Websites using Prebid

Okay, let s break down Prebid.org, covering its overview, revenue aspects, alternatives, pricing, and customer care.

Prebid.org: A Deep Dive

Overview:

• What is Prebid.org? Prebid.org is not a company but an open-source project focused on header bidding. It provides a suite of tools and resources for publishers to implement header bidding, a programmatic advertising technique that allows them to offer their ad inventory to multiple demand partners simultaneously before making a call to their ad server.
• Key Components:
  • Prebid.js: The most well-known and core component. It s a JavaScript library that runs on a publisher s website, facilitating the header bidding process.
  • Prebid Server: A server-side solution for header bidding, enabling a more efficient auction for apps or publishers with complex setups.
  • Prebid Mobile: A library specifically for mobile apps.
• Purpose:
  • Transparency: Offers publishers full control and visibility into the ad auction process.
  • Competition: Drives increased competition among demand partners (DSPs, ad exchanges, etc.) to ultimately achieve higher bids for inventory.
  • Efficiency: Streamlines the header bidding process, making it easier to implement and manage.
  • Flexibility: Offers customization options to meet diverse publishing requirements.
• Key Features:
  • Unified Auction: It sends bid requests to multiple demand partners at the same time.
  • Bid Aggregation: Collects all bids and sends the highest one to the ad server.
  • Customizable: Allows publishers to configure bidders and auction logic.
  • Open Source: Fosters a community-driven approach with continuous improvements and contributions.
  • Wrapper: Prebid acts as a wrapper, connecting to multiple demand partners efficiently.

Revenue:

• Prebid.org itself does not generate revenue. As a non-profit, open-source project, it does not sell anything directly.
• Revenue for Publishers: Prebid helps publishers to generate more revenue by:
  • Increased Competition: Driving higher bids from multiple bidders, maximizing the value of impressions.
  • Reduced Waterfall: Eliminating the need for traditional waterfall setup, resulting in fewer missed opportunities for higher bids.
  • Transparency: Publishers understand which partners bid and the winning bid price, allowing them to analyze and optimize performance.
• How to Make Money with Prebid:
  • Publishers use Prebid to auction their ad inventory to demand partners.
  • The highest bidder wins the impression, and the publisher receives the revenue.
  • By maximizing bid competition, Prebid users can see significant RPM (revenue per thousand impressions) increases.
• Success Factors: Revenue success with Prebid depends on:
  • Integration: Proper setup and configuration of Prebid with all desired bidders.
  • Demand Partners: Working with high-quality, relevant demand partners.
  • Optimisation: Continuously testing configurations and monitoring results to find the optimal strategy.
  • Ad Quality and Viewability: Meeting ad quality standards (viewability, ad fraud) so demand partners bid competitively.

Alternatives:

There are both open-source and commercial header-bidding solutions, although none have the scale and community support of Prebid:

• Open Source Alternatives:
  • Amazon Publisher Services (APS): Amazon s header-bidding solution; it often has more limited access but is still open-source.
  • PubMatic OpenWrap: While PubMatic is a company that offers a commercial platform, they also offer a basic open-source wrapper that competes with Prebid.
• Commercial Header Bidding Solutions: These often offer a managed header bidding solution with support and additional features, but at a cost:
  • Google s Exchange Bidding: Google s server-side header bidding system is integrated with Google Ad Manager.
  • Index Exchange: A popular header-bidding provider.
  • Xandr (Formerly AppNexus): Xandr s offering provides a full range of advertising tech.
  • Media.net: A header bidding platform with a heavy emphasis on contextual ads.
  • Magnite (Previously Rubicon Project + Telaria): An advertising platform offering various header bidding solutions.
  • Sovrn (formerly OnScroll): A well-established header bidding platform.
• Key Differences:
  • Open-Source vs Commercial: Open-source solutions provide more control and flexibility but require more technical expertise. Commercial solutions offer ease of use, support, and often managed services, but come with associated fees.
  • Features: Commercial alternatives may offer proprietary technology, such as machine learning bidding or advanced reporting.
  • Transparency: Prebid s open-source nature provides full visibility into the auction, while commercial solutions may be black box.

Pricing:

• Prebid.org is free to use. The core project does not have any fees.
• Implementation Costs: Publishers may encounter costs associated with:
  • Development: Setting up Prebid requires technical expertise, which may involve paying developers or hiring specialists.
  • Hosting: Prebid Server, a server-side solution, requires hosting infrastructure.
  • Demand Partner Fees: Some demand partners may have fees associated with access or usage.
• Commercial Alternatives: Paid alternatives charge fees based on various models, including:
  • Percentage of Revenue Share: Providers take a percentage of the revenue generated by the ad impressions.
  • Fixed Monthly/Annual Fees: Fees that are charged based on traffic, features, and support levels.
  • CPM (Cost per Mille) Based Fees: Publishers pay a fee for each thousand impressions.

Customer Care:

• Prebid.org does not offer direct customer care. As it is an open-source project, support is primarily community-driven.
• Resources:
  • Documentation: Comprehensive documentation on Prebid.org.
  • Forums: A forum where users can ask questions and get help from the community.
  • Slack Channel: A real-time chat community.
  • GitHub: Access to the source code and issue tracking system.
• Commercial Alternatives: Paid solutions provide a more robust customer care experience:
  • Dedicated Support Team: Access to support staff that can assist with setup, optimization, and troubleshooting.
  • Onboarding Assistance: Help with the implementation and setup process.
  • Training Materials: Guides, tutorials, and training sessions to help users maximize the platform s value.

In Summary:

• Prebid.org is a free, open-source project that empowers publishers to achieve higher ad revenue by driving competition through header bidding.
• While there is no cost to use Prebid, implementation may require technical expertise and associated costs.
• Prebid offers a high degree of flexibility, transparency, and control, but requires community support.
• Commercial alternatives offer managed services, support, and other features at a cost.
• The choice between Prebid and its alternatives depends on the publisher s budget, technical resources, and business needs.

Do you have any more specific questions about Prebid, or would you like to dive deeper into any of these areas?