The advent of ad exchanges and real-time bidding is one of the biggest innovations to hit digital advertising. Google is betting big on the field with the DoubleClick Ad Exchange and its purchase of leading demand-side platform Invite Media. Investors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into companies in the space.
Real-time bidding remains barely a blip in the online ad world, although a fast growing one. Figures from Forrester Research, in an estimate commissioned by AdMeld, present a mixed picture.
On the one hand, just 4 percent of online advertising was bought in real time via exchanges in 2010. On the other, this spending is due to increase by 133 percent in 2011. Forrester analyst Michael Greene notes it’s “not an explosive amount by any means,” but the shift will only continue. “I don’t think you can stick your head in the sand,” he said.
Google collaborated with DIGIDAY on State of the Industry on Real-Time Display Advertising survey featuring input from more than 300 digital marketing and media pros over the past month. We’ll release findings Wednesday in Los Angeles at DIGIDAY:ONMEDIA. Watch the DAILY for information on how you can download the full report.
More in Media
Inside Bloomberg Media’s survival guide for the AI era
The business news publisher has yet to sign a content licensing deal with an AI company, but it did recently implement a new AI-powered on-site search engine.
Media Briefing: Overheard at the Digiday Publishing Summit, September 2025 Google search edition
Media execs aired their grievances about Google referral traffic and their souring relationship with platform during the Digiday Publishing Summit.
How EssentiallySports’ creator program benefits both sides of the equation
Over the past year, sports news publication EssentiallySports has employed creators to make in-house video and editorial content around major tentpole sporting events — and thus far, the experiment has paid off.