Choosing the Right White-label Programmatic Advertising Partner

Finding the right white-label programmatic partner is an undertaking worth investing in. When it comes time to face the technical, budgetary, and efficiency challenges of building a custom ad tech platform, you’ve probably already weighed the benefits and drawbacks. As a growing agency, the allure of constructing digital marketing solutions from the ground up is tempting. 

Reddit is ripe with agencies asking about DSP. There is a whole Quora thread dedicated to the idea, too. While platform ownership gives you total control, it comes with added costs, time constraints, and liabilities.

Keep reading to arm yourself with the right questions to ask once you’ve decided a white-label digital marketing is the best route to quickly scale the cannabis advertising campaigns of your growing list of clients. 

Understanding White Labeling in Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising is an automated and data-driven approach to buying and placing digital ads. Agencies can deliver incredible results to their clients using white label programmatic advertising because ad tech platforms built for cannabis and other regulated industries use precise targeting and automation to reach a target market with personalized messages at scale. Adding an extra layer, agencies can track campaign data to enhance efficiency, optimize ad spend, and improve campaign performance by delivering relevant content to the right audience.

The biggest challenge for agencies that want to offer these services to their clients is that they lack the in-house technology and expertise to harness this strategy fully. The good news? Some programmatic platforms now offer access to their audiences and dashboards through white-label partnerships with marketing agencies.

Defining White Label Programmatic Advertising Partners

In programmatic advertising, a white-label partner gives you access to their dashboard and features such as audience targeting, real-time bidding, and sophisticated analytics. In basic terms, “white label” means that another company provides a ready-made, customizable solution that you can tailor and brand with your agency front and center.

White-label partners, such as MediaJel, develop and maintain the underlying technology, including demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), and other tools necessary to meet ethical standards and stay compliant in programmatic advertising. You can use the platform, providing client reports and dashboard access underneath your own agency’s brand to demonstrate how you are helping them excel.

Advantages of White-Labeled Programmatic Advertising

White-label programmatic advertising partners can be a valuable bridge between businesses and the complex world of cannabis programmatic advertising technology. Because white-label partners provide the technological backbone for programmatic advertising, you can access advanced features such as real-time bidding, precise targeting, and data analytics without investing in your own technology development and maintenance.

This means your agency can focus on scaling core competencies such as strategy, client relationships, and campaign management. Instead of spending agency resources finding audiences, you can give a good white label platform your parameters and they will find the audiences that fit your specifications and deliver compelling engagement in an easy-to-use platform.

Key Considerations for Choosing a White-Label Advertising Partner

As the expert in the advertising industry, clients trust you to vet your vendors and ensure a high-quality experience that delivers on the brand promises at scale. So, you must prioritize selecting the right white-label programmatic advertising partner and thoroughly assess key factors including expertise, transparency, technology, customer support, and scalability. You can build a strategic partnership from these foundational elements to empower both businesses to work toward mutually beneficial goals. Here are five essential qualities to find in a programmatic partner.

Expertise and Industry Knowledge

True experts with industry knowledge in programmatic advertising will be able to provide concrete examples and case studies of successful campaigns. Look for the specific challenges they faced and the strategies they implemented based on emerging technology, industry trends, and best practices. If you have diverse clients, you will also need to assess their ability to offer tailored solutions based on the regulatory landscape of your clients. Start with questions like: 

  • How many years of experience does your white label agency have running programmatic advertising for cannabis on your platform?
  • Can you provide examples of successful programmatic campaigns you’ve executed for regulated industries such as cannabis?
  • How does the platform verify age gating?
  • Can you provide examples of how you’ve incorporated emerging technologies into recent campaigns?
  • What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you prioritize in programmatic advertising?
  • How does the platform present campaign performance data, and what insights can we expect from the reporting?

Data Transparency and Security

Your advertising partner’s data transparency and security practices are integral to maintaining client trust and complying with privacy regulations. No matter how professional a partner may appear, you must protect your clients by inquiring about their data-handling processes. Cannabis is a highly regulated industry, and they should have high standards for their data sources.

Start by seeking clarity on data sourcing and origin. Ensure your potential partner can articulate the legitimacy of acquired data, their plans for adapting to evolving standards (such as GDPR and CCPA), and protocols for security. A thorough examination of these areas will provide insight into a partner’s commitment to data transparency, security, and privacy.

This is where you dive deeper. Ask them questions like: 

  • Can you share the sources from which you acquire data for programmatic advertising campaigns?
  • How do you ensure the legitimacy and quality of campaign data?
  • Who owns the data collected during programmatic advertising campaigns, and how is it controlled?
  • Can clients access and control their data, and what mechanisms are in place to facilitate this?
  • How do you protect data during transmission and storage to prevent unauthorized access?
  • Do you share customer data with third parties, and if so, what criteria do you use to select such partners?

