Building a Self‑Service Advertising Platform for a Fortune 50 Media Leader
A Fortune 50 global media and entertainment company set out to modernize its advertising stack. The company, known for its iconic content and massive audience reach, needed a self‑service platform that would let advertisers access premium inventory across its streaming and digital properties. The goal was to offer guaranteed impressions and transparent pricing, free from the constraints of third‑party demand‑side platforms (DSPs) and supply‑side platforms (SSPs).
Project Snapshot
Client profile
The client is one of the world’s largest media companies. With a portfolio that includes streaming services, television networks and theme parks, the company attracts hundreds of millions of viewers and advertisers. Their existing ad‑serving infrastructure provided premium inventory but it required manual negotiation and relied on third‑party DSPs and SSPs for programmatic buying.
Project goal
Build a unified, self‑service ad‑buying platform where advertisers can do the following.
- Access and reach out exclusive audiences and guaranteed inventory directly from the company’s ad server
- Negotiate upfront deals at fixed CPMs without hidden fees
- Manage campaigns, reporting and payments through a transparent interface
- Reduce reliance on external DSPs and remove platform fees
Business challenge
Programmatic advertising via DSPs gives advertisers access to a VAST pool of impressions across many publishers. However, it also creates complexity because ad servers and DSPs serve very different roles in the digital‑advertising stack.
- Fragmented roles and complexity: Ad servers store, serve and track ads for direct publisher deals with fixed pricing and brand safety guarantees, whereas DSPs automate real‑time bidding across multiple publishers. Juggling these separate systems makes the ad‑buying process opaque
- Limited access to premium inventory: Because DSPs aggregate inventory from many suppliers, advertisers often struggle to locate specific placements, and the most valuable ad spots are frequently reserved for direct deals
- Platform fees and conflicts of interest: Relying on third‑party DSPs means paying platform fees and ceding control of inventory. Providers like Google Ad Manager control both ad serving and their own inventory, which creates potential conflicts of interest
- Need for guaranteed and predictable revenue: Direct deals, where advertisers negotiate inventory and rates directly with a publisher, command higher CPMs and offer premium audiences, guaranteed delivery and predictable revenue. The client lacked a self‑service channel to scale such deals
- Desire for autonomy: Building an in‑house platform would allow the company to offer exclusive inventory to advertisers without intermediaries, eliminate platform fees and provide more competitive rates
Solution
Advantrix Labs partnered with the client to design and implement a scalable, self‑service advertising platform that combines the strengths of ad servers and DSPs. The solution delivers the following.
- Direct access to premium inventory: Advertisers sign in after direct sales agreements and can browse guaranteed ad slots across the company’s digital properties. Inventory is exclusive, with fixed CPMs and no hidden mark‑ups, leveraging the advantages of direct deals
- Unified campaign management: The platform allows advertisers to create, schedule and manage campaigns, target specific audiences, monitor performance and handle payments in one place. Transparent dashboards provide real‑time reporting and insights
- Self‑service and automation: Built as a cloud‑native application using microservices, the platform automates many functions previously handled manually. It integrates with the client’s in‑house ad server and supports guaranteed deals while still enabling optional programmatic integrations
Business outcomes
By leveraging a cloud‑native architecture and combining the precision of ad servers with the scale of programmatic buying, Advantrix Labs delivered a self‑service ad platform that unlocked new revenue streams and strengthened the client’s position in a highly competitive market.
- Revenue uplift: Within a year of launch, the self‑service platform delivered revenue 8% higher than projected. By offering guaranteed inventory and fixed pricing, the client captured premium spend that would otherwise go through third‑party DSPs
- Advertiser loyalty: Transparent pricing and direct access to exclusive audiences increased advertiser satisfaction and loyalty. Advertisers appreciated predictable costs and the ability to negotiate upfront deals, echoing industry research showing that direct deals provide higher CPMs and guaranteed revenue
- Reduced dependence on third‑party platforms: The new platform freed the client from reliance on external demand‑side platforms and supply‑side intermediaries. Eliminating platform fees and opaque auction dynamics lowered costs and gave the company more control over its advertising business
- Brand credibility: Owning the full advertising workflow enhanced the company’s brand and sustainability. A unified and transparent platform improved perceptions of fairness among advertisers and aligned with ongoing regulatory scrutiny of third‑party ad tech