RTG: Not Just Another Programmatic Acronym

Twitter defines #RTG as “Road to Greatness.” Ad tech interprets it as “Real-time Guaranteed.” At OpenX, we see it both ways.

Earlier this month, we unveiled a new advancement in the realm of programmatic direct: real-time guaranteed (RTG). RTG is the industry’s first method of executing guaranteed deals via programmatic technology, with audience forecasting. By combining the certainty of direct sold campaigns with the efficiency of real-time bidding technology, RTG provides buyers and sellers with an entirely new model of execution.

By identifying publisher and buyer grievances with current programmatic direct models like Private Marketplaces and Automated Guaranteed, we were able to develop a product that eliminated the trade offs experienced with other buying models, a product that could deliver on the true promise of programmatic technology.

Over the last year, we talked to programmatic buyers and the platforms that facilitate the buys (i.e. DSPs). Buyers have an increasingly strong preference for executing deals via programmatic channels, because of the control, efficiency and transparency that programmatic technology provides. We wanted to create a programmatic way for buyers access direct-sold inventory — inventory that programmatic buyers wouldn’t typically be able to access through their DSP. Because of RTG’s unique capacity to transact programmatically with a volume guarantee, RTG offers the inventory which would otherwise be reserved for direct sold campaigns, thereby providing buyers with net new inventory via a programmatic channel.

RTG for publishers:

• RTG enables publishers to secure guaranteed volume commitments, unlike private auctions and preferred deals. It thereby introduces an entirely new revenue stream for premium inventory.
• RTG leverages the efficiency of real-time bidding and provides insight into inventory pricing.

RTG for buyers:

• Flexible guaranteed terms allow for volume commitments, while real-time bidding technology allows for impression-level choice.
• Audience forecasting guarantees inventory availability prior to deal execution, ensuring a supply pool with certainty of scale and performance.

We believe that RTG’s unique combination of volume guarantee and programmatic efficiency fills a real need in the market. While RTG is currently available by invitation only, we look forward to providing this new method of transacting to buyers and sellers across the industry in 2016.