Agency trading desks are emerging as an important new factor in the digital ad trading marketplace, according to the 2012 edition of an annual survey of “digital” marketers and
agencies, released this morning by ValueClick. The study found that more than two-thirds (69%) of respondents plan to utilize trading desks in this year’s digital ad buys.
While that
question was not asked in last year’s ValueClick survey, 9% of this year’s respondents indicated their spending via trading desks would increase vs. last year. Twenty percent said it would
remain the same, and only 5% said it would decrease.
The survey showed a corresponding decrease, albeit a small one of only one percentage point, in plans to utilize other third-party
intermediaries such as ad networks and DSPs (demand-side platforms). While there was no data for online ad exchanges last year, 80% of this year’s respondents said they planned to spend budgets
on exchanges (see data below).
“The shifts noted by major advertisers and agencies do not bode well for portals or old-school networks,” stated Bill Todd, president of ValueClick
Media, which operates a number of ad networks.
ValueClick said the survey was based on responses from 300 digital marketers and agency executives.
Not Planning to
Spend | | Spending Will
Decrease | | Spending Will
Stay the Same | | Spending Will
Increase |
| Ad
Networks | | 2010 | | 4% | | 13% | | 47% | | 25% |
| | | 2011 | | 3% | | 6% | | 57% | | 26% |
| DSPs |
| 2010 |
| 20% |
| 7% |
| 23% |
| 20% |
| | | 2011 | | 19% | | 6% | | 30% | | 17% |
| Direct Pub Placements |
| 2010 |
| 6% |
| 13% |
| 45% |
| 21% |
| | | 2011 | | 5% | | 11% | | 48% | | 21% |
| Exchanges |
| 2010 |
| n/a |
| n/a |
| n/a |
| n/a |
| | | 2011 | | 20% | | 7% | | 34% | | 13% |
| Trading Desks |
| 2010 |
| n/a |
| n/a |
| n/a |
| n/a |
| | | 2011 | | 31% | | 5% | | 20% | | 9% |
| Mobile |
| 2010 |
| 13% |
| 3% |
| 19% |
| 52% |
| | | 2011 | | 7% | | 3% | | 16% | | 65% |
| Portals |
| 2010 |
| 13% |
| 13% |
| 42% |
| 11% |
| | | 2011 | | 18% | | 10% | | 36% | | 9% |
| Video |
| 2010 |
| 15% |
| 6% |
| 24% |
| 38% |
| | | 2011 | | 10% | | 2% | | 27% | | 49% |
Source: ValueClick Media Advertiser Survey. Base = 300 respondents surveyed in December
2011.