The number of sites selling programmatic advertising using a blend of server- and browser-side header bidding has risen from 14% to 21% in the four months since September 2017, according to ServerBid. The move to an exclusive server-to-server system has been hampered by drops in revenue, with CafeMedia claiming a loss of 30% from programmatic auctions in a one-week long test, due to an inability to match user IDs, despite vastly improved page loading speeds. In addition, many publishers have begun experimenting with other methods for monetizing their sites, including direct sales through affiliate programs or sponsored posts.
The number of sites selling programmatic advertising using a blend of server- and browser-side header bidding has risen from 14% to 21% in the four months since September 2017, according to ServerBid. The move to an exclusive server-to-server system has been hampered by drops in revenue, with CafeMedia claiming a loss of 30% from programmatic auctions in a one-week long test, due to an inability to match user IDs, despite vastly improved page loading speeds. Nevertheless, CafeMedia EVP Paul Bannister expects ID consortium and data sharing in ad tech and digital publishing to boost match rates and revenues in future.