ANA Releases 2024 Programmatic Benchmark Study

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) announced today findings from its 2024 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark Study, marking another step in empowering brands towards full visibility into their programmatic supply chain. This latest analysis included Connected TV (CTV), highlighting the sector’s rapid growth and providing a more comprehensive view of the totality of programmatic media buying.

Key findings from the study confirm the ongoing improvements observed since the 2023 Study (last published in June 2024) reflecting combined ad spend productivity growth of 22%. In the context of a $104 billion open web programmatic marketplace, this improvement translates to an additional $8.2 billion in ad spend productivity.

• Increased True Ad Spend Efficiency: For every $1,000 entering a DSP, 43.9 percent now reaches consumers - an improvement of 7.9 percentage points, or an additional $79 per $1,000, over prior figures.
• Decreased MFA Spending: The downward trend in MFA ad spend continued, with participating marketers reducing their MFA spend from 15 percent in 2023 to 6.2 percent, and the median dropping from 10 percent to 1.1 percent.
• Reduction in Publisher Count: The number of domains and apps has further declined, from 44,000 to 22,634, reflecting a trend toward more refined and secure ad placements.
• Supply Partner Optimisation: The average number of SSPs used is slightly above the 2023 level of 19, indicating there is significant room for further optimization.
• Expanded Log Level Data (LLD) Access: Although most suppliers now offer LLD access, some limitations persist. New providers, listed in the Q3 2024 LLD Register (see page 24), include AdLook, Equative, TripleLift, Viant, and Yahoo, signaling continued progress in the availability of data critical for transparency.

 “As we work towards a future where programmatic media operates as a fair, accountable, and efficient global marketplace, it’s important to offer marketers a transparent picture of programmatic buying,” said Bob Liodice, CEO, ANA. “The latest Programmatic Benchmark Study provides important insights into effective programmatic buying offering brands true transparency in the evolving marketplace. It is encouraging to see that more of marketers’ programmatic spend is reaching consumers. However, there is additional room for improvement, by leveraging the benchmarks and the framework identified in the study.

Following the study, the ANA and TAG TrustNet launched the Programmatic Transparency Benchmark to enable advertisers to better manage their programmatic supply chains and achieve consistent transparency. This Benchmark provides industry-wide indicators on the programmatic landscape’s health, allowing participants to assess their supply chains against industry standards. This initiative empowers marketers to access LLD directly from their suppliers under the guidelines of the TAG TrustNet LLD Requirements, that are aligned with the EU Digital Markets Act.

The Benchmark’s initial response has been strong, with over 70 marketers expressing interest in participation. As more advertisers gain access to LLD and the Benchmark matures, ANA envisions a future where programmatic media, including walled gardens and retail media, operates as a fair, accountable, and efficient global marketplace, supported by this unified measurement framework.