PROGRAMMATIC
AD TECHNOLOGY
101
MaDSapiens.
Note: MaDSapiens reserves the right to edit/alter the curriculum at a later date based on academic feedback
PROGRAM CURRICULUM
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
This course has been designed to specifically demystify the world of Programmatic Advertising. By introducing the
concepts in the sequence outlined below, we aim to consequently erase all the possibly misplaced ideologies many
have regarding Programmatic Advertising and help kick-start successful careers
Please Note: Under each Topic, we have specified the Session during which we will be going over that Topic. Some
of the smaller Topics will be covered in one Session but are segregated here for clarity.
Topic One
The Journey towards Programmatic Advertising (Session: One)
This topic aims to ensure that we are all on the same page and sets the stage for the rest of this course. We cover
the backdrop of digital marketing, segment the World Wide Web into bite-size nuggets that allows ease of
understanding and eventually get introduced to Programmatic Advertising and learn why it is so crucial.
Concepts Covered
• The On-Set of Digital Marketing
• The Fundamentals of Auction-Based Buying (Real Time Bidding, Frequencies etc.)
• Programmatic Advertising vs Standard Display (GDN)
Topic Two
Your WorkStation: The Trading Desk
(Session: One)
This will be a short and snappy description of your Working Environment. A Trading Desk is a specialist company
that provides Programmatic Ad Technology services that is either an Independent Set-Up or part of a larger
conglomerate. Either ways, this is your battlefield. So, knowing the details of how a professional trading desk is
set up, its operations and team structure would be a huge plus point for your career.
Concepts Covered
• Organisation Set Up, Roles & Responsibilities
• Interaction Processes with Agencies & Brands
• Best Practices in terms of team Set-Up
Note: MaDSapiens reserves the right to edit/alter the curriculum at a later date based on academic feedback
Topic Three
Introducing the Technologies
(Session: Two)
The absolute heart of Programmatic Advertising – The Technology Stacks (Tech Stacks). Tech Stacks refer to tools
that are used as building blocks to create synergies with each other and allow the Programmatic Ecosystem to
function. There is no exhaustive list that can be made in this space but this topic covers the most common
Technologies and gets you familiar with the names and utilities.
Concepts Covered
• DSPs, SSPs, Ad Servers
• DMPs & Tag Management Solutions
• How these Technologies Interact & Best Practices in using them
Topic Four
Introducing the DSP
(Session: Three)
The DSP is the Programmatic Advertisers primary weapon. It is the tool Campaign Managers/Traders spend most
of their time on. It is the Buying Agent. In this topic, we will cover the intricacies of a DSP, compare & contrast it
against other Buying Agents like Facebook and Google Ads and understand the differentiating benefits of this
technology.
Concepts Covered
• DSP: The What’s and Why’s
• Timeline of Development and Improvement
• The far-reaching benefits of this Technology
Topic Five
Programmatic Buy Types
(Session: Four)
The DSP is a complex technology that allows almost any type of Media Buy to occur within its realms. In this topic,
we will be covering the different Programmatic Buy Types that are available, the Advantages & Limitations and
when to plug in each of them. This topic introduces a concept that is unique to Programmatic Buying: Media
Consolidation.
Concepts Covered
• Open Auction, Private Auctions, Preferred Deals and Programmatic Guaranteed
Deals • Which buy type to use & When to use them (An Automobile Case Study)
• Media Consolidation – Why this is so essential
Note: MaDSapiens reserves the right to edit/alter the curriculum at a later date based on academic feedback
Topic Six
Brand Safety, Ad Fraud & Viewability
(Session: Five)
These 3 concepts are paramount to the success of a campaign as hygiene and quality across these directly impacts
Brand Positioning. Programmatic buying occurs across the wild west; a very cluttered ecosystem of ad inventory.
It is important to be aware of Best Practices in Brand Safety and Viewability and ensure Ad Fraud is minimized
across your campaigns.
Concepts Covered
• Brand Safety – Definition, Technology and Rules of Thumb
• Viewability – Definition, Industry Benchmarks and Technologies
• Ad Fraud – Intro to the 44-billion-dollar problem faced by the industry & how to combat it
Topic Seven
Measurement & Attribution
(Session: Six)
Learn about the different Measurement protocols that the industry abides by and the drawbacks with some of
them. There is a major difference between Measurement & Attribution as concepts and knowing the details of
these concepts is a true mark of an advanced Programmatic Strategist. We will cover some of the introductory
concepts in this topic to help put things into perspective.
