked in.
How often should agencies evaluate their demand side platforms (DSPs)?
DSPs are not static. They release new features, adjust their roadmaps, and shift their priorities. Annual reviews of every platform you're actively using are worth building into your practice. And when you bring on a new client who hasn't expressed a platform preference, resist the urge to default to your usual choice. Evaluate based on what that client actually needs.
Even when a client mandates a specific platform, the evaluation exercise still has value. Understanding what's available on that platform today — not what you remember from a previous engagement — puts you in a better position to actually use it well.
Choosing a DSP that can support the future of programmatic
As AI becomes more embedded in programmatic workflows, platform selection is picking up an additional dimension: extensibility. Agencies building toward more sophisticated capabilities — like propensity modeling, real-time bid adjustments driven by first-party data, and custom audience infrastructure — need to know whether their DSP can actually support that work.
It's easy to get comfortable with a platform you know well. But comfort has a cost, especially in an environment where the pace of change is accelerating and every media dollar is under more scrutiny than it was two years ago.
The agencies that take the time to evaluate their options tend to like what they find: more control, better cost management, a platform stack built for where they're headed, and stronger performance results for their clients. Consider it your sign to stop watching from the sidelines. Your clients will thank you for not waiting until the reunion episode.
Ready to pressure-test your current platform setup? Reach out to our team. We'd love to help you think it through.
