Ever wondered how certain ads seem to follow you around from website to website? It’s Programmatic at work.

Every time I visit a website I’m identified by my well-travelled ‘cookie’ which holds a wealth of information about me gleaned from my surfing and buying habits and the personal data I’ve voluntarily revealed by filling in countless electronic forms along the way. 

So, when I click onto a website that has Programmatic space available for sale, a virtual auction takes place between any number of advertisers for the right to show me, personally, their ad.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, how much am I bid for this balding middle aged male with a penchant for travel, high end hi-fi and opera? Also, he spent $xxxx dollars on wine in the past six months alone. Bidding starts at 20 cents”

The virtual auction is completed in just milliseconds with the winning bid anywhere from about 20 to 70 cents or more depending on how well my cookie fits the brief pre-programmed by advertisers looking for targets a lot like me. – Peter Saxon

Programmatic has already transformed the way online display ads are sold and now has a toe-hold in radio. How much and how fast will it grow? And how will it affect the relationship between ad agencies and radio sales people?

Find out next Tuesday, here, on radioinfo.

The CRA conference on the Gold Coast next Friday will devote a whole session to this vital topic but on Tuesday radioinfo’s Peter Saxon talks to two of Australia’s leading Programmatic buyers, Victor Corones, (below left) chief investment officer of IPG Mediabrands and Andrew Reid (below right) Head of Digital, Data and Investment, Amplifi which is part ion the Dentsu Aegis Network. 

They’ll talk about what they think of radio, where it sits in today’s media landscape and where it needs to be to secure its future. Their insights may surprise you.