RMU 201 - Ad Serving

Contents

Goals> Be able to discuss ad

serving with confidence> Understand supporting

technologies such as pixels & cookies

> Appreciate the technical complexity

Sections> 1 – Parties, Setup and

Steps in Ad Serving> 2 – Behind the scenes of

Browsers, Ads, Clicks and Cookies

> 3 - Three Basic call Scenarios

> Appendix - Terms

SECTION 1 - PARTIES, SETUP AND STEPS IN AD SERVING

SECTION 2 - BEHIND THE SCENES OF BROWSERS, ADS, CLICKS AND COOKIES

Web Browsing

> Browsing = Request + Response> URL: Uniform Resource Locator> Headers/Cookies

> Images/Buttons/Ads> Request, Response(click URL = Request)

> Clicks> Record event and show landing page

> Pixel or Pixel Call > Record an event (Action/Converion)> Set a cookie (Behavioral/Segment)

CLICKS

PIXELS & COOKIES

THREE BASIC CALL SCENARIOS

3 basic types of ad calls in the Exchange

> The creative is hosted on RM’s content server and the publisher has a RM tag on their web page

> The creative is hosted on a 3rd party’s content server and the publisher has a RM tag on their web page

> Either of the two options above, but the publisher has the RM tag in their 3rd party server, and they have the 3rd party server’s tag on their web page

The creative is hosted on RM’s content server and the publisher has a RM tag on their web page

Browser requests ad through web page’s RM embedded publisher ad tag

Browser requests ad from RM content server

Content server returns ad to the browser

2

3

RM server returns location of ad (RM hosted)

1

RM

Content

Server

RM server conducts auction and picks ad

Browser serves the ad

The creative is hosted on a 3rd party’s content server and the publisher has a RM tag on their web page

Browser requests ad through web page’s embedded RM publisher ad tag

Browser requests ad from 3rd party’s ad server

3rd party server returns location of ad

2

3

RM server returns location of ad (3rd party server location)

1

3rd party

content

server

RM server conducts auction and picks ad

Content server returns ad to the browser

Browser requests ad from 3rd party’s content server

3rd party server

4 Browser serves the ad

Creative is hosted on either RM or 3rd party server, but the publisher has a 3rd party server’s tag on their web page and the RM tag in their ad server

Browser requests ad through web page’s embedded 3rd party publisher ad tag

Browser requests ad from RM’s ad server

RM’s server returns location of ad, which could be on RM server or could be another redirect to another 3rd party server

2

3

If 3rd party server decides ad should come from RM, then looks to RM tag and sends info to browser

1

3rd party

content

server

RM server conducts auction and picks ad

Content server returns ad to the browser

Browser requests ad from 3rd party’s content server

3rd party server decides premium or non-premium, or determines a handoff priority

4 Browser serves the ad

RM

content

server

or

Potential for latency issues Ad server 1

Ad server 2

Ad server 3

Ad server 4

User changes web page

Section 3 Summary

Ad calls

> Publishers place ad tags on their web pages that call a specific ad server for ads

> This ad server decides whether to direct the browser to a content server – or to another ad server – to get an ad

> Many redirects between ad servers are possible, causing potential latency issues (delay in the delivery of an ad), and viewers may abandon a web page before an ad can load

> Latency and viewer abandonment can result in discrepancies in billing between advertisers and networks

Term Definitions

> Server> Ad Server or

Creative Server> HTTP Request> HTTP Header> Pixel or Pixel Call

> Ad Tag or Pub Tag> Content

Management System

> Web Debugger

RTB-D