Google trying TV ad buying again with DoubleClick Bid Manager

To allow advertisers to buy and compare video ad performance across linear TV and digital, Google is bringing programmatic access to linear TV inventory to DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM).

The new offering, announced at the National Association for Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas on Monday, taps inventory sources from WideOrbit, clypd and Google Fiber, the company’s own high-speed internet service. Google Fiber offers access to addressable local inventory on cable networks; WideOrbit from local affiliates; and clypd from national broadcast and cable networks.

“By adding traditional TV buying into DoubleClick Bid Manager, we are taking the first step towards allowing advertisers and agencies to manage their video campaigns across digital and linear TV, in a more efficient and effective way,” wrote Rany Ng, director, project management at Google in the blog post announcing the test.

What’s unclear is what kinds of inventory and audiences broadcasters will make available to Google.

On measurement, DBM will offer impact metrics for attribution across channels. “For example, an advertiser will be able to measure the lift when someone searches for their brand on Google or YouTube after seeing their TV ad.”

At last year’s NAB conference, Google offered publishers and TV broadcasters using DoubleClick for Publishers (including MCN, Roku and Cablevision) ways to control inventory and ad experiences across screens, regardless of how and when users tune in to content.

The test announced today is the first reintroduction of TV ad buying for Google since the company discontinued its Google TV Ads program, which let advertisers buy TV spots in AdWords. That program never gained traction and ran from 2007 to 2012.

Google is not alone in this space. Adobe is among those offering traditional TV broadcasters and content providers ways to sell and measure ad inventory across screens and devices. Last fall, Facebook confirmed it is testing ad delivery on internet-connected TV platforms like Roku and Apple TV.

About The Author

Ginny Marvin

As Third Door Media’s paid media reporter, Ginny Marvin writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land and Marketing Land. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She provides search marketing and demand generation advice for ecommerce companies and can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.