[Brid Talks] Episode 3: Prebidding 101: Making the Transition

Dear publishers,

We’re happy to announce the launch of the third episode of Brid Talks!

In today’s episode, we talk to Igor, Brid.TV’s Senior Publisher Relations Manager about prebidding and how publishers can implement it with the least amount of effort. We also asked Igor to share some insights on the technology behind prebidding and give some advice to publishers looking for a prebidding solution.

So whether you’re still considering whether to switch to prebidding or are looking for a prebidding solution, you’re in the right place.

You can listen to the full episode below.

Alternatively, check out the time stamps to everything we covered and key takes for each section below.

Timestamps & Key Takes

1. Intro

~00:00 – 00:44 (Back to Top)

2. What Is Prebid?

Prebid is a way for publishers to implement real-time ad auctions on their web pages that will launch as soon as someone navigates to them to maximize CPM. This system allows publishers to display only the ads from advertisers willing to pay the most for that ad slot.

~00:44 – 01:32 (Back to Top)

3. Where Should You Put Your Prebid Code?

It’s recommended to put your Prebid code in the header of your site.

~01:49 – 02:07 (Back to Top)

4. What’s the Difference Between Prebid and Header Bidding?

For the most part, there is no difference between the two terms. However, the term header bidding entails that you place your Prebid code in your site’s header. Although doing that is most efficient, publishers can put the Prebid code anywhere else on the site (including the footer). Also, there are other ways to implement prebidding that doesn’t include putting the code in the header, like integrating it into your video player (player bidding).

~02:15 – 02:58 (Back to Top)

5. Does Using Prebidding on the Player Level Reduce the Strain on Your Website?

No. When it comes to prebidding, publishers can place the Prebid code anywhere on their site, including multiple locations. However, integrating your Prebid code into your player or putting it in your site’s header helps load ads faster, which can directly impact your revenue. 

~03:01 – 04:10 (Back to Top)

6. When Did Prebidding First Appear?

Video prebidding started gaining traction 2–3 years ago, but prebidding for display has been around for much longer.

~04:11 – 04:55 (Back to Top)

7. How Popular Has Prebidding Been Lately?

Prebidding for display has been a staple in the industry for several years now, and there are few to no publishers who aren’t using it already. On the other hand, no more than 20%–30% of publishers are currently using video prebidding, but many are considering getting into it.

~04:56 – 06:12 (Back to Top)

8. Why Are So Few Publishers Using Video Prebidding?

The reason so few publishers are using video prebidding is its high barrier of entry. Video prebidding is a nightmare to implement, and there’s a lot of trial and error involved in the process.

~06:29 – 08:20 (Back to Top)

9. How Can Publishers Handle the High Barrier of Entry to Prebidding?

There are two ways publishers can handle the high barrier of entry to prebidding:

• Get a good web developer, an ad ops expert, and support from your SSP and do everything yourselves.
• Find a reliable prebidding solution like Brid.TV to help you take care of everything behind the scenes.

~08:21 – 09:28 (Back to Top)

10. What Lies in the Future of Prebidding?

There are unlikely to be any considerable improvements to prebidding tech-wise. However, there are a few potential issues that might come up in the future:

• Legislation (European or U.S. laws and GDPR)
• Anything that affects the online advertising industry (Death of the third-party cookie, Better Ads Standards)
• Google’s and Amazon’s monopoly on the online advertising industry (these two might push prebid.js back in the future)

~09:29 – 14:47 (Back to Top)

11. Should Publishers Switch to Prebidding Despite Google’s and Amazon’s Domination of the Online Advertising Industry?

Absolutely. Prebidding is still an incredibly effective way to maximize ad revenue, so there’s no reason not to use it. For instance, Brid.TV publishers who implemented prebidding immediately saw at least a 20% increase in revenue.

~14:48 – 15:18 (Back to Top)

12. Should Publishers Handle Prebidding In-House, Outsource It, or Find a Prebidding Solution?

If you’re a new publisher who just started getting into prebid, the best option would be to outsource your prebidding efforts or find a prebidding solution that will handle everything for you. Doing that is much better than setting it up yourself if you don’t have anyone with enough industry know-how since debugging and setting up prebidding from scratch is incredibly complicated.

~15:19 – 17:54 (Back to Top)

13. How Big of a Team Would Publishers Need to Make an In-House Prebidding Solution?

If you have great experts, even three people might be enough. However, finding even three people with enough industry knowledge may prove next to impossible. But with an average team, it might even take more than 50 people to handle your prebidding in-house. That is why outsourcing is a much more cost-effective solution for most publishers.

~17:55 – 18:40 (Back to Top)

14. What Should Publishers Look for in a Prebidding Solution?

Publishers looking to start with video prebidding should look for a prebidding solution with the following:

• An HTML5 player with VAST and VPAID support
• An easy way to implement and set up your prebid wrapper
• Connections with SSPs (e.g., Xandr, Pubmatic, Magnite)

Besides the above, one of the best things a prebidding solution can offer publishers is a way to make setting up, managing, and tracking the performance of your prebidding easy.

~18:41 – 23:12 (Back to Top)

15. Outro

~23:13 – 23:31 (Back to Top)

Did you happen to have missed our last episode of Brid Talks? If you’re interested in hearing about Better Ads Standards and why publishers should adhere to them, you can check out our previous episode at the link below.