Programmatic Advertising in 2024: A Shift Toward Transparency and Efficiency

The programmatic advertising industry continues to make impressive strides in 2024, with greater efficiency, transparency, and control across media channels. The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has released its highly anticipated 2024 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark Study, offering valuable insights into how the programmatic supply chain is evolving to meet growing industry demands.

This year’s report marks a significant milestone with the inclusion of Connected TV (CTV)—a rapidly expanding sector that now plays a key role in programmatic media buying. The study highlights notable trends and improvements, including increased efficiency in ad spend, a reduction in low-value ad placements, and a growing emphasis on transparency through log-level data (LLD) access.

Key Findings at a Glance:

Ad Spend Efficiency: For every $1,000 entering a Demand-Side Platform (DSP), 43.9% now reaches consumers—a 7.9 percentage point increase over 2023. This improvement translates to an additional $79 per $1,000 spent.
Reduced MFA Spending: Marketers have dramatically reduced spending on Made-for-Advertising (MFA) publishers, dropping from 15% in 2023 to just 6.2% this year. Median MFA spending fell from 10% to an impressive 1.1%.

  • Refined Publisher Count: The number of domains and apps included in programmatic campaigns has shrunk by half—from 44,000 to 22,634—reflecting a clear focus on higher-quality ad placements.
  • Connected TV Growth: CTV now accounts for 28% of programmatic ad spend, signaling its growing prominence as marketers prioritize reaching audiences through premium video environments.
  • Log-Level Data Expansion: Access to LLD is improving, with new suppliers like AdLook, Equative, TripleLift, Viant, and Yahoo joining the movement toward data transparency.

Industry Trends: A Clear Path to Improvement

As programmatic advertising matures, brands are achieving better returns by optimizing their supply chains, prioritizing private marketplace deals, and reducing reliance on low-value open web inventory. The shift toward CTV highlights its importance in reaching audiences through targeted and high-impact formats, while expanded access to log-level data empowers marketers to make real-time, data-driven decisions.

According to Bob Liodice, CEO of the ANA, these improvements bring the industry closer to creating a “fair, accountable, and efficient global marketplace” for programmatic media. However, there is still room for further optimization, particularly in Supply-Side Platform (SSP) management and LLD utilization.

Looking Ahead: The Road to Full TransparencyThe release of the 2024

Programmatic Transparency Benchmark Study comes alongside the ANA’s collaboration with TAG TrustNet, which launched the Programmatic Transparency Benchmark. This initiative equips marketers with tools to assess their supply chains, align with industry standards, and achieve consistent transparency in programmatic buying.

With programmatic spending projected to grow, this unified measurement framework will play a critical role in ensuring the industry remains efficient, transparent, and impactful for advertisers.

This blog provides a snapshot of the ANA’s latest findings, showcasing how programmatic advertising is evolving to deliver better results, higher transparency, and stronger ROI for brands in 2024. Stay tuned as we continue to explore the trends shaping the future of digital advertising!

For the full report and in-depth findings, download the ANA’s 2024 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark Study here: access the report.

Source: ANA website.