Concepts Covered
• Standard Measurement Methodologies – CTRs to CPAs
• How to strategize custom Measurement Protocols for your Brands
• Attribution – Definition of the current Attribution Model and the need for other models
Topic Eight
Ad Servers
(Session: Six)
Having touched upon Attribution, we segue into Ad Servers and introduce its capabilities. Learn the 3 primary
functionalities of the Ad Server: Serving, Managing and Tracking Ads. When utilized effectively, the Ad Server
becomes the primary backbone to executing 360º Digital Campaigns.
Concepts Covered
• The Serving Functionality – How Ad Servers enable effective creative management
• The Tracking Functionality – The One-Source-Of-Truth for reporting
• The Attribution Functionality – Path-To-Conversion reports, Multi-Touch Attribution Models & More
Note: MaDSapiens reserves the right to edit/alter the curriculum at a later date based on academic feedback
Topic Nine
Data
(Session: Seven)
The most commonly used and abused term in our industry – Data. This topic aims at demystifying this concept
and shines light on the different types of Data (1st Party, 2nd Party and 3rd Party Data). We cover various data
signals, aggregators and utilities of each type and ensure that any misconceptions about these are corrected from
the start.
Concepts Covered
• 1st Party, 2nd Party and 3rd Party Data Definitions & Sources
• Introduction to the Data Management Platform (DMP)
• Using a DMP to effectively become Brand Digital Strategists & Consultants
Topic Ten
Programmatic Success Stories & Wrap-Up
(Session: Eight)
We’ve now spent 4 weeks talking about the various nitty-gritties of Programmatic Ad Technology. In this closing
session, we spend some time dissecting Success Stories I have had in my career by utilizing the concepts we have
discussed together. We then run through a revision crash-course and summarize the entirety of Programmatic Ad
Technology: 101.
Concepts Covered
• Success Story 1 – Drive Prospecting through effective use of 1st and 3rd Party data signals
• Success Story 2 – Driving Brand Lift through intelligent Audience Segmentation
• Success Story 3 – Deliver Performance through Advanced Insighting and Data Analytics
• Revision Crash Course and Summary
Topic Eleven
DSP Platform Walk-Through
(Session: Nine & Ten)
At this stage, you would all have had 4 weeks of Concept and Strategy Training. It is now time for operations - We
spend the next 2 sessions completely immersing ourselves into the DSP market leader – DV360. This platform
belongs to a company called DoubleClick (a Google Company) and we will break it into digestable modules and
cover it across a span of 2 sessions.
Concepts Covered
• DV360 – The Buying Module: How do we effectively set up an entire end-to-end Campaign
• DV360 – The Reporting & Audience Module: How we create various types of Audiences and Reports
• DV360 – The Floodlights and Audience Insights Module: Generating FLs and Audience Insights
• DV360 – The Deals: Setting up Private Auctions, Preferred Deals & Programmatic Guaranteed Deals
Note: MaDSapiens reserves the right to edit/alter the curriculum at a later date based on academic feedback
Topic Twelve
Ad Server Platform Walk-Through
(Session: Eleven & Twelve)
In this session, we take you through the platform of the Market Leader in Ad Server Technology: Doubleclick
Campaign Manager (DCM). We go through the hierarchies present on this platform, the Tips & Tricks of
Operational Know-How’s and Report & Insight extraction.
Concepts Covered
• DCM – The Ad Serving Module: How to set up an effective Ad Serving campaign structure
• DCM – The Reporting Module: Different reporting capabilities and how to pull them
• DCM – The Attribution Module: How to pull Path-To-Conversion reports and apply models on them
PROGRAM DETAILS
PROGRAM STARTS
Please refer to the website for program start dates
DURATION
6 Weeks
PROGRAM FLOW
Weeks 1-2: Intro to Programmatic & Deep-Dive into Buying
Weeks 3-4: All things Measurement, Attribution & Data
Weeks 5-6: On-Platform Training
Class duration will be 2 hours & will be held every weekend on Saturdays &
Sundays
WEEKLY COMMITMENT REQUIRED
4 Hours per Week on Learning
7 Hours per Week on Research
PROGRAM FEE
Classroom setting (Min 10 students): ₹7,999
One-To-One Training: ₹24,999
(Please refer to website for added features of our One-To-One Training Package)