Google Campaign Manager 360 vs. Smaato

I feel pretty neutral about Google Marketing Platform. For the longest time, my company wasn't using it because each of the features (Data Studio, Analytics, etc.) could be accessed separately. In fact, most of the time, I don't even go into Google Marketing Platform because it's easier to directly navigate to the individual platforms. There are very few features about GMP that can only be accessed from the GMP UI. The Integrations Center is probably the main feature I utilize from the GMP UI, which allows me to see a summary of the integrations I have in place across all my client properties and accounts.

Incentivized

Strong Google Exchange Bidding partner when comparing to other companies in EB.

Incentivized

• Setting up tracking URLs is very easy and it also helps us identify if any errors have occurred with it. This allows us track all types of conversions to the most granular level.
• Accessing all accounts from Double Click significantly reduces the hours we spend on reporting. Any level of detail could be easily pulled out from the reporting tab.
• A very big strength of Double Click is that it's integrated with other publishers, too, besides AdWords.
• Automated bidding is available.

Incentivized

• Fill - the ad requests we send to Smaato have seen a great requests-to-impression ration.
• Revenue - We've seen a lift in overall revenue thanks to the high CPM bids we get from Smaato.
• Payments are always on time and they have a responsive financial team that is helpful in answering any questions.
• Customer service - They are very fast to respond to any issues. The set up was streamlined thanks to their professional customer service.

Incentivized

• The process for on-boarding new users can be difficult if they do not already have a Gmail or Gmail-linked account.
• Difficult to troubleshoot technical issues (with the platform, with tags, etc.) because of the lack of customer support. Unclear if the agency has a dedicated team or individual to assist, and often have to deal with out-sourced support teams.

Incentivized

• Inventory can be a bit pricey in competitive markets like the US.
• Reporting dashboard is limited, needs work.
• They don't offer a lof of transparency about margins over media cost.

Incentivized

Due to its adapting behavior with industry ad formats and seamless integration with publishers and DSP's, I don't see myself moving away from DCM. As we see the display advertising is getting more programatic and automated due to the rise of DSP and concept of RTB, Double Click has evolved with new advanced best practices

The Doubleclick interface is easy and simple to get a hang of. The options are slightly limited compared to other DSPs. But, for a simple campaign, this is a great DSP to move forward with. They have a ton of data and can plug into a lot of different partners

Incentivized

Smaato has a UI where you can control your line items on the traffic you want to receive. That is a key unique selling point that other SSPs don't offer. Most of the items that you will need like reporting can be done on a self serve manner and that is a big plus, specifically for changes that need to happen really fast and you don't need to deal with account managers that may take some time to answer emails.

Incentivized

They do not have strong support team. It is tough to get answer when I need it. They always refer you to an online guide and not an actual person. If so, the person is based out of an offshore team in India and does not know the specific client goals .

Incentivized

Smaato's account management team is very professional. They are quite fast in terms of customer support, which is very helpful. One item that stands out is that they are willing to understand what you need for each campaign and what is the best way to move forward. They don't just jump quickly into trying to upsell more of Smaato's products (audiences, data) like other SSPs do.

Incentivized

I would highly recommend asking clients to provide 3PAS tags or use an internal 3PAS

Incentivized

DoubleClick is slightly better to manage, especially in the sense of its user interface, which isn't super easy to navigate, but compared to Marin, is a lot easier. It also has a much easier process in terms of uploading ads to engines such as AdWords and Bing. I also find it easier to investigate the attribution tools in DoubleClick compared to Marin.

Incentivized

Smaato has better anti-fraud controls than most exchanges. Even if the inventory ends up being a bit pricey, I am more comfortable running campaigns on Smaato because I know there won't be any issues with the clients claiming refunds for invalid traffic. I believe that as the industry matures, other SSPs will follow suit and prices will increase along with the board.

Incentivized

• DS3 has improved ROI considerably due to its ability to make the work of a team of digital marketers to go further and improving internal efficiency.
• There is a notable improvement in account performance for those integrated with DoubleClick as opposed to not, with better tracking, new bid strategy options, and a more responsive interface.
• The additional fee on top of media spend is a considerable expense for a large advertiser, but the necessity of a product/solution such as this means that there is always likely to be some comparative cost.

Incentivized

• We have seen prices a bit high, thus reducing profitability
• However, the vast reach has allowed us to get more budgets and fulfill them so the net effect is positive.
• We have been able to run campaigns that targeted the same user on mobile and desktop by running with Smaato and that has allowed us to get more budgets from specific clients.

Incentivized