• by Tyler Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_tyler, October 2, 2014

Consumer goods giant Unilever has been using programmatic advertising for three years, Rob Master, the company’s VP of media, said at OMMA RTB on Thursday, but the company hasn’t seen the type of scale in the open real-time bidding (RTB) marketplaces it expected. Specifically, it hasn't seen the type of quality scale it desires.

The private marketplaces -- which theoretically house higher quality inventory -- is where Unilever has found a home, at least for now. Master said the lean in on private over open marketplaces is not an “end all be all” choice, however, but simply where Unilever sees the most value today.

“It doesn’t matter how cheap or simple you made [the inventory],” said Master. He said it’s not a good experience for brands if their ads are on porn sites or other salacious and unwanted places. “The viewability -- the whole quality component -- is a huge part of it,” he said. In short, Master says quality trumps quantity and price.