eBay to run programmatic ad experiment this year

During the third week of February 2015, advertisers will only be able to buy ad space for the brand’s UK site – which boats 1.5 billion impressions every week – using its programmatic technology. The company has struck up deals with firms such as O2 to help kick-start the experiment.

Speaking to the Drum, head of advertising at eBay Phuong Nguyen explained the move is intended to help the irm increase its understanding of programmatic technology and develop best practices. The insights and efficiency savings offered by the solutions can provide huge benefits for the advertising industry if properly applied.

“Certain parts of the industry, such as the agency trading desks for example, really understand the benefits of programmatic, and therefore are excited about accelerating what they ultimately believe will be the industry’s destiny,” he said.

Phuong added that the experiment is a “bold move” for the company that should not only test the waters for programmatic advertising, but help encourage the industry to think about altering established methods of trading.

He added that while embedded ways of working are not going to be changed overnight, if the experiment can help buyers think about the potential of programmatic and start fast-tracking the wider adoption of the technology, that will be a good result.

The trial is being run solely on eBay’s UK site, but eBay Advertising’s counterparts around the world will be watching the outcome of the week with interest, with a view to potentially introducing similar initiatives.

Mr Nguyen added: “This reinforces within the eyes of our global business the fact that the UK is a hot bed for programmatic and technological innovation. This is one of those rare occasions when Europe, and in particular the UK, may drive the strategy that the rest of the world adopts.”