How do you choose between ad mediation and header bidding for your app monetization?

The most important thing to know about mediation platforms is that you the publisher is the product. Meditation platforms use your data to improve their UA algorithms,  hence why it's free! Publishers who have any scale (20k/day+) are able to leverage this to get favorable terms. This can be cash bonuses, UA discounts, and better payment terms. These deals can sometimes be as easy as asking for them. Always be mindful when dealing with mediation platforms that your interests are not always 100% aligned and you should always view things with a critical mind.

Another benefit of ad mediation is that it can help publishers mitigate the impact of ad request errors and timeouts. By having multiple ad networks available to serve an ad request, the likelihood of a successful ad delivery increases, as the ad mediation platform can automatically switch to a different ad network if the first one fails to deliver an ad. This can result in fewer blank or broken ad slots and a better user experience for users. Overall, ad mediation can be a valuable tool for publishers to manage multiple ad networks and sources efficiently, optimize their fill rate and revenue, and provide a better user experience for their audience.

The choice between ad mediation and header bidding for app monetization depends on various factors. Ad mediation offers flexibility and ease of implementation, suitable for simpler setups. On the other hand, header bidding provides more transparency and potentially higher revenue but demands more complex integration. Deciding factors include app complexity, desired control, and revenue goals, with a balance between simplicity and sophistication guiding the decision-making process.

Ad Mediation: Advantages: Simplifies ad network management, optimizes fill rates, and maximizes revenue by prioritizing networks based on performance. Best For: Apps with varying ad network demands and priorities, seeking flexibility and ease of integration. Header Bidding: Advantages: Increases competition among ad networks, potentially leading to higher eCPMs and revenue. Best For: Apps with high traffic and complex monetization needs, aiming for maximum revenue through simultaneous bidding. Choosing Between Them: Considerations: Select ad mediation for simplicity and network diversity; opt for header bidding for increased revenue potential and control over ad auctions.

La médiation publicitaire, c'est comme un chef d'orchestre pour vos publicités : elle gère plusieurs réseaux publicitaires depuis une seule plateforme. Vous pouvez fixer des règles et préférences, et la plateforme choisit automatiquement le meilleur réseau pour chaque demande publicitaire, optimisant ainsi votre taux de remplissage et vos revenus. En centralisant la gestion, vous maximisez l'efficacité sans jongler manuellement entre différents réseaux publicitaires.

Another advantage of header bidding is that it can help publishers gain more transparency and control over their ad inventory. By integrating with multiple demand sources, publishers can see the real-time bidding data and performance metrics of each demand source, allowing them to make informed decisions about which demand sources to work with in the future. This can also lead to more efficient ad serving, as publishers can optimize their ad inventory based on the bidding data and performance metrics. Overall, header bidding can be a valuable technique for publishers to increase their competition and revenue, gain more transparency and control over their ad inventory, and optimize their ad serving efficiency.

Header bidding is essentially allowing a network to bid on your inventory algorithmically instead of in a traditional waterfall with price points set by a publisher. It's good in the sense that a network gets exposure to your entire ad stack and not just at certain price points. It can sometimes be unfavorable for publishers as you relinquish your price-setting power. Experimenting with bid floors is a good start to ensure high eCPM.

Les enchères d’en-tête, c'est un peu comme une vente aux enchères en ligne pour vos espaces publicitaires : vous mettez en compétition plusieurs sources de demande simultanément. En utilisant un seul SDK ou API, vous pouvez intégrer divers échanges publicitaires et réseaux. La demande d’annonce est envoyée à toutes les sources en même temps, et la plus haute enchère l'emporte, maximisant ainsi vos revenus en laissant le marché fixer le prix optimal pour votre inventaire.

One important thing to note is the affect of Mediation SDKs on latency and the size of the app. These days, most publishers implement a hybrid ad tech stack with a mix of waterfall and bidding demand. With server to serve bidding, the publisher's server handles all of the communication with the ad networks. This eliminates the need for a mediation SDK, which can significantly reduce the size of the app. S2S bidding can also improve the performance of an app by reducing the latency associated with ad serving. This is because S2S bidding eliminates the need for the app to make multiple HTTP requests to different ad networks.

In mobile "ad mediation" is used to refer to your entire ad stack which includes header bidding and waterfall networks. Most companies currently use a hybrid setup where you have some bidding networks and some on waterfall. The overarching trend is that within a few years, all networks will be on bidding.  On a waterfall, the publisher sets the price points that they expect fill and the network can only fill at those specific price points. The main drawbacks of this method are that it takes time and a network only has access to inventory at certain price points. Bidding is a lot easier to set up and manage and networks have access to all price points. The main drawback its that it's less transparent.

Complexity: While ad mediation is simpler to set up and maintain, header bidding is more complex due to its parallel auction model and the need to integrate with multiple demand sources. This complexity can be managed with the help of header bidding platforms or services that simplify the process for publishers. In summary, ad mediation and header bidding offer different benefits and drawbacks for publishers, depending on their needs and goals. Ad mediation can be simpler to set up and manage, while header bidding can offer more transparency and potentially higher revenue.

Choisir entre la médiation publicitaire et les enchères d’en-tête dépend de vos priorités en termes de simplicité, transparence et rendement. La médiation publicitaire fonctionne en cascade, où les réseaux sont sollicités successivement selon vos règles, et est plus simple à mettre en place. Les enchères d’en-tête, plus complexes, permettent des enchères parallèles, offrant ainsi une transparence accrue et potentiellement des revenus plus élevés en laissant la concurrence déterminer le prix optimal.

From a publisher's perspective having a waterfall setup gives you slightly more control as you set the price points. Setting price points also lets you negotiate with ad networks to have the top position in your waterfall. However, the hybrid bidding and waterfall era have diminished this bargaining chip quite a bit.  Header bidding's main benefit is that it's easy to manage and you get exposure to bids at all price points. If you as a publisher are large enough in scale you can negotiate to get some of the 5% mediation bidder fee as a bonus paid to you every month.

Ad mediation is ideal for publishers who want to manage multiple ad networks and sources efficiently, while header bidding is more suitable for publishers who want to maximize revenue and gain more control and transparency over ad monetization. Ultimately, the choice between ad mediation and header bidding will depend on factors such as the publisher's app and audience, revenue goals, and technical capabilities.

Ultimately, the best approach will depend on factors such as your revenue goals, user experience requirements, available resources, and technical capabilities. Some publishers may choose to use a combination of ad mediation and header bidding, or to switch between them based on their performance and feedback. It's important to regularly monitor and analyze the performance and metrics of your ad monetization strategy and make adjustments accordingly.