In my last two columns, I examined the exciting capabilities of real-time bidding (RTB) and the sources of RTB inventory, outlining the opportunity RTB holds for advertisers to achieve better performance from their online display campaigns. Along with these developments, a new category of service providers has emerged, offering advertisers a new way to purchase and manage auction-based media. These providers — and their technology — are both referred to as demand-side platforms. Their primary benefit? The advanced technology of demand-side platforms enables advertisers to make the most of real-time bidding capabilities across multiple inventory sources. As such, they play a key role in the evolving auction-based media buying model, and anyone considering RTB in their media plan should understand what they do and what benefits they offer. (Disclosure: I’m the CEO of a demand-side platform.)

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