We have already witnessed how RTB is an ideal platform for brands to target mobile shoppers, but the heady statistics we are delivering for clients indicate how greater relevance and richer data sets can deliver greater value for the client.

More and more publishers are contemplating the value of the real-time bidding (RTB) model, but concerns are keeping many from taking full advantage of it. Some publishers fear that with RTB, they are losing control over how access is being granted to their inventory, while at the same time potentially reducing ad quality standards. It's not surprising, given the fast-paced and often confusing nature of the space, that these misconceptions have been formed -- but they are misguided. The truth is, RTB can represent a meaningful addition to a publisher's monetization strategy. To do so, however, requires a clear distinction …

Just before year-end, the IAB opened up a new and very interesting initiative for public comment called SafeFrames. The reactions were just what you would expect. Some publishers love it because of the control it gives them over what data and how an advertiser can interact with their visitor, while some publishers hate it and the increased cost and complexity that it introduces. Advertisers also have two perspectives. On one hand, the SafeFrames initiative could potentially increase the availability of high quality inventory and dynamic inventory -- particularly across the exchanges -- but it might also limit the information that …

There is a buzz afoot about the rise of programmatic media buying, or real-time bidding (RTB), but what is often overlooked is the broader -- and, in my opinion, more significant -- shift to programmatic marketing as a whole. But what does the word "programmatic" even mean?

Whenever I spend time with our friends working at SSPs or ad exchanges, I'm reminded of something: The cost to serve in RTB is a very big deal, and not very well understood. There's no question that RTB is the most efficient way to monetize inventory and the wave of the future for publishers. But consider the difference between ad buying five years ago vs. today's RTB-centric world. Five years ago, if you wanted to serve an ad, you sent a request to an ad server, that ad server sent back an ad, and that was pretty much it. Today, …

The tipping point of any technology surely must arrive when a mass audience is motivated by technology-driven behaviors that it does not even recognize. As digital marketers, we must pause and reflect on the recent U.S. presidential election and realize the victory that it represents for us. I am not speaking so much of the outcome, President Obama's re-election, but of the data-driven campaign that he and his team executed so brilliantly.

As I have followed the RTB and programmatic trade media, I find it generally consumed (when not discussing fund-raising) with discussion about the impact of the technical advances that enable RTB and programmatic buying. I obsess over those advances and I applaud the revolution I believe these technologies are producing for the greater media and communication industry. Before you continue reading, you should know that this isn't another anthem about increasing or decreasing CPMs, transactional friction, latency, measurement or computing power -- but rather an attempt to frame what RTB could and should mean to marketers and brands.

As autumn comes to an end and we prepare for 2013, it's a good time to evaluate the real-time bidding (RTB) industry, and make predictions for the year to come. Programmatic buying is undergoing a massive expansion and as the year ends we find ourselves at the crux of major shifts in the industry, new players entering and older players consolidating.

Much has been said about the Facebook Exchange since its summer debut. Facebook's power as a social media tool and advertising moneymaker are impossible to ignore. But one side of the storyline that doesn't receive as much attention is what the Facebook Exchange means for the future of real-time bidding (RTB). In short, it's a massive game-changer. Many have said that the Facebook Exchange would be the final straw or deciding factor in enticing people to adopt RTB. It's much more than that. This is what will force publishers to use RTB.

I'm a big fan of debates. In fact, they were my favorite part of the 2012 election season. After watching both presidential candidates dance around the issues for months on the campaign trail, seeing them discuss policy in a one-on-one forum was a welcome change. That said, I think real-time bidding could use some debate, too. There's plenty of talk about the RTB ecosystem but, for the most part, discussion about the toughest, most critical issues is avoided. So I want to get the discussion started. I'd like to offer up a debate prompt and some context to get the …