Programmatic Advertising Foundations

Programmatic advertising automates digital media buying. By using software and algorithms to select buys, your ad placement becomes more nimble and efficient, and you can be exactly where the customer is—instantly. In this course, discover the fundamentals of programmatic advertising, starting with core concepts and moving into key industry terms, players, and platforms. Instructor Matt Bailey shows how real-time bidding works, how customer data is acquired, and the differences between first- and third-party data. Along the way, explore some of the most important ethical issues surrounding consumer privacy, ad fraud, and brand safety, all while learning how to mitigate these risks in targeted, programmatic campaigns. The course concludes by offering practical tips and resources for enhancing data skills and advancing in the advertising field.

Learning objectives
Define key terms and concepts in programmatic advertising, including real-time bidding, DMPs, and first- and third-party data.
Explain how the programmatic advertising process works, including how ads are served in real time and how customer data is collected.
Identify scenarios where programmatic advertising is most effective, and recognize the best types of programmatic inventory.
Evaluate the implications of ad fraud and brand safety risks, and assess the transparency issues in the programmatic advertising process.
Critique the effectiveness of data analysis in detecting fraud compared to automated antifraud systems, and recommend strategies for mitigating brand safety risks.