Technological Capabilities

To feel confident in the partner’s technological prowess, do a deep dive into the features of their programmatic advertising platform. Listen for them to emphasize functionalities such as real-time bidding, precise targeting, and dynamic ad creative optimization.

Understanding the platform’s integrations with ad tech solutions and third-party tools provides insights into its adaptability and potential for enhancing campaign performance. Scalability, API accessibility, creative optimization tools, and robust measures against ad fraud further underscore the partner’s technological capabilities.

Choosing a partner with advanced technology ensures you can execute data-driven, targeted cannabis campaigns. Ask them questions like: 

  • Can you provide examples of successful integrations that enhanced campaign performance?
  • To what extent does your platform leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for campaign optimization?
  • Can you provide examples of how AI and ML have enhanced targeting or ad creative personalization?
  • What tools does your platform provide for dynamic creative optimization?
  • Can you showcase examples of how these tools have contributed to more engaging and effective ad creatives?
  • How does your platform address and prevent ad fraud?
  • Can you provide insight into the measures that guarantee campaign budgets are allocated to genuine impressions and clicks?

Customer Support and Communication

Effective customer support and communication are linchpins in a successful partnership with a white-label programmatic advertising provider. To evaluate their commitment to customer service, you must consider response time and the availability of diverse communication channels.

A responsive support team that promptly addresses client concerns and provides transparent updates during issue resolution can significantly impact campaign performance—and your client’s satisfaction. Choosing a white-label programmatic partner with a strong focus on customer support and communication sets the foundation for a collaborative, efficient, and successful long-term relationship. Ask them: 

  • How quickly can we expect a response from your customer support team?
  • Is there a designated point of contact for urgent issues?
  • What communication channels are available for clients to reach customer support?
  • What are the support team’s working hours, and do they align with clients’ operational needs?
  • Is there a system in place for after-hours or emergency support?
  • How does your team support clients during the onboarding process?
  • Is training provided to ensure clients fully understand and utilize the programmatic advertising platform?
  • Do you provide clients with a knowledge base or resources for self help?

Scalability and Growth Potential

A good litmus test when looking at growth potential is the partner’s pricing model. A scalable pricing model suggests the platform has established infrastructure to accommodate your growing campaign volume, evolving requirements, and diverse client portfolios.

Examining client success stories and testimonials provides real-world evidence of the partner’s support in scaling cannabis programmatic advertising efforts, while customization options tailored to unique business requirements reinforce the argument.

A partner’s dedication to technology updates, capacity planning, and the presentation of case studies solidify the partner’s potential to foster the growth of programmatic advertising initiatives. Ask questions like: 

  • Do you offer flexible pricing models that align with varying business scales?
  • How transparent is the pricing structure, and can it accommodate changes as my agency business grows?
  • What strategies does the partner employ to support clients in expanding programmatic advertising initiatives?
  • Do you provide consultation on scaling strategies based on industry insights?
  • Can your services be tailored to specific growth objectives and industry demands?
  • How frequently does the partner update their technology stack to incorporate the latest innovations?
  • Can you provide a roadmap for technological advancements to support future growth?

Timing Matters: When to Seek a White-Label Programmatic Partner

How do you know when to launch a white-label programmatic advertising provider? The decision to start should align with campaign readiness, market conditions, and client goals.

The ability to capitalize on swift market entry makes white labeling an attractive option for agencies seeking to expand into cannabis and diversify their advertising channels quickly.

Trust and Reliability: Your White-label Programmatic Advertising Partner

As the premier programmatic advertising provider for cannabis businesses, we have seen that a foundation of trust is instrumental for a successful and enduring partnership in regulated industries. Soon, you will realize how much you rely on your white-label digital marketing partners to deliver effective and transparent advertising solutions.

Whatever partner you choose, their reliability in meeting expectations, adhering to ethical standards, and consistently delivering on promises will impact your business. Reciprocal trust ensures that you can confidently navigate the intricacies of programmatic advertising, knowing your partner is committed to shared success.

In an industry where transparency and accountability are vital, you need a trustworthy white-label advertising partner to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Key Takeaways for Choosing the Right White Label Programmatic Advertising Partner

Client demand for data-driven campaigns drives marketing agencies to find partners with robust data analytics capabilities. These capabilities enable the delivery of targeted and measurable campaigns that align with the market’s demand for quantifiable results.

Selecting the right white-label option requires a strategic, thoughtful approach—and asking the right questions. Programmatic advertising partners are the technological backbone to your agency and provide a significant competitive edge. Here at Mediajel, we are committed to offering the services and features that make a difference to our clients. Push the boundaries of compliant cannabis ads with white-label programmatic advertising.