Ad Networks and the Value They Bring

One of the greatest things about online media is that it is in a constant state of flux and disruption.
It is also one of its greatest challenges.
With challenges come concerns.

One concern about the current disrupted media industry is that trends such as Real Time Bidding promise greater value for publishers and brands alike, where it appears we are moving in the opposite direction. 

The benefit of Web 2.0 has been more and more and more content(but possibly of less Profeesional quality) and supply well exceeds demand.
So budgets and costs should have decreased, but ironically digital media budgets have not decreased at all. 
Budgets over the last 10 years have grown,particularly in digital ,even after accounting for erosion in print, radio,etc. 
Therefore those budgets are either concentrating in fewer places or are being spread further and wider.

BUT it’s also possible that because there are increasingly more and more digital intermediaries in the mix - HANDS UP - all those who have seen the Lumascapes (for those who have not- go to  www.lumapartners.com), intermediaries , Ad Networks, RTB, Exchanges etc - who are now taking greater and greater chunks of advertising budgets before that budget is actually invested against actual audience.
It is also ironic that over the last few years  ''media auditors' have had clients question the commission agencies charge and their value and agencies have felt forced to refund these commissions to clients, that a whole cottage industry of intermediairies has grown, intermediaries who have helped themselves to commissions and revenue shares the agencies could only dream of.

If brands want value for their media they should begin looking at how their marketing budgets are being allocated and demanding and expecting accountability with the majority of the budget going to support media where the audience is and not another service where the intermediaries are helping themselves to greater pieces of the pie.

Maybe actually speaking to a media owner is not such a bad thing.