Recently, Gil Sommer, VP of Global Product at OpenX joined Ari Paparo, host of the Marketecture Podcast, to talk about the omnichannel SSP’s ongoing CTV initiative, its pioneering work in curation, and how sustainability is always top of mind in every business decision.

Listen to their chat here, and read on for the three biggest takeaways from the conversation.

1. Supply-side curation is helping buyers

At its most basic level, curation involves targeting capabilities, which are considered table stakes. Where OpenX provides additional value is its proprietary graph, made up of over 250 data partners. When partnering with brands and agencies on the buy-side, their audience segments can be onboarded and activated through multiple means, including hashed IPs, MAIDs, HAMs, ID5, LiveRamp, and RampIDs. These segments are then targeted to ensure optimal match rates and efficient data flow into DSPs, ensuring relevant inventory reaches the right DSP based on established deal IDs.

One area of focus at OpenX is delivering better outcomes and return on ROAS for advertisers. Various outcome-based models predict which ad requests will perform best for specific advertisers. Despite not controlling pricing or other bidder aspects, identifying ad requests that yield the best results has shown significant success in recent tests, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.

2. TV by OpenX is unlocking the full potential of biddable CTV

With the goal of unlocking the full potential of biddable CTV, OpenX launched TV by OpenX in November 2023. This ongoing initiative seeks to unlock the full potential of CTV by combining the most powerful aspects of linear and programmatic buying models, while also creating a forward-looking marketplace founded on transparency. The company also believes the future of CTV lies in audience-based activation, a method not commonly used in traditional CTV. 

In Q4 of last year, OpenX removed all non-TV content — including fireplace apps, gaming, UGC, OTT, and mobile — from their CTV inventory. At the same time, OpenX properly classified content, providing more premium advertising experiences, a clear value for inventory, and more accurate measurement.These innovations are already yielding impressive results, with TV by OpenX publishers seeing a 22% increase in monetized impressions.

3. Sustainability is an ongoing commitment

OpenX’s sustainability efforts are multifaceted and have yielded significant achievements, including attaining Net-Zero certification and CarbonNeutral status. This effort required extensive tracking of emissions, including those from employee flights. Company-wide, OpenX is committed to measuring and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory no matter the results.

Additionally, a key area of focus is improving technological efficiency. By optimizing its cloud-based infrastructure, OpenX aims to reduce server usage, which in turn lowers emissions and operational costs. This alignment of interests between environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency is a strategic advantage, showcasing how sustainability and business goals can work hand in hand.

Another major initiative involves enhancing advertiser targeting and measurement. Collaborating with companies like Scope3 and Cedara, OpenX provides advanced measurement tools and targeting capabilities to its buyer partners. This enables advertisers to make informed decisions based on sustainability metrics, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of their campaigns.